Originally Posted by
findark
In situations like this, I always have to wonder:
-Is F worth $159 extra to you?
-Were you unable to purchase F upfront or otherwise change your ticket at purchase?
-If not, it seems a little disingenuous to get angry about "kettles" buying "cheap" $159 TODs
Because you can purchase F outright for $159 more than Y on IAD/DEN. (An argument can be had whether $129 ~= $159 and whether the PQD/RDM difference matters).
Sometimes you can, and sometimes you can't. P fares aren't a constant thing IAD/DEN at booking in my experience at least, but they almost always are at check-in. And $129 is often worth it, but not at booking on UA.com when you get zero extra PQM/RDM.
Is P often available for $129/$159 at purchase date? Yes. Always? No. And sorry, when I book about 6 weeks out and attach an RPU to a flight with a completely empty front cabin, yeah, I'm a bit chuffed when it doesn't clear - but doesn't mean I won't upgrade for $129 when it looks like yet another instrument is going to end up useless.
We all know that the direct P/A/Z buy up often doesn't show up until the last minute. Heck, I had two 8-week RPU waitlisted flights last week showing $1700 buy ups until T-48 that dropped to $129 at T-24, after which F space dries up before T-22 at IAD/DEN.