Finally - An Op Upgrade!
Dec 3, 2011, 2:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: UA Plat, 2MM
Posts: 1,860
Finally - An Op Upgrade!
On the night before Thanksgiving I was flying from IAD to LHR in Y. When I got to the gate they called my name and gave me a C Boarding Pass. This is my first free Op Up in many years of flying UA. For those who ask what are my chances of being upgraded it took me the following relation with UA to get my first ever OpUp: I have flown 1.3 Million Miles on UA in the past 19 years, have been 1 K for 15-16 years straight. That is what it took for me to get the OpUp. BTW, on the way home I was not upgraded 
Dec 3, 2011, 2:10 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
On the night before Thanksgiving I was flying from IAD to LHR in Y. When I got to the gate they called my name and gave me a C Boarding Pass. This is my first free Op Up in many years of flying UA. For those who ask what are my chances of being upgraded it took me the following relation with UA to get my first ever OpUp: I have flown 1.3 Million Miles on UA in the past 19 years, have been 1 K for 15-16 years straight. That is what it took for me to get the OpUp. BTW, on the way home I was not upgraded
Dec 3, 2011, 2:30 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
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What fare class were you in? Apparently going forward, if it's you on a (hypothetical) W class vs. a GM on a V fare, they'll select the GM for the opt-up. We know who/what to thank for that...
Dec 3, 2011, 2:32 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA 1K MM, SPG Plat For Life, Marriott Plat, Nexus/GlobalEntry
Posts: 9,198
Dec 3, 2011, 3:44 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: AA PP, Hilton/MR Gold
Posts: 743
Dec 3, 2011, 4:21 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SNA
Posts: 164
Still waiting on mine from UA (scored an op-up on NH going from HND-LAX, was upgraded before OLCI opened up, damn near fell out of the chair in my hotel room) and with your stats looks like I may be waiting a while. But to the OP, congrats on your good fortune.
Dec 3, 2011, 4:46 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 2,671
He/She is basing it off of the new (yet to be fully implemented) upgrade policy which favors fare before status. However, I don't know that it will translate to OpUps in which case the GA's are still very likely to grab the highest elite fliers first. Just my hunch.
Dec 3, 2011, 4:56 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
...if you're basing your travel patterns (or worse, which fare bucket you book) according to what airline might give you an op-up, you're probably overlooking more critical factors. Op-ups are fairly infrequent (admittedly, I had one on p.s. Y->C earlier this year) and there's been nothing said about what changes have come to the op-up policy.
Dec 3, 2011, 5:01 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
If you're interested in on-ups, fly an airline with a stingy FF program that has limited SWUs and upgrades with miles. That way the C cabin will be half empty most of the time, and you will have a lot better chance of getting an operational upgrade.
Dec 3, 2011, 5:04 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,324
There's definite truth in this. I've been op-up'd on AC/QF/BA around 10-15 times across all three, and I'm not even top tier like the OP. Most recent was CW-->F SIN-SYD which was excellent! ^ What's with this "once in 15 years" stuff?!?
Dec 3, 2011, 5:56 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,162
(Of course if a plane is oversold _and_ a class is oversold then you could see both Op-ops and VDB, but they certainly don't both go together)
Dec 3, 2011, 6:32 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Op-ups occur when one class is oversold, not when the entire plane is oversold. They are never going to offer VDB's when they can free up a seat by simply moving someone nearer to the front of the aircraft!
(Of course if a plane is oversold _and_ a class is oversold then you could see both Op-ops and VDB, but they certainly don't both go together)
(Of course if a plane is oversold _and_ a class is oversold then you could see both Op-ops and VDB, but they certainly don't both go together)
Dec 3, 2011, 10:01 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: United 1k
Posts: 133
Nearly 20 years ago, as a very young no status lad, me and the boyfriend got bumped LAX-SYD.
Now with upgrades for cash and miles and cash, it is long time since I have been on a plane with any spare seats in C, except when the whole plane in all classes has heaps of empty seats.
About 18 months ago on in SFO-LHR where I was using a SWU I sat next to a GS in C who told me she had been op up, it had happened to her a few times.
Now with upgrades for cash and miles and cash, it is long time since I have been on a plane with any spare seats in C, except when the whole plane in all classes has heaps of empty seats.
About 18 months ago on in SFO-LHR where I was using a SWU I sat next to a GS in C who told me she had been op up, it had happened to her a few times.
Dec 3, 2011, 10:26 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
Op Upped a few times
I've gotten op upped 3 times from C to F.
However, I have never been op-upped from Y to C. That's when the op up is really good!
However, I have never been op-upped from Y to C. That's when the op up is really good!
Dec 3, 2011, 10:45 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Plat, IHG Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,933
Even if they prioritized op-ups in the same order as upgrades (which there is no particular reason to believe it would), what the poster said would still not be true since status still comes before fare class with Y/B being the only exceptions.