Originally Posted by
magemarq
I am looking for some clarification here. Are buys ups from My Reservations supposed to book to a high miles earning class? I recently did a buy up from My Reservations and assumed it would go into P and I would get additional award and PQM. Instead my fare went to an M which was an instant upgrade fare for 1K and thus booked into PN. I feel cheated because while doing the buy up the system didn't tell me I wouldn't be getting my bonus miles.
They book into whatever class your new ticket is issued in. Unfortunately, this is NOT obvious during the Buy-Up process. You have to refer to the "terms and conditions" link or the "non-refundable" link to get the new Fare BASIS. In the case of a Buy-Up to M, it'll start with M, and then have some numbers and letters following it.
After you purchase it, you WILL get a new ticket issued. I've had to logout/login again to have it update on my online receipt, but it did indeed update.
The confusion is that on an Instant Upgrade (for instance, 1K on M fare), the new "Fare Class" on "View Current Reservation" link will say "PN".
PN is just a fare class/bucket that allows Instant Upgrades to occur.
United could do a better job being transparent here, but you can find the information before purchase.
For 1Ks, M is a legit buy-up that will get up seated in FC on a PN fare class/bucket, but you still only get 100% PQM/PQS like all other folks on M-fare basis.
Originally Posted by
invisible
Have a simple question: in which cases an upgrade changes PQMs earned for the flight?
If you are issued a new ticket, you just did a Buy-Up. You'll earn PQM based on the Fare Basis for that ticket. You can see that from "terms and conditions" link just before you buy.
Originally Posted by
controller1
What I bolded is key! TODs upgrades, even though you pay cash, do not earn higher PQMs.
True. Those will NOT result in a new ticket issued. I've only seen TODs (aka Paid Upgrades NOT Buy-Ups) via Pop-Up prior to ticket purchase, on my mobile device at OLCI, and online at OLCI.
Originally Posted by
sbm12
Generally speaking cash upgrades in advance of the OLCI window also change the fare class. Not always, but often. For 1K/GS that could be just into M which then books to PN and doesn't actually change the earn rate from the lower fare so that's another example of a paid upgrade which won't earn any differently.
Well Stated!
Originally Posted by
lindaiah
I bought a B fare IAH-LHR-IAH and used miles to upgrade (no fee). The fare class on the ticket says "R." Just R. Is that correct? I've done this before and think the fare class was something else, but don't recall what...
I should earn 14502 PQMs, correct?
You'll earn B fare class, even though it says "R". When you actually take the flight and the miles post, in "View Account --> Details" under "Description", you'll see "United XXXX-ZB class" The R fare bucket allowed you to upgrade. Your fare basis is still B, but the "ZB" means that you used the R bucket to sit in FC on your B fare. I know . . . really straightforward!
Originally Posted by
Kacee
R is correct for a miles upgrade into business class. On a domestic flight, the B fare instant upgrade would clear into a different class (PN, I believe).
Yes. PN is the fare bucket for Instant Upgrades. But for IAH-LHR-IAH, there is no "Instant Upgrade", because it is an international flight. For that reason,
lindaiah had to use miles. And because there was "R" space available, it was allowed.
Originally Posted by
boilerla
My by-up offered at time of purchase on my flight this weekend did NOT post at the P fare class. And I checked when I booked back in May that the terms & conditions seemed to imply, if not outright say, that I would get PQM based on the first class P fare.
So while UA Insider's comments seem to imply that I should not be getting any bonus at the moment (although still waiting confirmation), the Web site is still very misleading or outright lying, or at least it was when I booked two months ago.
Submitted a request to MileagePlus CS, crossing fingers. I booked two flights at the same time, and did the buy-up on both to keep my Platinum status for 2014 (and make two transcons more bearable). If it doesn't work, I won't be a happy camper.
If you had a new ticket issued, you should be getting the PQM/PQS of the NEW ticket's fare basis. If you didn't have a new ticket issue, you did a TOD/Paid-Upgrade, and the original fare basis would apply.
Again, a 1K who bought up to M would only earn 100%,
The Fare Class on "View Current Reservation" would have shown "PN" if you bought up to M/B/Y and were instant upgraded. It would show P if you bought up to something else.
Originally Posted by
atcanobbio
so i'm still confused about all this.
I have a DXB trip booked on UA for later this year (booked ticket earlier this year). When i go to My Reservation, a buyup to J is like $3.5k. If I were to purchase that and my new booking class is J, will I or not get the class of service bonus?
You are confused because it is confusing!
Yes, you would! Just make sure before you agree to buy, that you click the link to see what the new fare basis is. I would think it would start with J if you were actually booking into J. If it is something else, then just ask.
If you get a new ticket issued, you did do a buy up. (Still worth repeating). It is better to check before you buy, but even after you buy, you can do a check based on the NEW ticket number.
xxx
If you are in doubt about it, you can just PM me. This was a long post . . . but there is method to the madness. And yes, that's me pretty much stating there is some madness in this process.