It seems the going rate for upgrade from Y to C to Asia is around $550.

I would like to know do you get the EQM as business or Y, maybe I was dreaming or wishfull thinking.

Thank you.

Original ticketed cabin...

Pat

I actually think that if this is so, it is a huge bargain.

I agree. It's a bargain for the pax and a boon for UA. If the plane is going out with x number of passengers and some seats empty, what difference (other than meal costs) does it make to UA where the pax sits? Might as well move the pax into an otherwise empty seat and get some extra $$$ for it.

Flew SFO-HKG on March 9 on a K fare but was still offered an upgrade for $550.

UA will regret this new "every available C seat for $550" policy when people who regularly buy long-haul C hold out for the now more likely upgrade seat. Penny-wise ...

Doubtful. I highly doubt that anyone who normally buys C or better could bear the thought of making a 14 hour flight to Japan in Y.

Reason why they sell the upgrades at the gate is because (most likely) everyone who's requested an upgrade already has been processed, or already bought a C ticket.

If you want a guaranteed seat in C, you buy it. If you're feeling lucky and hope that they'll sell an upgrade, go ahead and spin the wheel. If not, I hope you like riding in Y. Or you then pay the walkup fare difference if they decide not to sell them.

Either way, UA gets more money in its pocket.

Most average Joes wouldn't spend the money to upgrade a ticket that much. A lot of them already bought United because it was the cheapest or most convenient way to get to where they're going.

$550 is a lot of money to a lot of people for 1 seat upgrade for 8-12 hours for one person. If it's more than just a solo person, you think they would spend $2200 to upgrade a family of 4 one way? That's a mortgage payment or more for a lot of people.

You'll always have the people who won't fly in anything but paid F or C, or who can get their companies or clients to pay for it.

A lot of FT'ers have even reported they've turned it down and have noticed seats going out empty in C.

I honestly think that outside of FT, most people just view air transportation as a way to get from A to B and just don't care about buying an upgrade. They don't care about the experience like we do.

I don't think UA has anything to worry about.

I did OLCI for my HNL-LAX flight this evening - they offered me a Y -> F upgrade for $390. No thanks.

I called a contact to check the loads and there are 14 openings on F and overbooked by 20 in E on this 763. I'm going to try The Speech tonight and see what happens.

Was offered a $50 upgrade BUF-ORD while checking in online for a Thanksgiving Thursday flight last year. I declined, but when I got to the gate, I was offered an op-up new boarding pass in F. :)

Anecdotally, the upgrade I was waitlisted for in C on UA9 this morning never cleared, although I offered a buy-up for 390 last night (declined) and the flight went out with four or 5 empty C seats.

I tried an experiment today, before checking in for UA30 tonight, I checked OLCI and noted that the 325.00 upgrade offer was gone, so I requested an upgrade with 500's, which was of course immediately waitlisted. No monetary upgrade offer was made at check-in, and I had noted at least 5 seats empty (not assigned) on the seat map before it went to airport control. I'll see what happens tonight.

Pat

1K's noticing holding back of UG's
 

I, and some fellow 1K's have definitely noticed the hoolding back of UG seats until the last minute, hoping to get people to pay for UG's rather than allowing CR-1's or Systemwides. I have only seen it happening on certain high traffic routes, but as someone who hs stuck with UA through tick and thin for so many years, it is not really pleasing to see these stories of someone who never flies UA being offered a $125-250 UG before their 1K million milers. Since we often use the purchased 500's to UG, it is very disheartening to hear that no status people who are payng only a few $ more are being offered a a UG while we are not.

In 36 hours I have the 2nd IAD-LAX flight in a week, and res. confirmed there are still 12/24 open F seats--yet no UG to clear yet for me.

I could better understand if UA was selling the seats for one of the posted fares--either C,D,Z, etc., but it sort of hits at the idea oflong term loyalty to hear that no-status people are being offered a small-priced UG before their most loyal fliers.

Many of us have based our long term loyalty to be able to UG, and strive to hit the mileage levels to allow us to "earn" the instruments with which to UG. But UA should realize that in order for us to get the systemwides, CR-1's, or even 500's, that we made sure to direct out loyalty to UA with lots of revenue tickets.

It seems the old idea that 1K's would clear UG lists 100 hrs before is being replaced by the idea that earned UG's will clear only after they make sure they can not sell it to anyone else for even a marginal profit.

I wonder what price I might be offered C for my JFK-NRT-SIN flight next month.

750.00 o/w would sound about right...

BTW, as another data point, my outbound UA30 upgrade did not clear last night (the a/c did fill up in both C and Y, with my blocked middle disappearing :( . However, my other experiment, waitlisting for a similar UG for this morning's UA23 did clear (this morning when I checked in at the RCC on the turn) and the agent got me 9D. Thank you :)

I hope someone can figure out how all this interrelates. UA 9 yesterday did not clear, but I was offered a paid upgrade, reported earlier, which I did not accept.

Pat

I notice that when I decline paid upgrades on ps from C-F (P) op-ups happen about 50% of the time; not sure if this helps you, but it tells me that I should be satisfied with my C seat (usually paid Z) in PS and be happy when I get the op up to F (P).

bumpe

(min post is 5 chars ! :D )