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Any Way to Find R Without Checking Each Day?

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Old Apr 5, 2013, 7:56 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: UA Plat, 2MM
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Any Way to Find R Without Checking Each Day?
I am looking to use some GPU's in January, 2014 going from PHL-BKK. I know I need to find Trans Pacific flights with R availability. I have started with each day in January and looked on each day to NRT from EWR, IAH, IAD, ORD, SEA, LAX and SFO. It is a tedious process. Any way to find R without this tiring process?

Thanks
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Old Apr 5, 2013, 7:59 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
Originally Posted by TonyBurr
I am looking to use some GPU's in January, 2014 going from PHL-BKK. I know I need to find Trans Pacific flights with R availability. I have started with each day in January and looked on each day to NRT from EWR, IAH, IAD, ORD, SEA, LAX and SFO. It is a tedious process. Any way to find R without this tiring process?

Thanks
Signup for ExpertFlyer (http://www.expertflyer.com/) and setup "award" alerts for the dates and routes you want. It will e-mail you when they become available. Well worth the price (especially for SDCs and MRs as well).
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Old Apr 5, 2013, 7:59 pm
  #3  
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Expert Flyer - but setting alerts for all those gateways will only cover 4 days (you get 30 with a paid membership)
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Old Apr 5, 2013, 8:21 pm
  #4  
 
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Might also check IAD-HNL-NRT
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Old Apr 5, 2013, 10:50 pm
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by TonyBurr
I am looking to use some GPU's in January, 2014 going from PHL-BKK. I know I need to find Trans Pacific flights with R availability. I have started with each day in January and looked on each day to NRT from EWR, IAH, IAD, ORD, SEA, LAX and SFO. It is a tedious process. Any way to find R without this tiring process?

Thanks
Just book the SEA-NRT flight on the old 777 plane. It is an easy upgrade since the seats are really old and most people would rather fly on the lie-flat business class seats used on other routes.
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Old May 2, 2013, 1:27 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by TonyBurr
I am looking to use some GPU's in January, 2014 going from PHL-BKK. I know I need to find Trans Pacific flights with R availability. I have started with each day in January and looked on each day to NRT from EWR, IAH, IAD, ORD, SEA, LAX and SFO. It is a tedious process. Any way to find R without this tiring process?

Thanks
I just booked BKK for November. Saw fair bit of R availability SFO to NRT and ICN on specific flights. They'll open one flight wide open (R9) amidst a sea of R0s. These are mostly 744s. And yes, ExpertFlyer is your best friend.

ps. I just ran a quick search 1/8 outbound, 1/14 return and there's R availability up the wazoo, including both nonstops out of NRT on the return.

pps. EWR-NRT is also showing R9 in both directions.

Book 'em, Dano!
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Old May 2, 2013, 1:37 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Look For Z9
When doing a search like this, sometimes it is just better to book a flight when you see good connections (i.e. minimum total travel time) if there is Z9 available.

I fly to BKK a few times a year and I have NEVER missed a Y to J upgrade using this strategy, combined with generally picking days e.g. TUE/WED/THU which have lighter business travel.

Somewhere there is a thread that walks you through the tricks to maximize your upgrade chances. Anybody have the link?
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Old May 2, 2013, 3:58 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
When doing a search like this, sometimes it is just better to book a flight when you see good connections (i.e. minimum total travel time) if there is Z9 available.

I fly to BKK a few times a year and I have NEVER missed a Y to J upgrade using this strategy, combined with generally picking days e.g. TUE/WED/THU which have lighter business travel.
Interesting. So what this suggests is that United's yield management software does a pretty good job predicting the flights that will have lots of unsold J seats (the ones where they're willing to sell them cheap).
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Old May 2, 2013, 5:48 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
When doing a search like this, sometimes it is just better to book a flight when you see good connections (i.e. minimum total travel time) if there is Z9 available.
Slight tweak - just remember P9 is the "new" Z9
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Old May 2, 2013, 10:13 am
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by Time traveller
Just book the SEA-NRT flight on the old 777 plane. It is an easy upgrade since the seats are really old and most people would rather fly on the lie-flat business class seats used on other routes.
By Jan 2014 all the conversions should be done, and the old-config should be confronted only on HNL routes.
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