Old Jan 6, 2014, 8:28 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: serfty
Per the US Airways website:
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/preferred/upgrades.html

Upgrade notification
We send you an email the first time we try for an upgrade no need to call. We'll continue to check for upgrades throughout the day and send follow up emails if we change your upgrade status right up until 24 hours before your flight. If we're unable to upgrade your reservation up to 24 hours prior to departure, we'll process your upgrades when you check in online or at the airport (if they become available).

To be placed on the standby list choose the 'Add to standby list' link when you check in online. You'll only see the option to add yourself to the standby list if all passengers in your reservation are Preferred. If you're traveling with a companion, request that you and your companion be placed on the standby list at the airport.

Please check your Dividend Miles account to make sure we have your current email address.

Preferred upgrade priority advance travel dates
When you purchase a full fare (Y or B class) economy ticket, you are eligible for an instant upgrade to First Class. After your reservation is ticketed, we will automatically attempt to upgrade you around the clock until a seat becomes available. We prioritize full fare economy tickets over all other fares.

If you book a discount fare (any fare other than Y or B class), we prioritize your upgrade by Preferred level and within each Preferred level, by the number of Preferred-qualifying miles you've flown on US Airways and US Airways Express operated flights in the last 12 months. We begin processing upgrades for all discount fares at either 7, 4, 3 or 2 days prior to departure, depending on Preferred level.

If we are unable to confirm an upgrade during our automated process, we'll try again when you check in for your flight. If seats are not available when you check in online, you can choose to be placed on the standby list.

To be placed on the standby list select the 'Add to standby list' link when checking in online. All passengers in your reservation must have Preferred status to have this option displayed at check in. If you are traveling with a companion, request that you and your companion be placed on the standby list at the airport.


Preferred upgrade priority day of departure
If we're unable to confirm an upgrade seat for you prior to departure, you may request an upgrade when you check in.
Once check-in for a flight has begun, priority will be based upon Preferred level and then upon earliest check-in.
Please advise the gate agent at the airport if you're traveling with a companion.

If no First Class seats are open when you check in at the airport, you'll have the option to be added to the standby list, but you must be the only person listed in your reservation.
If there are multiple Preferred members in one reservation, you must ask to have your reservation separated at the airport.
If you're traveling with a non-Preferred member, you will also need to have your reservation separated at the airport; however, your companion will no longer be eligible for a complimentary upgrade.

Companion upgrades
One non-Preferred traveling companion can upgrade when traveling on the same reservation as a Preferred member with a qualifying paid ticket. The companion will be upgraded at the same time as the Preferred member.




more info to add? click, "Edit Wikipost," and make the changes @:-)

Prior thread can be found here:
US Automatic Upgrades (Elite)
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US Automatic Upgrades (elite) [MASTER THREAD 2014]

 
Old Jan 28, 2014, 8:24 pm
  #61  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Originally Posted by jaxbill
Has anyone had a successful automatic upgrade for a US Express flight since Saturday?
Automatic, no, but I didn't really expect one in my case. Was scheduled DCA-CLT-MCI today, upgrades on both segments cleared at the CP window. Then CLT-MCI cancelled last night, and CP desk rebooked me direct DCA-MCI.

Could see there was F availability on the flight, but had to ask the agent at DCA for the upgrade. Figured the fact that I wasn't on that flight until after T-24h, plus the fact that I'd already checked in, was what hung it up.
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Old Jan 28, 2014, 9:08 pm
  #62  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
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In the next few weeks I am going to need to fly from PHL to either SFO/OAK and am Silver on US Air. Does anyone have experience or recommendations if I should fly PHL to SFO or PHL-PHX-OAK and have a better chance of first class upgrades? Any specific flight? Morning, Noon, Evening?

Thanks
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Old Jan 29, 2014, 1:03 am
  #63  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Originally Posted by robdls
In the next few weeks I am going to need to fly from PHL to either SFO/OAK and am Silver on US Air. Does anyone have experience or recommendations if I should fly PHL to SFO or PHL-PHX-OAK and have a better chance of first class upgrades? Any specific flight? Morning, Noon, Evening?

Thanks
I'm not sure there's a good choice for a Silver. PHL-SFO direct probably has a fair amount of business traffic, so could be lots of people in line ahead of you for upgrades. And PHL-PHX is hub-hub, so I wouldn't hold my breath for an upgrade there either (though you might snag one on the second leg out of PHX -- personally I'd aim for something mid-afternoon local time, but day of week is also sensitive, with Monday and Friday probably harder to upgrade on).
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Old Jan 29, 2014, 6:17 am
  #64  
 
Join Date: May 2011
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Originally Posted by robdls
In the next few weeks I am going to need to fly from PHL to either SFO/OAK and am Silver on US Air. Does anyone have experience or recommendations if I should fly PHL to SFO or PHL-PHX-OAK and have a better chance of first class upgrades? Any specific flight? Morning, Noon, Evening?

