ARCHIVE: LFBU / DODU: Space-available, counter, kiosk, and online upgrade (consol)
Mar 31, 2010, 7:37 am
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
It is possible to buy miles at 55000 for just over $1000. This is with the promo to get a 15K bonus to buy 40K. If you have 0 miles, buy 40K for you, 40K for a friend. Then you can get business class to Europe for 50K each way.
Possibly too late for you, but it might help for other travel plans. So, yes, for under $2k, you can fly business class roundtrip from the US to Europe, including partner travel. Is this a deal or what?
Mar 31, 2010, 7:44 am
#92
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
One option, depending on how many miles you currently have.
It is possible to buy miles at 55000 for just over $1000. This is with the promo to get a 15K bonus to buy 40K. If you have 0 miles, buy 40K for you, 40K for a friend. Then you can get business class to Europe for 50K each way.
Possibly too late for you, but it might help for other travel plans. So, yes, for under $2k, you can fly business class roundtrip from the US to Europe, including partner travel. Is this a deal or what?
It is possible to buy miles at 55000 for just over $1000. This is with the promo to get a 15K bonus to buy 40K. If you have 0 miles, buy 40K for you, 40K for a friend. Then you can get business class to Europe for 50K each way.
Possibly too late for you, but it might help for other travel plans. So, yes, for under $2k, you can fly business class roundtrip from the US to Europe, including partner travel. Is this a deal or what?
Mar 31, 2010, 8:07 am
#93
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austin TX.
Programs: AA GLD (1MM), Hyatt PLT, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 783
and don't forget if you do get an upgrade out of Manchester you will get nailed for an additional $70 in Air Passenger Duty for flying in a "luxury" cabin.
How people can get confused about upgrades offered at check-in at MAN is that when MAN-BOS was flown with a domestic 757 it was sold as single class. If you had status you could book the big seats up front but the service was the same. If it wasn't full up front they would offer the seats at check-in for 100UKP. I saw this a lot on MAN-BOS but never on the MAN-ORD 763.
I did ask once about a paid upgrade on the 763 to ORD but there was no chance unless I wanted to use miles+co-pay. Had a really nice chat with the lady on the ticket desk who turned out to also be the gate agent. Five minutes before boarding she came over and gave me new boarding cards for me and my daughter. She op-upped us into J. The one and only TATL op-up I ever have had.
How people can get confused about upgrades offered at check-in at MAN is that when MAN-BOS was flown with a domestic 757 it was sold as single class. If you had status you could book the big seats up front but the service was the same. If it wasn't full up front they would offer the seats at check-in for 100UKP. I saw this a lot on MAN-BOS but never on the MAN-ORD 763.
I did ask once about a paid upgrade on the 763 to ORD but there was no chance unless I wanted to use miles+co-pay. Had a really nice chat with the lady on the ticket desk who turned out to also be the gate agent. Five minutes before boarding she came over and gave me new boarding cards for me and my daughter. She op-upped us into J. The one and only TATL op-up I ever have had.
Mar 31, 2010, 9:47 pm
#94
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
One option, depending on how many miles you currently have.
It is possible to buy miles at 55000 for just over $1000. This is with the promo to get a 15K bonus to buy 40K. If you have 0 miles, buy 40K for you, 40K for a friend. Then you can get business class to Europe for 50K each way.
Possibly too late for you, but it might help for other travel plans. So, yes, for under $2k, you can fly business class roundtrip from the US to Europe, including partner travel. Is this a deal or what?
It is possible to buy miles at 55000 for just over $1000. This is with the promo to get a 15K bonus to buy 40K. If you have 0 miles, buy 40K for you, 40K for a friend. Then you can get business class to Europe for 50K each way.
Possibly too late for you, but it might help for other travel plans. So, yes, for under $2k, you can fly business class roundtrip from the US to Europe, including partner travel. Is this a deal or what?
On the plus side for the OP - MAN-JFK is a relatively short flight so Economy isn't going to be completely intolerable.
Finally, AA are currently offering 1-way Business class to JFK from MAN in August for £712 (just over $1,000) or £691 from LHR including all taxes and that fare can be combined with a Y return at a later date.
Last edited by Blueboys999; Mar 31, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Apr 3, 2010, 6:15 pm
#95
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 5
upgrade for purchase
Flying from JFK to St Lucia in July
Normally fly US Air which offers upgrades to go for purchase. Does AA have a similiar program that I can purchase an upgrade to first class on the day of my flight?
Normally fly US Air which offers upgrades to go for purchase. Does AA have a similiar program that I can purchase an upgrade to first class on the day of my flight?
Apr 3, 2010, 6:26 pm
#96
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
LFBU or Load-Factor Based upgrades are sometimes offered ONLY via the check-in kiosk on the day of departure. This is provided that the airline wishes to sell them, and that there is significant enough availability at the time of check-in. YMMV, but in my experience I would not get my hopes up for an upgrade on a flight like this.
The other option is to purchase miles on aa.com and upgrade that route, depending on how much money you wish to spend.
The other option is to purchase miles on aa.com and upgrade that route, depending on how much money you wish to spend.
