Possible to negotiate reduced upgrade charge?
Jan 24, 2008, 5:48 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA Plat, DL GM and Flying Colonel; Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 24,233
In theory, any upgraded ticket earns miles/points for what was originally booked. In practice, you will sometimes get more - but that's a mistake on the part of either the system or the agent who rebooked you, not something you can plan for, influence or count on.
Jan 25, 2008, 2:57 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYLON - AA EXP 1MM, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,234
If you have no status, it is a no-brainer. If you want the upgrade, you purchase it.
If you have status, you are going to be top of the list for op-ups, but its going to depend on how oversold Y is and how many people purchase these upgrades. Its a gamble.
For me, I normally fly paid Y, so by the day of the flight, if J is light, my upgrade will have cleared. I figure that as an upgrade, even as EXP I am going to be way down the list for upgrade to F, so I usually will pay up to get the F seat.
Last time I did this from NRT, the F cabin flew about half full - I dont think there were any J-F op-ups (though J was completely full) so I certainly would not have otherwise sat in F.
Jan 25, 2008, 9:09 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 152
I was offered an upgrade from J to F on ORD-LHR for $600. I talked to the agent and she told me what other people are saying in the thread: they usually offer this when they have an oversold cabin and they need to do op-ups anyway. She also told me that there were 4 EXPs in J, so it was unlikely that I was going to get one of the op-ups (if they would happen at all). At the end, due to the travel policy of the company I worked for, I had to pass on the offer (and I wasn't offered an op-ups).