Feb 27, 2013, 11:26 am
Last edit by: aztimm
Per the US Airways website:
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/preferred/upgrades.html
Upgrade notification
We send you an email the first time we try for an upgrade – no need to call. We'll continue to check for upgrades throughout the day and send follow up emails if we change your upgrade status – right up until 24 hours before your flight. If we're unable to upgrade your reservation up to 24 hours prior to departure, we'll process your upgrades when you check in online or at the airport (if they become available).
To be placed on the standby list choose the 'Add to standby list' link when you check in online. You'll only see the option to add yourself to the standby list if all passengers in your reservation are Preferred. If you're traveling with a companion, request that you and your companion be placed on the standby list at the airport.
Please check your Dividend Miles account to make sure we have your current email address.
Preferred upgrade priority – advance travel dates
When you purchase a full fare (Y or B class) economy ticket, you are eligible for an instant upgrade to First Class. After your reservation is ticketed, we will automatically attempt to upgrade you around the clock until a seat becomes available. We prioritize full fare economy tickets over all other fares.
If you book a discount fare (any fare other than Y or B class), we prioritize your upgrade by Preferred level and within each Preferred level, by the number of Preferred-qualifying miles you've flown on US Airways and US Airways Express operated flights in the last 12 months. We begin processing upgrades for all discount fares at either 7, 4, 3 or 2 days prior to departure, depending on Preferred level.
If we are unable to confirm an upgrade during our automated process, we'll try again when you check in for your flight. If seats are not available when you check in online, you can choose to be placed on the standby list.
To be placed on the standby list select the 'Add to standby list' link when checking in online. All passengers in your reservation must have Preferred status to have this option displayed at check in. If you are traveling with a companion, request that you and your companion be placed on the standby list at the airport.
Preferred upgrade priority – day of departure
•If we're unable to confirm an upgrade seat for you prior to departure, you may request an upgrade when you check in.
•Once check-in for a flight has begun, priority will be based upon Preferred level and then upon earliest check-in.
•Please advise the gate agent at the airport if you're traveling with a companion.
Companion upgrades
One non-Preferred traveling companion can upgrade when traveling on the same reservation as a Preferred member with a qualifying paid ticket. The companion will be upgraded at the same time as the Preferred member.
more info to add? PM aztimm.
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/preferred/upgrades.html
Upgrade notification
We send you an email the first time we try for an upgrade – no need to call. We'll continue to check for upgrades throughout the day and send follow up emails if we change your upgrade status – right up until 24 hours before your flight. If we're unable to upgrade your reservation up to 24 hours prior to departure, we'll process your upgrades when you check in online or at the airport (if they become available).
To be placed on the standby list choose the 'Add to standby list' link when you check in online. You'll only see the option to add yourself to the standby list if all passengers in your reservation are Preferred. If you're traveling with a companion, request that you and your companion be placed on the standby list at the airport.
Please check your Dividend Miles account to make sure we have your current email address.
Preferred upgrade priority – advance travel dates
When you purchase a full fare (Y or B class) economy ticket, you are eligible for an instant upgrade to First Class. After your reservation is ticketed, we will automatically attempt to upgrade you around the clock until a seat becomes available. We prioritize full fare economy tickets over all other fares.
If you book a discount fare (any fare other than Y or B class), we prioritize your upgrade by Preferred level and within each Preferred level, by the number of Preferred-qualifying miles you've flown on US Airways and US Airways Express operated flights in the last 12 months. We begin processing upgrades for all discount fares at either 7, 4, 3 or 2 days prior to departure, depending on Preferred level.
If we are unable to confirm an upgrade during our automated process, we'll try again when you check in for your flight. If seats are not available when you check in online, you can choose to be placed on the standby list.
To be placed on the standby list select the 'Add to standby list' link when checking in online. All passengers in your reservation must have Preferred status to have this option displayed at check in. If you are traveling with a companion, request that you and your companion be placed on the standby list at the airport.
