PHL

You can use miles to upgrade an award you paid for with money. You cannot use miles to upgrade an award you already booked with miles (saver or premium)

From what it sounds like, whether you are on a premium coach award (similar to a Y fare) or a discount coach fare (like M or H), it sounds like both of those require 'R' class availability to get the upgrade. The key difference is that you can grab that 'R' seat well before the 1/3/7 day window if you are on a premium coach award paid for with either 100K points or $$ for a full Y or B fare.

dingo

I do appreciate all of the help folks.

So do I just keep calling and checking to see if there is availability?

life_journey

Hello US FTs!

Been a while since I've been on US Metal. I used to take this run a lot for work (in Y class ) last year. This year will be my first run in May (Peak Season! ) - was wondering how the service/run was holding up. I remember that it was pretty decent, w/ the IFE, normal food, etc.

How are the loads recentlly, quality of the coach product. I'm a 1P (Star Gold) with United working to make 1K this year (similar to CP). Does the PHL lounge have Showers (which I would like to use on my return as I will be connecting to IAD)?

Is there a Lounge at FCO that Star Golds can use to shower as well on arrival and to hang out in the return leg?

Grazie e Saluti a tutti de Roma!

LJ (Sitting in Rome right now - unfortunatly working )

EnvoyBoy

According to the US website, only Envoy pax have access to arrival facilities. At FCO, that would be a room at the FCO Hilton, attached to the airport although quite a walk with luggage in tow. They're very generous with time--it seems you could stay there all day. *Gold members do get access to the departure lounge, which is a contract facilitiy just past the US gates at FCO. It's very loud with almost endless announcement covering all the airlines it serves. There are some sofas but it's pretty much tables and chairs with free drinks. It's in the basement and windowless and pretty lame...until you consider you could be sitting out at the gate.

life_journey

Thanks for the intel - I guess it will be a non-acommodating trip.

Oh wells - I've gotten to used to my UA/LH runs with plentiful lounges everywhere.

Any intel on PHL lounges/showers?

dingo

bump

CP_Brit

AFAIK, the only shower you'll get is on your own dime at the Marriott...

dingo

Well I went ahead and booked the premium award and told the rep that I'd be using the CP dmuta5 (or whatever) cert to upgrade. She told me it would clear 7 days prior to departure. I responded, 'in theory, it can clear any time between now and then right.' She went on to tell me that in theory that was correct, but didn't want me to be disappointed and waste my time calling back in the meantime. That if it would clear, it would do so seven days prior to departure.

As of today, there are 23 and 31 seats respectively on the outbound and return. It seems likely that US does not free up any seats at all for upgrade until the seven day window.

I found that odd, disturbing, but refreshing in terms of honesty.

johnep1

Hmm, it's worth a call back to the CP line (takes all of 2 minutes) to see if they can upgrade you now. Since you got a full-fare ticket (premium awards are treated as such), you should be able to upgrade anytime (pending availability of course). Not sure why she told you 7 days as that's the window for clearing the restricted ticket upgrades.

Since she told you that it might clear at 7 days, it seems that she might not have known that you are allowed to upgrade now. Anyway, it's worth a call.

dingo

Thanks for the reply. Whenever I call the CP desk and say the word 'international' I immediately get transferred. Has anyone had experience in which the CP desk clears an upgrade for international travel?

planeluvr

No, the CP desk will transfer you over to the International Desk. A CP agent can not process a Trans-Atlantic upgrade. I do use the CP number so that I will be at the top of the waiting list to get to an International agent.

I would call back and see if you can be upgraded now. If upgrade is not available now (which is likely) call back in a few days. U has been stingy about release of T/A upgrades for the past year (Full or discount fare buckets) and usually do not change the availability until the 7 and 3 day mark.