I just checked in online for my brother who is Gold. EWR-PBI for June 15th Flt # 1854. The pda site shows 7 open FC seats.

On the website, instead of getting the message "if a first class seat is available, would you like to upgrade" it gave me the "buy up to first class for $260" message.

When the boarding pass is printed, it does say "added to the FC standby list"

Why do they offer the buy-up to an elite?
Are they trying to confuse elites to buy up?

Yes.

They're trying to sell up the fare difference to F rather than letting you get the elite upgrade. It is pretty sketchy, IMO.

This issue has come up a few times here over the last few weeks. What we've been told is that the only way the buy-up option is there are more open F seats that elites that have still not been upgraded.

Looked at pda.continental.com and saw that it's only booked to 13/20 with 11 people already upgraded (between B/Yups and EUA). I'm a little surprised your brother didn't get up'd in the gold EUA runs.

He SHOULD be fine and get the upgrade from his gold status. If he doesn't get it, that's when you need to call CO and see what happened. Either way, let us know what happens so when people have this question again, we'll have actual reports to reference.

edit: I stand corrected. That $260 is the fare difference for an F seat. This is totally separate from the buy-up, but I agree with sbm12 that this is very shady, and a possible end around the "rule" we were told that the day of departure buy ups would only be offered once all elites were accounted for.

It's not an end run around the rule because CO is not offering a 'Day of Departure' buy up. They are offering what they always have - you can pay the fare difference between Y and F and get a F seat.

They may be more up front about it and pushing it more, and the delta between Y and F may be shrinking, but there's no shenanigans going on.

David

So the 24hr check in becomes the day of departure for buy up?
And the gold or plat who is now in upgrade standby limbo may be out of luck?
I thought the Buy up option happens after the upgrades of elites are satified.
Something is not right here.

You need to read the ENTIRE thread again, Mothura. What was being offered in this case was an F seat at the paid F fare. The difference between what the OP paid for the segment and the price of paid F was calculated and presented @OLCI as an option. That option was always available, it was just presented at OLCI as an enticement to spend more $$ for a confirmed seat in F. It is NOT the same as a same-day paid upgrade which is only offered after all elites have cleared into F.

This isn't really true. Generally one would have to actively ask an agent somewhere and the change fee would also be charged.

The new policy has CO offering it up unsolicited AND has it being offered without the payment of the change fee. That is a rather significant change.

Plus this is available before checking-in as well. If you view a reservation, the bottom of the page has a buy-up to a refundable fare and to first class. The cost is the fare difference.

And, it should be noted, this is actually something that many folks on FT have been clamoring to have available for some time now. Folks who buy through corporate channels but want to be able to buy up to a specific fare for 100% EQMs or to a Y/B fare for the instant upgrade have been suggesting for some time that buying to the higher fare should not endure a change fee since the goal is to give the carrier more money. It looks like CO listened to us.

So if I ever take this option then I get 150% EQM and no change fee?

hockey7711 did your brother make it on this list?

Customers Upgraded into First Class:
ABR, C. 3F
BRO, E. 4E
DRE, R. 2A
FEL, L. 5E
FEL, R. 5F
FRI, S. 3B
KAR, L. 1F
KAR, P. 1E
KAZ, M. 2B
MUR, R. 5A
ROS, L. 1B
TRI, M. 4A
TRI, M. 4B
WIT, A. 4F

Yes, he did: Wit, A.
With just a few hours to go, he was #1 on the list and there was only one other person. There were 7 empty seats at the 24hr mark, but they managed to fill them all. There was one battlefield UG which was 1A. Although that person does not appear on the list.