Asiana business class upgrade using United miles
Jun 28, 2019, 2:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: *G
Posts: 4
Asiana business class upgrade using United miles
Hi Everyone, I just discovered this site several days ago and had a question regarding a future flight I'm trying to get.
I have a bunch of United miles that I doubt I'll ever actually use on United and was thinking to apply them to an M Class economy ticket on Asiana to upgrade to business. I'm having some troubles to get a definitive answer though as to how many miles are required for the upgrade. One site I found stated it would be 40,000 miles, another mentioned 80,000. If 40,000, that's totally acceptable, but if really 80,000, I think I'm better off just buying the ticket outright and banking the miles for the future. Normally, I will fly on EVA, but since the flight attendants are currently on strike, there's no telling when I'd be able to get a seat.
The ticket I'm looking to get is one-way MNL to SFO in late July.
I've also searched on United's website for possible upgrade award availability, but Asiana is never displayed in their results (even when using different city and date combinations).
Does anyone know if it's really possible to use United miles for upgrading Asiana tickets? If so, what's the true mileage cost? When I checked Asiana's website for the routing/date I wanted, it shows upgrade availability for both flight segments. If I purchase the ticket at Asiana, can I just immediately apply for the upgrade via United's site?
Cheers,
Brianne
I have a bunch of United miles that I doubt I'll ever actually use on United and was thinking to apply them to an M Class economy ticket on Asiana to upgrade to business. I'm having some troubles to get a definitive answer though as to how many miles are required for the upgrade. One site I found stated it would be 40,000 miles, another mentioned 80,000. If 40,000, that's totally acceptable, but if really 80,000, I think I'm better off just buying the ticket outright and banking the miles for the future. Normally, I will fly on EVA, but since the flight attendants are currently on strike, there's no telling when I'd be able to get a seat.
The ticket I'm looking to get is one-way MNL to SFO in late July.
I've also searched on United's website for possible upgrade award availability, but Asiana is never displayed in their results (even when using different city and date combinations).
Does anyone know if it's really possible to use United miles for upgrading Asiana tickets? If so, what's the true mileage cost? When I checked Asiana's website for the routing/date I wanted, it shows upgrade availability for both flight segments. If I purchase the ticket at Asiana, can I just immediately apply for the upgrade via United's site?
Cheers,
Brianne
Jun 28, 2019, 1:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 227
There's no upgrade on Asiana using United miles in the way that you're thinking, displayed directly in United.com's search results. What you're looking for is instead Star Alliance Upgrade Award. You would have to book Y or B class at Asiana, then use 30,000 United miles per transpacific leg at the United.com's Star Alliance Upgrade Award webpage. There has to be availability, which I believe is class I on Asiana, which is the same as business award availability. Please check out this page:
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgrade/star-alliance-upgrade-awards.html
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgrade/star-alliance-upgrade-awards.html
Jun 28, 2019, 8:57 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: *G
Posts: 4
Thanks for the feedback Princesakura. Unfortunately, Y or B class fares are not provided on the Asiana website. They offer two fare classes only for economy class tickets:
Economy Classic / H Class (Mileage Upgrade unavailable)
Economy Flexi / M Class (Mileage Upgrade Permitted)
The other two fare classes listed in their search results are both for business class (U and Z).
Since Asiana is providing results that state M Class tickets are upgradeable, I would think that I could attempt to do the Star Alliance Upgrade Award as you suggested. But the price difference between Economy Flexi (H Class) and Business Saver (U Class) is rather insignificant. Probably, I'm better off purchasing the business class ticket outright unless I can find a site somewhere that offers Y or B class tickets.
Economy Classic / H Class (Mileage Upgrade unavailable)
Economy Flexi / M Class (Mileage Upgrade Permitted)
The other two fare classes listed in their search results are both for business class (U and Z).
Since Asiana is providing results that state M Class tickets are upgradeable, I would think that I could attempt to do the Star Alliance Upgrade Award as you suggested. But the price difference between Economy Flexi (H Class) and Business Saver (U Class) is rather insignificant. Probably, I'm better off purchasing the business class ticket outright unless I can find a site somewhere that offers Y or B class tickets.
Jun 28, 2019, 11:17 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ Platinum LifeTime; DL PM; QF Gold; VA Gold; HH Diamond; IHG Diamond
Posts: 1,129
M class is only upgradeable with OZ miles. this is the case with most airlines, where they provide greater flexibility for upgrade awards from their own FFP rather than upgrades made from alliance or partner airlines.
Jun 29, 2019, 4:58 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: *G
Posts: 4
Thank you Sol95.
How would I go about finding a ticket in Y or B class then since they are not provided via Asiana's website? Must I book those through an agent or are there other websites that offer tickets in which I could specifically book in those particular classes?
How would I go about finding a ticket in Y or B class then since they are not provided via Asiana's website? Must I book those through an agent or are there other websites that offer tickets in which I could specifically book in those particular classes?
Jun 29, 2019, 6:11 am
#6
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ Platinum LifeTime; DL PM; QF Gold; VA Gold; HH Diamond; IHG Diamond
Posts: 1,129
you'd probably have to make a call to OZ. But Y or B is not going to be worth it as you could get discounted business class for about the same.
Last edited by sol95; Jun 29, 2019 at 6:17 am
Jun 29, 2019, 9:10 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 227
Thank you Sol95.
How would I go about finding a ticket in Y or B class then since they are not provided via Asiana's website? Must I book those through an agent or are there other websites that offer tickets in which I could specifically book in those particular classes?
How would I go about finding a ticket in Y or B class then since they are not provided via Asiana's website? Must I book those through an agent or are there other websites that offer tickets in which I could specifically book in those particular classes?
However, you still would need availability in class I to open up. On OZ 212 ICN-SFO between July 25 and 31, there is none currently.
Jun 30, 2019, 8:43 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: *G
Posts: 4
Thanks so much both Princesakura and Sol95. I'll give Asiana a call and see if they're able to assist further. And just to clarify, I would need I class to be open in order to try and upgrade using a Star Alliance Upgrade Award?
Last edited by Brianne88; Jun 30, 2019 at 9:04 am
Jun 30, 2019, 8:58 am
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,438
It's generally tricky to upgrade using miles from another FF program and agents might not know the rules or how to do this. You should read all of the T&Cs very carefully as there can be details such as codeshares or not and what ticket stock must be used.
In this case, I would guess that you must buy the ticket (best if directly from UA on the phone at the same time as the upgrade is processed) on UA stock since UA must confirm the upgrade and reissue the ticket because you're using UA miles. If you just buy the ticket from OZ, you'd be stuck unless you can move some credit card points to OZ miles, in which case the M fare should work and upgrade inventory is likely to be (slightly) more available. [There can also be problems if the purchase method implies that a TA has control of the ticket.]
In this case, I would guess that you must buy the ticket (best if directly from UA on the phone at the same time as the upgrade is processed) on UA stock since UA must confirm the upgrade and reissue the ticket because you're using UA miles. If you just buy the ticket from OZ, you'd be stuck unless you can move some credit card points to OZ miles, in which case the M fare should work and upgrade inventory is likely to be (slightly) more available. [There can also be problems if the purchase method implies that a TA has control of the ticket.]