Preferred upgrade priority – day of departure
•If we're unable to confirm an upgrade seat for you prior to departure, you may request an upgrade when you check in.
•Once check-in for a flight has begun, priority will be based upon Preferred level and then upon earliest check-in.
•Please advise the gate agent at the airport if you're traveling with a companion.
Companion upgrades
One non-Preferred traveling companion can upgrade when traveling on the same reservation as a Preferred member with a qualifying paid ticket. The companion will be upgraded at the same time as the Preferred member.
more info to add? PM aztimm.
US Automatic Upgrades (elite) [MASTER THREAD]
Sep 20, 2011, 8:24 am
#181
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SYR
Programs: USAir Silver
Posts: 37
how do preffered upgrades work?
I only ask because I am flying from PHX to SYR via CLT on Thurs, and being a silver I would be upgraded today (somehow i didn't get the nod, I am usually good for at least one upgrade leg). From PHX to CLT as of last night at midnight there was one FC seat available, and the connecting flight had 5. I bought my ticket almost 3 weeks ago, and counted the seats of preffered/exit rows to see if i had a legit shot at the time of booking (which i did) so if only silver's were left on the list to upgrade how did i manage to strike out? Does the list not go buy when you bought the ticket, but buy EQM's or price of the ticket purchased? Would love to get some insight going forward so I can be better prepared in the future. Thanks!
Sep 20, 2011, 8:44 am
#182
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Alexandria, VA - DCA
Programs: BA Gold, American Airlines, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 5,075
How do you know this? If it is by looking at the seatmaps, that is highly inaccurate. Just beacuse there is a seat in FC at your Silver window does not mean that seat has been allocated for a upgrade. The likelihood of an upgrade between PHX and CLT is very slim for a Silver. Keep in mind that they will hold FC seats for last minute full fare Y and F paying passengers.
Sep 20, 2011, 8:48 am
#183
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
I only ask because I am flying from PHX to SYR via CLT on Thurs, and being a silver I would be upgraded today (somehow i didn't get the nod, I am usually good for at least one upgrade leg). From PHX to CLT as of last night at midnight there was one FC seat available, and the connecting flight had 5. I bought my ticket almost 3 weeks ago, and counted the seats of preffered/exit rows to see if i had a legit shot at the time of booking (which i did) so if only silver's were left on the list to upgrade how did i manage to strike out? Does the list not go buy when you bought the ticket, but buy EQM's or price of the ticket purchased? Would love to get some insight going forward so I can be better prepared in the future. Thanks!
All individuals with "elite status" are eligible for preferred seats. You cannot tell by looking at the seat map what the status is of any or all of those with preferred seats selected. More importantly, the seat map is just that, a map showing the seats which have been selected. There could well me many more "elites" on your flight who simply have not yet selected a seat.
You are flying between two US hubs: PHX and CLT. That route may be US's heaviest UG demand route and therefore UG are few and far betwen. It is also an elite heavy route because there are people coming in from West of PHX headed East (including to Europe) and a significant number of people willing to pay for a seat in F (whether at F or discounted F fares). It is also a business-heavy route and many companies have corporate discounts which have resulted in their employees being UG at the time of booking.
As to what you can do: 1) the obvious: buy a seat in F or at least discounted F (A). You may be surprised to find that sometimes you can buy a seat in F for not much more than Y. 2) Buy a qualified Y-UP fare. This means that space available, you will receive an UG to F at the time of purchase. 3) Fly a lot more and you will gain some "status" and become Gold, Plat and Chairman in turn.
UA is considering a system where it's UG go first to people who paid higher fares and I suspect that you will see US and other carriers adopt this over time. You may have paid $1K for your ticket and be seated next to a Chairman who paid $200. In the future, maybe you as a Silver will get UG before the Chairman who paid list. But, not for now.
Other things you can do are to fly on less busy days of the week and at less busy times. None of this guarantees anything, but can help your odds.
