Originally Posted by Starman
The QUP fares are the best deal in town. They are booked in A class of service (generally a subset of the F inventory), but it's a confirmed first class seat, with 150% mileage bonus, 150% EQM bonus, and a coach fare basis (Q) to turn in to your accounting department. On routes where UA is competing with WN the QUP fares can be amazingly low ($800 roundtrip transcon). Generally they are $100 penalty for change however, and some are as long as 21 day advance booking.
The fare basis is QUP (or some variation of Q and UP), but the booking class is A.
A smart accounting department won't care what letters on are on the receipt. If the travel budget supports an $800 trip, so be it. Or, if the only choice is $800 for a coach fare or $800 for a discounted First Class fare, it shouldn't make any difference. I would like to emphasize "*smart* accounting (budgeting, whatever) department". Some of them can be pretty stupid.
edited to add -- if the words "First Class" don't appear on the receipt, just the letters A and QUP, maybe the dumb accounting departments won't care, if they are only looking for the letter F.
