Mixed Cabin Award
Mar 23, 2018, 2:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 14
Mixed Cabin Award
I’m currently booked on a mixed cabin itinerary (MSY-YYZ-EZE) with the shorter route in economy. I booked with United miles if that will make a difference. From everything I’ve read, the only surefire way to get bumped to business class on the first flight would be if award space became available. I’ve been checking religiously and no luck (seems they only have two award seats available on the flight and both are booked). My flight is 4 weeks away, any chance additional award space opens up between now and then? If not, do I have any chance of getting on an upgrade list (those two award tickets seem to be the only tickets sold in business class, so there may be space). Who would I ask to get on a list - gate agent on the day of the flight?
Mar 23, 2018, 2:29 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
I was in a similar situation a couple of weeks ago: a multi-segment business-or-higher class reward where the first (short) leg was in Y. Air Canada added "I" inventory (Business - Award & Alliance Partner Upgrades) earlier this week and I was able to switch into the business class cabin with a simple phone call.
I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think UA rewards are eligible for upgrade standby on AC flights.
I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think UA rewards are eligible for upgrade standby on AC flights.
Mar 23, 2018, 2:32 pm
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,336
There's no "list" to get on if you're booked on a 016 ticket.
If I space opens up before departure, call United and get moved up. Otherwise, you're sitting in Y (or paying an LMU at check-in).
If I space opens up before departure, call United and get moved up. Otherwise, you're sitting in Y (or paying an LMU at check-in).
Mar 23, 2018, 3:49 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: YXE
Posts: 3,050
No waitlisting into the J cabin on non-AC reward tickets. You'll sit in the class of service you're confirmed in.
If it was an AC/AP redemption, the chances of waitlisting working would probably be pretty high if you couldn't get it confirmed prior to flight time. But its not. So just keep an eye on inventory.
If it was an AC/AP redemption, the chances of waitlisting working would probably be pretty high if you couldn't get it confirmed prior to flight time. But its not. So just keep an eye on inventory.
Mar 24, 2018, 3:22 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 14
I was in a similar situation a couple of weeks ago: a multi-segment business-or-higher class reward where the first (short) leg was in Y. Air Canada added "I" inventory (Business - Award & Alliance Partner Upgrades) earlier this week and I was able to switch into the business class cabin with a simple phone call.
I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think UA rewards are eligible for upgrade standby on AC flights.
I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think UA rewards are eligible for upgrade standby on AC flights.
Mar 24, 2018, 3:34 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
Posts: 5,691
Aug 30, 2018, 4:56 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
The only possibilities of a mixed cabin market fare award are:
1) There is no J cabin for the segment you are ticketed in Y (this one is obvious); or
2) There is a fare break for your routing.
The second one is less obvious, let me explain: imagine you trying to fly YYT-YYZ-YOW, but a through J fare only has space in C/D/J and no P/Z spaces anymore (due to married segment logic). The market fare for this all J itinerary would require insane amount of miles. You happen to find an itinerary that puts you in Y for the YYT-YYZ segment and then J in the YYZ-YOW segment that costs only half the miles compared to the all J itinerary. This is because your YYT-YYZ portion is ticketed in the Standard fare class and your YYZ-YOW segment ticketed in discounted J class. The fare is broken and your YYT-YYZ has an economy fare basis associated with its coupon while your YYZ-YOW segment has a business fare basis associated with its coupon. As a result, even if there are spaces available in J for your YYT-YYZ segment on the day of the flight, you cannot upgrade to J cabin without using one of the upgrade instruments (bid upgrade, LMU, eUp with co-pay, etc).
Hope this helps.
Aug 30, 2018, 6:42 pm
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2012
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Book YOW-YYZ-SFO as a business reward when YOW-YYZ is I0, and it books into X class with a fare basis of XBP00. Or in other words, you're ticketed in Y.
Aug 31, 2018, 8:03 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 28
So the simple answer is No?
Fixed mileage redemptions are ticketed on one single fare, so even your Y segments will have the "I fare" associated with the segment coupon, which entitles you to be seated in the cabin you're ticketed in.
The only possibilities of a mixed cabin market fare award are:
1) There is no J cabin for the segment you are ticketed in Y (this one is obvious); or
2) There is a fare break for your routing.
