goduke7

First international trip. Already booked- just curious what odds are of getting upgraded.

I'm premier Silver on United- just really started flying a lot.

1st segment- ANA 3 class jet- booked P- Any chance of getting bumped up to F?

3 short (1.5 hr) segments in Asia on SQ- Booked in Y. Does SQ upgrade Y like United does? Any chance of getting Business class? R0 in fares, C8 J2 though on all 3.

Long segment Asia to Australia on SQ- booked in C, any chance of getting F? F3 A1. Would love to have a suite!

Last segment is AC booked Z- they don't have F so i know the answer there.

Thanks- still a newbie at all of this with not the greatest status.

GloballyServiced

I would advice you that the free upgrades are unlikely.

swiftaw

Complementary Upgrades on United are only on domestic flights. So even if you were flying UA metal you wouldn't get upgraded on an international flight without spending money or miles.

Kacee

Essentially zero.

Enjoy your business class experience, those should be nice flights.

PVDProf

Good news is those are really good biz and coach services, and should be nice flights.

Bad news is an upgrade would be a "freak occurrence". Your best chance is you're sitting next to a member of a couple, whose partner is in the higher cabin and who's willing to downgrade and trade seats with you to be with their companion.

You could upgrade the NH leg with miles (30K and $600). [No, you can't; I was looking at the UA metal chart.]

Since you said you just started flying a lot: if you are doing several itineraries like this a year, you'll want to watch your PQDs. This will earn a fair bit of PQM, but likely no PQD, which will prevent you from earning the international upgrade instruments (for UA metal).

Kacee

Not possible. Miles and co-pay is for UA operated flights. And *A or NH upgrade not available on a P fare.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Silver status is almost no status. It won't count for anything on your current itinerary. Gold status gets you Star Alliance lounge access when you're departing in coach internationally.

BBSHOPSINGER

You can upgrade on *A flights if the fare is eligible.


https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...rade/saua.aspx

Kacee

Not an NH P fare. Which I already mentioned in the post you quoted.

BBSHOPSINGER

Sorry - I didn't pick up on the fare info.

PVDProf

Thanks for catching the mistake. I even went to look it up, and just wound up on the wrong chart.

Not that it's much of an excuse around here, but I'm jetlagged and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet....

Aussienarelle

In all my years of flying, and I have been 1K since 2009 I have only received one complimentary upgrade from a partner airline and that was TAP in 2014 on a flight from Portugal to London. I think the flight was oversold and they bumped me up to business due to my Star Alliance gold status.

Kacee

There are so many different sets of rules . . . I make at least a mistake a week here.

emcampbe

You're chance is close to, but perhaps a smidge above zero.

As others have mentioned, there is no policy for comp. upgrades on partner airlines. There is a chance that a cabin is oversold, and they need to upgrade people in order to accomodate everyone confirmed. Even then, you'll be low on the list, would typically come after the airlines own elites - typically, if this is done, would go to the airline's own elites, then *G, then *S.

I'll tell you about my revent story - in late Dec., I had what I call a double-upgrade on LH from FRA-BLR (I'm a gold). Overbooked - I call it a double-upgrade because I was booked in regular economy, so went straight past premium economy into business. Great flight. But rare - likely a ton of Y demand for Christmas/New Years and low business demand. Found out at check in - initially, woudn't show me my assigned seat so was worried what would spit out on my BP - but it was in row 9. This is why I say there is a non-zero chance. I've been elite on UA for 10 years, and this is the first time I've ever had an op-up on either UA or partner (well, to be clear, I have had a couple of very short-haul Op ups in the PMUA days before comp. upgrades - those were on IAD-JFK and ORD-YYZ.

My wife was once upgraded as a silver on DXB-IAD. Again, rare. She's been elite for almost as long as me, and that's her only one.

Chances are low enough that its not worth worrying about.

Mwenenzi

Zero chance. Or less. Do not bother asking at check in.
With non USA carriers always expect to fly in the cabin you purchased.
The upgrade policy of non USA carriers and USA carriers is vastly different (~opposite)
Non USA carriers will fly with empty premium seats always, at times having denied upgrades to their own frequent flyers with miles/points/cash co pay.
With non USA carriers the front of the aircraft is not (free) upgrade class.

UA/Star Alliance have a very restrictive cross airline system dependant on fare class. Useless for most people (and you) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-carriers.html

You can use your credit card to pay the full fare difference