koroleon

Ok, so I posted in another forum to ask for an upgrade, but noone answered and I still have some questions about how things work:

1) Can you request a mileage upgrade for a non-elite who's not related to you and is not on the same flight as you?
2) Could that get you into trouble? While searching for previous posts I found some posts where GAs would do a double-check on upgraded non-elites.
3) If you are an elite upgrading a non-elite are you exempt from the co-pay?
4) Mileage upgrades are per segment or per direction?
5) Can I credit to UA even if I get upgraded?

I suspect the answers are "yes, I don't know, yes, per segment, yes", but I would appreciate it if you can confirm them.

wcalvert

I'm about 75% sure on all of these, so take them with a grain of salt.

1) Yes
2) No. They would show up as a reward upgrade which plenty of non-elite members use. With that being said, there could possible be shenanigans (see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/conti...ty-ensues.html
3) What co-pay are you talking about? Are you talking about in BusinessFirst markets on some international flights? If so, yes you still have to pay the co-pay depending on fare class.
4) Mileage upgrades are per direction in that all of your domestic flights will be upgraded for free if you upgrade an international segment. If your international segment doesn't clear, then you get the domestic legs for free.
5) Yes (shakiest on this answer)

Syzygies

I only have experience upgrading my wife, who has a different last name; I've never been asked to prove the relationship. However, I always bought her ticket under my account.

In that case, she gains my status for the upgraded flights. We took advantage of this by separating records; she upgraded with miles as a "Platinum" before I upgraded without miles as a Platinum. (We didn't want to risk the companion upgrade, assuming the transcon cabin could be full before we could lodge the request at the airport. So we paid more for certainty, which is how I understand first class pricing to work in general.)

The upgrade is per direction not per segment. Clearing one leg doesn't improve one's waitlist position on the remaining legs (I now believe smb12 on this). The copays depend on your status, if you're the one spending.

koroleon

Sorry, I forgot to say this is a 2-segment domestic flight. As a non-elite I'd have to pay a $150 co-pay on top of the 15k miles.

And it was actually the post you linked where I read some GAs' reactions and got me worried.

Btw, thanks for the replies.

ralfp

1. Yes (even on Copa, though the one time I did this the CO agent was a bit confused "Why are you calling us?".) Elites can also waitlist non-elites (not sure about Copa).
2. No.
3. Domestic/"International Business": Yes. BF: No
4. Direction (with some caveats regarding availability and mixtures of BF and domestic travel)
5. Yes, I think. (the person being upgraded).

EWR764

FYI... do not request the upgrade at time of ticketing online. The computers cannot handle such a complex, extraordinary request.

Best thing to do is search for upgrade availability online, book in Y, let the ticket issue, then call reservations and request the upgrade manually. There is no service charge for calling in to do this.

wcalvert

If I recall it's either cash or miles, not both. I've never actually paid to upgrade, so I could be wrong though.

sbm12

There are some domestic fares where non-elites have a co-pay in addition to the miles required. Elites never have a co-pay on domestic upgrade redemptions (save BF to HNL).

ralfp

Any CO without BF service and all COPA flights... not just domestic flights.

sbm12

Nope. The co-pay for non-elites on low fares is not required unless it is what was previously known as a Series 0 upgrade, for service in the mainland USA, Canada and Alaska. Other flights, including Copa and CO-operated flights to LatAm do not require a co-pay.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...rade/fees.aspx

ralfp

Why the "nope" when you agree with what I say?

sbm12

I completely misunderstood your post if that is the case. I thought you were saying those flights did have a co-pay, not that they didn't. I said that there are domestic flights where there is a co-pay for non-elites and you said "not just domestic" so I thought you meant it was not just domestic flights where non-elites have co-pays.

The co-pay for non-BF upgrades has only ever been for non-elites on certain fares for Series 0 upgrades which are lower 48, Canada and Alaska.

ralfp

You did, but it's my fault. I should have been clearer instead of being too lazy to write so much as a complete sentence.