AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - Using A+ reward points for upgrade?

I tried searching the forums for this before posting but had no luck finding my answer.

My husband have been flying on Air Tran back and forth every 2 weeks since June so that he could undergo chemotherapy up at the NIH in Bethesda, MD (we fly into BWI). We have been collecting points of course which has been nice. Well in 2 weeks we fly back for his very last chemo trip *crossing fingers* and I'd like to use up some of our points to upgrade us both to business class for the flight there and the flight home. I researched this and it appears that you need 4 points to upgrade one-way and that's fine because we both have 9 right now.

How do I go about upgrading us? Do I just call Air Tran and do it? Can it be done online? Once we are upgraded there is no way they can kick us back to Coach right?

Thanks! Sorry if this was a stupid question.

I tried searching the forums for this before posting but had no luck finding my answer.

My husband have been flying on Air Tran back and forth every 2 weeks since June so that he could undergo chemotherapy up at the NIH in Bethesda, MD (we fly into BWI). We have been collecting points of course which has been nice. Well in 2 weeks we fly back for his very last chemo trip *crossing fingers* and I'd like to use up some of our points to upgrade us both to business class for the flight there and the flight home. I researched this and it appears that you need 4 points to upgrade one-way and that's fine because we both have 9 right now.

How do I go about upgrading us? Do I just call Air Tran and do it? Can it be done online? Once we are upgraded there is no way they can kick us back to Coach right?

Thanks! Sorry if this was a stupid question.

As far as I know, you have to call in to upgrade with flight credits. You can do it anytime beginning midnight the day before the scheduled flight.
Once you have upgraded, you have Business Class. No way they can then downgrade you, unless, I suppose, if they give your seat to a FAM. (On some airlines, if there is a change in equipment resulting in fewer Business seats they can. But AirTran only flies 717s and 737s and they all have 12 Business seats.)

You can also request the upgrade at OLCI, just login to your account to burn points, but calling in at the midnight mark is the best way I've found to ensure your upgrade clears at the window.

+1

Then answer above is correct. Just call AirTran after midnight the day before your departure and you can get the Business Class seats for 4 credits per person each way.

You will then have a confirmed business class seat. With business class in hand, you will be the first to boad, and you can also use the Elite security line at the airport.

It will all work out just fine. Enjoy the experience!

You can also request the upgrade at OLCI, just login to your account to burn points, but calling in at the midnight mark is the best way I've found to ensure your upgrade clears at the window.
Where does that show up? When I use OLCI, I am always offered a $49 UG, but not a credits UG. And in AirTran's Terms and Conditions, I see this:
"Getting free Business Class Upgrades: Call us at 1-888-3-A-PLUS-8 (1-888-327-5878) to reserve your upgrade to Business Class anytime beginning midnight the day prior to departure. Four (4) A+ Rewards credits are required to redeem for a one-way Business Class upgrade."
No mention of an on-line way of doing it (though they may have upgraded the system without yet updating the T&C).

It's been about a year since I last used this but I was thinking My Account > My Rewards > Redeem Other Rewards, then in the grid at the bottom you enter in the # of upgrades you want to cash in. Although you may be right, this may just create an upgrade voucher that you have to call in... not have the ability to apply the voucher towards a particular segment.

Side note: pretty humorous videos here they launched: http://www.internetiquette.com/

Where does that show up? When I use OLCI, I am always offered a $49 UG, but not a credits UG. And in AirTran's Terms and Conditions, I see this:
"Getting free Business Class Upgrades: Call us at 1-888-3-A-PLUS-8 (1-888-327-5878) to reserve your upgrade to Business Class anytime beginning midnight the day prior to departure. Four (4) A+ Rewards credits are required to redeem for a one-way Business Class upgrade."
No mention of an on-line way of doing it (though they may have upgraded the system without yet updating the T&C).

Do you need to buy a certain class of fare to use credits to upgrade, or can you upgrade any fare? Are web specials upgradeable?

Do you need to buy a certain class of fare to use credits to upgrade, or can you upgrade any fare? Are web specials upgradeable?

You can upgrade any fare with credits...even award tickets.

<snip> Four (4) A+ Rewards credits are required to redeem for a one-way Business Class upgrade." </snip>

For this upgrade, do you know if it is 4 points per leg of travel, or 4 points to get to the destination?

In my case, I'm doing MSP > ATL > SJU, and I haven't figured out if that would require 4 or 8 points to get to Puerto Rico.

Thanks!

For this upgrade, do you know if it is 4 points per leg of travel, or 4 points to get to the destination?

In my case, I'm doing MSP > ATL > SJU, and I haven't figured out if that would require 4 or 8 points to get to Puerto Rico.

Thanks!
I'm almost certain that it's 4 credits for the entire one-way trip.

I am 100% certain that an upgrade is 4 credits per one-way, even if your one-way consists of two segments. I do this all the time, "paying" 4 credits to upgrade HPN-ATL-HOU, HPN-ATL-JAX, HPN-ATL-LAS etc.

That is great news - thank you HPN-HRL and Drummer!

Thank you for this info:D.

I am flying DTW-MCO on Thursday and I have an upgrade voucher that I want to apply to that flight. Since I am working overnight tomorrow, I will be up at midnight and I should be able to call it in.

One other question...

My friend is flying with me. I have another upgrade voucher (from my 6-year old daughter's account) that is going to go to waste. Can I allow my friend to use it? If so, can I call in and upgrade us both, even though we booked separately? I have her confirmation number, if that helps. She would rather not stay up until midnight and we would prefer to get seats together.

TIA!

Thank you for this info:D.

I am flying DTW-MCO on Thursday and I have an upgrade voucher that I want to apply to that flight. Since I am working overnight tomorrow, I will be up at midnight and I should be able to call it in.

One other question...

My friend is flying with me. I have another upgrade voucher (from my 6-year old daughter's account) that is going to go to waste. Can I allow my friend to use it? If so, can I call in and upgrade us both, even though we booked separately? I have her confirmation number, if that helps. She would rather not stay up until midnight and we would prefer to get seats together.

TIA!

You probably can, unless it's restricted to a ticket in your name only. I say give it a shot when you call.

+1

Just call AirTran after midnight the day before your departure and you can get the Business Class seats for 4 credits per person each way.

You will then have a confirmed business class seat. With business class in hand, you will be the first to board, and you can also use the Elite security line at the airport.




I've not done this before so I wanted to check -

When calling right after midnight to secure an upgrade with credits - is that midnight at origin or midnight in a certain time zone (such as AirTran HQ location)? Flight is at 10:55pm on a Saturday.

I've not done this before so I wanted to check -

When calling right after midnight to secure an upgrade with credits - is that midnight at origin or midnight in a certain time zone (such as AirTran HQ location)? Flight is at 10:55pm on a Saturday.

Midnight Eastern time (where AirTran HQ is)

In your case, you should try to call around 11:55 p.m. Thursday night...that will leave you a few minutes to get a live agent on the line.

SCORE ! - the upgrade has been acquired.

Thanks so much newsmanhoss for steering me through this. I'm in California and was thinking I might have to call earlier than midnight if the upgrade window was tied to a different time zone but I wasn't sure. I really appreciate that you said which day/exactly when I should call because I would've waited until Friday night, not thinking that midnight Friday is already Saturday (and then it's no longer the day before. . . )

I called just after 9pm Thursday and got through to an agent right away - and like other posters have experienced, it was four credits to upgrade both flight segments, origin to destination (just a one-way ticket).

Thanks again, might not have gotten this upgrade if not for your response !