I'm traveling to Shanghai later this week on United, using miles. Has anyone had success upgrading even though the flight was booked using miles?

Thanks...

4/7 UA 0835

Welcome to FT.

It is extremely rare to be upgraded on an award ticket, but if the flight is overbooked in Economy such that they need to operationally upgrade people, you could win the lottery (with about the same odds). In general, award tickets are about the last to be considered, though if you're in the right place at the right time, it could happen.

My experience is the odds are even further.

A couple years back I was doing IAD-MUC (I think). I was on a paid coach fare, and, my wife/daughter/MIL were on award tickets. GA calls me to the podium, hands me a seat in C (an op-up). I tell him thanks, but, I'm travelling with family, any chance of pulling one of them up with me? "Sure" he says, type-type-type-type, then he tells me sorry, can't upgrade award seats. OK, I take back the seat in E and plan to sit with the family.

Then, while boarding (literally a few people away from the door), he calls me again. Tell the family to step to the side, I go to the podium. Same thing - ticket/swap, sorry-family, type-type, sorry-award. I say "why did you call me back?" He says, I forgot, but, I really need your seat. Sorry, I'm riding with my family. He didn't look happy, but, wouldn't upgrade one of the awards.

(In hind site, I should have taken the seat, and gave it to my MIL, who hates being pampered. It would have driven her nuts to be up there )

I take the family quite a bit on award seats, and I never even consider the possibility of those seats being upgraded. And now I frequently upgrade my seat (swu, cr-1, 500s) and let my wife sit up front and I stay in back with my daughter.

PATRLR

I'm sure that would have been the reason for giving the seat to your MIL

I wonder if the agent literally technically did not know how to force the system to upgrade the award ticket, or if rather he knew technically how to do this but opted not to do it. There is a way technically in the system they can pretty much do anything but they have to really know that Appollo syntax.

I think we all already know that "officially" award tickets are not upgradeable. So what probably would be most helpful to the OP is suggestion(s) of how to do it by other means.

On more than one occasion I have been the recipient of other FlyerTalkers' kindness who have used their industry insight (including gate agents) to op-up me into C or F. And when I can, I do the same for other FTers.

Now, if you're on the 12:30pm flight from ORD to PVG, then it looks like United has 3 more Business seats left for sale, while coach is wide open. If UA doesn't overbook its Business (meaning that those are actually 3 still-empty seats), then you still have a chance.

Good luck. and welcome to FlyerTalk.
BCH

Bump.