Originally Posted by
Ericka
OK, I'm confused. Mr. Ericka and I are booked on an IAD-FCO flight on Friday. I spoke to a 1k agent about our upgrade chances today and was told they are not great as there are 3 biz seats available and we are currently about 4-5 on the priority waitlist. But when I check on standard award availability, .bomb is willing to book two biz awards for me on these flights.
So.....If there are standard awards available, wouldn't the upgrade waitlists start filling the biz seats? Or is this something that doesn't start to happen until later?
--------------------------------
Edit: Actually, .bomb will let me book up to 6 standard biz awards on the flights. What's up with that?
Using the IAD->FCO as a typical int'l flight example for business (C) availability, there are three different "buckets" for upgraded travel using miles or upgrades
and the buckets are all separately determined by UA:
1) Standard bus. awards. This = the C inventory for sale to C ticket purchasers. Thus if inventory is C3, 3 customers may ticket standard mileage bus. award travel.
2) Saver business awards. = XC. This bucket is cap. controlled and almost always less than the C number. Often, it may be XC0, until day-of-depature or until gate checkin.
3) Business class upgrades using miles or upgrade certs. (in this example, SWU) to upgrade to C from a paid, qualifying revenue ticket. = NC. This bucket is cap. controlled and different and often less than the XC bucket. Often, it may be NC0, until day-of-depature or until gate checkin.
UA may indeed be willing to offer an XC ticket or two but not (yet) clear an upgrade via NC availability.