Sep 20, 2011, 9:08 am
#184
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SYR
Programs: USAir Silver
Posts: 37
I understand that All other tiers of upgrades have to clear before me as a lowly silver, get upgraded. I guess checking the seat map everyday the last week was inaccurate (eventhough I saw more seats being claimed in FC, with more seats in coach after every upgrade window cleared) Is there a better way to find out how high on the list you are or actual seat availability? I understand how tough upgrades are, just would like to be able to get a better idea if im gonna be stuck in coach or have a legit shot at the upgrade. Any suggestion son how to tell where you are on the list or see what seats are actually taken?
Sep 20, 2011, 9:51 am
#185
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
I understand that All other tiers of upgrades have to clear before me as a lowly silver, get upgraded. I guess checking the seat map everyday the last week was inaccurate (eventhough I saw more seats being claimed in FC, with more seats in coach after every upgrade window cleared) Is there a better way to find out how high on the list you are or actual seat availability? I understand how tough upgrades are, just would like to be able to get a better idea if im gonna be stuck in coach or have a legit shot at the upgrade. Any suggestion son how to tell where you are on the list or see what seats are actually taken?
All of this aside, I would call US and determine what there is available for purchase in F and what that will cost. You may be surprised at how little it sometimes can be.
Sep 20, 2011, 9:56 am
#186
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: US-CP, UA, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Avis,
Posts: 4,549
I use Expert Flyer. It is not free but has paid for itself many times over. It shows you which seats are taken on a seat map plus how many seats in the various F fare buckets remain to be sold-- so if you see a seat map that looks like it has 5 seats open but they are only selling 2 more F seats, you know that the other 3 have been sold but have not yet been assigned. You can't really tell where you are on the upgrade queue (which is another one of my many frustrations with US IT department) but using EF you can see how many of the "preferred" seats in Coach are booked-- not an accurate guide as it does not account for preferreds who are seated outside of the "preferred" seats, or those with unassigned seats, but you can at least see a few days before the flight if there are a ton of elites already booked or if you're all on your lonesome.
Getting a solid, accurate feel for the chances of any upgrade is a black art. Most of the ones I am convinced I will miss, I end up getting, and I've been surprised more than once by the ones I've missed after thinking them "sure things." It is much harder at the lower tiers, too; as CP, when looking at the number of folks booked into the "preferred" seats I can pretty much count on outranking most (if not all) of them but at the lower tiers, it's much more likely that someone else will outrank you.
Getting a solid, accurate feel for the chances of any upgrade is a black art. Most of the ones I am convinced I will miss, I end up getting, and I've been surprised more than once by the ones I've missed after thinking them "sure things." It is much harder at the lower tiers, too; as CP, when looking at the number of folks booked into the "preferred" seats I can pretty much count on outranking most (if not all) of them but at the lower tiers, it's much more likely that someone else will outrank you.
Sep 20, 2011, 12:36 pm
#187
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
When I first became Silver, I had the same issue as you, so I called US up and talked to the agent about this, he explained it to me and at the times time "forced" the upgrade for me. I wasn't demanding at all, just wanted to understand how US did thier upgrades. You may want to give US a call and talk to them who knows you might get a nice agent to "force" the upgrade. Agents are not suppose to do this but there are some that will.
I understand that All other tiers of upgrades have to clear before me as a lowly silver, get upgraded. I guess checking the seat map everyday the last week was inaccurate (eventhough I saw more seats being claimed in FC, with more seats in coach after every upgrade window cleared) Is there a better way to find out how high on the list you are or actual seat availability? I understand how tough upgrades are, just would like to be able to get a better idea if im gonna be stuck in coach or have a legit shot at the upgrade. Any suggestion son how to tell where you are on the list or see what seats are actually taken?
Sep 20, 2011, 1:33 pm
#188
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,663
From what I read on FT, this practice has been largely discontinued.
