SoulFlyer

I'm hoping someone can help me out here...

I'm on the phone with BA trying to upgrade a single leg of a ticket I purchased using the AARP discount. I booked Club World and want to upgrade into First on my leg home to LV.

Per the Agent's requirement, I transferred 35K Amex points to BA for 30K Avios.

She then said, you're in luck, the system is now telling me it's 25K.

THEN she said she can't process the upgrade at all. She's is saying that her computer won't let her process the upgrade because it's an AARP fare. She's also saying she contacted her "support staff" and they said you can't upgrade AARP fares.

She says that rule 9 - This offer is not combinable with any other discount or deal. - is what's applying and why I can't upgrade, even though it's an I fare on BA stock (booked on their website a couple hours ago).

Now I've been transferred to a supervisor who's also saying it can't be done.

I used my google-fu and flyertalk-fu to the best of my abilities and everything I'm finding says it 100% can be done.

Please help if you can,
-SoulFlyer

SoulFlyer

Well,

After 45 mins on the phone, I hung up and called back.

2nd lady confirmed upgrade avail, did the math at 25K avios, then $0 fees (took ~25 mins to do this), then went to apply the upgrades but they were gone. Someone had booked them while she was being so slow.

She told me there's no waitlist (really? come on!) and that I have to check the BA site over and over again, then call again and hope the upgrade is still there when I call.

So disappointed today.

Grrr to the universe.

-SF

KARFA

There is no waitlisting for UuAs/rewards.

There has been some discussion on UuAs and problems recently, but I don't think anyone concluded that it is not the AARP discount which prevents them http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...e-fee-uua.html

SoulFlyer

Well, the availability re-appeared so I called again (on the phone now)

This new guy is specifically telling me that "discounted fares are not eligible for UuA". I told him just to try and put it through, and that it will work fine, but he won't do it... he's going to talk to a supervisor....

He spoke with a supervisor (probably the same guy from before) and was told he can't do it. He says that the fare rules specifically state that it's not eligible for UuA. I asked him where, specifically, it said that and he generalized a response.

I said "No, I have the fare rules in front of me and it very clearly doesn't say that".

His response "If it didn't say that I'd be allowed to do it. I won't press the button because it will put my name in and I'd get in trouble."

This is a horrible system. I really wish it would let me just do it online. I'm probably going to hang up on this guy too, and try again again again later.

Pitiful.

-SF

jerry a. laska

Former BA Executive Club representative Nicci has stated in the past that you cannot UuA a ticket that has been subject to a discount already, whether it be the old shareholder discount, aarp, or chase. That said a few people have reportedly been able to do it, others have not. See these threads and posts (there are others):
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26925507-post444.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...iscount-2.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...e-fee-uua.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23583066-post51.html

There was a period of time that the agents would simultaneously claw back the discount in order to process the UuA.

daron4000

I used Avios to upgrade AARP I fares to First during last year's super sales (the ones where you could stack discounts to get a RT Club ticket for as little as $600). Did not have any issues with the agents who I rang up to do it.

Flexible preferences

One option would be to cancel within the 24 hour cooling off period, then book again and upgrade without the AARP discount.

ijkh

We were able to UuA with AARP discount one leg of our upcoming long haul (lax-hr) trip from WTP to CW. It took a bunch of Avios and a lot of time on the phone. The agent did have to speak with a supervisor. I didn't get pushback. It had to manually done and calculated and seemed like a lot of work for the agent. So glad it is done and on the books. Hang up and call again tomorrow.

Peter M

The solution is to tell the BA agent that you will repay the amount of the AARP discount etc, so that the tickets are no longer discounted and no longer restricted for GUF2/1 and Avios upgrades. The agent and supervisor should have offered you this solution instead of "computer says naw." It seems Carol Beer is now helping at BA.

SoulFlyer

The annoying thing about all this is that it seems to be up to interpretation. Working in the law, I hate rules that aren't rules.

BA called me last night and "escalated it to the concern team". They're supposed to update me within 24 hours.

I'm not cancelling the ticket either way, but if it's not upgradeable someone's definitely going be putting my AMEX points back into my account - I only transferred them b/c the rep said "Yes, I can upgrade you" before eventually welching.

Also, @ Jerry, thanks for those threads though I had already seen them... some people get their upgrades, some don't. That's the trouble. There's really no hard-fast rule, and if BA thinks that purchasing an upgrade with miles is considered a "deal or a discount" - it isn't posted (by BA) anywhere.

The summary of why I'm miffed:

1. The AARP rules specifically say "All rules of any fare purchased apply, including advance purchase, minimum/maximum stay, stopovers, weekend add-ons, change fees and cancellation/refund rules. Please refer to individual rules per ticket before purchase."

2. An I fare is an upgradeable fare. IMO, an upgrade, purchased with cash or purchased with miles would not be considered a "deal or discount" by a reasonable person.

3. Moreover, rule 11 says "Executive Club members can earn Avios per the terms and conditions of the Executive Club."
Theoretically, if the fare rules apply, and the EC rules apply (albeit for earning) - the upgrade should be an option.

4: On the upgrade page it says what fares can't be upgraded: Most cash bookings can be upgraded with Avios either at the time of booking or later on, depending on availability. Only the lowest economy fares (Q, O and G) cannot be upgraded with Avios at any time. The bolding is mine.

5. Clearly there's history that it happens frequently - which also means the computers allow it. If BA cared to disallow it, you'd think they'd prevent the computers from allowing it instead of relying on reps.

I don't have nearly as much experience w/ BA as all y'all, but even the responses to this thread are ambiguous.

-SF

PS - If they won't upgrade it, I'll just fly in J (rather than pay the $400 or rebook w/o it). Was hoping to give myself an Xmas present by fling intl F for the first time ever.

This post is more rant than anything.... I'm 99% sure I'm going to get the shaft here... My apologies to anyone who reads it!

Gshumway

I bought in a sale a CW fare with AARP discount in June this year (SFO-LHR-AMS and back), then used a Joker and GUF voucher to upgrade to First. GGL line had no problems doing it. Bought the CW ticket, then called 5 minutes later the GGL line and it took them 5 minutes to do so.

Have done similar AARP/Chase discount tickets with Avios upgrades before, never had a problem.

SoulFlyer

OH how I WISH I had access to the GGL line! (or any other status line for BA) Then maybe I wouldn't get useless people in India.

-SF

Frequentflyer99

How about contacting the YouFirst team. Maybe they could help ?

hyperspace

you can try calling other english-speaking international BAEC lines using skype. There's a useful tool in the dashboard that let's you see which ones are open at any time of the day and night. They can be more useful than the random representative.


as anecdotal data point, my WT+ fares bought with Chase discount have been successfully upgraded to CW with Avios in the past. Done online though.

Anonba

You cant Uua on a BT/IT fare is it possible that the Aarp discount is through a bulk or deal ticket like this? This is my guess as to why you are being told no.

Silly question to ask maybe, just im aware of what aarp discount is but bookings are rare so dont think ive actually seem/changed one.