Int'l Carriers that Show Upgrade Space for Miles at Booking
Dec 21, 2015, 8:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,089
Int'l Carriers that Show Upgrade Space for Miles at Booking
My preference for international travel is to look online for economy space (or economy plus or refundable economy) ethat I can buy and immediately upgrade to business with miles (possibly from a credit card) on the airline website, without calling in or searching expertflyer or the like, and where I am not some high level of elite. I know I can do this on UA and BA's websites, but can't on AF, AA or DL. What others allow this?
Last edited by Artpen100; Dec 21, 2015 at 8:14 am
Dec 21, 2015, 9:41 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: AVL
Programs: DL DM MM; Hilton Diamond; Hertz 5*
Posts: 706
Int'l Carriers that Show Upgrade Space for Miles at Booking
If you are willing to add one additional step you can do this on DL (and some KL and AF flights). You can upgrade certain fares with miles - subject to space availabiulity. So you first have to call DL and have them check the various flight options and tell you which have upgrade availability. Then you book and can immediately uograde. It's not pretty - but if you have miles to burn it can be done.
Dec 22, 2015, 7:16 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,089
I've done that with AF. Definitely more work (though expertflyer can help searching for O). One time, though, the O upgrade space apparently disappeared after booking the full economy ticket and before I could redeem miles, though I was able to get it on a later flight (actually, I suspect the agent on the phone, who seemed clueless, had simply been incorrect). I prefer to be able to easily check that it an upgrade is available and if so push a button and get it.
Dec 23, 2015, 12:32 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 214
My preference for international travel is to look online for economy space (or economy plus or refundable economy) ethat I can buy and immediately upgrade to business with miles (possibly from a credit card) on the airline website, without calling in or searching expertflyer or the like, and where I am not some high level of elite. I know I can do this on UA and BA's websites, but can't on AF, AA or DL. What others allow this?
Dec 23, 2015, 6:41 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,089
On UA, usually 20K+$550 or 30K+$600 per leg for international, depending on the route On BA, I think there is a chart, but usually around 55K avios RT. AF usually 17.5K miles per leg. If you can find it. At least on the international flights I usually look for. I rarely upgrade for miles on domestic. Not worth it.
Dec 24, 2015, 11:41 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 214
On UA, usually 20K+$550 or 30K+$600 per leg for international, depending on the route On BA, I think there is a chart, but usually around 55K avios RT. AF usually 17.5K miles per leg. If you can find it. At least on the international flights I usually look for. I rarely upgrade for miles on domestic. Not worth it.
Dec 25, 2015, 3:42 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,033
Doesn't as only fly single class planes to yvr?