I'm currently on a RTW in biz (Europe - US - BKK - Europe)and I'm thinking on switching to F for the remaining longhauls (SFO - BKK - FRA). Anyone ever tried ... and succeeded ? How much would it cost? What to do ?
Note: I would want to pay for that. I'm aware I can't do this with miles.

i was succcessful at using miles to upg C to F on a NRT-ORD flight last year--it helped that there was one other pax in F on the flight (the early NRT-ORD flight--only locals take the flt as it leaves too early for the connx.

jl

Yes, I changed a C to F ticket on a *A intinery earlier this year, after I had flown the first 2 sectors.

UA in ORD were very helpful, (I had hurt my foot so wanted the leg room), they charged me about $2000 which was a bargain, but it took nearly two hours to complete.

Nonetheless, it was a 'very well done United' situation.

its actually pretty easy - at least the fare calculation part (maybe not the actual reissuance) you will be charged the dieffernece between your purchased fare and the "A" fare + $75 reissue fee. (soemtimes the $75 fee is not collected.

if you only have a few sectors left it may be cheaper to upgrade using miles??

Everyone's siutation is different...{the local experiences where you try to modify the ticket, how far into the journey, etc.} My experience (June 2000) with this process was not good. I tried changing the class of service on the LAST leg of a *A RTW (from C to F). It was very painful taking the agent at least 45 minutes to calculate, and the final price was pretty hard to swallow. During this process (in SYD) there were several phone calls, and much talk about "residual value" (evidently close to $0 for my situation). As I understood it, they calculated the total price for the modified itinerary, substracted the residual value of the current ticket and got a net additional price.

BTW, As a UA M+ 1K, I would expect to be able to UPGRADE any UA (metal & flight no.) *A flight(s) with the appropriate upgrade (Systemwide, North American, 500 mi., etc.) or miles. I have done this recently, and have done it for several upcoming UA flights on two more RTW's. As a LH M&M Senator (which I am not yet) I would expect to be able to do the same, but am not familiar with the nuances of this program yet.


[This message has been edited by transpac (edited 09-11-2000).]

apparently the problem is not Y to Business, but Business to First. Y to C is fine. Discounted business (D class, I think) doesn't upgrade to F unless the medium you're using (miles doesn't count) allows it specifically.

jl

I'm hoping next year to be able to book a business ticket and then use UA Confirmable 1K certs to upgrade LHR-LAX-SYD, and then LH Miles and More points to upgrade SIN-FRA.

we'll see how it goes, but other people on the boards seem to have done it OK.

Markie: yes it can be done (but to get one of those rare UA 1st-class upgrade-award-seats you must be early) - fewer problems for the LH segment from Asia.

Good luck! (and planning early helps)

I was asking, if anyone ever has been successfull in paying to switch classes. I can't upgrade with miles on UA b/c of their dumb "D-class-rule" and I can't upgrade to FRA b/c flying SQ. So ANYONE ??? RUDI ???

[This message has been edited by bernie (edited 09-13-2000).]

sorry bernie - I have no positiv experience on this. Only (the local ZRH office of) TG allowed me to upgrade one segment out of a Star-rtw-ticket once (from eco to business then, and they expressevely said that they can do it only for the ZRH-BKK segment).

I just tried to buy an individual upgrade from eco to business or even first on my BKK-SIN segment (part of my eco-*-rtw) on SQ a week ago and couldn't. So I did buy (for 12'500 baht = SFr 300 = US$ 171 = the official, not dicounted in anyway, price in BKK for such a ticket) a (supplementary) one-way first-class-ticket on SQ. I checked in with both tickets (with luggage on the first-class, without luggage in eco) and I hope for credits of both flights (first on my LH-account, eco on my UA-account. At the gate I only gave them first-class-boarding-pass. Today's LH account already shows the mileage credit, UA not yet ...).

Bernie,

It depends on the tariff rules in the country where the journey starts (and under which it was ticketed).

If those rules allow for reticketing (i.e., change of route) then you should be able to reticket with a change of class.

However, you have to pay the complete fare differential between J and F (or Y and J) for the entire ticket, even those portions which you have already used in J.

If you are near the end of the itinerary, there is a very complicated method of figuring out the residual value of your ticket, which can be applied to the one way J or F point-to-point fare for the balance of the trip. This generally doesn't save you money, unless the fare differential from Y to J or J to F is very high.