Getting upgrades
 

A little background: I am travelling for business on CO in June to GIG. I wanted to go on AC and avail myself of an upgrade cert, but CO was so much cheaper that I had to take it (no bottomless expense budget here!); I am going YYZ-IAH-GIG on CO, then the same routing on the return.

I am asking: what are CO's policies for upgrading at check-in? What are the rates for this or comparable routes you have encountered?

It will of course be pricier than the free AC upgrades I enjoy, but I would like to experience BF on CO, and also doing it on my own dime if the price is right.

Thanks in advance!

I think you're pretty much SOL. There are no day-of-departure upgrades on routes with BF (see here, scroll down to "Day of Departure upgrades"). So, no upgrade on IAH-GIG unless (1) you buy up to the BF fare or (2) the Y cabin is oversold and you get lucky with an op-up.

Your YYZ-IAH flight will be on an ERJ (ouch!), and if you want to call it an "upgrade", you can buy-up to the exit row (see here).

The FAQ Thread is your friend. Read the first two posts.

miles + co-pay

see here

^ Thanks for the link! I am also scrolling through the FAQs, and judging by the "chances" cjgibson alluded to for same-day/OLCI I think using miles+$ will be the way to go. Or try to go.

P.S. I had heard a year or so ago of the ERJs being used for YYZ-IAH --but I was hoping they'd changed since then. :(

Sorry, but in my experience, R class (needed for Mileage upgrades to BF) and BF award seats IAH -GIG are very sparce at best.....good luck!

This is only applicable if the OP is using CO miles. If they are not a OP member using CO miles for the upgrade, their only option is to buy a Y or B fare and redeem a *A Upgrade Award.

There is no other option for them to upgrade this, or any other CO trip.

I have heard that if you rub your belly, pat your head and do the hula upgrades may fall from the sky. But it has yet to work for me.

--Failing that, is there a shaman that specializes in CO upgrades?

--The reservation is still on hold pending the say-so of the green eyeshaded folks, so I do not yet know what fare bucket it's in, but I have about 50,000 OP miles I have not touched in 4 years. I would not mind burning 1/2 of them for a one-way upgrade, so long as the co-pay is not >$350. Heck, the upgrades seem so hard to come by I may go a little higher just to say I did it. ;)

I thought you were supposed to pat the GA's belly while doing the rest.

If it's on hold, you should know what fare bucket it's in - and you can (and should) call and check on upgrade availability before you ticket. Are your dates flexible? CO might have upgrade seats a day or so earlier or later than your original booking.

If you touch their belly, you will be called a terrorist and will go straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

So that explains my funny hotel room last week with the stainless steel toilet and the bars.

Only if you shared the room with a guy named Bubba. Otherwise you may have been at a Comfort Inn.