Anyone else noticing lack of Intl. upgrade availability?

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Mar 12, 2012, 3:11 pm

#31

gailwynand

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: Singapore

Programs: SQ KF (ex-UA)

Posts: 588

So I'm a Silver, booked a miles/copay UG on a flight leaving to Asia later this week. I see that the mobile site shows the total cabin capacity as 50, and total booked as 48. Should I pretty much assume at this point that I am not getting upgraded?

Mar 12, 2012, 3:22 pm

#32

tryathlete

Join Date: Oct 2009

Location: Chicago, IL

Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold

Posts: 1,117

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnmme

100% Agree - he's going to make us pay for everything. Most SWU's are $500fare difference. If RT clears you win, If One Way clears you're even. Neither you lose.

Think I'll go with Miles/$ which I get back if they don't clear (and I'll bet clear before SWU's cause of the cash)

Wow you nailed it on the head. I always clear at least 1/2 of the itinerary, so I have NEVER been skunked both ways. If that happened and it would be partially my fault for letting it happen, I'd be very unhappy. If I don't get one leg to clear on launch, I just cancel the itinerary and book another within 24 hours.

Mar 12, 2012, 3:43 pm

#33

mnmme

Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: TPA

Programs: UA 1PP MM

Posts: 328

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAXOGG

See Waitlist Priority on all Flights

All instruments are created equal (MileagePlus Upgrade Award, Regional Premier Upgrade or Global Premier Upgrade - MileagePlus Upgrade Award is considered "an instrument'). The waitlist is processed automatically based on the Premier status of the redeeming account, then fare class, then time of request.

Should we be calling them "rules" when we - the players - have no way of knowing/verifying

if this is what is actually happening?

Mar 12, 2012, 4:54 pm

#34

Mike Jacoubowsky

Join Date: May 2003

Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)

Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since

Posts: 8,826

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyer215

I think all instruments (inc miles) are treated with the same priority, so:

<status, base fare, time of booking> is the priority ordering scheme on a long-haul intl flight.

You could also try just buying the upgrade, if offered at the airport, and save the miles, and jump ahead of upgraders.

OK, so I guess the real question is, how do I get treated like a Kayaker and put in front of the GS folk?

I'm guessing that things aren't as messed up for International as they are for Domestic. Just lookin' for an angle I can exploit.

(Normally, I'd be seeing some confirmable upgrade space but it just isn't looking to be had lately. Saver F awards show up one day, gone the next, then show up again. Weird stuff going on... which I guess is a comment that puts me back OT with this thread)

Mar 12, 2012, 5:17 pm

#35

cruisr

Join Date: Dec 2004

Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium

Posts: 4,431

Newly minted 1k

I have been a CO gal forever. Now I am official 1k. I had better luck with UGs when I was a gold/plat with just CO. Not only that but (OT) the prices for flts are ridiculous. Lookng at LAS in JULY, yes JULY and I'm see around 600 rt x ewr. Really, last year it was 300. Really.

I do not like this new business model. I don't even know what it is......

Last edited by cruisr; Mar 12, 2012 at 5:18 pm Reason: Typo

Mar 12, 2012, 6:05 pm

#36

mobilebucky

Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: ORD

Programs: nobody

Posts: 1,837

I guess as this point we are all learning the ropes on the new system. Certainly we skip right pass the honeymoon period.

Looking at flight to SIN with stops at NRT outbound and HKG return early April. The W fare price is about 2000 and cheapest Y is $1700 (S outbound/L return). So I might try the W roulette this time (found R1 via IAH outbound). Will see how that goes and possibly experience my first PMCO flight since 2001.

Mar 31, 2014, 3:56 pm

#37

Condition One

Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: IAD

Programs: Free Agent

Posts: 1,937

I was looking into booking a ticket to Asia in the Oct/Nov timeframe ex-IAD. Checking several midweek dates showed zero R availability westbound on IAD-NRT, ORD-HKG, and SFO-KIX. It's showing R9 on several return flights. Booking 6-8 months out used to be a slam dunk to confirm upgrades. Is anybody else noticing the same thing? If I can't confirm upgrades both ways at booking, I won't bother purchasing the ticket.

Mar 31, 2014, 5:08 pm

#38

malgudi

Join Date: Dec 2002

Location: SFO

Posts: 3,941

If this is what you believe, I have a bridge that you might be interested in buying

How do you explain the cash upgrades offered during OLCI? See my recent experience (there's also an entire thread related to this topic, btw).

Cash trumps all instruments, from what I can see.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAXOGG

Mar 31, 2014, 7:38 pm

#39

LaserSailor

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: NYC

Programs: AADULtArer

Posts: 5,680

Quote:

Originally Posted by Condition One

I think you can expect less R availability until close in. With all the miles and instruments out there, why would UA open up R on long haul until they sell tix?

Last post OT..

Apr 1, 2014, 5:31 pm

#40

Kacee

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2013

Location: PHX

Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)

Posts: 56,446

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaserSailor

I think you can expect less R availability until close in. With all the miles and instruments out there, why would UA open up R on long haul until they sell tix?

Last post OT..

Because at some level, UA recognizes it needs to keep elites less than totally disgruntled. If it was purely a matter of maximizing per-flight revenue, UA would never release R on routes such as SFO-HKG.

I have noticed less R availability currently than there was over the winter. This may just be seasonal. It is still out there, just not in the abundance (at least to Asia) as it was in say December or January.

Note that GPU upgrade success is still one of the most consistently active threads in this forum. gpu-upgrade-success-2014.

Apr 1, 2014, 6:17 pm

#41

cesco.g

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Posts: 11,468

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jade_BR

Called again today. No confirmed upgrade availability on ANY flights to PVG, HKG, NRT between 15 March and 21 March, that's from EWR, ORD or IAD. Also no availability on the return between 25 March and 1 April. Some of those cabins have less than 5 seats sold. Yikes.

Jade, how did your situation end up like? Did you travel at all? Would appreciate your feedback.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaserSailor

I think you can expect less R availability until close in.

Been on a Y-C WL for GPU since October. Routing: SFO-FRA in mid-June.

Apr 1, 2014, 6:22 pm

#42

LaserSailor

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: NYC

Programs: AADULtArer

Posts: 5,680

Quote:

Originally Posted by cesco.g

Jade, how did your situation end up like? Did you travel at all? Would appreciate your feedback.

Been on a Y-C WL for GPU since October. Routing: SFO-FRA in mid-June.

I see open R EWR-NRT in mid April.

It makes no sense for an airline to open upgrades for a June flight in October. One is clearly a leisure booking, while close in is more likely a biz booking. No prizes for guessing which they want to keep happier.

Apr 1, 2014, 6:28 pm

#43

cesco.g

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Posts: 11,468

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaserSailor

It makes no sense for an airline to open upgrades for a June flight in October. One is clearly a leisure booking, while close in is more likely a biz booking. No prizes for guessing which they want to keep happier.

Both SFO-FRA flights show about 20 seats assigned.
So I am wondering: are those leisure paid business class bookings?
Or, did some folks have the time & patience to ck the flights multiple times per day and grab any upgrades, as they opened up?