bouch097

I'll be booking a trip through Singapore (to Manado for scuba diving) for next year and want to upgrade my wife and I's seats for one leg of the trip using miles. However, after checking several different dates online, it seems like NONE of the route options are available for MileagePlus upgrade... Even all the way out to next May where no business class even seats have even sold yet. This leaves me a little confused since United states that "MileagePlus Upgrade Awards can be used on any United or Copa operated flight". Obviously, this is based on availability, but just about every seat on the plane is still available. So, what gives?

Does this mean my only option will be to purchase the tickets and then be waitlisted for the upgrades? If I buy a few thousand PQM's I would qualify for Silver status next year. Would that help my chances of our upgrades clearing, even though my wife won't be premier? The thought of spending a few hundred for PQM's to increase my chances of spending $600pp in copays for the upgrade makes my head hurt, but I guess that's how United operates these days...

Another thought that entered my mind is what about booking with Singapore Air (about the same price) and doing a Star Alliance upgrade with them? I have no clue how that would work, but I hear that plane's business cabin is pretty sweet.

Sorry for all the questions... Any suggestions? This is my first FT post, so please be kind...lol.
Thanks in advance.

mduell

That's typical for upgrade availability far out. You can waitlist and it may or may not clear on the various segments.

If you have to buy PQM to make silver, you're not really flying enough to see much benefit from being silver.

UAPremExecflyer

Welcome to FT!
If you haven't already tried this method, look here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...cket-data.html for how to check upgrade inventory.
Silver status may be of marginal assistance.
As to booking SQ and upgrading with UA miles, you have to book full-fare economy tickets (Y and B class) to be eligible.
One of several threads on this topic (with embedded thread links) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ticketing.html

bouch097

Ah, I used to use that in the past and I didn't know they brought it back. Thanks! But as I mentioned, the problem is that NONE of the possible routes currently show any available upgrade inventory, which kinda goes against United's "MileagePlus Upgrade Awards can be used on any United or Copa operated flight" statement, eh?

One of my main concerns about waitlisting is what if, for example, an IAH-ORD segment clears, but not the ORD-HKG or HKG-SIN segments? Wouldn't they take my miles and charge me $600pp to upgrade a 3 hour flight?

sbm12

No.

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...grade/mua.aspx

SunLover

Unfortunately that statement does not come with a guarantee of immediate positive upgrade space availability on the flights you might want to book; and yes the current UA upgrade waitlist scheme is the bane of many.


SunLover

aacharya

Not sure why in your first post you need to dig at UA - all airlines prioritize some aspect of upgrades by Premier Status.

As for a *A upgrade, B and Y fares on Singapore are really expensive, plus then the miles you'd need to upgrade.

What are your dates? Are they flexible - what's the routing?

Do you have enough miles to book the flight itself in C?

Kacee

You need to check for R space segment by segment. If you are only looking at IAH-SIN, you are nearly guaranteed not to see availability. Confirm the long-haul in C and then waitlist for the shorter legs. I'd suggest you look at IAH-SFO/LAX-NRT-SIN, as there is tons of upgrade availability SFO/LAX-NRT.

I'd also suggest cutting the complaining and focus on finding solutions. This can be done, you just need to be patient. But realize you are trying to get a $6K ticket for $2-3K, and accept that it's not going to be as easy as 1-2-3.

bouch097

sbm-Thanks. Good to know. I remember reading that info before, but I must have somehow misinterpreted it when I did the first time around.

sunlover-Gotcha. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find upgrade availability on ANY route from IAH to SIN leaving on ANY Thursday or Saturday. I guess when they say "any flight", they mean "It's possible, but we'll let you know at the last minute if we'll let you"...lol.

aacharya-I realize this. I was digging at them for charging nearly 50% of the cost of the flight as a "co-pay" PLUS the miles to upgrade. Obviously, it didn't use to be like that. Yeah, Singapore Air isn't an option with the higher fare being needed. The trip will actually be next July, so the flights haven't been listed yet. I have been looking at next April/May for budgeting and to give myself an idea of what my options will be when I can book the flights. After checking a dozen or so different departure dates, I haven't noticed ANY long haul flights that have upgrade availability regardless of route (even on essentially empty flights). My dates are fairly flexible, but I have to depart on a Thurs or Sat so my connecting flights in SIN line up. Guess I'll just have to see what things look like in a month or two when they list the flights for next July, but I'm not holding my breath.

Kacee-I have looked at that and there is none, regardless of route. Thanks for the tip on going through NRT, though. I'll keep an eye out for that route when they list. I am looking for a solution. That's why I posted on here in the first place. I don't think I'm out of line by feeling that using a loyalty award program should be more rewarding and less a crap shoot. Not to mention having to pay a huge "co-pay" just to actually use your hard earned miles if they choose to allow you to do so. Also, nobody in their right mind pays the prices they charge for business first or first unless 1) The company is footing the bill or 2) They have more money than they know what to do with and have lost track of the value of a dollar. Hell, I'm questioning if I have lost track of that myself for considering spending 60K miles and $1200 in "co-pays" for 20 hours in BusinessFirst. A lot of people out there would sit in a cardboard box for 20 hours if you paid them $1200.

MatthewLAX

This option is likely a no, since your need (I) class award space for a SAUA upgrade and this is pulled from Starnet inventory, not SQ's enhanced inventory for KrisFlyer members. But this is just my suspicion...LH and AV have greater access to SQ than UA or US, for example. The SAUA robot may pull from that inventory portal--an interesting prospect!

bouch097

Starnet? Wasn't that the company from The Terminator movies?...j/k. I think I followed you up until LH and AV...lol. Sorry, I'm still trying to figure out all of the acronyms used on here.

mgcsinc

Many airlines are worse.

Just to be 100% clear, you're looking only at the long-distance segment, on its own, as if you were going from the origin airport of that segment to the destination airport of that segment? Not piecing together a multi-city itinerary, right?

bouch097

That's just sad. Being common doesn't make it right, though.

Correct, if I understand your question correctly. As it turns out, after checking a couple more dates in April, I did finally come across a couple of different routes that were upgradeable. One of them through IAD, which I hadn't seen before. The route options to get there seem to change pretty frequently, so I'll just have to wait for them to schedule the routes for July and see what there is.

mgcsinc

Why not? Airlines are not charities. They have FF programs to attempt to one-up each other, not to enhance the greater good. There's no absolute zero.

bouch097

Can you think of another industry that charges its customers large fees to redeem their accumulated loyalty points?