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Huge difference between W and S class - truly a new 'high'!

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Huge difference between W and S class - truly a new 'high'!

 
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 8:15 am
  #1  
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Huge difference between W and S class - truly a new 'high'!

BOS-TPE in June S-Class $1606 W-class $2373

A shot at the upgrade lottery is getting more and more expensive these days!
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 8:26 am
  #2  
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Don't think that differential matches the SYD one
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 8:26 am
  #3  
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I just paid $120 more to up my FRA-ORD-BOS from L to W. It's not bad on all routes.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 9:20 am
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
I just paid $120 more to up my FRA-ORD-BOS from L to W. It's not bad on all routes.
I was going to say. I've done LAX-SYD (during the offseason) for only $100 increase to W. I have had the exact same flight (onseason) cost $400 more for a W fare. It just depends on the route/dates. Their software is good at this kind of thing.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 9:30 am
  #5  
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
I just paid $120 more to up my FRA-ORD-BOS from L to W. It's not bad on all routes.
What?! You're going to use a SWU?!
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 9:56 am
  #6  
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So is that "truly" a new high for the specific day you are searching for, or have you checked several dates, and they all show that kind of difference? If the former, well, one case does not make a pattern (no matter how many FT'ers believe this to be the case).

Is it possible UA has sold out of lower priced W fares for the specific combo of flights you are searching for, and that other days have availability?
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 9:57 am
  #7  
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I've had the difference be a lot less. Definitely depends on dates, routing, etc.

Cheers.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 10:02 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by emcampbe
So is that "truly" a new high for the specific day you are searching for, or have you checked several dates, and they all show that kind of difference? If the former, well, one case does not make a pattern (no matter how many FT'ers believe this to be the case).

Is it possible UA has sold out of lower priced W fares for the specific combo of flights you are searching for, and that other days have availability?
Probably, and only limited to a particular routing or high season, instead of destination specific.

As I know for a fact even with similiar distance ORD-HKG, if it choose a more indirect routing with 1 or 2 stops, the difference would only be $300-$400, and I am talking about even a lower fare T/L/K > W.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 10:27 am
  #9  
 
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It does seem to be route-specific. I was pricing SFO-TPE for Spring about a month ago and came up with a $100 spread between S and W and $100 between L and S.

EDIT: Spreads are per-direction, so $200 per step up roundtrip.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 10:33 am
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by ivoryboi
BOS-TPE in June S-Class $1606 W-class $2373

A shot at the upgrade lottery is getting more and more expensive these days!
At that price, assuming there was NC space available, booking the S-class and paying the $500+miles to upgrade rather than paying over $700 more to use an SWU, I think.

And there's a good chance that when you book it, it will offer a paid upgrade for $700-$800 that would save your SWU and miles, and probably give a CoS mileage bonus.

Right?
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 10:55 am
  #11  
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As mentioned, it varies for each route. I've tried to price out ORD-NRT and ORD-HKG with W fares, and have seen prices that are $500 more than the L fare.. However, for my ORD-FRA-ORD & ORD-CDG-ORD tickets that I bought as W fares, the difference was less than $200.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 11:11 am
  #12  
 
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I've noticed the gap on fares to Asia to be much greater to go up to W. I just bit the bullet. Fortunately the pill was a bit easier to swallow since I was able to confirm my upgrades.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 11:20 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by kluau88
I've noticed the gap on fares to Asia to be much greater to go up to W. I just bit the bullet. Fortunately the pill was a bit easier to swallow since I was able to confirm my upgrades.
The biggest problem with the difference in fare is when people pay for W, waitlist for six months, and then sit in Y for one or both segments. I've seen so many 1Ks in the SYD Koru Club told to board in Y, as C was already full.
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 11:27 am
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only when people stop buying the product is it priced too high. ;-)
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Old Feb 25, 2011, 12:13 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
The biggest problem with the difference in fare is when people pay for W, waitlist for six months, and then sit in Y for one or both segments. I've seen so many 1Ks in the SYD Koru Club told to board in Y, as C was already full.
This happened to me on SFO-HKG last year Not cool.
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