WineCountryUA

Look to see what a "change flight" offer is, many times it is cheaper than the offer UA provides in My Reservations.

To get the change fee waived, you will have to call and if the fee is not automatically waived, mention "GG BUY UP"


Since you are on a common PNR, you will not be upgraded separately until the gate if you wait to checkin till you get to the airport. And then at the gate, tell the GA it is one or all.

catbox9

For fun I tried to do that but I can't get a routing even close to the one I already have and for some reason it tells me there is no first class seats on any route and the best they can do is Coach (P). I thought a P fare was a premium cabin

That's good to know. I had no idea it worked that way ^

WineCountryUA

Ignore the message, this is really First (P)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...available.html

catbox9

So in that case the change would be $336 per person which is as you predicted much cheaper. For whatever reason I still can't manage to change to my original routing and would instead connect in Denver.

Either way it doesn't really matter as first class isn't worth $336 to me and I definitely don't want to pay for it for both my companion and myself, especially since we're flying a far superior first class home which should be sufficient to allow a novice flyer to at least sort of experience a premium cabin.

findark

You can, at any time, be reticketed in the higher cabin (same flights) for the cost of a new ticket today, less what you paid for your current tickets. This should be pretty easy to calculate. But if not worth the likely ~$300 pp, then you won't see much better.

catbox9

Back when I was a 1K and back when I used to get a CPU almost every time, I realized that first class wasn't really all that exciting. I'd say the value for me is about $8 for the 1 drink I feel compelled to order, $10 for the food, and then another $5/1000 miles for the extra comfort. As they don't usually have upgrades in the $25-40 range it's not really worth it. I'd go an extra $200-300 for an overnight flight with a lie-flat seat but again they don't sell it that cheap so I don't buy it.

frankmu

Keep an eye out on your PNR, and make sure it doesn't get split. My wife and I were on the same PNR this weekend, but got split when we checked in on our return flight (SFO-EUG). We did not ask for the split.

She was first in line for the upgrade, me second. We were in Row 7 on a A319, and we both declined the upgrade to 1B. The GA came onboard with my wife's new boarding pass. The third person (only 3 on the upgrade list) got the nod, and was happy to take the seat. Probably a silver, since her seat (immediately behind us) filled 24 hours out.

Two Bee

Yes, you can refuse an upgrade, but better do it before it goes thru. To my knowledge you can't move back unless your original fare purchased is available in the rear.

Unless things have changed?

WineCountryUA

True requirement up til the gate. At the gate, not required. Plus most fare classes are opened up by 3 hours prior to departure for most flights except those nearly oversold.

mduell

OPMers.

$2/hr lol

dvs7310

I've certainly refused upgrades, it's quite easy at the gate, more hit or miss if one clears before the day of the flight and the other doesn't and you're calling in to try to get your original seat reinstated. (I had the same refused upgrade re-clear 2 more times once during the window, finally got someone on the Premier Line who just upgraded my companion as well since there was R but the PNR was split earlier in the trip and she agreed that if it hadn't have split then we'd have both been upgraded together, this was well before the split PNR issue was fixed).

In my most recent case there were 2 seats available and my wife and I were #1 & #2 on the gate list but the seats were not together so I told the gate agent we didn't want them. She said no problem, took us off the list and gave it to an older couple who were #3 & #4 . They seemed quite happy to get them and didn't mind being split up for the flight.

txaggiemiles

ok, then why spend a whole day and multiple posts figuring out how to sit there? 🙄

catbox9

Just because I don't find it worth a whole lot extra, people that have only been on a plane a couple times find it quite enjoyable. If I'm traveling by myself sure, I'll take an upgrade on a domestic flight but it's not that big of a deal either way.

Aussienarelle

+1!

However, do not mess with my international upgrades.

On domestic I would often give my seat to a uniformed military personnel but these days UA has some rule that I cannot give away the UG seat (if I do not want the seat it needs to go to the next person on the list), but I can still do it when I have purchased the domestic first class seat (I verified this with the GA on my last flight). The young wo/man in uniform would always get a thrill (although I did not let them know it was me as it was a surprise from the GA) and I think it was the least I could do to thank them for their service so now these acts are fewer as I needed to have purchased the seat.

AceReport

The rule is very selectively enforced. I gave mine away this morning.