Full Y Fares Upgrade Booking Code Becomes PN + Are Now Subject to Capacity Controls
 

I've suspected this for some time after doing dummy bookings but called several agents today, after booking a flight to Guam, and they confirmed that Y fares no longer book into JN class for upgrades. They know book into PN class the same as B/M-up fares.

They indicated that this changed earlier this month when the redemption levels changed. They also indicated this was widely noticed but it was NOT widely noticed. I don't recall seeing anything about it in the bigger forums or from United.

Once again, they have quietly devalued their program. Y fares are often VERY expensive so why we need to wait for a lower fare category to open up for upgrades is asinine. They want people to buy higher fares and yet there is NO benefit to doing that....absolutely ridiculous and amazing.

Aren't you still ahead of other -up fares with your y-up? Only folks who book J get ahead and the probably pay more. Am I misunderstanding this?

A very interesting decision. Why should UA give away last-seat F availability, for the price of Y? On the other hand, why alienate your customers that pay full Y. I suspect contract fares (including government fares) are partially responsible for this change.

They didn't used to be... sneaky change there.

Well, I think the industry as a whole is making baby steps towards eliminating CPUs... Since U.S. carriers are primarily the ONLY airlines that offer them, they might be trying to align themselves with their alliance carriers.

As for instant upgrade fares, I would assume it has always been the policy, just not written in black and white.

B/M instant upgrades certainty were (subject to capacity controls).

a post from March 2012 -- notice the wording change

You're right B/M were capacity controlled but not Y fares. Again, find this change hard to swallow. UA wants its passengers, because of PQDs, to buy higher fares and Y fares are generally very high. Getting the instant upgrade was a nice perk to offset the cost. You know there is something kinda disingenuous when they don't announce this wider.

I have to imagine the conversation went something like::

"But the plans were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a flashlight."

"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said mh3265a , "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."

This was the case with Continental pre-merger. Instant upgrade fares weren't available on many transcons (SFO-EWR comes to mind.)

Wow this is a major loss. The only upside is that government workers on YCA fares will no longer be eligible for last-seat instant upgrades.

Glad you're happy. Except now you'll have to find someone ELSE to blame when your upgrade still doesn't clear. :rolleyes:

Yeah, we need a clarification- are we talking about Y-UP fares where you get First for the price of a Y seat, or Premier Instant Upgrade fares, where Premiers upgrade Y-to-JN or B/M-to-PN at time of ticketing?

While I have not flown on YCA for quite a while, at least pre-merger, the YCA were NOT eligible for upgrade just because they were Y fare (in those olden days it always required upgrade instrument). I am not sure how they were handled post merger, but my guess that the thought that government fare YCA get immediate upgrade is more a myth than truth.

SORRY - it's referring to Premier Instant Upgrade fares. Y to JN is no longer available. It is now Y to PN which is capacity controlled