Originally Posted by
njcommodore
If you're using miles you won't be able to buy up or upgrade to a higher cabin. If you purchase the ticket outright in coach you could use miles (UA miles) plus a co-pay or HOPE for a last minute buy up offer but that's a huge risk if you want to be up front.
I believe people reported having been offered cash buyups on award itineraries.
Also, UA does offer upgrades on award tickets to holders of certain UA-branded credit cards. See --
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...questions.html