Originally Posted by
demkr
I don't travel internationally too much so when I do the buy-up isn't usually too big of a problem.
How much extra are you spending for that W or higher fare to be able to upgrade? It all depends where you're going.
For those of us that do significant international travel and want to use our systemwides, the rules at AA are entirely different than the rules at UA,and it really does need to be spelled out.
Right now an upgradable base fare SFO-SYD on UA is $1,730 vs $1,038 for discounted economy, so almost $700 more to get on the upgrade list. I know an FTer that has similarly priced fare for Singapore coming up in order to get on the upgrade list. There is no guarantee you'll clear the upgrade list (in fact, the term "upgrade lottery" has been coined on the UA forum). No refunds or reduction in fare if you don't clear, either, and this is after buying the higher priced ticket.
Here's part of a post from a UA flyer from just two days ago on a routing to Shanghai:
Originally Posted by
Cantheplanegofaster?
10/10/11 -> ORD-PVG on W fare failed to clear.
Now a paltry 1 for 7 on for me clearing SWUs.
An upgradable fare in that market has a base fare of $1,051RT vs $585 in discounted coach using sample November travel dates, so almost $500 extra to get on the list (those fares probably don't include fuel surcharges). AA's lowest fare here is $580RT.
If you're comparing AA systemwides to UA systemwides there's a world of difference in the product. Granted AA doesn't fly the amount of routes UA does, but you won't be paying over $500-700 extra just to try and use your systemwides to get there with AA.
That's the main reason I elect to keep EXP at AA over 1K at UA. I could have gone in either direction this year but couldn't afford to hold onto both.