changing tickets but ok with downgrade question
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
changing tickets but ok with downgrade question
We are traveling to Geneva on 6/2. We have booked business class tickets with a connection in IAD. The issue is our flight out of TPA leaves at 847 am and we would prefer a later flight to have a shorter connection and not have to wake up so early. When i try to change it online it gives me absurd pricing or no availability, which is understandable. However, we are ok downgrading to economy on the first domestic leg to make this happen. Is this something i can do online? i tried calling this morning but got disconnected after 30 mins...so before calling back i thought i'd ask here. thanks. this was all booked on united.com btw
edit we are also ok connecting anywhere else as long as its a one stop flight
edit we are also ok connecting anywhere else as long as its a one stop flight
#2
Join Date: Dec 2018
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Generally you have to book the one way in a single class. Needs to be business or economy all the way TPA-IAD-GVA. The only way to book different classes at time of booking would be to cancel the current reservation and book separate PNRs for TPA-IAD (economy) and IAD-GVA (business).
If you want to go the upgrade route you could book in economy and then use the cash upgrade option in the reservation for the IAD-GVA segment (not sure how you can find out the upgrade amount before the fact). Or if there is PZ/PN open on IAD-GVA, you could rebook the entire segment in economy and then upgrade IAD-GVA with PP or miles (assuming you can use PZ/PN).
My advice would be to not risk it and just stick with the early flight. Have some early morning PDBs to compensate
If you want to go the upgrade route you could book in economy and then use the cash upgrade option in the reservation for the IAD-GVA segment (not sure how you can find out the upgrade amount before the fact). Or if there is PZ/PN open on IAD-GVA, you could rebook the entire segment in economy and then upgrade IAD-GVA with PP or miles (assuming you can use PZ/PN).
My advice would be to not risk it and just stick with the early flight. Have some early morning PDBs to compensate
#3
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
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We are traveling to Geneva on 6/2. We have booked business class tickets with a connection in IAD. The issue is our flight out of TPA leaves at 847 am and we would prefer a later flight to have a shorter connection and not have to wake up so early. When i try to change it online it gives me absurd pricing or no availability, which is understandable. However, we are ok downgrading to economy on the first domestic leg to make this happen. Is this something i can do online?
In general, whenever you change the outbound leg of a flight, you trigger a repricing using current fares. Same-day change can avoid that — but they’ve altered it for non-status members to the point where I don’t think it actually would help anymore.
#4
Join Date: May 2006
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Generally you have to book the one way in a single class. Needs to be business or economy all the way TPA-IAD-GVA. The only way to book different classes at time of booking would be to cancel the current reservation and book separate PNRs for TPA-IAD (economy) and IAD-GVA (business).
If you want to go the upgrade route you could book in economy and then use the cash upgrade option in the reservation for the IAD-GVA segment (not sure how you can find out the upgrade amount before the fact). Or if there is PZ/PN open on IAD-GVA, you could rebook the entire segment in economy and then upgrade IAD-GVA with PP or miles (assuming you can use PZ/PN).
My advice would be to not risk it and just stick with the early flight. Have some early morning PDBs to compensate
If you want to go the upgrade route you could book in economy and then use the cash upgrade option in the reservation for the IAD-GVA segment (not sure how you can find out the upgrade amount before the fact). Or if there is PZ/PN open on IAD-GVA, you could rebook the entire segment in economy and then upgrade IAD-GVA with PP or miles (assuming you can use PZ/PN).
My advice would be to not risk it and just stick with the early flight. Have some early morning PDBs to compensate
The OP's bigger issue is that this sort of change before departure is going to trigger a fare recalc, likely losing A/P, and may result in a huge fare increase. If he has status, then an SDC (with or without downgrade) could work within 24 hours. Without status, and assuming the A/C to make this change is high, this is going to be a tall task.
#5
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Yes, but it’s very difficult to do it when there is business availability. If there’s P inventory on IAD-GVA, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can book TPA-IAD-GVA in P and then delegate TPA-IAD to economy because P is zero. I’ve seen it once or twice, but it’s much more common to have UA simply default to whatever the lowest bucket with inventory on the married segments would be (Z/D/C/J). Maybe you could force this by calling, but as you mentioned, that’s going to trigger a reprice using current fares and current A/P, which is likely to be pricy.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
thanks guys. no status with united. I will call later today when i have time and see what they can do. But seems like we'll just have to stick with our existing flights. thanks
does seem crazy that they wouldn't be ok with me giving up 6 FC seats for 6 economy seats though..
does seem crazy that they wouldn't be ok with me giving up 6 FC seats for 6 economy seats though..
Last edited by omaralt; May 26, 2023 at 7:05 am
#9
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With a 6:19 connection at IAD, I can see why you'd prefer to change to the later flight. Was there a schedule change or was it originally booked this way?
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
That’s how it was booked. When I booked a few weeks back there was no option given for a later flight (guess there wasn’t 6 FC seats available on that flight). There was an option to go through ewr but we hate that airport
#13
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#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
EDIT: looks like theres is a free shuttle that runs from the airport
sorry for the stupid questions, but do any of you know of any luggage storage in or around iad?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 30, 2023 at 11:30 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
#15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,055
https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udv.../visiting-tips
It’s not a huge locker area and a party of 6 might be challenging. We got there just after opening and the museum was relatively quiet.