Always Flyin

I'm curious what the paid fare basis will be. It sounds to me like it would have to be a full "Y" fare, unless it was an existing ticket with a change of dates. Otherwise, which economy fare will he be charged?

venk

It is the return portion of an existing ticket in M fare class that I could not use on the originally booked date.

JeffS

Venk: The way I read your original post is that you have a paid ticket for that flight but no seat assignment. If that is the case I don't think you have anything to worry about. If not then I am further confused.

venk

I have a paid ticket that was confirmed for a different date that I could not make. So I have been looking for a flight to return on that ticket but the flights are all full and hence why I was placed on the waiting list for coach.

hobson

Now that the "facts" are mostly all in, I think the "fax" needs to come in for you to be safe.

I've had trouble changing even DOMESTIC flight times on same day if an H class seat wasn't available on the flight I wanted to change to...even if there were plenty of "A" upgrade seats showing. I've had that "rule" broken by an accommodating agent, but you can't count on it. Having that fax is your best best.

Andrew Yiu

Chances are when you check in, a DM card will pop out and that might prompt the agent to investigate why. The question becomes whether a C boarding pass will actually come out. You should probably try to sort this out before the day of departure rather than risking it.

venk

Ok folks, I now have the fax where everything is all confirmed and nice without a hint of anything being awry.

I intend to check-in early in the morning for the late afternoon flight on Tue (no check-in luggage) at LHR and see what happens.

Have some "stock sentences" in mind in case I need them

- "But I canceled all my other waiting lists and confirmed flight in July because I got a confirmed seat here!"

- "I wasn't looking for a coach seat, only a business seat.."

- "This fax says I have a confirmed seat in business class"

- "I was asked to call and get a seat assignment and I did. How can that happen if I didn't have a confirmed seat?"

- "My head hurts with your rules on upgrading. Why can't it be simple?"

Any more suggestions?

hobson

I'd stick with #3 and definitely avoid #5. You could get an answer you don't like!

ozstamps

We are mere humble servants of the UA computer. If the fax says "Confirmed Business Class" and shows your seat allocation thank the great God United, and you need not to know any more.

The airline has no clue any of this was discussed on FT. If they fax you that the confirmed seat is yours, and they have extracted payment for a coach ticket AND an upgrade, let them sort the mess out.

That is why once again I **ALWAYS** insist on a fax.

------------------
~ Glen ~

Andrew Yiu

Just tell them "I called and made a reservation, requested an upgrade, agent told me I am placed on the WL. Couple days before departure, I called and checked on the status of my reservation and the agent told me that my upgrade cleared so I got a seat assignment. What's wrong with that?"

Seriously, how would a normal traveller know that they weren't confirmed in Y in the first place when the agent told them their upgrade cleared?

I think it's best to play stupid if they try to give you trouble.

Good Luck!

pdx1M

I'll observe that it is very common when holding a confirmed economy seat and waitlisting for C, to have both seats show confirmed in the itinary when the C seat clears. At times I have been talking to a 1K agent about things and asked about the 2 held seats for the same flight and their response always seems to be to "clean up the record". After the clean up the economy seat is gone and the C seat shows. At that point you are confirmed in NC and if they need to downgrade you then it is their problem to get you back into coach. Once you hold NC you don't hold an economy seat any more (i.e., the inventory is open to sell to someone else). So the notion that you might have a problem due to no seat to go back to seems broken. Note that when coach is getting overly full and inventory management processes some upgrades it is precisely to open up more sale inventory in coach.

venk

Just an update to let y'all know that I didn't have any problem. Checked in and the only question was whether the upgrade was with a cert or miles.

The itinerary stayed as waitlisted for coach till the end.