US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Award seats on UA metal

Hello, all. I've been reading these boards for a while, and am new to posting.

We are travelling for our honeymoon on this United itinerary: IAD-ORD-NRT-BKK; returning BKK-NRT-SEA-IAD. I am flying UA upgrade, future wifey is on a US award ticket.
We are upgraded just fine except the final leg SEA-IAD. UA's limited number of US award seats has put her in C while I am in F for this leg.

Any advice on how to get her into F? She's been calling US reservations nonstop, but no luck yet.

What dates are you flying?

UA has historically released too little award and upgrade inventory for front cabins LATER, not earlier. I have found NO award First inventory across the Pacific 11 montha out. But 1-3 weeks out it is frequently available.

UA also seems to release lots of free (Business) seats for Wednesday travel across the Pacific. This tells me wednesday id the lightest day over the Pacific.

Thinking back to your post, if a domestic flight is a problem, expect a POSSIBLE release of u/g or award seats 3-7 days before flight day.

Thanks, roberto.

Yes, the problem is on a domestic leg (SEA-IAD). Travel date is 12/14. Just like you said, we encountered plenty of trouble trying to book a trans-Pacific US award on UA so far out. Had to change our outbound to a Thursday (Thanksgiving Day, no less) from our preferred Friday departure.

Good to know about the Wednesday flights...will have to remember that on my next transpac for work.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dcadude:
We are upgraded just fine except the final leg SEA-IAD. UA's limited number of US award seats has put her in C while I am in F for this leg. </font>

While UA may sell C seats on SEA-IAD since it connects to an international flight, all flights are operated with narrowbodies. So both of you should be in the domestic F cabin. UA uses the A320, A319, and B757 on this route.

Yes, FOH, I am aware. Should have read the FAQ and glossary more closely before posting. To clarify, this is a business class award ticket, which translates to first on the domestic legs with 2-cabin equipment.

If it is a A320, try to stay out of the last row.

If one ticket is in Y and waitlisted for F, please see these two threads from the United forum..

For a discussion of waitlist priority for unfulfilled awards
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/018931.html

For further discussion of the concept of FFCC
http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ftpasttalk_forum/Forum50/HTML/012243.html

Basically, an F (or C) award that puts a passenger in Y (and if it doesn't clear to F in advance of flight day) should have the highest priority on the waitlist on the day of departure -- even ahead of United's top level elites looking to upgrade.

Just ask politely for FFCC status for the unfulfilled award.

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View from the Wing (http://www.webflyer.com/blog): A blog about Free Miles and Free Markets

Whoa. My head is now swimming after reading those other posts. Though it seems shooting for getting my fiancee on the FFCC list is a good route.

Thanks.

Welcome to Flyertalk, dcadude... where heads spin before resting in an F seat. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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View from the Wing (http://www.webflyer.com/blog): A blog about Free Miles and Free Markets

dcadude, I still don't understand. It seems like both of you are in the domestic F cabin for SEA-IAD. Or is one of you waitlisted and currently in coach? I'm not seeing the problem.