Intl Upgrades?
 

Currently, I'm a NW Platinum member, considering switching to UA next year. UA has told me they would comp Premier status.

90% of my flights are to Europe and Asia, often in heavily discounted economy. (K/Q/V fares on NW) These fares are completely unable to be upgraded with NW/CO, so about the only benefit I get are the 125% bonus miles and preferred coach seats.

Is there any chance for Intl Upgrades on UA as a premier member - especialy on ultra-cheap seats? Main routes would likely be IAD-AMS, and IAD-XXX-BKK.

Thanks!

No, you need to buy at least an H fare. They are reasonable to LHR around $800 incl taxes. They tend to be more restrictive to other destinations in Europe -- often 7 day stay. Search for H fares on Travelociy to get an idea for your destinations.

However, E+ is a nice perk compared to flying on NW and worth the switch.

You should be able to get a comp to Prem Exec. That would give you *A lounge access on intl flights and 100% mileage bonus.

If upgrades are of primary importance, you could consider KLM. You can upgrade any published fare with them. The earning opportunities are a little limited though. Another hitch is that you need to have a Non North American address to create the account. But it's something to consider.

Sandeep.

I believe that many UA int'l 777 flights still don't have E+. SFO<->Asia 777 flights typically don't. The good news is that to most Asian destinations, an H upgradeable fare is typically only $150-250 more than rock bottom, and often allows a free stopover.

I was NW Gold last year and comped to Premier Exec. earlier this year without any fuss at all.

UA's upgrade policy is less restrictive. They charge 15K miles for Y/B class and 30K miles for M/H class compared with NW's 12.5K for Y class and 25K for B class. If you ever attain 1K status, you will receive 6 systemwide upgrades that can be used instead of miles on the same fares.