Help With Upgrade-- Inventory Control
 

Here is my scenario:

I am currently waitlisted for an upgrade. My international flight has one flight number, but it makes a stop and an "equipment change" in San Francisco. Thus even though the international segment, operated by a 744 has plenty of business seats available, the DC-10 from ORD-SFO has no more upgrade seats left. And unfortunately since it is one flight number, I was told that they would be unable to just upgrade the international segment.

Does anyone have any suggestions short of an itinerary change?

Thanks.

Sorry I can't help other than to point you to this thread that sounds like a similar problem:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/001648.html

Maybe just keep calling back to find someone who can do it. Sounds like they should be able to. Exactly what type of upgrade are you using?

Thanks.

I'm trying to use the standard discount economy to next class of upgrade using miles.

I'll just keep calling back-- maybe I can get a supervisor to override the system.

I suspect, however, that I am getting some bum information. I asked when I might clear off the waitlist, since certainly on that DC-10 there would be seats left 100 hrs and so from departure for 1Ks, PEs, etc. wanting to use N. American 500-mi upgrade coupons. I was told that even though I was upgrading using miles, I would only be taken off the waitlist by status, meaning 24-hours prior to departure! I know this is not correct.

Yeah, it does sound like bum info to me. They should be able to confirm you on the one segment and priority waitlist you on the other. I'd keep trying.

That is one thing that is bad about same flight numbers, it confuses the reservationists.. maybe they can put you on an earlier flight so you are now connecting??? No idea... sounds bizarre.. I would go to a CTO, 1K Room, or keep calling.. ask for a Supervisor... never know

Hum ... I can't think of any flights that fit that description ... but, anyway, shouldn't you be able to upgrade your itinerary but with standby status on the ORD-SFO leg? There has to be a way of splitting the itinerary (with the bonus that if they do that you might get 2 segments with their miles rather than the one combined).
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If you can't find a supervisor who can do this, and you're really antsy about it, I think that while that supervisor is still on the phone, you should be able to make a case for a reroute to avoid the problem, with no change fee. I know that when I've called for upgrades, and they've said, "all out," I ask "well, do you have a routing that I CAN get confirmed for upgrade on," and they'll generally be nice to me, even if I have a V or W fare (of course, I've only tried this after making PE a few years ago).

Grrrr....

No luck. I was just told that they could not break up my flight b/c it would result in me being booked on flight "803" two times, and the computer might automatically cancel the reservation. And unfortunately since I am leaving home on a 6 am flight, there isn't much of an option for rerouting.

I was also told that there is no guarantee that I would be able to have the ORD-SFO upgrade confirmed prior to 1Ks, PEs, etc. using 500-mile certs because inventory control might only allow so many seats to go to passengers booked on the international flight.

The agent I spoke to was really interesting. She said, and I quote, "because to be perfectly honest with you, we really don't want you to be using miles or certificates to upgrade since First Class costs us a lot of money and we like to save those seats for revenue passengers."

I'll just have to get myself onto the DM list at check-in. Equipment is a 744 OB, and my travel is mid-week, so hopefully I will clear the waitlist.

I have run into the same problem with direct flights (international) which are booked in a class below H or M. Because I cannot upgrade on the international segment with miles, I cannot upgrade on the domestic portion with certificates, even if there is space available. It makes no sense to me.

Make them reissue your tickets with 2 seperate flight coupons for the 2 segments. They don't like doing this, but I just bought tickets to Italy for some friends and the Italy-IAD-SFO is one flight number but the CTO broke the flight into 2 seperate segments. Better for the mileage also.

doh!

[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 03-15-2000).]

doh! doh!

[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 03-15-2000).]

John: About a year ago I begged, pleaded, prostrated myself, called back 6 different times, tried the counter, RCC and even asked a people mover driver, but no one was willing to split my IAD-ORD-NRT direct into two separate IAD-ORD and ORD-NRT. Kept getting the same line: "Same flight #, same flight no matter how many times you switch planes." Oooooh, how I doth loathe direct flights.

You must exude some kind of pheremone that hypnotizes CS reps into doing whatever you want...I guess that why you're in sales. OH, SORRY, I mean sales consulting http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Dear Mr. Kononutz:

We are sorry to inform that you are the UAL Secret Shopper prototype--clean, charming, innocent, friendly--exactly the one they would pick as a spy.

Now, my beloved son, John is well.............. Let's just say that while he is quite charming and talented at talking the birds out of the trees, he simply does not exude the "I am a perfect spin-off religion father, husband, who is too sweet and squeaky clean to be believed so I must be a spy" type image that you exude.

That is both the bad news and the good news. Hurray, for good news. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

They sure can split the flight. I had often been upgraded on my DUS - ORD portion on flight # 953 when making reservations and been waitlisted for the ORD - LAX portion of the very saame flight #. Waitlist always cleared ( upgraded with miles ).
As I learned, it is some "tricky operation", which I'm sure not everyone at UA knows about - but it works.

yes - they (but only about 30% of the knowledgeable ones) can split it up.

They (my UA angels in FRA) always do it for me if I want it (sometimes I don't want it - yes sometimes I want fewer miles but have to use only one N-American-flight coupon out of my 'visit-USA-coupons-book': 1 coupon needed per flight number - not segment then, if the whole flight is in N-America. My last NO was for a single UA flight-number LGA-ORD-MEX).