Upgrade to first class. LHR to Miami
Aug 21, 2009, 12:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 24
Upgrade to first class. LHR to Miami
Had a very terse discussion with BA today and the adviser couldn't wait to get me off the phone when it was clear I wasn't booking anything today.
My question is this. I have 44,000 airmiles and want to purchase 6,000 more at a cost of £111 to make the 50,000 in total. I intend to fly from Heathrow to Miami first class. The adviser told me I had to pay £910 plus 40000 airmiles to upgrade to club class but said she couldn't tell me the additional cost to upgrade to First class!
When I go online the website says i have insufficient airmiles as I haven't yet bought the additional 6000 air miles so it won't allow me to access information any further. Can anyone enlighten me please as to the additional cost to ugrade to First class on top of 50000 air miles?
My question is this. I have 44,000 airmiles and want to purchase 6,000 more at a cost of £111 to make the 50,000 in total. I intend to fly from Heathrow to Miami first class. The adviser told me I had to pay £910 plus 40000 airmiles to upgrade to club class but said she couldn't tell me the additional cost to upgrade to First class!
When I go online the website says i have insufficient airmiles as I haven't yet bought the additional 6000 air miles so it won't allow me to access information any further. Can anyone enlighten me please as to the additional cost to ugrade to First class on top of 50000 air miles?
Aug 21, 2009, 12:35 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA LTG + GGL, SPG LTP, HHonors Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador
Posts: 12,695
Price up a paid Club ticket for your dates on ba.com, job done.
You cannot upgrade from WT or WT+ to F, only CW to F. Incidentally, the advice you got for a straight LHR-MIA-LHR is wrong (or based on a misunderstanding/some other missing info. here). The 910 GBP (for a WT+ ticket) sounds like it be could about right...40,000 miles sounds very wrong. It's 25,000 return for WT+ to CW between the UK and USA (and if it's what you ultimately want, 50,000 for a return CW to F).
Full details on MFUs in the Ultimate Guide Sticky on the front page...
You cannot upgrade from WT or WT+ to F, only CW to F. Incidentally, the advice you got for a straight LHR-MIA-LHR is wrong (or based on a misunderstanding/some other missing info. here). The 910 GBP (for a WT+ ticket) sounds like it be could about right...40,000 miles sounds very wrong. It's 25,000 return for WT+ to CW between the UK and USA (and if it's what you ultimately want, 50,000 for a return CW to F).
Full details on MFUs in the Ultimate Guide Sticky on the front page...
Last edited by G-BOAC; Aug 21, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Aug 21, 2009, 12:36 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,483
If I understand your question correctly, you can only use miles for upgrade to go to the class above the one you have booked. Therefore you need to buy a Club World seat to upgrade to First. It would be, I believe, 50,000 miles for this.
It hasn't been possible in the past to (say) upgrade from World Traveller to First by using 100,000 miles, and I don't think that this has changed now.....
It hasn't been possible in the past to (say) upgrade from World Traveller to First by using 100,000 miles, and I don't think that this has changed now.....
Aug 21, 2009, 2:06 pm
#5
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Location: UK
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Aug 21, 2009, 2:20 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: BA, AA, SQ, UA, AC, WS, MR TIT
Posts: 8,661
Something strange happened to my current upgrade expeience: 3 days ago I bought online a YVR-LHR-YVR in CW and I called BAEC center and asked them to upgrade the ticket for me to First class for 50k miles.
They have confirmed me the First class seat for both sectors and charged me about CAD$ 100 for difference in taxes and send me a confirmation e-mail that everything is OK and I checked ba.com and I found everything is going well and confirmed.
However and to my surprise 3 days passed and the 50k miles have not been deducted from my account
Is there's something wrong with the computer system or it is usually taking BAEC more than 3 days to deduct the miles from the account ?
I am quite confused as I have done upgrades in the past and miles were deducted immediatly from my account.
They have confirmed me the First class seat for both sectors and charged me about CAD$ 100 for difference in taxes and send me a confirmation e-mail that everything is OK and I checked ba.com and I found everything is going well and confirmed.
However and to my surprise 3 days passed and the 50k miles have not been deducted from my account
Is there's something wrong with the computer system or it is usually taking BAEC more than 3 days to deduct the miles from the account ?
I am quite confused as I have done upgrades in the past and miles were deducted immediatly from my account.
Aug 21, 2009, 2:36 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 24
Still a problem.
When I log in and select business/club and then select upgrade, the system will not give me a price for the upgrade because of the shortfall in my airmiles.
It looks as if I have to purchase the additional 6,000 miles before I am told what the upgrade will cost. It may be considerably more than the £900 from premium economy to club or it might not. There is no way of telling from the system.
So if I pay £111 for the 6000 miles and am then told it will be £1,500 cash for the upgrade, I would not want to pay that amount.
I just wondered if anyone had used their 50000 airmiles plus cash upgrade for the same flight and could give me an indication of the cost.
When I log in and select business/club and then select upgrade, the system will not give me a price for the upgrade because of the shortfall in my airmiles.
It looks as if I have to purchase the additional 6,000 miles before I am told what the upgrade will cost. It may be considerably more than the £900 from premium economy to club or it might not. There is no way of telling from the system.