Apr 3, 2010, 6:28 pm
#97
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Gleefan1, Welcome to FT
You'll find a lot of great information here, including the answer to your question, by looking the wiki, which includes a discussion of day of departure paid upgrades.
You'll find a lot of great information here, including the answer to your question, by looking the wiki, which includes a discussion of day of departure paid upgrades.
Apr 3, 2010, 6:29 pm
#98
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
Welcome to FT. Consider using miles+copay to upgrade your ticket. As demkr stated, it is unlikely LFBU will be offered on this route. An upgrade will require 15,000 miles plus $50 charge.
Apr 3, 2010, 8:48 pm
#99
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,213
I BELIEVE this destination (by AA standards) is Caribbean rather than Central America. If true, that's now 15k + $75 co-pay for the upgrade...
Apr 3, 2010, 9:25 pm
#100
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: US
Programs: AA Advantage XPLAT, United
Posts: 15
Kiosk purchased upgrade ORD-PEK Econ to bus
ORD-PEK late April
Any idea if there are empty seats, and it looks like there are many...as this is a new route, how much AA would charge to upgrade to Bus class at kiosk for non elite flyer. I found "For international flights a flat rate of $500-$1,000," but I don't how accurate that is. Or if there's a way to estimate what it would actully be if the opportunity presents itself.
Any idea if there are empty seats, and it looks like there are many...as this is a new route, how much AA would charge to upgrade to Bus class at kiosk for non elite flyer. I found "For international flights a flat rate of $500-$1,000," but I don't how accurate that is. Or if there's a way to estimate what it would actully be if the opportunity presents itself.
Apr 3, 2010, 11:30 pm
#101
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723
http://www.aa.com/pubcontent/en_US/d...rade-chart.jsp
this results in a strange policy, e.g. I recently gave 15k miles to upgrade a colleague SFO-JFK-PAP, with $50 copay. If he were going to JFK only, it would have been $75 copay!! crazy...
Apr 4, 2010, 6:50 am
#102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
ORD-PEK late April
Any idea if there are empty seats, and it looks like there are many...as this is a new route, how much AA would charge to upgrade to Bus class at kiosk for non elite flyer. I found "For international flights a flat rate of $500-$1,000," but I don't how accurate that is. Or if there's a way to estimate what it would actully be if the opportunity presents itself.
Any idea if there are empty seats, and it looks like there are many...as this is a new route, how much AA would charge to upgrade to Bus class at kiosk for non elite flyer. I found "For international flights a flat rate of $500-$1,000," but I don't how accurate that is. Or if there's a way to estimate what it would actully be if the opportunity presents itself.
As for how to know if there is space available, check out expertflyer.com. It is paid service but has a free trial period and it provides far better information than just looking at the seat map.
Apr 4, 2010, 6:53 pm
#103
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: DL DM; AS 75K; Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 126
Buying Intl Gate Upgrade
I'll be flying DFW-GRU and back next month in Y. I was wondering if anyone knows the likelihood of gate upgrades being available for purchase, and if so, how much they run. According to the seat maps now (I know, not always the best to determine load), C is wide open on both flights. I've flown JFK-LHR a few times and $500 Y to C was offered almost every time, but I've heard other routes run more.
Apr 4, 2010, 7:03 pm
#104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA 2MM, AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,966
I'll be flying DFW-GRU and back next month in Y. I was wondering if anyone knows the likelihood of gate upgrades being available for purchase, and if so, how much they run. According to the seat maps now (I know, not always the best to determine load), C is wide open on both flights. I've flown JFK-LHR a few times and $500 Y to C was offered almost every time, but I've heard other routes run more.
The answers to frequently asked questions are found in the Wiki, the FAQ, and the User's Guide. For LFBU, which you are asking, the answers in the Wiki are here, and the master thread is here.
Apr 16, 2010, 2:49 pm
#105
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA ex-Plat
Posts: 425
LFBU: points awarded for class flown not purchased
i was just curious about those that have received points based on class flown instead of class purchased -- which i know is a "mistake" -- but it happend to me on 2 different occasions while doing a gold/plat challenge.
1) i was flying in Q class, and got a paid LFBU to A class. the points credited for A. if cash is involved in the upgrade for non-elites (whether on a challenge or not), i wonder if the system consistently mistakenly awards the higher points or not?
2) weather cancelled the outbound legs of an O ticket i had, and i was rebooked into W. no cash involved, but i had them reroute me from JFK-DFW-LIT to JFK-LAX-DFW-LIT to get the extra points for the challenge. i received W credit for the rerouted legs instead of O.
i was happy and didn't complain, but wondered if there were consistent "mistakes" when these 2 types of situations occurred, or if i was just lucky twice in that one month?
1) i was flying in Q class, and got a paid LFBU to A class. the points credited for A. if cash is involved in the upgrade for non-elites (whether on a challenge or not), i wonder if the system consistently mistakenly awards the higher points or not?
2) weather cancelled the outbound legs of an O ticket i had, and i was rebooked into W. no cash involved, but i had them reroute me from JFK-DFW-LIT to JFK-LAX-DFW-LIT to get the extra points for the challenge. i received W credit for the rerouted legs instead of O.
i was happy and didn't complain, but wondered if there were consistent "mistakes" when these 2 types of situations occurred, or if i was just lucky twice in that one month?