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Upgrades when Business is full, but F isn't

Upgrades when Business is full, but F isn't

Old Apr 12, 2013, 7:06 am
  #1  
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Upgrades when Business is full, but F isn't

On an upcoming UA international flight (IAD to FCO), I am waitlisted for Business with miles. But Business is almost full - while F is almost empty. I'm wondering if this is likely to increase my odds of getting the upgrade. I'm assuming they will try to get the B's (and maybe some of us in PE) to buy up into F. And maybe some of the B's will be eligible for a status upgrade to F? Anyway, hoping some of the B's will be moved up on status to open up some B seats if they can't sell or upsell them. Anyone seen that happen? I can't imagine they would leave F empty, would they?
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 7:15 am
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Originally Posted by Artpen100
I can't imagine they would leave F empty, would they?
Yes they would if there is no operational reason to upgrade people from C to F (ie, C or the flight overall is oversold), or if no one tries to upgrade from C to F. They'll leave the F seats empty or they'll give them to NRSA's flying standby.

Last edited by SEA1K4EVR; Apr 12, 2013 at 7:23 am
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 7:15 am
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Originally Posted by Artpen100
On an upcoming UA international flight (IAD to FCO), I am waitlisted for Business with miles. But Business is almost full - while F is almost empty. I'm wondering if this is likely to increase my odds of getting the upgrade. I'm assuming they will try to get the B's (and maybe some of us in PE) to buy up into F. And maybe some of the B's will be eligible for a status upgrade to F? Anyway, hoping some of the B's will be moved up on status to open up some B seats if they can't sell or upsell them. Anyone seen that happen? I can't imagine they would leave F empty, would they?
No status upgrades from B to F. Only miles/systemwides if people in B bought B and want to go to F.

Yes they would leave F empty.

Getting someone who paid for B to buy to F isn't likely either.
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 7:16 am
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They won't op-up to do upgrades. They would op-up if a lower cabin is oversold, though.

Theoretically, they would op-up Business to First, and then keep running the upgrades from Economy to Business.

But in this post-3/3 world we have with SHARES, who knows what they'll do. Maybe some unseated leisure traveler will get the F seat. LOL
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 7:17 am
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Your answer is spelled out in great detail here ---

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...pr-2013-a.html
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 8:11 am
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I've got a C to F op-up on this very route last summer (actually two of us did and we were on P fares!) and it was due to an oversell in Y. My assumption is they op-uped a few of us from C to F and then processed some more upgrades from Y to C and that solved or help solve their oversell problem.

The only op-ups from C to F are for oversells and a long upgrade list is not an oversell.
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 8:26 am
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If you are at the top of the C waitlist and have extra instruments or miles, you could always sponsor someone in C to go to F, freeing up the seat.
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 10:07 am
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LilAbner's link pretty much explains it. It looks like economy is sold out but PE still has seats, so not sure I can depend on an oversold situation. I think my fallback strategy will be to babysit the reservation and watch for an upsell opportunity in the last day or so since my upgrade with miles looks iffy. I got an offer to upgrade from Business to F on IAD-Brussels a few months back for about $400 while checking in and took it. So if the price is right for F, some Business seats might still become available.
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 10:33 am
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Originally Posted by Artpen100
LilAbner's link pretty much explains it. It looks like economy is sold out but PE still has seats, so not sure I can depend on an oversold situation. I think my fallback strategy will be to babysit the reservation and watch for an upsell opportunity in the last day or so since my upgrade with miles looks iffy. I got an offer to upgrade from Business to F on IAD-Brussels a few months back for about $400 while checking in and took it. So if the price is right for F, some Business seats might still become available.
ExpertFlyer subscription is an option, too... set an alert for an R inventory bucket opening up in case the system doesn't automatically clear you (which IME is a more-often-than-not occurrence).
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Old Apr 12, 2013, 11:54 am
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Originally Posted by kenn0223
I've got a C to F op-up on this very route last summer (actually two of us did and we were on P fares!) and it was due to an oversell in Y. My assumption is they op-uped a few of us from C to F and then processed some more upgrades from Y to C and that solved or help solve their oversell problem.

The only op-ups from C to F are for oversells and a long upgrade list is not an oversell.
A couple of years ago (pre-merger) on a TPAC we were waitlisted with (then) SWUs, actually took our seats in Y & then were singled out & escorted to C becuz Y was oversold. And there was a bonus of sorts, the SWUs were returned apparently since it was an op-up rather than a requested upgrade; or at least that's what I'd like to think.
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Old Apr 13, 2013, 12:38 am
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Originally Posted by exerda
If you are at the top of the C waitlist and have extra instruments or miles, you could always sponsor someone in C to go to F, freeing up the seat.
So COdbaUA could then upsell the newly available seat to someone else?
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Old Apr 13, 2013, 11:06 am
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C Full, top on Y->C Upgrade List and have F seat -> Upgrade Paid Stranger in C?

I am on the WL for TPAC Y->C upgrade, I am starting to think I won't make it and might end up being the top 1 or two on the list.

If F has empty seats, can I ask the gate agent to upgrade a paid C passenger to F using my GPU, so I get the C seat?

I guess the questions are:

1 - does the system allow them to do it?
2 - would they do it? (Meaning a non-rev, if any, who listed fo all classes will be in Y instead of F)

Thanks.
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