CP line can't see flights with F upgrades within 7 days??
 

Morning... can't really figure out what to call this, but its amazing that with computers and everything that I might know more than them.....

So the deal is, I have to book a BOS-SFO trip leaving next Satruday to Monday. Its Sunday, so I figure, if I call, I can say... I'm looking at the $375 RT flights online, can you tell me which of the flights have O (I think) inventory, so I can auto-upgrade.

Well, it turns out they try to book me on United the first go round... and I get a fare of $1200. I say... no, I'm looking at it online and there are a bunch of $169 and $189 each way flights.... which have inventory, to which they tell me its F inventory.... :confused:

I am cordial, hang up, click on seats for EVERY return flight and end up booking BOS-PHL-SFO (yeah, I know) and BOS-SFO (stop in PIT). Each has at least 2 or more F seats. So the system upgrades me on the way out and evidently they are holding 2 revenue seats on the return... :rolleyes:

So in summary...
They should give the agents an internet terminal rather than SHARES
They need to train more on SHARES
Customer gets the shaft, since I ended up paying $50 extra while screwing around with reservations, while working.... Given the <7day window, I dared not wait an extra day for fear of the price doubling.

So on the plus side, I paid $425, with 2 upgrades secured already, but its kind of amazing that with all the info at their fingertips, I couldn't get any help, even from the CP line.... Shouldn't this be easy?

You must have had a new agent or they were having some sort of computer issue. I've never had an issue with CP agents being able to tell what flights have upgrade seats open. Also the internet chat agents are also quite good at providing that information as well.

Internet Chat... ah.. right.. I hadn't thought of that, though I thought the CP desk would have known. Yeah.. she did seem kind of new.... tried to be helpful, but really wasn't.

I'll have to try chat next time, though ironically, I was behind a very slow firewall at this point.

Thanks for the tip...

Internet chat is one of the best ways to go, as I've even had them "hold" upgrade seats for me while I am completing a ticket purchase online. Then as soon as the purchase is complete, they process the upgrade.