US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Upgrade on Awards?

I have an award ticket for a trip PHL-CLT-MYR. Has anyone gotten an upgrade on a free ticket? Who would you check with, the gate agent?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Politeness does count here. It may not succeed when you ask the first time, but if there are seats and they remember you, you'll get called.

Politeness does count here. It may not succeed when you ask the first time, but if there are seats and they remember you, you'll get called.
Just got back from CLT-LGW roundtrip on standard coach award (no envoy available when I booked). GA on both ends (and at the club) were blunt - not a chance of an upgrade. The outbound had 17 empty envoy seats (according to the club), the return looked the same. Pretty crummy ...

I have an award ticket for a trip PHL-CLT-MYR. Has anyone gotten an upgrade on a free ticket? Who would you check with, the gate agent?

This really depends on what type of award you have. If it's a standard award, it is not generally upgradeable and chances are the only time you would be upgraded is if the flight was oversold in the back, there were not enough people with status to get comp upgrades to fill the F cabin, and they tried to sell upgrades and there were not enough takers. If you have a premium award, it is upgradeable at the time of purchase based on your status.

Just got back from CLT-LGW roundtrip on standard coach award (no envoy available when I booked). GA on both ends (and at the club) were blunt - not a chance of an upgrade. The outbound had 17 empty envoy seats (according to the club), the return looked the same. Pretty crummy ...

US is good at protecting their premium cabins for transatlantic travel. If you don't have a legitimate reason for the upgrade (excluding opups), you don't travel in C. This helps to protect the integrity of the C cabin. If you wanted the chance to upgrade (and you had the means to do it), you could certainly have booked a Premium award which is upgradeable.

Just got back from CLT-LGW roundtrip on standard coach award (no envoy available when I booked). GA on both ends (and at the club) were blunt - not a chance of an upgrade. The outbound had 17 empty envoy seats (according to the club), the return looked the same. Pretty crummy ...

You could have switched at the airport from standard coach to envoy. I did it a couple of times when everything else (OPUP, BUMP,SA) failed.

We have an envoy award to DUB coming up in a few weeks. Is there ever a chance of moving from envoy to fist?

very unlickly. Just got on ops up in 2 years between CLT-FRA on US

Envoy is first on TA flights...so no upgrade needed. If you're on the A330 though, try for Row 1, as it is superior to the rest of the Envoy cabin.

I was under the impression that Envoy was business and that there was a first cabin too.
I tried for row 1 on the PHL-DUB leg, no dice. I'll try again at the club.

US Airways only offers two classes of service on trans-Atlantic flights: economy & Envoy. PHL-DUB is a B767 which has an Envoy Class cabin with 4 rows of seats. All the rows are the same. In the A330 (which serves routes like PHL-LGW and PHL-MAN), Row 1 has US's old First Class seats, from when US briefly offered 3-class service. Now the service is the same, but the seats are still better.

David

I was under the impression that Envoy was business and that there was a first cabin too.
I tried for row 1 on the PHL-DUB leg, no dice. I'll try again at the club.

PHL-DUB is on a 767. Row 1 is now different than rows 2-4.

There's no first in transatlantic flights... it's all Envoy.

Speaking of PHL-DUB.. I bought two tickets for me and a friend to go to DUB via PHL... itinerary is BOS-PHL-DUB. Already called the Silver Line to upgarde on the domestic portions. Once I finish my mile run to SFO and PHX, I'll be Gold.

I was wondering.. if I"m Gold, I understand we get to use the Star Alliances lounges in PHL (USAIR) and DUB (who's in DUB?).

Also wondering what the chances are for an Op Up on this route?

Any help would be appreicated. The RT flight will make me a CP, so I'm very psyched. Last year I was a Silver and I'm going to enjoy a full year at CP before dropping back to Gold it looks like.

-Alphaguy

US Airways only offers two classes of service on trans-Atlantic flights: economy & Envoy. PHL-DUB is a B767 which has an Envoy Class cabin with 4 rows of seats. All the rows are the same. In the A330 (which serves routes like PHL-LGW and PHL-MAN), Row 1 has US's old First Class seats, from when US briefly offered 3-class service. Now the service is the same, but the seats are still better.

David

Thanks for the clarification! I guess I was thinking of A) an A330 and B) the older 3 class set-up.
I knew- and forget- that it was a b767 and seatguru didn't make it sound very luxurious... not great for our first upgraded trans-Atlantic. Not sure long the laptop(s) will last with no in seat power... might be reduced to IFE.

However, flyinig back we are on SAS (which I think does have 3 classes... or not?) I do know it has broadband internet and I'm looking forward to making some VoIP calls...

You may have good luck with an upgrade on an "X" class award going through CLT. I've found the gate agents there to be much more accommodating (if F is wide open, of course) than those in PIT or PHL.

Being a CP probably makes your odds best, but I got upgraded on an award ex-CLT when I was a Silver, so anything can happen. :)