Is There Any Work Around or Hack to Upgrade a Companion in a Different PNR
Feb 5, 2015, 8:20 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: BOS
Programs: JetBlue Mosaic, WN A List Preferred, Hyatt Globalest, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Spire
Posts: 3,966
Is There Any Work Around or Hack to Upgrade a Companion in a Different PNR
US's policy for flight upgrades, I'm talking domestic for this question, is that a Chairman can upgrade a companion booked in the same PNR.
AA allows companion upgrades booked in a different PNR, and I imagine US will eventually go this route. Also US used to allow companion upgrades booked in a different PNR.
Is there any hack or work around to get a companion upgraded who is booked in a different PNR?
Ideas:
Airport Upgrade: The airport agents have the system permissions to upgrade anybody. Does anyone know how they do this, or what its called? I imagine there are different ways or methods in the system that an airport agent can do the upgrade. Do they still even have entrys in the system to do upgrades based on paper certificates? They must also have a method or a process where they can upgrade someone based on an overosld flight. I know there are manual ways upgrades can be done in the system.
Airport Agent Build New PNR: I have heard that airport agents can attach an e-ticket to a PNR. Could an airport agent build a new PNR with 2 passengers, and attach the 2 original e-tickets to the new combined PNR? I imagine even if they can do this its time consuming and not something the sand castle encourages them to do.
Other Ideas: ?
AA allows companion upgrades booked in a different PNR, and I imagine US will eventually go this route. Also US used to allow companion upgrades booked in a different PNR.
Is there any hack or work around to get a companion upgraded who is booked in a different PNR?
Ideas:
Airport Upgrade: The airport agents have the system permissions to upgrade anybody. Does anyone know how they do this, or what its called? I imagine there are different ways or methods in the system that an airport agent can do the upgrade. Do they still even have entrys in the system to do upgrades based on paper certificates? They must also have a method or a process where they can upgrade someone based on an overosld flight. I know there are manual ways upgrades can be done in the system.
Airport Agent Build New PNR: I have heard that airport agents can attach an e-ticket to a PNR. Could an airport agent build a new PNR with 2 passengers, and attach the 2 original e-tickets to the new combined PNR? I imagine even if they can do this its time consuming and not something the sand castle encourages them to do.
Other Ideas: ?
Feb 5, 2015, 9:59 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,073
By the time you get to the airport, most if not all of the F seats will have been given to elites anyway. If there are any left, the SOP is to try and sell them to non-elites (by kiosk or agent). You can certainly ask the agent to upgrade your companion, but don't be upset if they follow policy and don't do it (for free).
The policy has been in place for a while, much to the chagrin of veteran US DM members who enjoyed the ability to upgrade a companion flying on a different PNR. I don't recall if the reason for the change was IT related or a way to limit the number of non-elites being upgraded to give a better shot to the rest.
The policy has gained them more revenue from me because sometimes I've traveled with a companion who's coming from another city XXX-PHL-YYY, whereas I am flying PHL-YYY. I've booked us together on a PNR from PHL-YYY-PHL, and the companion a separate XXX-PHL-XXX. That way we've gotten the upgrade on the PHL-YYY-PHL flights we were on together, but doing it that way cost a bit more money. I weighed that decision with the alternatives of 1.) upgrading the companion with miles + cash (if available) or 2.) the day of flight upgrade (if available) for $$$.
So, no I don't think there's a backdoor method for you to use other than canceling both reservations in advance, sucking up the change fees, and rebooking onto the same PNR.
Will AA "inherit" this policy? Who knows. Their system currently is setup to allow us to add a passenger on a different PNR to be with us for upgrade purposes. That also requires more stickers (for non Ex-Plats), so they make some money on those transactions in the form of taking $30/sticker and/or reducing the number of stickers out there. That could remain the same since we don't know if they will remove the 500 mile sticker requirement and go all comp upgrades. There is a camp out there that strongly believes that the stickers should remain so that the F product isn't so diluted and has some "value" to those who want to redeem some stickers.
The policy has been in place for a while, much to the chagrin of veteran US DM members who enjoyed the ability to upgrade a companion flying on a different PNR. I don't recall if the reason for the change was IT related or a way to limit the number of non-elites being upgraded to give a better shot to the rest.
The policy has gained them more revenue from me because sometimes I've traveled with a companion who's coming from another city XXX-PHL-YYY, whereas I am flying PHL-YYY. I've booked us together on a PNR from PHL-YYY-PHL, and the companion a separate XXX-PHL-XXX. That way we've gotten the upgrade on the PHL-YYY-PHL flights we were on together, but doing it that way cost a bit more money. I weighed that decision with the alternatives of 1.) upgrading the companion with miles + cash (if available) or 2.) the day of flight upgrade (if available) for $$$.
