I spent hard-earned miles to upgrade a LAX-CDG. On the return flight, UA started upgrading Y passengers. Half the C cabin ended up filling with Y passengers. Why did I spend those miles if half the cabin was filled with operational upgrades?
And why was I not upgraded to F - there were seats available. Do I have a case to ask for my miles back?

Don't think you have a case -- you guaranteed yourself an upgrade using the miles. I use upgrade certificates to guarantee myself an upgrade. We can all gamble (and risk staying in Y) or plan ahead and guarantee our comfort. You can't always have your cake and eat it too.

Maybe not BlondeBomber, but I'd go ahead and ask anyway. The worst they can say is no, so you are left exactly where you are now. I would think that if you a Premier level member UA might consider it. Why were they doing the operational upgrades anyway? People on these boards are throwing the revenue issue around left and right - what about in this case? Is it because UA overbooked coach? If so, why shouldn't they return the miles? They (UA) created the situation.

I've benefited from operational upgrades for:
A.) overbooked in coach and they needed seats so they start with 1Ks and work back until they have enough seats for coach. One time I was already sitting in my coach seat and the gate agent came on board and asked me to move up to first.
B.) The gate or ticket counter agent decides I have experienced some delay, like the time I couldn't check my bags at the curb because my name was pulled for a random security check, so the very nice agent upgrades me for my trouble I guess.

I've had this happen as Premier, Prem. Exec and 1K.

See, I specifically bought a full Y fare in order to upgrade with the smallest amount of miles. Combine this with my premier exec status, I would most likely have been upgraded anyway. It just cost me 20k miles to find myself seating next to someone having paid a fraction of my ticket price, and having spent no miles at all.
UA overbooked Y.

erikpascal,

How could they have paid "a fraction of my ticket price" if they also paid Y same as you? You also state you are Prem Ex. Do you know what level they all were? Sounds like all you are out is 13k miles for that return upgrade. 13k miles for a confirmed upgrade is a small price to pay rather than taking a chance you won't get upgraded at all. I don't think you are entitled to your miles back.

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Happy travelling and remember - No matter where you go, there you are.




[This message has been edited by Baze (edited 09-10-1999).]

As most everyone else is saying, I don't think you have a case, erikpascal. But you can try anyway, it won't hurt to ask.

I use miles or certs to upgrade because, as already mentioned, it gives me a guarantee. The operational upgrades are a sketchy thing to try to predict. But I try anyway. There are just some flights where this is likely. For those flights, sometimes I deliberately don't use my miles/certs to upgrade ahead of time because I'd rather roll the dice. Most of the time, I lose. Yes, I said *most* of the time. There are still other times when I don't think I'll get upgraded either way, but they manage to surprise me. So it all evens out in the end.

If you want to know my opinion, don't ever pay full fare just to pay less miles for the upgrade. It's just not worth it.

Happy trails.

I suppose it never hurts to ask, but isn't this the same as asking for a partial refund because the psgr next to you in coach got a bigger discount?

It costs the same miles to upgrade a B fare as a Y, so NEVER buy a Y fare just to pay less for upgrading, buy a B. Usually B is only a couple hundred dollars more than H but costs only half the miles to upgrade.

erikpascal, Welcome to FlyerTalk, where an open exchange of ideas often facilitates focus and adds insight into conflict resolution.

I don't believe you have cause for return of miles or any other compensation. It was only after the fact that made it possible for you to realize that it would not have been necessary to spend your miles for the upgrade. Without wanting to sound redundant, your expenditure of miles bought you a confirmed or guaranteed upgraded level of comfort, convenience and amenities. There was no hoping, waiting, wondering, anxiety or other frustrations associated with not knowing where you would be seated. It was confirmed and it cost you miles for that guaranteed peace of mind. As a viable option, you had every right to gamble, roll the dice and take your chances by not spending your hard earned miles. You chose to spend them. I would have done the same, especially on that (LAX-CDG) market.

It sounds as if the airline did the right thing by offering so many operational upgrades. If only we could all be so lucky when we are Y! And yes, having been moved up to F would have been nice or perhaps, even appropriate if time permitted. Although F wasn't taken care of in your case, you still received the seat you were entitled to by payment of miles. They lived up to their part of the "agreement."

Welcome to our FlyerTalk family!

MRLIMO, I think you are absolutely right.
I guess I was grouchy because the CDG RCC staff had placed me on the upgrade list to First Class (we chatted a bit and they were shocked to find out that none of the 777 leaving that morning from CDG had in-seat videos, so they thanked me for letting them know...).
However, an extra-cranky/snotty French gate agent nixed the upgrade (although there WERE available seats in First) when I boarded!!
THEN, they fill the C cabin with Y passengers.....

speaking as a sometime-upgraded Y passenger, the moment we get the seat assignment in C, we are no longer Y passengers!

ericpascal, I was once told by UA that they won't compromise their Int FC product if enough FC meals aren't on board. Has anyone else ever heard that?

Bigricky:

Yes United (and as I found to my personal loss Lufthansa) will not upgrade to F is there are not enough meals.

However, some of the F menu is the same as the C menu so I guess they just swop it around a bit.

United did manage to cater the First Class cabin in about 45 minutes when I was the only passenger in F - an ops upgrade from C - on Christmas day!