Anyone fly the CLT-GIG route frequently?
Mar 10, 2010, 5:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: Alaska Gold, CO Plat, United Premier, US Airways Silver, HHonors Diamond, Hertz #1 Club Gold
Posts: 128
Anyone fly the CLT-GIG route frequently?
Was wondering the chances of getting an upgrade on the CLT-GIG leg, how full is this flight usually and how are the odds at an upgrade?
Mar 10, 2010, 5:19 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Nice
Programs: Marriott Titanium, AA Concierge Key, Delta, United, Emorates, and others
Posts: 4,694
I wonder too since I'll be flying GIG-CLT several times this year and the US is the only nonstop, but I've never taken it.
Mar 10, 2010, 5:26 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
Like all the TA flights, CLT-GIG-CLT is considered Envoy and not FC, so that would affect "free" upgrades. I have no idea how the Envoy loads are running.
Jim
Jim
Mar 10, 2010, 8:32 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: Alaska Gold, CO Plat, United Premier, US Airways Silver, HHonors Diamond, Hertz #1 Club Gold
Posts: 128
Jim,
Ok, thanks.... Hmmm how much is the day of upgrade cost?
Ok, thanks.... Hmmm how much is the day of upgrade cost?
Mar 10, 2010, 8:41 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Southwest US
Programs: AA (US) gold, HH gold, Bonvoy gold
Posts: 332
I was on a full flight going down at the end of January (only a few seats empty in each cabin - a lot of summer vacationers with families going to Disney, etc.) - Encore seats were pretty full - I am Platinum and it was - I think - $350 to move up. Only 1/2 full plane coming home and it was still $350 - but I was able to stretch out in my row and slept all night. As summer vacation winds down in Rio I would think the flights would have more empty seats and the option to stretch out is as good as Encore for me (I actually had an entire center section for myself - Heaven!)
Mar 10, 2010, 9:22 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: Alaska Gold, CO Plat, United Premier, US Airways Silver, HHonors Diamond, Hertz #1 Club Gold
Posts: 128
I will be going on April 1st! 
Hope I cant get an Upgrade as I am 6'7
Hope I cant get an Upgrade as I am 6'7
Mar 10, 2010, 10:41 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
It's early yet, but as of now all Envoy seats are open and 100 seats open in the back.
Jim
Jim
Mar 12, 2010, 8:50 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 2,085
Let me get this straight. You can pay $300 + 30,000 miles to upgrade in advance. Or wait until a day before departure, and pay $350 (only $50 more and saves you 30,000 miles). Wow.. seems like a no-brainer to just wait it out.
Mar 12, 2010, 11:36 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The views I express here are not necessarily supported by any airline or codeshare partners, nor do I represent their views and/or opinions. They are my own OPINIONS dont like them dont read them.....
Posts: 1,615
I was on a full flight going down at the end of January (only a few seats empty in each cabin - a lot of summer vacationers with families going to Disney, etc.) - Encore seats were pretty full - I am Platinum and it was - I think - $350 to move up. Only 1/2 full plane coming home and it was still $350 - but I was able to stretch out in my row and slept all night. As summer vacation winds down in Rio I would think the flights would have more empty seats and the option to stretch out is as good as Encore for me (I actually had an entire center section for myself - Heaven!)
Mar 12, 2010, 11:44 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Nice
Programs: Marriott Titanium, AA Concierge Key, Delta, United, Emorates, and others
Posts: 4,694
I think I'll try now tom take it before it is gone. Actually they've done precisely zero publicity regarding the flight. Several colleagues and I discovered the flight when we were going GIG-MIA-CLT and saw a US plane on the ground. We asked where it was going because we'd not seen US at GIG and discovered it was to CLT. No wonder the loads are low. They're selling RT Envoy nonref for $2442 right now, less than half the AA, DL or JJ prices so you'd think they'd be filling up.
Mar 12, 2010, 1:59 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Southwest US
Programs: AA (US) gold, HH gold, Bonvoy gold
Posts: 332
Yes - I was thinking the same thing. But I think upgrades at the gate are usually less expensive than paying ahead of time. It seems funny but I often waffle about getting upgrades and spending the miles - wondering how i will feel on my trip and how much the bigger seat/food will matter. Usually when I am at the gate even with the discounted opportunity to upgrade I feel I can just stick it out in back - that $350 went a long way towards many good meals in Rio.
Mar 12, 2010, 2:58 pm
#14
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
The risk you take by waiting is that Envoy will be full and you can't get the upgrade at the gate. If it were me and I really wanted to be in Envoy I'd keep an eye on seats available over the last week or so. If availability gets down to 1 or 2 seats it might be worth using the miles + cash to snag a seat rather rather than waiting till you get to the airport and Envoy possibly being full.
Jim
Jim
Mar 12, 2010, 6:07 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: AVL
Programs: AA, AS, SQ, Hilton Diamond, PC Platinum, National Exec
Posts: 726