So, no I don't think there's a backdoor method for you to use other than canceling both reservations in advance, sucking up the change fees, and rebooking onto the same PNR.
Will AA "inherit" this policy? Who knows. Their system currently is setup to allow us to add a passenger on a different PNR to be with us for upgrade purposes. That also requires more stickers (for non Ex-Plats), so they make some money on those transactions in the form of taking $30/sticker and/or reducing the number of stickers out there. That could remain the same since we don't know if they will remove the 500 mile sticker requirement and go all comp upgrades. There is a camp out there that strongly believes that the stickers should remain so that the F product isn't so diluted and has some "value" to those who want to redeem some stickers.
Feb 5, 2015, 10:49 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: BOS
Programs: JetBlue Mosaic, WN A List Preferred, Hyatt Globalest, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Spire
Posts: 3,966
They seem to be adopting more customer friendly policies as a trend:
1. AA Exec Plats will now be able to make complimentary same day changes to earlier or later flights. This is an improvement over legacy AA that even charged Exec Plats the same day confirmed fee. Eventually this will also be an improvement for US elites who endure "Move Up," which is unnecessarily restrictive and can't be done online - by phone. The grass is truly greener at other carriers than legacy US, B6, UA, and DL all allow their top tier elites to make broad same day changes to earlier or later same day flights at no charge. With UA you can even change the day of the trip if you book it a certain way with in 24 hours.
and
2. The AA policy of allowing the companion upgrades on different PNRs, and allowing the use of system wide upgrades even if the pax is not traveling with the member.
As for whether there will be any day of departure upgrades left, I have heard that AA holds back more seats for gate processing to accommodate elites who make same day changes. I know that US tends to 0 out first with in 24 hours of the flight. I don't know if US is now going to be holding back more seats until day of departure like AA did. I'm not sure also if the A bookign code (the new O for upgrades) can be viewed on ExpertFlyer, etc.?
I am nervous even as a Chairman making same day MoveUp etc. because there tend not to be any upgrade seats left, although as a CP I am almost always #1 on the list.
Also its difficult when the flight is checked in full in first because you can't see on
http://mobile.usairways.com
if it is boarded full or not in first. With OLCI you can easily have checked in pax that won't board, and the mobile site doesn't even have a way to un-checkin. I am curious if there are any generalities on say if firwst is checked in 12 out of 12 how often it is that someone doesn't board. On a recent BOs to dCA shuttle checked in 12 out of 12 1 person was a no show so I got the upgrade being #1 of a list of 26! Also this is more work for the agents ie having to offload the no show pax and then add the pax from the Upgrade List. I'm sure they always process the upgrade list if there are un checked in seats, but I'm not sure how often they process it if there are checked in but not boarded pax. I also usually get the upgrades just for watching for an avail seat with in 24 hours that opens up.
1. AA Exec Plats will now be able to make complimentary same day changes to earlier or later flights. This is an improvement over legacy AA that even charged Exec Plats the same day confirmed fee. Eventually this will also be an improvement for US elites who endure "Move Up," which is unnecessarily restrictive and can't be done online - by phone. The grass is truly greener at other carriers than legacy US, B6, UA, and DL all allow their top tier elites to make broad same day changes to earlier or later same day flights at no charge. With UA you can even change the day of the trip if you book it a certain way with in 24 hours.
and
2. The AA policy of allowing the companion upgrades on different PNRs, and allowing the use of system wide upgrades even if the pax is not traveling with the member.
As for whether there will be any day of departure upgrades left, I have heard that AA holds back more seats for gate processing to accommodate elites who make same day changes. I know that US tends to 0 out first with in 24 hours of the flight. I don't know if US is now going to be holding back more seats until day of departure like AA did. I'm not sure also if the A bookign code (the new O for upgrades) can be viewed on ExpertFlyer, etc.?
I am nervous even as a Chairman making same day MoveUp etc. because there tend not to be any upgrade seats left, although as a CP I am almost always #1 on the list.
Also its difficult when the flight is checked in full in first because you can't see on
http://mobile.usairways.com
if it is boarded full or not in first. With OLCI you can easily have checked in pax that won't board, and the mobile site doesn't even have a way to un-checkin. I am curious if there are any generalities on say if firwst is checked in 12 out of 12 how often it is that someone doesn't board. On a recent BOs to dCA shuttle checked in 12 out of 12 1 person was a no show so I got the upgrade being #1 of a list of 26! Also this is more work for the agents ie having to offload the no show pax and then add the pax from the Upgrade List. I'm sure they always process the upgrade list if there are un checked in seats, but I'm not sure how often they process it if there are checked in but not boarded pax. I also usually get the upgrades just for watching for an avail seat with in 24 hours that opens up.
Feb 5, 2015, 10:57 am
#4
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741