So if I pay £111 for the 6000 miles and am then told it will be £1,500 cash for the upgrade, I would not want to pay that amount.
I just wondered if anyone had used their 50000 airmiles plus cash upgrade for the same flight and could give me an indication of the cost.
Aug 21, 2009, 2:40 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: London-Nice
Programs: GGL
Posts: 1,425
Your question is not very clear. As mentioned you can only upgrade wiht miles from CW to F (only one class up). What ticket do you currently hold?
Aug 21, 2009, 3:01 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 24
I don't currently hold any ticket.
I am trying to book and upgrade using airmiles and cash at the same time.
I am trying to book and upgrade using airmiles and cash at the same time.
Aug 21, 2009, 3:05 pm
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth
Programs: Proud owner of 3 Mucci's (yes, 3!) the latest being Chevaliere des Bains Chauds, BA Silver (6 yrs)
Posts: 10,985
Still a problem.
When I log in and select business/club and then select upgrade, the system will not give me a price for the upgrade because of the shortfall in my airmiles.
It looks as if I have to purchase the additional 6,000 miles before I am told what the upgrade will cost. It may be considerably more than the £900 from premium economy to club or it might not. There is no way of telling from the system.
So if I pay £111 for the 6000 miles and am then told it will be £1,500 cash for the upgrade, I would not want to pay that amount.
I just wondered if anyone had used their 50000 airmiles plus cash upgrade for the same flight and could give me an indication of the cost.
When I log in and select business/club and then select upgrade, the system will not give me a price for the upgrade because of the shortfall in my airmiles.
It looks as if I have to purchase the additional 6,000 miles before I am told what the upgrade will cost. It may be considerably more than the £900 from premium economy to club or it might not. There is no way of telling from the system.
So if I pay £111 for the 6000 miles and am then told it will be £1,500 cash for the upgrade, I would not want to pay that amount.
I just wondered if anyone had used their 50000 airmiles plus cash upgrade for the same flight and could give me an indication of the cost.
The price of approx. £900 is the price of the WT+ fare to MIA, CW usually prices at least £1,500. You need 25,000 miles to upgrade from WT+ to CW on top of that £900. You'll need 50,000 miles to upgrade from CW to F, plus the fare of approx. £1,500. It sounds like the agent was trying to do an upgrade from WT+ to CW not F.
You'll only be able to upgrade to F if you purchase a CW fare, you can't ugrade two cabins.
I think you should call them again.
Aug 21, 2009, 3:08 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: RBKC
Programs: MUCCI Diamante- that's all that matters
Posts: 546
if you want to fly in First, then you need to price up a CW ticket. That will be the cash element, plus 50k points for a return, to upgrade to First
If you want to fly in CW then price up a WT+ ticket, and that will be your cash cost. You then need 25k points to upgrade to CW.
You can only upgrade once class as others said.
First make it clear to us, which class you want to fly in. First post says you want to fly First, the second says CW. We're confused too
If you want to fly in CW then price up a WT+ ticket, and that will be your cash cost. You then need 25k points to upgrade to CW.
You can only upgrade once class as others said.
First make it clear to us, which class you want to fly in. First post says you want to fly First, the second says CW. We're confused too
Aug 21, 2009, 3:17 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: Sir CT-UK - Streaker pour les autres.
Posts: 5,904
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Last edited by CT-UK; Aug 22, 2009 at 1:32 am
Aug 21, 2009, 3:59 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: UK
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Posts: 12,695
Aug 21, 2009, 7:01 pm
#14
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,367
Since the OP has more than 25K, (s)he should be able to check availability by doing a dummy search for book an upgrade outbound and another for book and upgrade inbound.
Aug 22, 2009, 1:03 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 24
I have sobered up now.
To clarify.
I am trying to get a price for travelling 1st class from Heathrow to Miami using BA airmiles and the rest by cash. I know I need 50000 airmiles for this and need to purchase another 6000.
Dummy Run
When I select club and upgrade inbound and outbound the system says that as I do not have sufficient airmiles it will not proceed to give me a price for first class and tells me to buy the airmiles first.
Dilemma.
I buy the 6000 airmiles and find that the additional cash price is too expensive
(I only gave £1500 as likely figure but it may be more bearing in mind the fare is £6000). If the cash cost is too expensive, then I have bought the 6000 airmiles for nothing.
Question.
Has anyone done a similar thing and so is able to tell me the additional cash price on top of the 50000 airmiles?
I hope this is clearer and apologise for the confusion (and I write Law Essays for a living!!).
To clarify.
I am trying to get a price for travelling 1st class from Heathrow to Miami using BA airmiles and the rest by cash. I know I need 50000 airmiles for this and need to purchase another 6000.
Dummy Run
When I select club and upgrade inbound and outbound the system says that as I do not have sufficient airmiles it will not proceed to give me a price for first class and tells me to buy the airmiles first.
Dilemma.
I buy the 6000 airmiles and find that the additional cash price is too expensive
(I only gave £1500 as likely figure but it may be more bearing in mind the fare is £6000). If the cash cost is too expensive, then I have bought the 6000 airmiles for nothing.
Question.
Has anyone done a similar thing and so is able to tell me the additional cash price on top of the 50000 airmiles?
I hope this is clearer and apologise for the confusion (and I write Law Essays for a living!!).