Complimentary International Upgrade?
Jun 13, 2011, 6:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: EWR
Posts: 680
Complimentary International Upgrade?
I'm flying out to HKG on friday nonstop from EWR. There are currently 11 empty seats in BusinessFirst. Being elite gold status, do I have any shot at a complimentary upgrade?
Jun 13, 2011, 6:26 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SAT / MAA / BOM
Programs: CO Plat; UA 1K; EK Gold
Posts: 5,110
BusinessFirst markets are not eligible for complimentary upgrades.
You can apply for an upgrade using miles plus Copay $ / CO SWU.
BTW, Welcome to FT!
Jun 14, 2011, 7:45 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: EWR
Posts: 680
well that's certainly disappointing. Thank you for the info.
Jun 14, 2011, 8:07 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
Jun 14, 2011, 8:21 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
At the last minute, CO could quite easily sell these seats for an SWU + roughly $1,000.
Jun 14, 2011, 8:27 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
No, other than in IRROPS situations and then only if they can't find a Y alternative. The fare for the seat on your Friday flight if purchased is $5,502 in F and as low as $942 in Y (presuming purchase today at virtual walk-up time). Even a flexible fare is as low $1,010. Although some F pax may well be wealthy one-time flyers, the bulk will be business travellers who, if they fly East Coast - Asia, are definitionally high-level elites. Who would pay 5 times the coach fare for an F seat if they could get it for free.
At the last minute, CO could quite easily sell these seats for an SWU + roughly $1,000.
At the last minute, CO could quite easily sell these seats for an SWU + roughly $1,000.
Plus even if there are 11 seats most likely there are 25 people already on the waitlist to Upgarde using whatever they can to do so
Jun 14, 2011, 8:46 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
Jun 14, 2011, 8:47 am
#9
Jun 14, 2011, 8:48 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
Jun 14, 2011, 9:09 am
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Plus why oh why do I feel the OP knows there are 11 empty BF seats due to counting the # of Available seats on the seat map, so most likely there are less then 11 as not everyone picks a seat before they get to the Airport,
Plus even if there are 11 seats most likely there are 25 people already on the waitlist to Upgarde using whatever they can to do so
Plus even if there are 11 seats most likely there are 25 people already on the waitlist to Upgarde using whatever they can to do so
Over the next 6-18 months with capacity cuts (DL already announced for TATL within past week), there will be fewer UG in the first place both because fewer seats and more demand for premium cabin paid. Therefore, DL, like everybody else, will try to sell premium at premium fare and then sell UG for something real. But, argument that they might as well fill in F at the gate because it makes some pax happy, fails. The pax most likely to be at the top of the waitlist for that seat is also likely to be one who can and does pay for the seat. Why would he pay $5K for a seat which he can get for $1K in Y and another $1K for an UG?
Jun 14, 2011, 11:49 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HaMerkaz/Exit 145
Programs: UA, LY, BA, AA
Posts: 13,167
It's a fundamental misunderstanding of why carriers offer UG, particularly on intl. routes. Business (however it is named on the particular carrier) is the most profitable fare basis on a intl. flight. The fare differentials tell the story. F fare is roughly 5 times price of Y seat (as per example for this flight), but seat takes up roughly 2 times square footage of Y seat (looking at pitch and width). That's an extra $3K in the carrier's pocket per premium paid pax on EWR-HKG and all they have to do is provide better food & booze. Note that this is also a route on which the Federal government as well as many large businesses will pay for premium travel.
Over the next 6-18 months with capacity cuts (DL already announced for TATL within past week), there will be fewer UG in the first place both because fewer seats and more demand for premium cabin paid. Therefore, DL, like everybody else, will try to sell premium at premium fare and then sell UG for something real. But, argument that they might as well fill in F at the gate because it makes some pax happy, fails. The pax most likely to be at the top of the waitlist for that seat is also likely to be one who can and does pay for the seat. Why would he pay $5K for a seat which he can get for $1K in Y and another $1K for an UG?
Over the next 6-18 months with capacity cuts (DL already announced for TATL within past week), there will be fewer UG in the first place both because fewer seats and more demand for premium cabin paid. Therefore, DL, like everybody else, will try to sell premium at premium fare and then sell UG for something real. But, argument that they might as well fill in F at the gate because it makes some pax happy, fails. The pax most likely to be at the top of the waitlist for that seat is also likely to be one who can and does pay for the seat. Why would he pay $5K for a seat which he can get for $1K in Y and another $1K for an UG?
But I think it was a limited promotion