Jul 20, 2013, 6:22 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archived thread, the active thread is UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD)
UA Upsell Offers to Business/First at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD) [Archive]
Sep 14, 2014, 10:02 pm
#1396
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Sep 14, 2014, 10:06 pm
#1397
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Location: Honolulu Harbor
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Don't think. Do.
Sep 14, 2014, 10:06 pm
#1398
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Teaneck, NJ
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 699
Ok, going to do it
Sep 14, 2014, 10:16 pm
#1399
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Carlson Gold, CM Presidential / *A Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 1,648
FWIW I got extra miles (50% bonus) as my W fare was turned into a P fare, posted about it in the 2014 Upsell thread:
I "saved" $$ & time overall by upgrading recently for flights (flying LHR - PTY return, I have no status):
Route: EWR - PTY
Original Fare bucket: W
Price offered: $89
Upgrade to B
Where offered: At OLCI T-24
Accepted
I was paying $109 for an exit row seat, so seemed clear to take this deal with it being $20 less
- I noticed the $109 refund to my card used within 48 hours of the P purchase
Route: PTY - IAH
Original Fare bucket: H
Price offered: $89
Upgrade to B
Where offered: Right after Itinerary purchase, when selecting seats for 4 legs.
Accepted.
Exit row seat was going to cost me $69, so paid $20 for the upgrade.
Overall I thought this was a great deal. Total exit row seat prices = P seat prices, plus with P now as 1 leg on both journeys I have business checkin (great for TATL flights, as you cannot fully checkin online), I have the option of taking 2 bags for free (2nd bag would have been $100 EW anyway), my bag(s) are put through as priority meaning they should get to the belt quicker, I have priority boarding and can also use the lounge on my P legs (although this doesnt benefit me as I have priority pass), and finally I get bonus miles + segments for flying business
Route: EWR - PTY
Original Fare bucket: W
Price offered: $89
Upgrade to B
Where offered: At OLCI T-24
Accepted
I was paying $109 for an exit row seat, so seemed clear to take this deal with it being $20 less
- I noticed the $109 refund to my card used within 48 hours of the P purchaseRoute: PTY - IAH
Original Fare bucket: H
Price offered: $89
Upgrade to B
Where offered: Right after Itinerary purchase, when selecting seats for 4 legs.
Accepted.
Exit row seat was going to cost me $69, so paid $20 for the upgrade.
Overall I thought this was a great deal. Total exit row seat prices = P seat prices, plus with P now as 1 leg on both journeys I have business checkin (great for TATL flights, as you cannot fully checkin online), I have the option of taking 2 bags for free (2nd bag would have been $100 EW anyway), my bag(s) are put through as priority meaning they should get to the belt quicker, I have priority boarding and can also use the lounge on my P legs (although this doesnt benefit me as I have priority pass), and finally I get bonus miles + segments for flying business
Sep 14, 2014, 10:44 pm
#1400
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
I have a flight next month from EWR to LAS for work, and while I am booked in economy now, I can get an upgrade to First for only $67. The upgrade for the flight home is $1,500+. Has anyone ever seen an upgrade that cheap? Although I'd have to pay out of pocket, I'm seriously considering it. When I first booked a month ago it was $300, then last week it was $150, and now $67. Something seems wrong here, no?
Also, just noticed, Economy Plus is actually more expensive to upgrade to than First, at $76+.
Also, just noticed, Economy Plus is actually more expensive to upgrade to than First, at $76+.
So it is possible that United just wants to fill F with at least a few paying customers.
Sep 14, 2014, 11:34 pm
#1401
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 794
I don't think LAS has a lot of high status flyers. I flew SAN-SFO-LAS and the flight SAN-SFO had about 50 people in boarding group 1 or 2. The flight SFO-LAS had 8 people in boarding group 1 or 2. I counted them.
So it is possible that United just wants to fill F with at least a few paying customers.
So it is possible that United just wants to fill F with at least a few paying customers.
Sep 14, 2014, 11:34 pm
#1402
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Sep 15, 2014, 12:12 am
#1403
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SFO
Posts: 310
Did it work? That's a legit TOD on just a W fare. What fare class were you put it? If you are in P, the 50% RDM/EQM bonus is probably worth $67 by itself.
I'm not really familiar with the EWR-LAS market, but looking at the upgrade lists for EWR-LAS for next few days, seems like there are plenty of elites on the list with very upgrades available. Wouldn't be no problem if everything was all paid F.
But if I was an elite in that market and wasn't offered the same $67 upgrade, I wouldn't be happy.
