FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - 1 flight # but 2 segs UA says no upgrade unless available on both segs??
Old Apr 11, 2012 | 11:47 am
  #2  
SEA1K4EVR
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA 1K MM, SPG Plat For Life, Marriott Plat, Nexus/GlobalEntry
Posts: 9,198
Originally Posted by MaximusDamon
I'm booked on UA663 SAN-SFO-HNL on Saturday 4/14. Plane change in SFO. it's now 70 hours from departure. I'm a 1K. UA663 SFO-HNL shows R9 RN9. No upgrade. I called UA. Agent says because my flight is shown as UA663 SAN-HNL I can't get the upgrade because the system shows SAN-HNL R0 RN0 and won't recognize individual segments.

I asked if she would split the segments out on the itinerary. Waited for 30 minutes while she talked to a sup. Answer was no. I'd need to pay $900+ to buy up to a higher fare if I want to keep my flight routing.

REALLY?! Is this true? Any suggestions from others who have encountered this before?
Yep it's true..you've been ensnared by the "direct" flight trap. Not only can you not upgrade unless both segments become available..but you'll only earn miles based on the nonstop SAN-HNL distance. Prior to integration the old UA had fixed the mileage posting discrepancy (but not the upgrade issue). But with the system conversion the problem has returned.

In the future..NEVER book direct flights. If you must book the same flight number all the way through, use multi city to break it up... or you could have possibly taken a different SAN-SFO segment (ie earlier) so the flight number was not the same all the way through.
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