which airlines allow UPGRADE with miles
 

I am curious as to which airlines allow uprades from coach (full fare or discount) to business or first class.

International, as well as Domestic.

United:

Domestic: Yes, on any published fare.
International: Yes on Full and "Select" discount fares (not the real cheapies).

Sorry, let me be more specific: upgrade using MILES.

I know AA allows this, and has a very extensive catalog of "selections," ranging from 15,000 for one-class domestic updgrade on full fare to 50,000 miles for US-Europe upgrade.

Let me follow-up with the following question:

When making a reservation for travel, and contemplating using a mileage award to upgrade a purchased ticket, can one simply call the airline, and request that miles be deducted from one's account to upgrade, or must one get the paper certificate. Also, one must have a paper certificate, is the certificate good for any date of travel, or for a specific flight.

I know this is alot, but I am interested in guidance, as I have not used miles to upgrade, and it looks like that is one of the only ways to upgrade on international travel.

United:

Domestic: Yes, on any published fare.
International: Yes on Full and "Select" discount fares (not the real cheapies). http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

United does both domestic and international upgrades using miles from your account almost exclusively electronically. Even at the last minute at the gate they can upgrade you and take the miles from your account. I just called and they still do issue the "paper" type certificates using your miles, and they are good for 1 year from date of issue. But the agent told me hardly anyone does this anymore.

UA will upgrade using miles on international flights if the economy ticket is in Y (full),

B or H (discounted economy); PremEx is correct regarding domestic. AA will upgrade on international regardless of ticket code so

if you are using AA, buy the least costly ticket. Both have "capacity control" on the number of upgrades available, particularly from Y,B,or H to C; C to F is rarely a problem except on LH when it is rarely available during peak travel times. AA seems more open with int'l upgrades than UA. In more than 50 AA flights to Europe, I cannot recall any time that I wanted to urgrade with miles and was unable to do so; with UA, it is

often necessary to offer them several dates or ask them when the upgrade is available. That's not so friendly in the friendly skies but I decided to jump ship from AA after their last strike stranded me and now I must keep all my mileage with my new house guest, UA. It's not such a big deal for me because I am a lifetime AAGold - and that's no big deal, believe me - but maybe next year I'll head for the AA Platinum gate again.

I don't travel internationally for business so I have not had occasion to use miles for upgrading. This thread is interesting though since it indicates (again) that UA is tight with upgrades, in this case international upgrades.

Qantas - domestic Australia only and **** hard to use on main routes unless you are flying full Y and an elite member. Upgrades can be purchased from the QF club on Y and M fares. Ansett Australia is probably the same although they did allow upgrades to be "purchased" from partners - but unsure about this since they joined star.

Air NZ
- domestic - only as freebee coupons for elites
- international - points in kms (eg. 48000kms LAX/SYD) confirmed at checkin (unless elite then 48/72 hours confirmation) but valid any fare (inc ultra discounted). They give you a paper "receipt" to show (good for "narky" Ansett checkin staff) but in reality the whole thing is done automatically. They physically cancel your economy ticket and rebook you in business. For long legs (LHR/LAX/SYD) there is usually no problem getting an upgrade but on 737's and 767's on shorter legs it can be tricky.

The main difficulty is getting points for NZ's programme as you cannot convert from Hilton etc and they are not overburdened http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif with partners.

Mark

I confirm that when AA says they upgrade internationally using miles from any published fare, they mean it. 2 years ago they had a very low $300 or so fare to LHR over the winter (including taxes & fees!) and I had no trouble upgrading with miles.

UA now processes int'l upgrades on a one-way basis: 10K each-way from Y or B, 20K each way for lower fares, although (as noted above) they won't let you do it from the super-low fares. http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I recently booked a RT coach ticket to SEA for the Sept Seattle PIP. I booked the tix on the Alaska Airlines website, then called the MVP hotline and told them that I would like to cash in miles for an upgrade. Within a few minutes, I now have 2C on both flights using a few miles.

Last week I booked a UAL trip to South America. I purchased coach and used miles to upgrade to bus (int'l legs) and first (domestic legs, but don't use domestic flights with business class or that's all you get!).
I did not pay full fare coach-that's not the rule. However, I did pay more than bare bones coach.

DL allow international mileage upgrades from Coach to Business Elite on fares in M class or higher (M, B, Y, +1?)

I believe USAirways allows upgrades on any fare with miles (different levels for different elite members) but I think you still need the paper certificate -- I remember asking once and they quoted a $35 expedite fee to get the cert to me in 3 days..

I've been lucky and so far have a glut of comp. certs from my elite members.

