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Most Challenging Routes for UDU Success?

 
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Old Dec 7, 2010, 11:00 pm
  #1  
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Most Challenging Routes for UDU Success?

any advice on which routes one should avoid as a 1k looking for free dom upgrades and usually buying the cheap fares??

Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Dec 8, 2010 at 7:24 am Reason: original thread title did not match thread topic
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Old Dec 7, 2010, 11:01 pm
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Originally Posted by bryanwallace
any advice on which routes one should avoid as a 1k looking for free dom upgrades and usually buying the cheap fares??
SFO-BOS
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Old Dec 7, 2010, 11:02 pm
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Anything hub-to-hub, SFO-BOS, or p.s. flights (no free upgrades on p.s.).
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Old Dec 7, 2010, 11:02 pm
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Originally Posted by bryanwallace
any advice on which routes one should avoid as a 1k looking for free dom upgrades and usually buying the cheap fares??
suggest looking at the data at www.udustats.com

As for asking opinions, what you will get everybody's last upgrade that failed.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 12:49 am
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
As for asking opinions, what you will get everybody's last upgrade that failed.
I've failed twice on SAN-SFO and cleared everything else.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 1:22 am
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Originally Posted by bryanwallace
any advice on which routes one should avoid as a 1k looking for free dom upgrades and usually buying the cheap fares??
SFO-IAD seems to have gotten a lot tougher with the advent of UDU. SFO-ORD is really variable. Sometimes it seems like every GS in California is on the plane, but I've had good luck with the 747s.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 2:17 am
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MSP-ORD is my most failed upgrade. 90% of the time I'm in F on that route is because i'm on a TPAC or TATL *A C-Class fare.

As a DL stronghold you'd be surprised how many 1K's and GS's there are at MSP. (Or else all of them just fly on the days I'm flying)
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 5:06 am
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My only miss other than SFO-ORD this year was a SJC-DEN leg on a CRJ700.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 6:45 am
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My only misses have been DEN-SFO and DEN-ORD on Mondays. It is really irritating to be in the back on a $900 ticket.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 7:14 am
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LAX - PHL used to be easy for an upgrade. Seems much more difficult these days. Of course this is also due to the fact that UAL uses A319s with only eight 1st class seats on this route.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 8:36 am
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In my experience, it's not the route as much as it is the time or day of the flight.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 8:39 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by nosnerk
In my experience, it's not the route as much as it is the time or day of the flight.
I'd add the type of aircraft to that list. A319s that operate between hubs during peak business travel times are very hard for upgrades.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 9:06 am
  #13  
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Anything SFO-IAD/IAD-SFO and as FlyinHawaiian notes, if it's a 319 hub-to-hub, it's gonna be tough tho I will add that it can be off peak hours as well
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 9:25 am
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EWR-SFO is pretty bad, regardless of time.
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Old Dec 8, 2010, 9:47 am
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COS-DEN on a Monday morning...
Called FC/GS/1K and at least 12 people lined up...I was in economy.
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