climmy

Most of my fares are Z. Sometimes yes, almost always no.

Perhaps 2 of my tries have been successful. I find it a little embarassing now to even ask. I take my Z seat and have been offered OP-UPs occasionally.

Don't count on it at all. Either buy up to D, take the buy-up offer at check-in, or prepare to sit in your biz seat.

LAX UA 1K

Upgrade for Cash (UFC) applies to Z fares when it's offered. Also on January 12, 2010, Z fares are scheduled to be upgradeable with miles and a $500 copay each way. It's possible there will be other upgrade options announced before then.

Also you can print SWUs and use them on day of departure for LH flights booked in Z class. It shouldn't matter if the flight is booked under UA or LH's code (if someone says it does, just keep asking others at the airport).

Charles

mauiUAflyer

I've had good luck with op-ups and UFC with Z fares, but as of now that is the only opportunity for upgrades.

Given the huge (sometimes) cost difference between Z & D fares, I might suggest buying the Z and throwing the dice for an UFC. YMMV...

sensei

Exactly, especially on new config planes. In my mind UA F on the 767s/744s is a Business+ product (marginal difference to C, more privacy perhaps being the biggest benefit) and I have been disappointed so many times that I would absolutely not upfare to a D fare in your situation. This is coming from someone who has flown several F/A class trips on UA this year. No more. My biggest gripe is unruly non-revs that are quite noticeable in the small F cabin.

ORD2World

Agree with all points.

The new C class lie-flat beds are really quite nice, IMHO. I have had ZERO luck asking various gate/RCC agents for SWU of a Z fare, and have simply stopped the requests. If an op-up happens, super. If not, life goes on!

RichardInSF

Now that I am paying Z fares, I won't fly UA on old configuration aircraft for this very reason. As most of the flights from my home airport are old configuration, this one restriction has caused me to leave UA.

Anyone suggesting a buy-up from Z to C/D has clearly never bought biz class air tickets with their own money. C/D are artificially inflated so that large corporate customers can get 30-50% discounts. Z is the only real business class fare available to individuals. It's upgradeable on all other US carriers.

StrandedinSC

Not true.

First, there's only one other 3-class operator in the U.S.- AA

AA doesn't allow upgrades on I fares (At least not with VIPOW/SWU- maybe with miles?), their closest match to a UA Z fare.

RichardInSF

Thanks for the correction. I hadn't looked at AA because they don't have flat bed seats in business.

stanfordhokie

Same here. Seems to be one of the few rules which UA has been able to disseminate to most agents.

UA_Flyer

I will try my luck the next two weeks.

izzik

Anyone making blanket statements about Z vs C/D fares clearly hasn't considered all of the possibilities. For example, SEL-LAX:

ZXRTKR UA Z Round-Trip 3003.00(USD)
YWUPKR UA Z Round-Trip 3084.00(USD)
ZWRTKR UA Z Round-Trip 3084.00(USD)
Y22RT UA Y Round-Trip 3661.00(USD)
DXRTKR UA D Round-Trip 3678.00(USD)
DWRTKR UA D Round-Trip 3759.00(USD)
CRTKR UA C Round-Trip 4430.00(USD)

Anyway, the general consensus appears to be "cross your fingers but be prepared to get what you booked". Being "stuck" in biz isn't all that bad...!

mauiUAflyer

I agree that your example shows a case in which the difference (D-Z)<UFC. I would go for D in this case, if I could...

However, I haven't been that lucky, and here are the results for HNL-ICN for October. My company booked me into the lowest Z, and D=2*Z in this case. I'll have to hope for UFC (especially since it is a 777).

ZXR50 UA Z Round-Trip 2813.00(USD)
ZWR50 UA Z Round-Trip 3313.00(USD)
ZXR UA Z Round-Trip 3813.00(USD)
ZWR UA Z Round-Trip 4313.00(USD)
DX UA D Round-Trip 5710.00(USD)
DXR UA D Round-Trip 5750.00(USD)
DW UA D Round-Trip 6210.00(USD)
DWR UA D Round-Trip 6250.00(USD)
CXR UA C Round-Trip 6455.00(USD)
CX UA C Round-Trip 6456.00(USD)
CWR UA C Round-Trip 6845.00(USD)
CW UA C Round-Trip 6846.00(USD)

Benny8444

Most cases there is a BIG difference between a Z fare and a D fare. But on some routes like the ones above there is not that big of a difference and you can use the SWU to upgrade to F.

But also keep in mind if you are doing this just for the upgrade that the difference is $600 PLUS the value of the SWU so it may be a better value to UFC than buy the D ticket.

UA_Flyer

I flew SFO-JFK yesterday. Paid Z fare and seat 9D reserved.

I walked up to the gate about 40 minutes before departure and asked if it is too late to go on the upgrade list for F.

The agent looked at my boarding pass and said sure and it is complimentary. I am not sure if my GS status helped. I was willing to support with CR-1.

F was not full, there were two off-duty FAs sat in 2AB. I had 1A and 1B was empty.

Earlier in the day, I flew PEK-SFO (Z fare) and walked up to the gate agent (while boarding process was already more than 1/2 through) asking if any F seats was available for uprade. The agent looked on the screen and told me F was full, but made a remark that next time I should approach her before boarding starts....not sure what she meant?

MatthewLAX

As long as it's not the 777!

Just say no, to recliner seats.