Originally Posted by
HK47
I'm trying to fly ORD-FCO with a stopover in Dublin sometime in September, likely on Aer Lingus. Is it possible to use my united miles to upgrade this itinerary to business class? If so, is there a way to check rates for this online or do I have to call united / aer lingus customer support?
If you're interested in doing something like this then here is what I would suggest...
Book a UA RT from ORD to LHR/FRA/BRU/MUC. Pick one and make it your "hub" then book separate intra-European flights on local carriers to/from the hub. I would probably book something like ORD-LHR R/T. LHR-DUB on BA/EI (one way), DUB-FCO on EI (one way), FCO-LHR on BA (one way). You could also look at Easyjet or Ryanair but IME there is a much higher risk for delays on these carriers.
There are risks involved in this type of itinerary so keep those in mind when booking. The biggest risk is missing your flight back to the US cause of a flight delay or cancellation of the local carrier. To mitigate this risk follow these rules...
1. Don't book the last flight of the day back to the hub and...
2. Plan to overnight at the hub before your flight back to the US.
3. When returning to the "hub" use (do your best as I understand this is sometimes cost prohibitive) the actual hub carrier for the flight. (I.E. if LHR is the "hub" use BA, if FRA/MUC is the "hub" use LH)
I book itineraries like this quite frequently in Asia and Europe, and so far using the above guidelines has never left me stranded somewhere begging UA to be put on the next flight, because, my Easyjet flight from FCO went MX and I missed my connection in LHR/FRA/MUC.