did I just waste 30k miles + $600 copay for upgrade? slept upright for 13 hours.
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 336
did I just waste 30k miles + $600 copay for upgrade? slept upright for 13 hours.
so... I upgraded by using 30k miles + $600 copay on my 14-hour flight.
well, I wasn't counting on the fact that I so busy for two days prior to the flight.
when I got to the airport, I barely had time to go through security. I was the second to last to board the plane. (the last one was a lady who was having a dispute with the duty-free shop employee)
I sat down in 5A of the 777-300ER. Drank a glass of OJ. I closed my eyes and didn't even remember the plane taking off.
13 hours later, I woke up just before landing. I was still in my original upright position. The flight attendant came over sand said that they had a bet to see when I would wake up. They said that they saw me "happily" snoring away, they didn't want to disturb me.
I reached for my phone to see what time it was... (yikes! I fell asleep so quickly that I didn't even put my phone into airplane mode) I turned it off and went to the lavatory. Threw some water on my face and I was fully awake for sure. The flight attendants were almost done stowing eveyrthing, but allowed me to have a cup of coffee(from a paper cup).
The plane laneded shortly after that..... so.. did I really just waste 30k miles and $600?
well, I wasn't counting on the fact that I so busy for two days prior to the flight.
when I got to the airport, I barely had time to go through security. I was the second to last to board the plane. (the last one was a lady who was having a dispute with the duty-free shop employee)
I sat down in 5A of the 777-300ER. Drank a glass of OJ. I closed my eyes and didn't even remember the plane taking off.
13 hours later, I woke up just before landing. I was still in my original upright position. The flight attendant came over sand said that they had a bet to see when I would wake up. They said that they saw me "happily" snoring away, they didn't want to disturb me.
I reached for my phone to see what time it was... (yikes! I fell asleep so quickly that I didn't even put my phone into airplane mode) I turned it off and went to the lavatory. Threw some water on my face and I was fully awake for sure. The flight attendants were almost done stowing eveyrthing, but allowed me to have a cup of coffee(from a paper cup).
The plane laneded shortly after that..... so.. did I really just waste 30k miles and $600?

#3
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: United Plat
Posts: 378
so... I upgraded by using 30k miles + $600 copay on my 14-hour flight.
13 hours later, I woke up just before landing. I was still in my original upright position. The flight attendant came over sand said that they had a bet to see when I would wake up. They said that they saw me "happily" snoring away, they didn't want to disturb me.
The plane laneded shortly after that..... so.. did I really just waste 30k miles and $600?
13 hours later, I woke up just before landing. I was still in my original upright position. The flight attendant came over sand said that they had a bet to see when I would wake up. They said that they saw me "happily" snoring away, they didn't want to disturb me.
The plane laneded shortly after that..... so.. did I really just waste 30k miles and $600?

#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 12,100
Well, I say it depends on other things you probably can’t know - like would you have been able to sleep like that for so long, upright, in your original Y seat? And in good shape (ie, no back pain, neck pain, etc.)?
if yes to both, then yeah, kind of seems like waste. If not, than, not at all. I kind of suspect the latter (and if not, then seems a waste to ever upgrade, unless you have some sort of affection for the food in C over Y).
i flew in C (pre-Polaris) on BOM-EWR once and slept about half the flight (~7 hours) in a row, though in lie-flat. I was impressed on being able to get that much sleep in a row on a plane. Not anything I’ve ever come close to in economy - and nothing I ever expect to do in Y. So I’d say you won.
if yes to both, then yeah, kind of seems like waste. If not, than, not at all. I kind of suspect the latter (and if not, then seems a waste to ever upgrade, unless you have some sort of affection for the food in C over Y).
i flew in C (pre-Polaris) on BOM-EWR once and slept about half the flight (~7 hours) in a row, though in lie-flat. I was impressed on being able to get that much sleep in a row on a plane. Not anything I’ve ever come close to in economy - and nothing I ever expect to do in Y. So I’d say you won.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: DL Gold, AA Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 253
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM 1K; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 15,687
Brings back memories. Years ago I did a gig in central India. At the end of the workday I flew to BOM, took a 3 AM flight to HKG, and took a 10 PM HKG-LAX nonstop. I figure I was up for something like 40 straight hours (if my calculations are right).
I was out practically before I hit the Y seat. Woke up fully rested on final into LAX at maybe 9 PM (13-14 hours later I think), so rented a car and drove to Vegas, getting there at maybe 3 AM. Played $2 BJ all day at Binions on one $20 bill (true story). That reset my clock...drove back to Denver via a convention SLC.
I would be in traction if I tried that today...
I was out practically before I hit the Y seat. Woke up fully rested on final into LAX at maybe 9 PM (13-14 hours later I think), so rented a car and drove to Vegas, getting there at maybe 3 AM. Played $2 BJ all day at Binions on one $20 bill (true story). That reset my clock...drove back to Denver via a convention SLC.
I would be in traction if I tried that today...
#12
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: DL Silver, Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Global Entry (Former AA Plt/Gold)
Posts: 4,106
Definitely not a waste. Exhausted or not, I can't imagine that you would have done that successfully in coach. Aside from a typically noisier cabin, being 10-abreast in the back of the plane would have meant the person next to you was close enough that there would have been some shuffling, or bumping (shoulders/legs/hips), and the din of far more passengers chatting during meal services. If you are an aisle person like me, you would have had to get up for some passengers who wanted to stretch or use the lav. The person behind you could have been jabbing at the IFE half way through the flight, or a child could have been nearby crying from difficulty with the pressure changes.
#13
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,801
no waste what so ever.. you slept.. probably was not bothered about food etc.
I fly J just to do the same.. after years of flying.. not really interested in the in flight service.
but, I prefer to sleep not sitting up.
I fly J just to do the same.. after years of flying.. not really interested in the in flight service.
but, I prefer to sleep not sitting up.
#15
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Port St Lucie, FL, UA1K since 1994 and 3mm
Programs: Marriott Titanium Life, Hilton Gold
Posts: 562
Brings back memories of the first time I flew first class on an overseas flight. Paid $500 to upgrade from Hong Kong to SFO on Pan Am. Up on the upper deck of a 747SP -- Did same thing -- fell asleep before takeoff, next thing that woke me up was wheels hitting the runway.