The second one is less obvious, let me explain: imagine you trying to fly YYT-YYZ-YOW, but a through J fare only has space in C/D/J and no P/Z spaces anymore (due to married segment logic). The market fare for this all J itinerary would require insane amount of miles. You happen to find an itinerary that puts you in Y for the YYT-YYZ segment and then J in the YYZ-YOW segment that costs only half the miles compared to the all J itinerary. This is because your YYT-YYZ portion is ticketed in the Standard fare class and your YYZ-YOW segment ticketed in discounted J class. The fare is broken and your YYT-YYZ has an economy fare basis associated with its coupon while your YYZ-YOW segment has a business fare basis associated with its coupon. As a result, even if there are spaces available in J for your YYT-YYZ segment on the day of the flight, you cannot upgrade to J cabin without using one of the upgrade instruments (bid upgrade, LMU, eUp with co-pay, etc).
Hope this helps.
Fixed mileage redemptions are ticketed on one single fare, so even your Y segments will have the "I fare" associated with the segment coupon, which entitles you to be seated in the cabin you're ticketed in.
The only possibilities of a mixed cabin market fare award are:
1) There is no J cabin for the segment you are ticketed in Y (this one is obvious); or
2) There is a fare break for your routing.
The second one is less obvious, let me explain: imagine you trying to fly YYT-YYZ-YOW, but a through J fare only has space in C/D/J and no P/Z spaces anymore (due to married segment logic). The market fare for this all J itinerary would require insane amount of miles. You happen to find an itinerary that puts you in Y for the YYT-YYZ segment and then J in the YYZ-YOW segment that costs only half the miles compared to the all J itinerary. This is because your YYT-YYZ portion is ticketed in the Standard fare class and your YYZ-YOW segment ticketed in discounted J class. The fare is broken and your YYT-YYZ has an economy fare basis associated with its coupon while your YYZ-YOW segment has a business fare basis associated with its coupon. As a result, even if there are spaces available in J for your YYT-YYZ segment on the day of the flight, you cannot upgrade to J cabin without using one of the upgrade instruments (bid upgrade, LMU, eUp with co-pay, etc).
Hope this helps.
Aug 31, 2018, 7:08 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
No they are not. Book YXU-YYZ-SFO as a P fare, and YXU-YYZ will be booked in M class with a P fare basis. If they upgauge, you can call in and get moved into P space.
Book YOW-YYZ-SFO as a business reward when YOW-YYZ is I0, and it books into X class with a fare basis of XBP00. Or in other words, you're ticketed in Y.
Book YOW-YYZ-SFO as a business reward when YOW-YYZ is I0, and it books into X class with a fare basis of XBP00. Or in other words, you're ticketed in Y.
Don't take my word for it though, next time you book a fixed mileage J award itinerary and have segments in Y, you can verify for yourself.
Last edited by YYT82; Aug 31, 2018 at 7:19 pm
Aug 31, 2018, 8:15 pm
#13
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I wanted to verify your claim so I waited until my mini-RTW was ticketed and I looked it up with Saudia. My itinerary has segments that could only be ticketed in Y due to non-existent IKK space or airlines haven't released the J award space. Those segments show fare class X but fare basis IBP00/PARTNER, so the fare basis associated with the segment's coupon is "business I fare", which is the reason why if an "I space" is released on that flight prior to airport control I can call in and have my ticket re-issued to have that segment put in J, since my fare allows such.
Don't take my word for it though, next time you book a fixed mileage J award itinerary and have segments in Y, you can verify for yourself.
Did you make any changes to that booking, or was it always ticketed that way?
Here's my only current mixed cabin booking.
This matches every mixed cabin booking I've ever made through Aeroplan.
My last first class booking had a few OBP00, but the majority of the segments were IBP00.
Aug 31, 2018, 8:27 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
@canadiancow, mine was ticketed that way, no changes were made to it. Regarding your first class tickets with IBP00 fare basis, would it be due to the segments in question not having first class cabins? As an example, I had a ticket that was booked in J all the way through except for YYT-LHR as the B7M8 only has PY. That segment's coupon has N fare basis associated with it as it was already the highest available cabin after J.
Aug 31, 2018, 8:30 pm
#15
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That would make sense for those, but the screenshot I showed you has a J cabin on that segment, and that's my much more common experience. I book AC, confirmed in Y, and the fare basis code is XBP00 or XYBP00, even though there's a J cabin.