Colin

Looking to buy GCM-IAH-LAX (one-way) in business

GCM-IAH-LAX in J $2814
GCM-IAH-LAX in E $747
GCM-IAH-LAX in E $931 (with Purchase Upgrade IAH-LAX to business - presumably D - for $184)
GCM-IAH-LAX in E $2000 (with Purchase Upgrade GCM-IAH-LAX to business - presumably C - for $1253)

This is married segment availability
J8 C0 D0 Z0 P0 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U0 H0 Q0V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N9
J8 C0 D0 Z0 P0 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N9

This is individual segment availability
J8 C6 D0 Z0 P0 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 Q9 V6 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N9
J9 C9 D7 Z0 P0 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N9

Questions:
1. $931 looks good - do I retain the ability for 24 hour full $931 refund (including the $184 fee for Purchase Upgrade)?
Or, is the $184 Purchase Upgrade fee really non-refundable instantly?
Assuming full refundability, then I'll just do a dummy booking & analyze the receipt for further questions.

2. Is what's happening with the Purchase Upgrade that the itinerary is being upfared to a new through-fare that allows business class booking into D?
If yes, this would suggest if UA ever opens a D seat for GCM-IAH, then I can rebook into D for no-fee, right? Or, perhaps just the $200 change fee?

3. The detailed analysis above shows a way to obviate United married-segment inventory constraints for business by using Purchase Upgrade after Y ticketing.

jsloan

No, and no. The Purchase Upgrade a sticker-type upgrade that does not affect the underlying fare at all. You keep the same economy fare you already had and buy the right to sit in the upgraded cabin. It will affect the RBD on the receipt (which will probably be D), and people have reported success getting a PQM bonus on that flight, even though it's not guaranteed. You wouldn't earn any additional PQD, and if you had to cancel the ticket, the upgrade cost is forfeit. (If you had to do a voluntary change, your chances of keeping the premium cabin depend upon a helpful agent. In an involuntary change, you'd either get re-accommodated in the front or you'd be due a refund).

Each flight segment is considered separately in this scenario, so you would not be able to call and get placed into a D seat if UA were to open inventory on GCM-IAH -- although, if they were to do so, it's likely that the upgrade price would drop from what it is now.

You may be able to do the same thing with multi-city search.

Colin

Thanks for the suggestion.
I was able to price out GCM-IAH, IAH-LAX via multi-city in V, bypassing UA's married-segment inventory that books into E, for ~$450.
IAH-LAX post ticketing Purchase Upgrade offer is $285.
So, GCM-IAH in regular economy and IAH-LAX in business for $735.
A savings of $200 for using the multi-city!

Still looking for an answer if the $285 Purchase Upgrade amount is refundable, along with the underlying paid $450 V fare, for cancellations within 24 hours of original ticketing.
I really want to see the eticket after Purchase Upgrade & the booking class after for IAH-LAX.
Want to see if I can ascertain any logic on whether I have a new fare basis for the whole itinerary.

jsloan

I can promise you that you don't have a new fare basis for the whole itinerary if you purchase upgrades.

If the upgrade price is refundable, it's a customer service gesture. The upgrades are not added into the base fare. I didn't respond because I don't honestly know UA's policy -- I rarely have found an upgrade I wanted to buy, and never one that I then needed to cancel.