On the other hand, if they are offering that to elites also, makes me think I need to be more like OP and keep checking my itineraries all the time.
I'm not really familiar with the EWR-LAS market, but looking at the upgrade lists for EWR-LAS for next few days, seems like there are plenty of elites on the list with very upgrades available. Wouldn't be no problem if everything was all paid F.
But if I was an elite in that market and wasn't offered the same $67 upgrade, I wouldn't be happy.
On the other hand, if they are offering that to elites also, makes me think I need to be more like OP and keep checking my itineraries all the time.
Sep 15, 2014, 12:39 am
#1404
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: EUG
Programs: UA Gold; IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 443
I have a client in Vegas and have flown SFO-LAS several times in the past few months. I think I've been CPUed almost every time. Maybe they just have zero elites on the flight right now. Still, $67 is crazy. Enjoy your flight in F!
Sep 15, 2014, 4:44 am
#1405
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
Looking at published fares for round trips, the only W fare I see posted EWR-LAS is a $528 r/t fare basis WAA14AHN.
For first-class travel, I see a $708 r/t LAU14AKS/UPDI fare which books into first. It has a 14-day advance purchase requirement, but let's assume that buy-up offers ignore those??.
If the OP's flight had both L and P inventory available, I might expect to see a buy-up offer of $90 one way (the difference between a $354 one way P/L fare and a $264 one way W ware). Dunno how United got this down to $64.
UA could open up L+P inventory within 14 days of travel without risking selling cheap L tickets on the nonstop because almost all cheap coach fares have a 14-day advance purchase requirement. Within T-14, cheapest coach fare they'll sell on EWR-LAS is a $642 r/t V fare.
I think possibly buy-ups ignore the advance purchase requirements????.
(Fares filed are pretty much the same for one-way travel.)
Sep 15, 2014, 5:02 am
#1406
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
Programs: *
Posts: 2,772
I have a flight next month from EWR to LAS for work, and while I am booked in economy now, I can get an upgrade to First for only $67. The upgrade for the flight home is $1,500+. Has anyone ever seen an upgrade that cheap? Although I'd have to pay out of pocket, I'm seriously considering it. When I first booked a month ago it was $300, then last week it was $150, and now $67. Something seems wrong here, no?
Also, just noticed, Economy Plus is actually more expensive to upgrade to than First, at $76+.
Also, just noticed, Economy Plus is actually more expensive to upgrade to than First, at $76+.
Sep 15, 2014, 6:08 am
#1407
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Teaneck, NJ
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 699
There were 9 open F seats when I paid the $67 last night.
Sep 15, 2014, 6:17 am
#1408
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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This is a bit weird.
Looking at published fares for round trips, the only W fare I see posted EWR-LAS is a $528 r/t fare basis WAA14AHN.
For first-class travel, I see a $708 r/t LAU14AKS/UPDI fare which books into first. It has a 14-day advance purchase requirement, but let's assume that buy-up offers ignore those??.I think possibly buy-ups ignore the advance purchase requirements????.
Looking at published fares for round trips, the only W fare I see posted EWR-LAS is a $528 r/t fare basis WAA14AHN.
For first-class travel, I see a $708 r/t LAU14AKS/UPDI fare which books into first. It has a 14-day advance purchase requirement, but let's assume that buy-up offers ignore those??.I think possibly buy-ups ignore the advance purchase requirements????.
As for the advance purchase requirement for these cheap -UPs - yes, UA has always ignored these when it came to TODs :-:
Sep 15, 2014, 6:21 am
#1409
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2012
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Posts: 2,002
Sep 15, 2014, 7:23 am
#1410
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
Here's what it spits out (apologies for the mess):
Code:
Fares 19 items Fare Basis Airline Booking Class Trip Type Fare Cabin Effective Date Expiration Date Min / Max Stay Adv Purchase Req LAU14AKS/UPDI UA L One-Way 354.00(USD) E 09/16/14 03/04/15 14 LAG14AHS/UPDI UA L One-Way 358.00(USD) E 08/25/14 11/19/14 14 TAA14AHS/UPDI UA T One-Way 387.00(USD) E 08/25/14 11/19/14 14 TAA14AGS/UPDI UA T One-Way 397.00(USD) E 10/01/15 14 WAA14AHN/UPDI UA W One-Way 433.00(USD) E 14 VAA07AGS/UPDI UA V One-Way 460.00(USD) E 10/01/15 07 QAA14AHN/UPDI UA Q One-Way 465.00(USD) E 14 HAA14AHN/UPDI UA H One-Way 503.00(USD) E 14 HAA07AHN/UPDI UA H One-Way 513.00(USD) E 07