Originally Posted by
rowenb
In theory, could I buy (say) a B fare and apply an RPU, in lieu of buying (say) a more expensive P fare? If that's true in theory, how would I tell in practice whether this is going to work before I buy the ticket? Or put differently - if I buy the B fare and the RPU doesn't clear, is there a way to buy-up to P so my companion and I don't end up in different cabins?
If you purchase a B fare, you can upgrade it for 20,000 miles, no co-pay. The upgrade is subject to capacity controls. But easier than a business saver award ticket.
You could also upfare a B (or any economy fare) to a business class ticket, likely with no change fee, paying only the fare differential (which is probably not much to a P on that route). There's no guaranty of discount business class fare availability as you get closer to departure, however, and if you have to buy a J, C, or D it could be expensive.