DELee

07/11/17: UA340 (IAD-SFO)

Originally booked S for a 772 28J A/C.

@ T-28, A/C swapped to 773 with Polaris seats.

@ T-24, J was 37/60 and was offered $299 - declined.

Wanted to apply an instrument at one of the IAD clubs but my LAX-IAD flight was impacted by the ATC problems so got into IAD after 10 pm. 1K was no help when I called saying they couldn't do anything after T-24 unless R>0.

@T- 10, app was asking $2359 for what looked like one of 3 J seats left. Declined.

Couldn't get to IAD any earlier than T-2. Stood in the Group 1 line and still stood at 3rd on the upgrade list.

List wasn't processed before boarding so I took my hobo 1st seat in 39C. After exit row briefing, one of the FAs asked if I'd been upgraded. Checked the app and was showing that I'd been promoted to 10D.

So I didn't have to pay either $299, $2359 or use an instrument but am now sitting in a Polaris J seat again. However we'really now off of the flight line because of the delay getting out of the gate and thunderstorms to the west of IAD. Captain says it will be a 40 min delay.

David

CMK10

ORD-RDU (319)
S Fare
$193
Two no status passengers
$129 offered after booking

Declined. Not worth it for the short flight especially if you have E+

Wooglin

YVR-ORD offered $199 as Gold on S Fare with 15/16 booked at T-12.

Took it and it upgraded to an A
Love those extra PQMs.

DawgmanOH

Yes, I understand how all of this works but am still stunned when United IT decides to send me an email that I can upgrade my flight from MCO - CLE to First Class for "Only $1299 per person".

It's a two hour and fifteen minute flight. If that. And, if I really wanted first, I could actually just buy that part of the ticket (one way) for $279.

Does anyone actually bite and pay 4X what they could because of an email? If it works for United, more power to them.

LordHamster

Totally worth it for the Pre-departure drink.

nomad420

T48 buy-up offer on SFO -KOA of $768, didn't bite. Still standing on RPU with F5. Let the games begin.

CruiserCLE

Don't forget the mediocre snack plate. That + drink = $1299

I miss the days of at least having a real meal on that route...

bluedemon211

OLCI, P fare to F $549. Right at my $ threshold for distance/time. Had J seat in the "coffins" which pushed it over the top for me. FYI, offer for 2 months since booking was $600 + 30,000 miles.

hoopics

Saver award IAD-SFO, for my wife, on 12,500 of my miles +11.20. She's a statusless one-flight-a-year flyer. Offered $299 upgrade to F at T-24. Declined.

Paid $39 for an E+ window seat that had been $105 earlier today instead.

nomad420

SFO-KOA TOD offer at OLCI was now down to $309 from $768 yesterday. Currently F4 so down one, may have sold one but obviously not sure. Still will hold on my RPU and current "Hobo First" seat in E+.

findark

Was offered the following at booking:

$289 for NRT-GUM (P9 R5)
$1,839 for GUM-HNL (J9 JN9 C0)
$309 for HNL-LAX (P9 PN0)
$99 for LAX-SFO (PN9 R0)

Seems to add to the theory that there are per-sector price tables which vary based on inventory.

Loose hypothesis ~

There is a "standard offer" which is close to the route fare differential domestically, and set per sector otherwise ($309 Hawaii to West Coast, $829 TATL, etc), available as long as there is A space (and/or other middling inventory).

There is a "cheap offer" available only at/after OCLI which requires low inventory (R?).

If only full fare is available there is an "expensive offer" which is e.g. $1,839 on the GUM-HNL above.

ermintrude

Does anyone know if fare class &/or status influence the upfare offers either post purchase or at checkin? I've never really looked at it, but I haven't noticed an influence the few times I have. apologies if this has already been answered.

findark

No one knows for sure, but based on all the data I have seen, I sincerely doubt it. I think the only variables are inventory and route. Sometimes IT glitches mean no offer is made, and I think waitlisted segments (e.g. waitlisted RPU) can contribute.

sfo789

I've flown SFO-ORD with F through P buckets open, one pax in G and one in W, and seen $429 vs $199 for the two respectively. Unsure if status (G fare was a 1K, W was Silver) or some sort of low fare class lockout.

River in Sight

Bought an S-fare ticket for IAD-YYZ (CRJ-700) two days before departure. At checkin, I received a buy-up offer for $69 -- since I planned to check two bags, a single seat was still available, and since I would get United Club access, this seemed like a great price. There were two seats open in F when I got the offer and it ultimately went out full with around ten people on the waitlist. The trip posted as A-class which was the icing on the cake. I currently have UA silver status.