Sep 20, 2011, 2:48 pm
#189
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
Sep 27, 2011, 10:18 pm
#190
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Stuart FL
Posts: 119
CP Upgrade - Holding Inventory
Interested to hear if other CP's have noticed an increase in unavailability of the automatic CP upgrade 7 days out despite 6 out of 12 open FC seats at day 7... Had a coach res on a nonstop (DCA-FLL) showing 6 FC seats available (confirmed that # prior to booking thru the CP desk 8day out). Got the email on day 7 advising upgrade not available. When I called the CP desk, was advised that the 6 seats were being held for possible FC revenue sales. I fly to FL frequently and don't recall ever encountering this situation with that many available FC seats 7 days out. I know that the # of nonstops to FL from the Northeast are reduced in the off season for capacity reasons - but this incident makes me wonder about the value of the CP upgrade benefit in cases like this. I know this CP upgrade benefit is a bit of a crap shoot (particularly on the transcons) and revenue trumps all these days, but, c'mon - 6 open FC seats and no upgrade??
Sep 28, 2011, 7:23 am
#191
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: US-CP, UA, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Avis,
Posts: 4,549
I get the "no upgrades available" email at the 7-day mark pretty regularly and it doesn't really bother me; most times, unless the F cabin is truly close to sold out (3 or fewer seats left) the upgrade clears a day or two later. Makes no difference to me if it clears 7 days out or 4 days out as long as it clears. I do get more anxious as the PP window opens simply because there are still agents willing to force an upgrade, and the more tiers of elites that are eligible, the more chance that one of them will call in and get an agent that doesn't enforce the rules. It seems like they release a chunk of seats on these flights, a half-day before the PP window opens, so the sweeps take care of things. It's annoying but in the grand scheme of things, not something I dwell on.
Sep 30, 2011, 6:30 pm
#192
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: AA PPro, Mariott Ambassador, B6 Mosaic, SBUX Gold, Best Buy Elite
Posts: 1,838
Looks like I have been bitten by the upgrade gremlin. I have a flight thursday night that I have not gotten an email to tell me about upgrade availability. Hopefully the reservation isn't messed up. It was booked via SPGFlights T fare. Originally my FF# didn't make it over from SPG so I called a couple of weeks ago and had it added.
Oct 3, 2011, 10:24 am
#193
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Upgrade avaiable during on-line checkin
I had something interesting happen when I checked in online for a flight tomorrow. I was told a comp upgrade was available. I clicked the upgrade button; it said I successfully upgraded but when I printed my pass or tried to check my seat the coach ticket is all that was showing. Is the new tix something they give me at the airport? I've been upgraded last minute before actually while on the plane already in coach but this is the first time I have ever seen the option when I checked in on-line. I called customer service and of course they have no idea. Anyone ever have this happen?
Oct 3, 2011, 11:21 am
#194
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
I had something interesting happen when I checked in online for a flight tomorrow. I was told a comp upgrade was available. I clicked the upgrade button; it said I successfully upgraded but when I printed my pass or tried to check my seat the coach ticket is all that was showing. Is the new tix something they give me at the airport? I've been upgraded last minute before actually while on the plane already in coach but this is the first time I have ever seen the option when I checked in on-line. I called customer service and of course they have no idea. Anyone ever have this happen?
What strikes me as uncommon here is that the ticket that was issued to you did not reflect the upgrade you requested. I would fear some glitch like two of you being offered and accepting at near-same time, and would call to plead my case immediately.
Oct 3, 2011, 11:56 am
#195
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Upgrades at on-line check-in are common.
What strikes me as uncommon here is that the ticket that was issued to you did not reflect the upgrade you requested. I would fear some glitch like two of you being offered and accepting at near-same time, and would call to plead my case immediately.
What strikes me as uncommon here is that the ticket that was issued to you did not reflect the upgrade you requested. I would fear some glitch like two of you being offered and accepting at near-same time, and would call to plead my case immediately.