WidgetTravels

It's quite possible. That does happen occasionally, even on Award Tickets.

wlau

I had the issue resolved. My gut feel is the junior/inexperienced agents that took my call from Asia time, which was after midnight in the US, was the issue. Multiple people gave me no less than 7 different version of the "truth".

Most of you are partly right and partly wrong... After I was cleared for the GUC upgrade, the system automatically reticketed me, I got an email well before I start the entire trip. The said tax, converted to HKD, matches the main cabin tax rate on the original ticket and that amount didn't change on the reissue. The issue is not the reissue of the HKG-SEA segment, it apparently is the reissue of my 2nd domestic leg from SEA. When I got the 8th person, they said it's the 2nd leg and "reattach" the record or whatever...and the problem was solved or went away...

I also checked with a friend who lives in HK and flies 3-4 times a week out of that airport and is constantly upgraded to the front with a competing airline. He never paid a single upgrade tax, ever. When I asked him about this, he doesn't even know what I was talking about until I ask him to look at his past ticket receipt.

Anyways, I have a Delta AMEX card on file and even this whole thing would have been done automatically, I would be fine, even with the tax. My take away is that most Diamond desk people are not well trained about GUC procedures... Every single of these upgrade is a major struggle. I flew 260K miles last yearand this is the only 2nd time I got success with a GUC... really really sad. I am convinced I was screwed out of D1 upgrades on many occasions due to inept agents and procedure issue. Many times I don't even see myself on the waitlist but they insist it was done right...

rwoman

Very much so as APD is a set amount in GBP.

bubbashow

I have had a GUC clear at the gate in CDG and before they would issue the BP, they collected the additional tax (for some reason $46 is sticking out in my mind). Standard procedure. Same thing on UA leaving LHR a few weeks ago with a mileage upgrade. Paying additional tax is part of it.

Zorak

I don't have the specifics on your situation but as a general comment, there are emails and there are emails. Sometimes you get one email which is just an update of the reservation info but does not mean your ticket has actually been reissued. Reissue emails generally have a subject along the lines of "Your Flight Receipt - FIRST MIDDLE LAST DDMMMYY" and most importantly a new 016 ticket number.

jdrtravel

GUC's can clear at the gate and have a higher priority than employees and other non-rev pax. If employees are sitting in D1, all GUC's should have cleared. Note that the same is not true for mileage upgrades, which cannot clear at the gate, so are fare inventory dependent.

Have you personally had an experience where your GCU did not clear and you know for certain that a non-rev was seated in the D1 cabin? It seems that people often assume this is happening when it's not. Remember that there are situations where an employee has the right to fly confirmed in the premium cabin. This is not the same as non-rev standby travel.