CappuccinoAddict

Ah, good point, Kacee. I wasn't thinking about the residual effects like that. I agree with you fully and think it's crazy that UA gives cheaper upgrade offers to non-status travelers than they would to a 1K or GS.

Artpen100

What I mean is that when the quoted price for a TATL is $1.3K or so for economy and $6K-$7K in business the whole time, I consider offering someone even a $900 buy-up from economy to business a pretty heavy discount. If you can get an offer both ways (and it is usually easier to get one on the daytime return), that is still only $3.1K (and if they open R up, it will be only $2.3K and 40K miles). I've taken those offers. My point is that UA only looks to be doing this right if a pretty big part of the business cabin has already sold out at $6K-7K. But I kind of doubt that is what is happening.

Kacee

It's a valid point, although not sure I would call that "heavy" discounting.

We should also keep in mind that much of the paid international premium cabin traffic is under corporate contract, and that many corporate discounts will bring that business class fare, priced at $6K retail, down to the $3K level (approximately).

UTex09

UA 1494 No status offered P from K (yes, K!!!) class ticket for $99 IAH-GCM Leg at OLCI.

Meanwhile my wife who is on status matched 1K is currently at 1st on the CPU waitlist with J booked full. She was less than pleased to see GMs getting 99$ TODs.

edit; I took it so she could sit up front. I am at least smart enough to know that if one of us gets the upgrade, it's her ^

SuperFlyBoy

Exactly.

When you see that you were practically the first to book the flight in question (4 months in) and your upgrades never clear even up to 2-3 days before the flight - while all the time you see Y seats (15-17 in total over this period) in the back of the plane (definitely not elites) vacate and then fill the business cabin - it is truly infuriating.

Then they offer the seats for *A awards and do not bother to upgrade us, until I called in finally! (I had been checking weekly a month close-in to the flight date)

bocastephen

Unbelievable - the incompetence with this airline's technology systems (or their outright hatred for loyal customers, not sure which) is absolutely mind-boggling.

Hopefully your wife will write to 1KVoice

Cargojon

Today's evening flight EWR-BOS.

Platinum, S fare

Offered $59 at check in yesterday, declined as I was #3 on the list with 5 seats available.

Cleared a few hours later.

krazykanuck

Anybody have any experience IAH-DEN? I'm flying it on a Saturday morning on the 787 in mid August and the current upgrade offer is simply the fare up at $145 from a Q fare. It's a bit above what I'm willing to pay, but I'd probably pay ~$100. A morning flight with lie flat seats, breakfast and prosecco?

rittenhousesq

Just booked a flight to LAS for me and my partner. I'm silver, he's platinum with UA. The return segment (LAS-EWR) is in L class. Prior to confirming payment, I was offered a buy up to first class for $139 per person for that segment. Seems pretty cheap to me. We didn't accept, and now if I look at the upgrade options for the flight, the web site is requesting $1200 per person to upgrade the same segment!

physioprof

Sounds like you missed out on a great deal.

IADFlyer123

or it could have come back to bite them. There are so many reports of them charging folks after the fact and that is about 5-10 times more than what they offered. The real offer could have been $1k to upgrade from L and the post ticket upgrade offer of $1.2k makes sense.

Kacee

Actually, pricing the P fare (UP/UPDI) on that route, the $129 offer is very close to the fare differential from an L.

UA will sell F for dirt on that route if you pick the right day.

Cargojon

Tomorrow EWR-CLE on an L fare.

Platinum, TOD at check in was $59, I thought about biting since there were only 3 seats left, but ultimately gambled. I ended up #2 on the list and cleared about a couple hours after checking in.

nycityny

Agree. I'm flying that route (EWR-LAS) roundtrip for $730 in F in October. Coach was around $400 roundtrip so the differential wasn't that much.

PsiFighter37

Tried to self-TOD myself but fell a bit short...

Taking an EWR-STL flight at the end of August - E170 on way out, A319/737 on the way back via ORD. I'm already booked on the return in F (Z class), but I noticed that if I reprice the entire trip in F (A class on the way out, and P on the return - this is a fare class downgrade, so was aware it was unlikely to work), it was just $5(!) more than my original itinerary. Given that it is saying 'online upgrade not available', and with my lack of interest in spending 17.5k miles to upgrade on an RJ, I thought it'd be worth calling in to see what my options were. As it turned out, the upfare was $69 (my guess is that was the $5 + the difference between P and Z on the return), but the phone agent said I'd be subject to a $200 change fee if I did that. I was surprised, as I thought the change fee was only assessed if you changed the actual flight you were flying, not simply trying to upfare on the same flight.

I figure I will probably just roll the dice on the CPU (surprisingly, no one's booked any F seats on this flight so far, even though it's probably long enough to qualify for dinner), but figured it was worth a shot.