Flying this week EWR-HNL and the open seats in the businessfirst cabin are disappearing without my RPU clearing. I may be an overentitled 1K here, but has anyone ever attempted agent roulette to find an agent that will wave the change fee but also allowing me to pay for the adjustment to higher fare class? I am assuming all the cheap seats were booked in my fare class (K). Fares haven't budged since we booked.
Programs: Formerly over-entitled UA 1K, now under-entitled UA PP.
Posts: 3,163
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwix
Hello,
Flying this week EWR-HNL and the open seats in the businessfirst cabin are disappearing without my RPU clearing. I may be an overentitled 1K here, but has anyone ever attempted agent roulette to find an agent that will wave the change fee but also allowing me to pay for the adjustment to higher fare class? I am assuming all the cheap seats were booked in my fare class (K). Fares haven't budged since we booked.
Thank you.
What's the point of switching to a higher fare class? Are you assuming that if you pay more, your RPU will clear?
Programs: UA 1K MM, HH Diamond, National Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 3,347
If no upgrade inventory opens up - it won't matter. If inventory opens up and there is no one waitlisted above you in your same elite group with the same or higher fare class, it won't matter. If inventory opens up and there is someone waitlisted above you in a higher elite group (GS) it won't matter.
Programs: UA 1K MM, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver, Hilton Silver
Posts: 19,766
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwix
...has anyone ever attempted agent roulette to find an agent that will wave the change fee but also allowing me to pay for the adjustment to higher fare class? ...
This comes up frequently concern SWUs/GPUs -- employeer / cleint purchased cheapest discount economy fare and traveller want s to get up to at least W for use of GPUs.
Some have gotten lucky but in general (and especially under the present management directives) agents seem to go by the book. So it is possible yes, but don't count on it.
...if I'm assuming the GS have already gotten their seats (although there is no official window for RPUs it seems to be orderly, and the seats have all gone in one chunk in the last 24 hours) then I'd hypothesize there are a few seats left for instrument-wielding 1Ks. I think this route is expensive to buy upgrades on day of travel. Plus this is the 11 hour ghetto bird, so it might be worth $100 as a shot. Going forward, I might just buy up a fare class to be able to maximize my chances.
Programs: Formerly over-entitled UA 1K, now under-entitled UA PP.
Posts: 3,163
How many seats in F are remaining open on seat map and/or fare buckets on your target flight?
Have you looked at your itinerary on ua.com to see what the offers are to purchase up to F?
Overall, I think paying more with the hope that it'll result in higher priority and yield an UG that you otherwise would not get is a fools game with the policies and systems that the current regime has implemented. It's not something I'd do, plus, on top of that, you've got to deal with the frustration of dealing with agents who probably won't be accommodating to your request to change w/o change fee.
Programs: UA 1K MM, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver, Hilton Silver
Posts: 19,766
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwix
... Going forward, I might just buy up a fare class to be able to maximize my chances.
I'm sure UA will appreciate the donation which over time will be significant and for what is likely a very small increase in upgrade percentage. There are 14 economy fare classes and improving 1 fare class is unlikely to do much on your overall upgrade percentage.
Well put. The exposure to such an audience is why I post on this site. I will just suck it up in coach and be glad I paid half the fare than the folks surrounding me.
Well put. The exposure to such an audience is why I post on this site. I will just suck it up in coach and be glad I paid half the fare than the folks surrounding me.
At least UA gave you some beverage vouchers at the beginning of the year
I had the same EWR-HNL flight in Oct and waitlisted with a RPU a little over six months before the flight on a L fare with 14 open seats on the seat map. Even one month before the flight, there were at least 6 open seats on the seat map.
Well, I never cleared as a 1K. I was #2 on the waitlist after checking in at T-24 with 19/20 of FC cabin booked. Even #1 on the waitlist didn't clear on day of departure. First time in nine years as a 1K that I didn't clear a waitlist applied six months beforehand.
