Platnum instant upgrade with M class
Nov 19, 2009, 9:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: IAH
Programs: UA MM, AA almost MM
Posts: 1,162
Platnum instant upgrade with M class
Or not. I am booking 4 tickets. 2 of us are plt. On the return, the fare class is M but is not instant upgradable although there are first class seats available. What is happening here?
Nov 19, 2009, 9:24 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
They're capactiy controlled.
Nov 19, 2009, 9:35 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: IAH
Programs: UA MM, AA almost MM
Posts: 1,162
So what is the strategy? Buy the tickets and call on a regular basis to see if upgrades become available?
Nov 19, 2009, 9:52 pm
#4
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Location: NYC
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You can call or you can pull up the reservation on continental.com and see if the option to upgrade it is available.
Or you can get a premium ExpertFlyer subscription and set a flight alert for "Z" inventory, which is typically indicative of upgrade availability for Platinum M fares.
Or you can get a premium ExpertFlyer subscription and set a flight alert for "Z" inventory, which is typically indicative of upgrade availability for Platinum M fares.
Nov 19, 2009, 9:57 pm
#5
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Yeah, there's no waitlisting for this type of upgrade. CO is weird like that.
Also look at moving the return up to a B or Y bucket, M --> B might be only a nominal difference, and B pulls out of a higher bucket.
Also look at moving the return up to a B or Y bucket, M --> B might be only a nominal difference, and B pulls out of a higher bucket.
Nov 19, 2009, 10:01 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Id rather have it in the bag then to buy an M (4) and in the end sit in Coach and have paid alot more to sit in that exact same coach I could have had for less $$
Nov 19, 2009, 10:07 pm
#7
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B fares are capacity-controlled just like the M fares. Only the Y fares get last-FC-seat-upgrade-availability. And Y fares are usually more expensive than discounted first class fares (Z), though if there is Z inventory in the first place, you'll likely be able to book a M-UP or B-UP anyway.
Nov 19, 2009, 10:11 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: EWR and SAN
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It's the Y fares that aren't capacity controlled.
Nov 19, 2009, 10:36 pm
#9
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Nov 20, 2009, 5:52 am
#10
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
Just to clarify, even though 4 tixs were purchased only 2 are eligible for the M-up because only 2/4 are Plats?
Nov 20, 2009, 6:23 am
#11
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Nov 20, 2009, 6:32 am
#12
Original Poster
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Nov 20, 2009, 7:40 am
#13
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Nov 20, 2009, 8:55 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Nov 20, 2009, 3:47 pm
#15
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Well, I don't know if it was due to *A or just general fare increases, but yes, the full Y fares are quite a bit higher than they were in the recent and intermediate past. B fares can vary, depending on advance purchase and refundability, but certainly having capacity controls on B-UPs was a bit of a devaluation.
