Finkface

I’m either having a blonde moment or I am a bit confused on how this works. As a Gold, if I search for award flights, checking the button for MVP Gold upgrade type, I see three different fare types: Main Cabin, First Upgrade and First Class. U is available (F is solid blue).

If I choose the First Upgrade fare, should I not be upgraded to F immediately as U is available? I just tried a booking and it did not automatically upgrade me to F. Or is this not an instant upgrade fare? How does one know?

I thought all awards were now comp upgrade eligible at my window and that choosing the First Upgrade fare would be like booking an instant upgrade revenue fare, which would get me into F immediately as long as U was available. Adding it to the cart does not help as it does not tell me what class it is booking into.

missamo80

It has to be a refundable award booking to be eligible for immediate upgrade. See https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...ntary-upgrades for the list of fares that get instant upgrade for golds:

Neil

Finkface

Ok, so that confirms what I thought. I just got the confirmation email and it booked into Z. So why was I not upgraded to F? The confirmation said Z (Coach).

halamadrid

Sometimes it takes a few minutes until the booking is actually ticketed for the upgrade to go through. I normally get a follow-up email letting me know that I've been upgraded. Otherwise check again once you get the confirmation email from AS.

Finkface

Ok, just rebooked it. I’ll let it percolate for a bit. I have a revenue F ticket booked for one of the two flights on the booking and I don’t want to cancel it until I know for sure I will get an auto upgrade. Will report back as to how long it takes (if it works).

PV_Premier

it should not take hours, but minutes is not out of the question depending on how fast the hamster is running on the wheel that powers the upgrade processor.

if it doesn't go through, call in, and ask to be upgraded assuming you booked Z and U is open. same rule applies, if you have 2 pax on the PNR and U=1, it won't clear without splitting the PNR.

Finkface

Right you are. The hamster must have just been on a bathroom break. Took about 15 minutes before the “You have been upgraded” email came in.

So I wasn’t crazy and this is really how it is supposed to work. This is what I thought was supposed to happen. Nice little perk considering the miles cost for coach and for the instant upgrade fare were the same, and the First Class miles were double. Seemed odd, and a little too good to be true. Not the lowest saver lever but still a great deal. And the cash price for these flights was crazy high so I am a happy camper.

Thanks for all of the help and reassurance.

beckoa

That's the way award and paid (instant status based) upgrades have worked for quite a while. Ticket and then wait...

Finkface

I knew that with rev tickets. I just so rarely (ever?) buy award tickets on AS metal and the whole being able to upgrade an award ticket is a fairly new thing as well. I just wasn’t sure if it was an instant upgrade or whether it just entitled you to waitlist for an upgrade. So it definitely works as advertised. A bargain, in this case anyway.

halamadrid

Please note that I've also had instances (on award reservations) where I get immediate confirmation of the upgrade at the very end of the booking process, but then it will not let me choose an F seat and only the coach maps shows. The first time it happened I thought something had gone wrong so I called, and while I was on the phone with the agent I got the email confirming the upgrade and was able to get my seats (making me sound like a lunatic to the agent )...It's happened to me more than once, but now I know to just wait.

PV_Premier

yes, these MVP award upgrades can be quite a bargain at times, especially given the rarity of saver F award space on AS metal.

SF1K

So on other non-refundable awards does it upgrade at time of the MVPG window if U space is available?

eponymous_coward

Yes. Assuming you are a Gold, you are in the last fare bucket (Golds on all paid fares and refundable awards will be in front of you), with date of ticket issue being the tie breaker among Golds.

halamadrid

Quick follow-up question on that just out of curiosity; are you also saying that paid fares are in front of refundable awards as well. Thanks.

lg20

Refundable awards (Z class) are third, after Y and S.

So they are actually in front of all paid except for Y and S.

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...upgrades#class