You have enough posts to access Coupon Connection....there should be a ton of them over there, especially this time of year with only a few months left before many expire.

I was forced to use my last 2 GGU on a PDX-LAS flight next week. I was trying to use them on a PDX-HNL flight, F class was completely open but no U space.

Moderator Note: This thread is a discussion of the difficulty of using GGUs. It is not for offers for or solicitation of unused GGUs. Some posts have been edited. Future off-topic posts may lead to additional actions including possible thread closure.

dayone, AS Moderator

In 2018, I used them for SFO/SNA, gifted some for SFO/SNA/SJD (and the SFO/SJD was F4U0 up until the end, so I never got to UG them on the long segment), and was going to use them for an upcoming short hop, which was $30 more (on a $59 ticket) for the short hop just to have the opportunity to use them (and even if I did, there was no instant UG). So, I'll slum it in Premium if my UG doesn't clear. I also tried to gift one a few months ago, on a qualifying fare, to no avail.

i'm new to Alaska. I was matched to MVP. I have a trancon flight and would love to be upgraded. On my ticket, it says "This reservation is not eligible for online GGU" What does that mean? I also see "First Class waitlisted" which is probably due to MVP status. Just confused. Thanks for your help!

(bolding added: as an MVP you don't get these issued to you as part of your elite benefits)

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...guest-upgrades[

GGU: Gold Guest Upgrade.

I understand that. Let's say someone will give me a GGU code so that I can apply to get upgraded. How can I use the GGU? I read on this forum about U ticket requirement. Can you clear that up for me? Thanks!

As an MVP Elite member you won't have earned any GGUs but you or anyone even without status can use them if they are gifted. There would need to be "U"pgradeable space available on your flight at the time of booking and you would need to pay the fare that is eligible for an upgrade. Once the flight is paid for, you would apply the GGU and be immediately upgraded into F.

Without any GGUs and U space available you can still purchase an eligible fare for your Elite status and get the immediate upgrade after purchase but the eligible fare for an MVP (Y or S) will be considerably more than when using a GGU. In some cases, more than the outright purchase of discounted F which comes with a 75% COS bonus and Lounge Access.

James

You would need to call AS and upfare your ticket to the eligible fare to use the GGU and U space needs to be available on your flight.

James

James, thanks a lot for the clarification. Looks like U space is not available (though 6 of the 8 seats are still not booked). I booked the MVP (R type) fare so looks like i only need to hope for a waitlist upgrade. Flight costs are now 3 times the price i bought at. Not sure if it's worth spending additional $300 and wait for U space to open up.

If you keep reading the link I included, it talks about "How do I apply guest upgrades to a reservation?"

If you keep reading past that, it says "Tickets purchased in G, R, or T classes of service are not eligible for guest upgrades (please select "MVP® Gold guest" from the "Upgrade type" list when shopping at alaskaair.com/planbook to view eligible fares for your itinerary."

And since it's a coach fare, unless OP pays for full refundable Y, which wouldn't require a GGU to be immediately upgradable when U opened anyway since OP is MVP, there would be a $125 change fee involved in the upfare in addition to the surcharge for a GGU-eligible fare.

So no, OP, you're right, just wait and see if you get upgraded and don't bother with using a GGU.

Saw one sole U spot on a OGG-SFO flight 11/2 .... if you want to try for a run back from paradise.

According to AS, an MVP upfaring where there is no change to the itinerary other than the upfare is NOT subject to the change fee. I have that in writing. As a 75K, I never purchase an eligible fare if there isn't any U space open unless, of course, the cheapest Y fare is already an eligible fare. I would never recommend an MVP do it either.

Without U space, I don't see the benefit of buying a GGU eligible fare. There is no COS. An MVPG could buy an M fare (which may be the cheapest Y bucket available) at 121 hours and will be upgraded before the MVPG75K who purchased a K fare and was moved to the upgrade request queue at 120 hours when U failed to Open.

Fully refundable Y or an S fare would put an MVP immediately onto the upgrade waitlist too, not into the MVP upgrade request queue which would give the MVP priority for upgrade over any complimentary upgrades, even MVPG75K.

James

We are using my four on SEA-LIH in the winter. But it took very flexible dates (hello, Wednesday to Monday trip) and being willing to connect through PDX on the return, and even then we had to wait until U space opened up on SEA-LIH to use the second two. A hassle, and one that I subscribed to EF to help manage, but it will be worth it. But I understand the frustration at how hard these can be to use.

Really? I'm an MVP (not gold) and when I tried to upfare to P on the website (same flight) it was trying to charge me $125 + fare difference.

I asked about it here (different thread) and was told that the fee was only waived if it was an upfare to F

Is this something where you have to call in and ask for it? Because the website doesn't respect this rule automatically.