Originally Posted by TomBascom
I'm not familiar with the CO charge -- but if it lets you UG from the lowest fare for less than about $200 I'd have saved money by buying the cheapest possible fare for this trip and paying that fee. I lied above - the CF started when I went through the required contortions to make sure I was buying an upgradedeable fare. I could have saved myself time, aggravation and money by buying the rock bottom fares they were trying so hard to get me to buy. But then I wouldn't have been able to go through the pleasures of the UG dance
CO elites do not receive any sort of transatlantic upgrade coupons. The only way to upgrade a transatlantic flight on CO is miles + money.
$200 each way is the MINIMUM that CO charges for an upgrade, and that is for upgrades from the equivalent of B class of service. For upgrades from the lowest fares, the charge in 2005 is
$450 each way! Each of these upgrades also requires 20,000 miles each way.
Also, on CO, I believe that all upgrades must be confirmed in advance (subject to capacity controls), and standby at the airport is not permitted.
So, on CO, for a roundtrip upgrade from the lowest fare, it will cost 40,000 miles and $900. Not exactly a bargain by any stretch of the imagination.