E+ options on partner airlines?
 

I am UA 1k and have to book travel SFO>HEL for near thanksgiving. UA flights are coming up too expensive so It looks like I will have to fly LH or SK metal. My employer policy has us book within $300 range of cheapest flight which is locking out the UA flights.

What options do I have to get something similar to at least UA E+ for the long haul segment on those airlines?

There is some helpful info in the following thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-web-site.html

That won't be within $300 of the cheapest flight.

OP can always pay for the PE/J upgrade out of pocket.

What is E+ in USA is not the same as premium economy in (most?) non USA airlines. Premium economy is a separate class just like business & first class

Partners don't have an equivalent to E+. Some have a Premium Economy which is a different cabin and offers seating better than E+ (something like domestic F on UA or even better). However, most of them come with a significant premium over economy, so as mentioned the $300 (RT?) limit is probably going to eliminate them as an option.

And if you desire to or need to book on UA ticket, it will be very difficult if not impossible.

Try SMF or MRY to start. Or break up between EWR and JFK on in or outbound. At least gets you e plus on the ps route

SAS Plus Saver is better than E+, and is about $2k round trip SFO-HEL. This is about the best you can do for an extra room seat that is not UA. You will like have to fork out some of your own $$ to get what you are asking for.

SAS Plus is the way to go... its not a good as a full on Premium Economy (IMO) but its not as expensive either!

UA doesn't give E+ to Partner elites.(as a matter of policy anyway) ..so even if such a thing existed on those other airlines there should be no expectation of it being offered.

I don't have to book on UA ticket necessarily or at all. Just looking for a way to get some extra leg room and leverage that 1K status somehow.

Sounds like the SAS plus saver needs to be looked at, or just break up the trip so it's shorter.

There's no official seating benefit for *G on *A partners. That said, you might be able to score an exit row, and you would have some level of priority for an op-up if Y were oversold.

Note that from SFO your most direct UA option (SFO-FRA-HEL) would be on the 744 which has the least generous E+ in the UA fleet.