cedarjustin

I hear a lot of talk about calling ahead or talking to the gate agent for upgrades. Can someone explain? I didn't see a thread.

I'm probably something like 0 for 6 right now, but never tried calling ahead or asking the gate agent. I figured they would just call my name at the gate if one became available and I was the next 'worthy' recipient.

BoeingBoy

Others can flesh this out and/or correct anything wrong, but calling your elite desk ahead of time (starting right after your upgrade window closes) might get you a seat that inventory control released if it's before the automatic process runs again (I think that only runs 2 or 3 times a day). For example, the Silver window closes at 2 days prior. If no automatic upgrade clears, calling an hour later may snag a seat that inventory control just released for upgrade/award even though there may be Chairman, Platinum, and Gold that also didn't get the auto upgrade and are ahead of the Silver in priority.

As far as checking with the GA, that is just to make sure that your name is on the upgrade list at the airport and that you didn't fall through the cracks somewhere.

Jim

asimu pawa

Upgraded as an SP on:
PHL-PIT Thursday March
LAX-PHX Tuesday July

Not upgraded as an SP on:
OAK-PHX Friday May
PHX-PHL Friday May
PHL-CLT Friday July
CLT-LAX Friday July
PHX-PHL Tuesday July

Also got an upgrade in January on PHL-PIT (Friday) while I was still a Plat.

To be fair, I often end up doing standby. I have given up an upgrade on a short leg to standby on a more convenient route.

That US allows standby routing changes is (to me) very useful. This might be a "benefit by incompetence," as much as anything. They aren't set up to enforce more strict standby rules -- GAs just need a fair amount of leeway to solve all the sorts of problems they run in to.

Quip

Upgraded on 3/4 segments. Of the three upgraded segments US failed to get me to the connecting city in time to take the upgraded segment once and canceled the upgraded segment once. So out of 14 segments this year I've enjoyed the "last remaining perk of DM" once.

CDKing

upgraded 10 of 12 as silver in 2008 but lost 1 segment due to missed connection

Upgraded

PDX-LAS 1/17/08 - Thu
BOS-LAS 1/20/08 - Sun
LAS-PDX 1/20/08 - Sun
PDX-LAS 2/7/08 - Thu
PDX-LAS 2/27/08 - Wed
LAS-BOS 2/27/08 - wed
BOS-LAS 7/9/08 - Wed - Companion w/o status upgraded with me
PDX-CLT 7/19/08 - Sat - Companion w/o status upgraded with me
CLT-BOS 7/20/08 - Sun - Companion w/o status upgraded with me

Not Upgraded

LAS-BOS 1/17/08 - Thu
LAS-BOS 2/7/08 - Thu
LAS-PDX 7/10/08 - Thu - Lost upgrade due to misconnect

andryas

3/3 all with one non-elite companion.

DCA-LAS Sat
MSY-DCA Mon
DCA-BDL Mon

curtiswaters

I find that upgrades on domestic flights are very slim.

However - I booked US Airways Vacations for an early July trip, CLT to Cancun. Was upgraded (with my wife, who has no status) both ways.


Curtis

MikeLaw

My wife is 3 for 4 as a SP flying without me. RIC-CLT / CLT-MCO / MCO-CLT all worked and CLT-RIC failed.

Buffaloflyer

So far I have been mostly on RJs and DH8s (ugh)

The 3 times I have been mainline I have been 0 fer.

PHL-PIT (not too surprised)

PHL-RSW (very surprised as I thought RSW was a leisure route)

TPA-PHL (somewhat surprised but not as surprised as PHL-RSW)

Since I have moved from BUF to PHL upgrades are certainly more scarce...

The worst part was that on both PHL-RSW and TPA-PHL as I did the boarding area scan of other's BP's I saw other Silvers in F...oh well I always say I paid for Y anyway...

aaflyer757

I am 11/14 as silver this year only missing an AUA to CLT flight, CLT to PIT and LAS to PIT Most of my flights are from PIT to LAS and have been upgraded on most all of them except one. I have been silver now for 2 years and since then I have only sat in coach 5 times or so out of 30 flights. Although US first class isn't comparable to CO it is still better than sitting in the back. I am about 3500 miles short of 25000 miles so I may not make silver for next year (which is disappointing because I have heavy travel plans next year).
Oh well you cant win them all

Sabre1

I went 2 for 3 over the Thanksgiving Weekend as a Silver. I got upgraded Charlotte to Orlando and Orlando to Charlotte, both flights on 8 seater 757s. I also got a companion upgrade on the return. The time of day was likely why I was successful, the outbound was 10pm on Tuesday 11/25 and the return was 6:35am on Saturday 11/29.

Oddly enough, I didn't get upgraded on Buffalo to Charlotte in a 16 seater FC cabin.

BTW, my Gold status hasn't kicked in yet (still waiting for some preferred miles to post).

MichaelColey

1 for 1 so far on eligible flights, with a campanion.

DFW->PHX

redtop43

I signed up on the "BePreferred" promotions. I thought that since everyone and their pet lizard would be silver, upgrades would be non-existent. However, on 10 segments so far I am 6/8 on upgrades (2 segments on metal with no F cabin). Only ones I've missed on are BDA-PHL and BOS-LGA.

Some of the flights have gone out with several F seats empty. One I was on (OK, it was 6:15AM Saturday JAX-PHL) had 12 F seats and only 3 filled.

Crazyhotelguy

How are all of you all getting CLT to MCO and vice versa? I am having problems getting upgraded as GOLD on these flights.

vtmike

I got silver in July, based on segments. I mainly fly CRJs, but am 3/4 (1 on CLT-IAH and 2 on CLT-MDT) on mainline routes, but only actually sat in F once. Missed it once, and the computer somehow split the reservation failed to upgrade my companion when going to IAH.


I have one more mainline route this year. CLT to MDT again, but I should be gold by then. When does the computer process gold upgrades, is it still 2 days out or is it further?