Upgrade cost - business to first
Feb 3, 2019, 10:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 31
Upgrade cost - business to first
Hi all
I’m waiting for approval for a little trip across the pond. Due to rather late notice, the price diff outwards between business and first is a mere £200.
I’m highly unlikely to be allowed to book F as this is against policy. I’d be happy to pay this myself! If this is the case, is BA likely to offer an upgrade for £200 once I’ve booked business or is it likely to be higher?
No Avios availability in F so I’m assuming I can’t upgrade using that route?
Thanks in advance
Sam
I’m waiting for approval for a little trip across the pond. Due to rather late notice, the price diff outwards between business and first is a mere £200.
I’m highly unlikely to be allowed to book F as this is against policy. I’d be happy to pay this myself! If this is the case, is BA likely to offer an upgrade for £200 once I’ve booked business or is it likely to be higher?
No Avios availability in F so I’m assuming I can’t upgrade using that route?
Thanks in advance
Sam
Last edited by samuelhon; Feb 3, 2019 at 10:13 am Reason: Typos
Feb 3, 2019, 10:59 am
#2
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,696
As a POUG? Unlikely I would suspect. It depends on how exactly the ticket is booked as to whether you'll be able to do this, and the precise time of ticketing.
A UuA could appear at any time, so just keep checking, it is indeed the same availability for UuA and full redemptions.
A UuA could appear at any time, so just keep checking, it is indeed the same availability for UuA and full redemptions.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:04 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL; Virgin Gold; HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 414
I’ve been talking advantage of these £200 differences recently and hence flying in First. My firm’s expense policy sounds similar (or won’t allow First) so I have to book and then upgrade. However, the first couple of times I did that last month I found the price was £500 when I went to manage my booking to upgrade immediately after buying the business class fare. I’m guessing this was because of some £300 change fee that gets applied - which you may be able to detect beforehand by looking at the fare rules for changes before you click book on the business class fare. I’ve been working around it by getting to the booking page in business class so I can screen print the fare on that basis and then actually booking the fare properly in First (rather than upgrading it afterwards). My firm has been ok accepting that route to demonstrate the expense claim is valid - however I’m pretty sure not all firm’s would.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
Programs: BA Gold, B6 Mosiac, VS, AA, DL (and a legacy UA 2MM)
Posts: 2,274
I’ve been working around it by getting to the booking page in business class so I can screen print the fare on that basis and then actually booking the fare properly in First (rather than upgrading it afterwards). My firm has been ok accepting that route to demonstrate the expense claim is valid - however I’m pretty sure not all firm’s would.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:23 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,631
You should be able to book it online on BA.com and then immediately call and pay for the upgrade separately. Change fee should not be applied as you are within the 24-hour free cancellation period, so it should just be the fare differrence.
You may find the agent tries to apply the change fee, in which case hang up and call again.
I've only done this booking direct with BA. In theory should be possible with a travel agent too, however you may run up against the travel agents own rules which stop it being possible.
The upside of this route is that you will be emailed a separate receipt for the extra amount which can be helpful when recording things for tax purposes.
You may find the agent tries to apply the change fee, in which case hang up and call again.
I've only done this booking direct with BA. In theory should be possible with a travel agent too, however you may run up against the travel agents own rules which stop it being possible.
The upside of this route is that you will be emailed a separate receipt for the extra amount which can be helpful when recording things for tax purposes.
Feb 3, 2019, 1:24 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: DL Silver, Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Global Entry (Former AA Plt/Gold)
Posts: 4,420
Can you book a codeshare on AA.com? I dunno about the ex-EU fares but AA doesn't charge change fees for an upfare in the USA, so it might be an option to look into?
Will report back on success/failure
Feb 4, 2019, 4:12 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 279
If it helps, we have the same policy, and use concur.
Screen grab the fare difference so you have it if ever questioned, then in concur you can expense the 'business' flight, and charge £200 to yourself personally, that way you are only charging the business the 'approved' rate, and you still get the £200 upgrade price
Screen grab the fare difference so you have it if ever questioned, then in concur you can expense the 'business' flight, and charge £200 to yourself personally, that way you are only charging the business the 'approved' rate, and you still get the £200 upgrade price
Feb 4, 2019, 4:26 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: london
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 266
I've been in a similar position albeit going from WT to WTP. One thing I' do sometimes is get a estimated fare approved, book the next class and used Avios to knock money off the fare to bring it under the agreed budget. Probably a very inefficient use of Avios but I don't travel a lot for leisure purposes and when I do it tends to be last minute and at peak so struggle to find reward flights to use them up.
I take screenshots of the difference in case it's queried but as long as I'm well under the agreed budget, it's not a problem and I'm open about using money or points to upgrade myself. I also usually pay by paypal so can send this as proof of purchase with no mention of class as the expenses are being passed on to clients.
I take screenshots of the difference in case it's queried but as long as I'm well under the agreed budget, it's not a problem and I'm open about using money or points to upgrade myself. I also usually pay by paypal so can send this as proof of purchase with no mention of class as the expenses are being passed on to clients.
Feb 4, 2019, 4:35 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BAEC Gold, LH M&M Member
Posts: 2,705
Another Concur user here - yes, usually very easy to just say "Fare = £2,000, amount claimed £1,800" or whatever. Unfortunately our flight-booking tool won't let you book a flight out-of-policy, so it usually needs a call to the travel agent (and sometimes they will handle the billing-split for you - £1,800 invoiced to company, £200 on your credit card).
Feb 4, 2019, 6:44 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: B A Gold
Posts: 89
Just over a year ago now and I paid £280 for an upgrade from Business to First to Boston about 3 months before departure. About a month before flight I get an email saying equipment change and now a 777 with no first as opposed to 747 where I had 1A booked. Apparently the difference in downgrading me was about £98 as that was maximum refund they would offer. As she was on phone I tried a dummy booking for the flight the day before and a difference of £600 between the two. Clearly was not going to be stitched up with the £98 refund and delayed flight home by 24 hours to remain in first. Joys of their view on ticketing costs !
Feb 4, 2019, 6:53 am
#13
Join Date: May 2003
Location: TLL
Programs: OZ Diamond, BA Gold, Bonvoy Ambassador, HH Gold
Posts: 4,410
I've done this before - I called and I was actually trying to UuA but the agent misunderstood what I was trying to do, came back and quoted me the price and said it would be no change fee since it was within the 24 hours, and I jumped at it for the extra Avios and TPs. I had already received the first ticket with the original price via email, so you could use that for reimbursement.
Feb 4, 2019, 6:55 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,105
Another option is to book a J seat and then cancel within 24 hours. Book the First seat and submit the expenses based on the J fare and supporting paperwork.
Feb 4, 2019, 7:20 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,225
there is no policy at work against flying F -- we are just given a top limit of price -- but the optics dont look good. so i go ahead and book then notify my manager when i expense i paid the difference.
different companies, different policies of course, but just my experience.
different companies, different policies of course, but just my experience.
