brahms77

I apologize if this is a repeatative thread to the "how full are your flights" thread, but I would like to know from US air employees or people who've just recently flown on US 2/3 to and from Rome out of PHL. I can check the seat availability site to find out about the loads for my flight dates, but when I do dummy purchase on Orbitz.com on business to find the business class load, the information from the seat availability site and the orbitz results don't match. I am hoping to use spave availability upgrade coupon on both flights ouf of FCO on the 15th and out of PHL on the 28th of June.

By the way, I am a UA Prem Executive and is it possible to get row 1 seats using space availability coupon? I understand that having status is one of the key to getting those nice seats....

thanks

HJs


P.S. I normally fly United as I find UA E+ the economy seats (but that's because I can get those seats with cheapfares... so I am biased ). But this year, I never had good luck with UA in finding reasonable fares to anywhere... while I found tones of nice fares on US. I had one bad experience with US couple years ago and told myself I would avoid US as much as possible, but recent flights to ATL and PVD were quite good. I am booked on FCO-PHL-BOS-PHL-FCO on the 15th of June and 28th of June.... hopefully those flights are nice too.... if US were flying to Asia and Korea, I would switch to US frequent fliers right now.

shinbal

Hello:

First, from my experiences on this route, as recently as a few weeks ago, I can guarantee you that every seat in Envoy class will be taken in both directions PHL-FCO. Aside from some purchased envoy seats, you can practically count on: A) Envoy award seats already taken; B) Mileage upgrades already taken; C) a number of Chairman's Preferreds with upgrade coupons that are waiting for the 7-day window to open to get upgraded. Some will be standing by in a shorter window than that. D) Others standing by for mileage upgrades with US status; E)Other US preferreds with upgrade coupons; and let's not forget anyone on a Y/B fare who might have a space-pos t/a upgrade and has already upgraded.

Using a booking engine to determine availability on routes like this really doesn't work, other than to say that there are still seats for sale. Inventory control on routes like this is not predictable in terms of when seats are released for upgrade.

The other issue: if you are using your Mileage Plus number on your itinerary, even with a SA upgrade coupon, you will likely not be able to upgrade. Domestically, US does not allow UA Premiers to fly under their MP# and use US Airways Space Positive or Space Available upgrades. I have not tried it internationally, but I gather the rule is the same. US wants those upgrades used in conjunction with their own FF program, so I've been told (and have found out the hard way at the airport). If the upgrade you have is a special STAR upgrade, with which I have no experience, that could be a different story.

If you do get upgraded, I imagine row 1 will have been given away.

Sorry for the doom and gloom. I'd like to hear how it goes for you.

brahms77

Well, doomed for sure.... but I don't mind flying coach for this short hop. Plus you never know despite the rules and speculations. I am under US reservation, not UA so, I don't know why US will care about my MP# in the system. And second of all, since using the upgrade certificate is not at all associated with additional bonus mileage and other benefits, I am a bit confused as to why US airways would give preference to US mileage members over UA... but then again, it's their rule.

I guess I can only hope that I there are room in business... and that they will let me use to coupon on at least one of the flights. Thanks for the information!

DHJS

sts603

While the fact that US does not allow mileage or e-upgrades wlil crediting to UA - the one exception I have found is for Int'l SA upgrades. My traveling companion successfully used one and they never said anything about her MP #. We used US miles for the return flight (at the gate) and they made her change the number to her US # for the last segement. All previous segements credited successfully to UA.

fly747first

Well...

fly747first

US Airways actually sells plenty of Envoy Class seats on this market, so seats left for upgrades will be more limited than most European flights. Still you never know, I think most of us feel that when it comes to domestic and international upgrades, US Airways beats United for sure. The A330 Economy Class seats are more comfortable than United's with great adjustable headrests, good leg room, and your own IFE unit with on-demand movies.
HJs

Fiumicino

Seats are limited, but I have been op-uped many times on FCO-PHL, and been able to use a certificate on PHL-FCO even the day after the pope died! Row 1 was already booked everytime.

EnvoyBoy

I was on that flight--in 1A!

LAX

I don't mean to thread-jack, but I am trying to get some ideas on the historic loads of PHL-FCO-PHL in previous Octobers to make somewhat of an educated guess of the likelihood of a Fall sale on this route. I am planning a trip to Italy for this October and am currently seeing sky high fares to Italy from PHL for even October. I have heard that US usually doesn't roll out Fall sale fares until later in the summer, but I figure if the loads on these flights remain high even during the Fall season, it gives US very little incentive to discount them. So for those of you who have flown on this route in previous Octobers, please drop a line to describe your past experience/observation. Thanks in advance.

LAX

Fiumicino

I guess with the venice flight that goes until novembre FCO will not be very busy

trvlr64

If you're a regular on the FCO flights, look for a friend of mine. He's the US F/A Italian language speaker on most FCO flights. His name is Dominic and he'll take good care of you.

Fiumicino

Hm.. I know I am late, but we are probably not talking about the same flight, the day after the pope died was :

4-Apr-05 US 0002 Y Class PHL to FCO 4,371 4,371 8,742

There was a cute priest with Bose QC2 in 3A, but in 1A there was if I remember well the Cardinal Avery Dulles, which I am almost sure doesn't use a computer

planeluvr

Envoyboy was on the April 7th flight.

Papal Funeral

Fiumicino

I am flying FCO-PHL this week, 21 seats still available (!) in Envoy, including the whole row 1. Do you think I will make it with a DS0087?

dingo

This is incredible...congrats! On our last trip in August we got row 1 a week in advance. It was so nice not to have the play the 'check in early' game like we had on previous trips over the Atlantic. I hope you don't get the same seat I had...the foot rest wouldn't extend. I'm sure they have maintenanced the plane since then though!