Thanks
I would upgrade with points after you book if you really want to be in 1st. Otherwise I don't think it will happen on those routes.
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Old Jan 29, 2014, 8:52 am
  #65  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
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I am a CP on the PHX-PHL flight Sunday nights returning on Thursday and I'm 2 out of 7 for Upgrades with looking like the next 2 flights already sold out in F. On top of it, I can't even get first on the Upgrade list because there are CPs connecting through PHX or PHL that check in before me and thus are higher on the list. I'm hoping to get off this route after Feb though and be able to fly west coast stuff where I'll have an opportunity at the upgrade. They definitely seem harder to get lately especially on this route as I think more people are using miles to Pre-upgrade and buying/awarding into the seats leaving only a couple left for upgrades!
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Old Jan 29, 2014, 11:20 am
  #66  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 134
Following up on the "Upgrades rapidly falling" thread, I'm currently on US1790 LAS -> PHL. Booked this as me of the great MR deals that have been popping up from Philly to Vegas.

I am CP this year, and was cautiously optimistic when I saw most of the preferred seats in Y taken about 2 weeks out. I cleared with a non-preferred companion at T-7 for both legs (stayed 2 nights in Vegas), but both times all but one or two seats were gobbled up.

Just glancing at the passenger manifest the FA has, there are 5 CP and 1 SP in F on this return flight currently. That seems like alot to me, mainly because I've done this MR twice and have have been upgraded as a SP once with an open seat in F next to me!

I checked KVS just out of curiosity and it doesn't appear that even a PP would have been cleared at T-4 outbound.
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Old Jan 29, 2014, 12:07 pm
  #67  
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ELP-PHX on a CR9 for this Sat cleared for me last Sat.
Superguy is offline  
Old Jan 30, 2014, 7:15 am
  #68  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
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I had one clear last night at 2 AM for CLT-SFO tomorrow as a Platinum. It is the latest I can ever remember one clearing without having to ask at check in. I don't know if it was the weather in CLT making someone changing their plans or just luck.
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Old Jan 30, 2014, 8:43 am
  #69  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Well, here's my experience for 2014 so far as a lowly Gold: 14/16 flights upgraded in January. Routes included CLT-DTW-CLT, 4 flights between GSO-CLT-GSO, 2x CLT-MCO-CLT, CLT-MEM-CLT, RDU-CLT and CLT-YYZ.

Only two upgrades I missed is one CLT-RDU mid-day flight (no big deal for the 25 mins. in the air it was), and one YYZ-CLT- also no big deal as I had a bulkhead with nobody beside me on the E175- tons of legroom, which with nobody beside me was more spacious than most F seats.

My flights between CLT and MCO were on A332 and 767 equipment. I was upgraded at the Gold window on the first trip, and saw an empty seat within 24 hours between these city pairs on my second itinerary which I was able to snag by re-checking in.

One caveat to re-checking in though- I found it only works at the beginning of the itinerary for that day, and not between segments. For example, if you're flying GSO-CLT-MCO and you try to change your seat on the MCO leg after arriving in CLT, the system won't allow it (even if you're already in F). It says you're already underway and only allows you to view your itinerary. Any further changes to seats or class need to be processed either in the club, at the gate or on the phone. At least this has been my experience so far. YMMV.
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Old Jan 30, 2014, 10:05 am
  #70  
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Originally Posted by Robertsonland
I am a CP on the PHX-PHL flight Sunday nights returning on Thursday and I'm 2 out of 7 for Upgrades with looking like the next 2 flights already sold out in F. On top of it, I can't even get first on the Upgrade list because there are CPs connecting through PHX or PHL that check in before me and thus are higher on the list. I'm hoping to get off this route after Feb though and be able to fly west coast stuff where I'll have an opportunity at the upgrade. They definitely seem harder to get lately especially on this route as I think more people are using miles to Pre-upgrade and buying/awarding into the seats leaving only a couple left for upgrades!
Are they flying A320's on your route or A321s? Also at times depending on cost, I usually go after a higher fare for my upgrades.
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Old Jan 30, 2014, 10:10 am
  #71  
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Originally Posted by BigErn
Just glancing at the passenger manifest the FA has, there are 5 CP and 1 SP in F on this return flight currently. That seems like alot to me, mainly because I've done this MR twice and have have been upgraded as a SP once with an open seat in F next to me!

I checked KVS just out of curiosity and it doesn't appear that even a PP would have been cleared at T-4 outbound.
Depending on price the Non-refundable FC seats can be a wise choice to get, so the SP could have been on a YUP fare... I did this when I was flying PHX-JFK-PHX a couple of years ago, the YUP fare was $600RT, while the lowest Y fare was $390 RT. So for $105 each way I was in FC, ate, drank and oh yeah, got the class of bonus too.. Was a wise decision on my part, for a 5 hr flight...
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Old Jan 30, 2014, 10:15 am
  #72  
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Originally Posted by Superguy
ELP-PHX on a CR9 for this Sat cleared for me last Sat.
This is a nice ride over to ELP, but ELP is a hell hole...
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Old Jan 30, 2014, 10:17 am
  #73  
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I haven't flown at all this year, not too sure if I'm lucky or not, all my work has been in Tucson. Just hope everybody is warm out there..
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Old Jan 30, 2014, 10:29 am
  #74  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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I can't wait until the old preferred's clear the ranks come March 30th. I don't know if it's bad luck, or too many elites, but I was getting more upgrades as a trial Silver last March-June than I am now as a Gold....
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Old Feb 1, 2014, 7:17 am
  #75  
 
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US Automatic Upgrades (elite) [MASTER THREAD 2014]

Did upgrade email not fire for anyone else today?
heyeaglefn is offline  

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