Fare Class For Paid Upgrade
Oct 15, 2018, 7:46 pm
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2018
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Fare Class For Paid Upgrade
I've planned out my business trips for the remainder of the year and it looks like I will be about 900 points shy of gold status. I have an upcoming trip from ATL-MSY that will earn 500 MQM each way. The cost to upgrade to first class is only $89. If the first class upgrade is a F class then I would earn 200% MQM and I would make gold. If the fare is P/A/G I will only get 150% MQM and fall short. Its only worth it to me to pay the money so I can earn the extra MQM. Is there any way to tell what the fare class would be on a paid upgrade to first?
Oct 15, 2018, 8:12 pm
#2
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Welcome to FT!
An "F" fare is usually a very expensive, unrestricted "full fare" for the premium cabin. The online upgrades, especially for that price, are almost certainly going to put you into A or G class, giving the 50% MQM bonus.
Do you have any remaining trips that you haven't booked yet where you could build in an extra connection somewhere? Doing that in both directions of a single round trip may add enough MQMs for your purposes. Or, some combination of buying the MSY upgrade and then adding a connection or two on another trip. If you're 900 MQM away you should still have some good options available if you want to push for it. All else fails, find a cheap, warm destination and add a quick weekend vacation to your calendar.
An "F" fare is usually a very expensive, unrestricted "full fare" for the premium cabin. The online upgrades, especially for that price, are almost certainly going to put you into A or G class, giving the 50% MQM bonus.
Do you have any remaining trips that you haven't booked yet where you could build in an extra connection somewhere? Doing that in both directions of a single round trip may add enough MQMs for your purposes. Or, some combination of buying the MSY upgrade and then adding a connection or two on another trip. If you're 900 MQM away you should still have some good options available if you want to push for it. All else fails, find a cheap, warm destination and add a quick weekend vacation to your calendar.
Oct 15, 2018, 8:21 pm
#4
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A cheap upgrade IME usually books into G or A class. If DL is only selling FULL F, they're unlikely to be offering the upgrade for much less that the fare difference, which would be huge. For instance, I've recently seen one way F fares for BOS-MSP pricing around two thousand dollars.
Oct 16, 2018, 9:53 am
#6
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Oct 16, 2018, 10:04 am
#7
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Is this a one-way trip?
I upgrading this trip will leave you short, book a cheap XXX- ATL round trip in coach where XXX is in comfortable driving distance instead. That will give you 1000 MQM.
I upgrading this trip will leave you short, book a cheap XXX- ATL round trip in coach where XXX is in comfortable driving distance instead. That will give you 1000 MQM.
Last edited by SuperG1955; Oct 16, 2018 at 10:10 am
Oct 16, 2018, 10:54 am
#8
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Why does comfortable driving distance matter if you're booking a RT between XXX and ATL? Are you thinking that XXX-ATL-XXX would be cheaper than ATL-XXX-ATL, so that OP would also drive between ATL and XXX, parking at XXX? Or is the goal to pick a place where airport parking is cheap compared to ATL and thus avoid driving/parking at ATL (but MARTA works well, especially without luggage even if one drives to a suburban MARTA station and parks there)?
Oct 16, 2018, 10:59 am
#9
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Why does comfortable driving distance matter if you're booking a RT between XXX and ATL? Are you thinking that XXX-ATL-XXX would be cheaper than ATL-XXX-ATL, so that OP would also drive between ATL and XXX, parking at XXX? Or is the goal to pick a place where airport parking is cheap compared to ATL and thus avoid driving/parking at ATL (but MARTA works well, especially without luggage even if one drives to a suburban MARTA station and parks there)?
Oct 16, 2018, 3:06 pm
#10
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Thanks for the advice. Sounds like its not worth paying for the upgrade. I actually live in BHM, but the upgrade prices from BHM-ATL are always outrageous so I was only trying to upgrade the cheaper segment. BHM-ATL segments are always 100% full and expensive so thats not an option for a cheap mileage run. I have a round-trip from BHM-ATL-BOS later in the year and before returning I think I'll do a BOS-DTW-BOS early on Friday morning before going back home on the same day. Its the cheapest round-trip I see at $160.
Oct 16, 2018, 5:34 pm
#11
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I purchased a $69 upgrade yesterday for my flight from MSP to MKE. I only did this because I'm going to be cutting in close this year for MQD because I didn't fly for 2 1/2 months earlier this year. Anyhoo, I was only credited for MQD and RDMs based on the $69. In the past, I've always called and paid the difference for the entire ticket to upgrade to F and gotten MQMs based on the G A P fare I was booked into. This flight I was in RY class.
Oct 16, 2018, 6:01 pm
#12
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I understand that, but the question is that if one is going for the 500 MQMs per segment, it's not obvious why being within easy driving distance should matter at all. If one only needs less that 1000 MQMs, any two segment itinerary (RT from ATL in this case) will do the job regardless of whether the destination airport is within driving distance. In fact, due to rollover, I would always advise picking the itinerary with the maximum MQMs for the price being paid, given that it will generate the needed MQMs.
Oct 16, 2018, 6:38 pm
#13
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Why does comfortable driving distance matter if you're booking a RT between XXX and ATL? Are you thinking that XXX-ATL-XXX would be cheaper than ATL-XXX-ATL, so that OP would also drive between ATL and XXX, parking at XXX? Or is the goal to pick a place where airport parking is cheap compared to ATL and thus avoid driving/parking at ATL (but MARTA works well, especially without luggage even if one drives to a suburban MARTA station and parks there)?
Oct 16, 2018, 7:06 pm
#14
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You can do a same day turn BHM-ATL-PNS-ATL-BHM Nov 6, 13, 14, 27,28 for $148 and 2000 MQM (ALL MAINLINE). Also BHM-ATL-ORL-ATL-BHM Nov 13 or 14 for $146 and 2000 MQM
Oct 16, 2018, 7:17 pm
#15
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I purchased a $69 upgrade yesterday for my flight from MSP to MKE. I only did this because I'm going to be cutting in close this year for MQD because I didn't fly for 2 1/2 months earlier this year. Anyhoo, I was only credited for MQD and RDMs based on the $69. In the past, I've always called and paid the difference for the entire ticket to upgrade to F and gotten MQMs based on the G A P fare I was booked into. This flight I was in RY class.