PaceLaw2012

It depends on how many J seats are still available/unsold when you check-in.

whole9yards

Thanks for the prompt reply. So, providing they are available, you could still do this? That's good news!

RMINIONE

Prices have gone up in some markets. Last year I paid $500 to do GLA-PHL. This year they wanted $600. Did not buy this year

PaceLaw2012

Yes, its still available, but as RMINIONE points out, the prices have generally gone up since your last buy-up experience.

Superguy

I remember in 2005 doing an IAD-ZRH for $300 to get into C on UA. Ah the good ol' days ...

Joe1690

This summer PHL - FCO going was $700 for the upgrade and FCO - PHL was $800. So prices do vary and it seems that $500 may be lower then the current offer. On a side note, you can typically upgrade to Envoy for $300 plus 30,000 miles which is not a great offer but for someone with a lot of miles this can be a useful alternative. I was able to do this by calling USAirways at time of Online Check-in instead of paying the $800

whole9yards

Oh great tips guys! We paid $500 for LHR-PHL, and on the way back they wanted $600, which I thought was strange but paid anyway. Envoy's a great product and I still think it's worth the money. By the way, has US Airways been taken off the airline partner list of Amex? I have about 40k points that i wanted to transfer to US Airways and I could swear that I used to see that as an option?? Is Virgin a partner with US Airways, ie flying VS earn US points or vise versa?
Many thanks!

Biggie Fries

Two weeks ago, CDG-PHL was $800 and I can't remember seeing it less than $600 in quite some time.

With miles, upgrades are $300 plus 30,000 miles. Miles normally cost 1.9 cents or so; I value them at 1.5 cents; and there are occasional schemes that allow us to buy at 1.1 cents. That suggests an alternative price range of $630 to $750 to -- gulp -- $870, so I am not surprised that the cash fees are more often $700 or $800.

Interestingly, a couple of times this fall I have found a leg in J for only $500 or $600 more than Y. Based on all of the above, I have pounced on them.

thomwithanh

Over Thanksgiving week I was seeing Envoy fares between PHL and LHR on select days for $1600 R/T... Swiss was also matching those fares from EWR and JFK.

moxieflyer

I believe return is higher b/c of additional taxes on premium cabin seats imposed by European governments (UK and France are particularly high).

Biggie Fries

It's true that from CDG in Envoy, there is a 50 Euro solidarity tax, but unless something has changed, I distinctly recall paying that at CDG on top of the upgrade price to US. (Has this changed?)

On the positive side, when one does find the low J fares, these extra taxes are already "baked in."

thomwithanh

Business class fare sales, usually during times when there's little to no demand for premium cabin travel such as the last two weeks of August, and around the holiday weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas if you're flexible with your travel dates.

Airlines are willing to take a loss on the usual "MSRP" and price C/J out only a few hundred more than Y to entice leisure travelers who would normally fly coach and get at least some extra revenue for seats that would otherwise likely go unsold. It also gets leisure travellers "hooked" and may create future business at the regular price.

On my Swiss C itinerary EWR-ZRH-LCY, the actual fare was only around $450, then there was about $800 in YQ, $300 in UK Air Passenger Duty and airport useage fees, and the remaining $50 was split between US and Swiss taxes.

In comparison, LX was also advertising F seats an the same route for under $4000, slightly more than a typical C fare.

geo1005

Removing the smoke and mirrors, this looks like a $1,250 fare with $300 in UK Air Passenger Duty and airport usage fees and $50 split between US and Swiss taxes.

14thStreet

The prices have indeed increased. For a CLT-FRA flight earlier this month, US wanted $850 for a GoEnvoy cash upgrade... I miss the days not too long ago when it was $500.

geo1005

Wow! PHL-MAD and MAD-PHL were $500 each exactly one year ago this weekend...