What's Up With Limited "U" Availability?
Jun 25, 2019, 1:01 pm
#211
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: AS 75k, Hyatt EXPL, *all* the CC statuses
Posts: 78
i booked 3 U spaces for SNA-SFO-EWR, Then there is a 4 hours schedule change, yes 4 hours. called and told if i change to other flights, we will lose our first class seats because no other flights have these much U space. not happy. but the rep said i can change later close in to flight if there are more U open up.
SNA-SFO is its own game, but I highly doubt you'll be able to SDC or otherwise change to an SFO-EWR flights with 3 U spaces at any time, especially during the comp window.
I also haven't had luck with HUCAing when I'm not in paid First (regardless of instrument/comp) and trying to get on a different flight. They're not going to bump a paid F or another U just for yoU.
Jun 25, 2019, 1:10 pm
#212
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
Interesting. I have a 100% success rate of getting supervisors to open up U space if I have a schedule change on a GGUed reservation. It's taken a HUCA a few times, but I've never gotten too much pushback.
Jun 25, 2019, 1:29 pm
#213
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: AS 75k, Hyatt EXPL, *all* the CC statuses
Posts: 78
Jun 25, 2019, 2:29 pm
#214
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
Jun 25, 2019, 3:03 pm
#215
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
If the flight is F0, then it's a different story of course.
Jun 25, 2019, 4:42 pm
#216
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,832
Until recently, I would have agreed with you. I have never had a problem in the past. In the 10+ times this has happened to me it was always sorted in the first call. This last sked change, I have tried 4 times over the past month and a half and got a ‘no’ each time. The last call (today), I thought I had gotten a yes, so I made the flight change and she reissued the tix. When I checked after to choose seats, we were back in coach. I called back and said I think there was a miscommunication. She put me on hold a really long time to get a supe and came back and said she had fixed it. I got the impression they weren’t opening U to preserve upgrades anymore and it was only because of the other agent implying she would do it (keep our upgrade intact) that they did it in this case. I hope I’m wrong but I have never had to call more than once ever before and this time, I was told no effectively 6 times. And side note, there were 11 of 12 F seats available on the new flight so it was not an issue of a full or even close-to-full cabin.
Jun 30, 2019, 1:10 pm
#217
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: PSP
Programs: AS, UA, AA, HiltonHonors
Posts: 78
OK - I suppose I should know this, or should have found it somewhere, but I've been looking (and looking and looking) for the answers to the following. No luck, so here goes, but first a couple of givens - a) I'm only talking about AS here, and b) I'm only talking about upgrades to paid fares, using mileage:
Answers to any/all of this (gently, please....) will be much appreciated.....
- When I see things like "F0" or "F12" or "U0", etc. in peoples' posts, can I assume that this is a result found after a query on EF (or some other pro tool)?
- Is EF (fare alert) the tool that most people use to check on upgrade-able seats? IOW, should I subscribe?
- Do most people who are using EF for this purpose have pretty reliable results, or do they use other sources as backup?
- What's the closest in (calendar-wise) that it makes sense to start looking for these available upgrades (330 days? 6 months? 2 weeks?), or is it entirely random?
Answers to any/all of this (gently, please....) will be much appreciated.....
Jul 1, 2019, 1:05 am
#218
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
EF is a good tool, alerts are not "real time" ie a query is run (uncertain of frequency, but I think daily until closer in). I like to run manual queries periodically to check myself. And EF will only go to 7 (there may be more seats AS is willing to sell, but that's all we know without internal AS info)
U is released irregularly; sometimes at schedule load, during schedule changes (or new frequencies being added) or not at all. If U does appear, grab it. There's a good chance it will be 0'd out later on. Good luck ^
U is released irregularly; sometimes at schedule load, during schedule changes (or new frequencies being added) or not at all. If U does appear, grab it. There's a good chance it will be 0'd out later on. Good luck ^
Jul 1, 2019, 4:49 pm
#221
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
My family is spending the 4th in Seattle. Was able to grab two GGU upgrades for my brother, LAX-SEA and SEA-OAK. Coach tickets were about ~$150-200 each way IIRC. Was pleasantly surprised to find it so easy to burn a couple of GGUs so close to the day of departure, because I've always found them difficult to use in the past.
Perhaps it's just that fewer elites are traveling for the holiday week, but when he cleared, there were still about 10/16 seats open in F on both flights.
Perhaps it's just that fewer elites are traveling for the holiday week, but when he cleared, there were still about 10/16 seats open in F on both flights.
Jul 1, 2019, 5:09 pm
#222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Tip: People who just quickly read over this part without letting it sink in should read it again. It's a very useful bit of information.
Jul 1, 2019, 6:20 pm
#223
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: LAX/ONT
Programs: AS 100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott G, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 518
When you say you "booked 3 U spaces", do you mean with GGUs?
SNA-SFO is its own game, but I highly doubt you'll be able to SDC or otherwise change to an SFO-EWR flights with 3 U spaces at any time, especially during the comp window.
I also haven't had luck with HUCAing when I'm not in paid First (regardless of instrument/comp) and trying to get on a different flight. They're not going to bump a paid F or another U just for yoU.
SNA-SFO is its own game, but I highly doubt you'll be able to SDC or otherwise change to an SFO-EWR flights with 3 U spaces at any time, especially during the comp window.
I also haven't had luck with HUCAing when I'm not in paid First (regardless of instrument/comp) and trying to get on a different flight. They're not going to bump a paid F or another U just for yoU.
Jul 1, 2019, 7:58 pm
#224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
for perspective, my GGU-able Q fare was $404 ... while I’ve willingly paid ~$459-$579 for TCON redeyes, $789 for the single available P seat was just too much to consider
a couple hours later there was (obviously) no U space remaining, and F was up to $1099
a couple hours later there was (obviously) no U space remaining, and F was up to $1099
Last edited by jrl767; Jul 2, 2019 at 4:26 pm Reason: correct fare basis