On Swissair's Qualiflyer programme, you can use miles for upgrades on the following airlines: Note that for 'normal' Qualiflyer members, one can upgrade from any economy class fare to Business Class. But you need to be a TravelClub Member (their Elite level) to upgrade from Biz to First Class.

These are the airlines which you can upgrade on: Swissair, Austrian, Lauda Air, Sabena, Delta Airlines, Cathay Pacific. I'm not too sure of TAP, AOM and Turkish Airlines.

There are no certificates to redeem. You just make the reservation for upgrade with the Qualiflyer Centre and they will stick a sticker on your existing ticket and your miles are automatically deducted.

Ansett Australia's Global Rewards programme also awards upgrades but only on one airline other than Ansett themselves internationally. Malaysia Airlines flights between Australia and Malaysia or Europe only.

Cathay Pacific's programme, AsiaMiles also allows upgrades. On Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Swissair, Austrian & Sabena. (Yet you can only accumulate miles on Swissair flights). From any coach fare (even deep disount) to Biz and from Biz to First if available.

Lufthansa's Miles & More programme allows upgrades from all coach fares to Biz. You may also upgrade on United Airlines flights.
A certificate is issued and you put your request forward for upgrade through reservations. Then you present your airline ticket and certificate at check-in.

Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer allows upgrades from all coach fares to Biz and from Biz to First. The upgraded booking is booked directly with Singapore Airlines and the miles automatically deducted from your account.



[This message has been edited by Celestar340 (edited 09-08-1999).]

dg1: US Airways allows miles for upgrades at the time of booking for DOMESTIC flights only. 10,000 for a r/t full fare upgrade and 20,000 for a discounted fare. For flights to the Carribean it is 15,000 for a full fare r/t upgrade and 30,000 for a discounted fare r/t upgrade. They have no provision for upgrades of trans-atlantic flights.

British Airways allows US Exec Club members to upgrade from full fare economy/Club to the next class of service - no double upgrades allowed. I don't think that UK or Global members can do this. Since BA doesn't hand out upgrade certificates, this is the only way to be sure of an upgrade... all other upgrades are at the discretion of the BA employees one encounters.

somewhat OMNI: BA has a "necessity only" policy for upgrades from Club to First, but my sister tells me that she has struck gold the last two times she flew with them, and may find it hard to go back to life in Club http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

To complete the picture on US, Canada is treated as domestic, and Mexico the same as the Caribbean.

UA has two different ways:
in "Y" or "B" it is less miles (i.e. 10.000 each way int'l) upgrading to bus
in all other coach (except the very cheap, where no ugrade is possible anyway) you have to double the miles you give in

same is for domestic

UA has two different ways:
in "Y" or "B" it is less miles (i.e. 10.000 each way int'l) upgrading to bus
in all other coach (except the very cheap, where no ugrade is possible anyway) you have to double the miles you give in. In any case you'll get upgreded to First on the domestic portion of your flight on two class aircraft

same is for domestic

same is for LH if you give in your U A -M P m i l e s

and same is for

one addition to Celestar on Lufthansa: also from business to first on any fare possible.

Premex,
It's interesting that UAL told you people rarely use the paper certificates to upgrade. I use them because I usually book through my travel agent and the only way I can use him and upgrade is to use the paper certs - at least that is what UAL has been telling me. Do you have any different experience?

Larrude, that could be an option if booking through a Travel Agent. But your TA can request the upgrade electonically using miles from your account as well. You shouldn't need a certificate. This was just confimed to me by United Reservations just now.

Just so you understand how the process works (for both TAs and individuals): You don't really book your upgraded class at the time of your reservation. Your ticket must be booked in Coach first. After it is booked in Coach, then it is upgraded.

On electronic tickets, you TA books you in Coach and then calls United on the phone for the upgrade and automatic deduction from your account.

On a paper ticket, they issue the paper ticket in Coach and then call United on the phone for the upgrade and automatic deduction from your account. You still have a Coach paper ticket in your hand and you may or may not have something that says you have a First seat, but in United's reservation system you do. But most TAs can issue an itineray indicating the upgraded class of service.

Most people call to see if upgraded space is available on a specific flight before booking the Coach fare and then immediatly upgrading after that. This is what the United res agent is actually doing, even though on the phone it may seem like they are doing just one transaction.


[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 09-14-1999).]

Premex, The last time that I did this, I was told by UA that THE ONLY way to do this through my travel agent was to use paper certificates. What you said makes sense, and I will try it when I book some tickets for next autumn.
I always leave my travel agents affice and go to the airport or city ticket office and get my tickets reissued with the new class and seats.

Larry