Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
Normally there isn't a V fare, just V inventory, so unrestricted or not has nothing to do with it. Similarly, if you upgrade into business class using a SWU or miles, full Y or B or M all upgrade into V class, as would H Q K fares for a "domestic" segment marketed as business.
Does your corporate travel site really show you a V fare, for instance with a fare code looking something like V0A14XYUP, or does it just give tickets booked into the V inventory class with a different fare code not starting with the letter V?
I just pulled up the fare and it says "V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL"
The fare code, however, starts with either an M or a Q (for the sample one that I just pulled up), so this is an M-up or a Q-up ticket.
I've never looked at it this closely before, as booking through the corporate travel website/agent is merely an option and I usually have my assistant making business travel bookings for me anyway. I just knew that it was a coach fare ticket with, if available, an immediate confirmed first class upgrade.
Anyway, the point here is that this is what I think the OP was asking: the V fare that shows up on his corporate travel website is a coach fare with an immediate confirmed upgrade to first, if available, and has nothing to do with his elite status or lack thereof (like I mentioned earlier, I have the same V fare basis showing up on some legs where it can't book me into first and puts me in coach).