Usin miles to upgrade on the day of departure?

I am off to Vegas on 22nd December, flying economy paid for with miles. I have enough miles for PE or UC but there is no availability.

Is there ever the opportunity to upgrade for the miles difference on the day if there is availability in PE or UC? If so does anyone have any tips, should this be requested at checkin or by phone etc?

Thanks for any advice.

[HighFlyer]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

Usually there is a reasonable chance of upgrading with miles on the day, though given how close to Christmas you are flying, you may find your flight getting rather full in PE and UC. Direct flights to Vegas are usually full as it is, never mind just before the festive season. I'd keep trying with Flying Club a week or so before departure, just in case any further seats get released. If not, get to check-in nice and early and ask very nicely, if there is room they will let you.

Thanks,
Sarah

[mitchja]

Hello greyt and welcome to V-Flyer

You can indeed use miles at the airport to upgrade an existing reward flight. You can upgrade before your flight as well just as long there is reward availability in the higher class, here lies the problem though, Vegas flights are very popular (especially over the holidays) so it's unlikey VS will release any further reward fares I'm afraid.

Reward fares in Upper Class on Vegas flights are like gold-dust!!

Regards

[Decker]

J0 D0 Z0 W7 S7 K3 Y7 B7 L7 M7 Q7 X7 N7

So... UC - doubt it... PE perhaps

Thanks for the responses. I know that Vegas flights fill up quickly, just hoping that a full flight may mean that someone has to get upgraded and whether "paying" with miles makes it a better proposition for them.

After 6 UC flights this year, economy is going to be a bit of a let down[8D]

[HighFlyer]

just hoping that a full flight may mean that someone has to get upgraded and whether "paying" with miles makes it a better proposition for them.

Certainly, if VS are looking to upgrade passengers as the aircraft is overbooked, offering your miles up early on in the day will definitely stand you a good chance of moving up a cabin, though many of the operational upgrades are often decided the night before (usually FC Au or Ag members travelling in PE or Y). Do ask when you get there, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain!

Thanks,
Sarah

[preiffer]

The ONLY issue is that "gutting" feeling when you see half of the cabin become Op-Ups after you relinquised tens of thousands of miles for the priviledge yourself...

(If you can get over that, then Sarah's point is key - they'd rather take miles than nothing for a seat they HAVE to move someone into anyway)

[Decker]

Or from our recent trip - offering the miles only to be turned down unless we paid a huge amount of money to move from a K to a W then getting a gate op up... or perhaps they knew we'd be op-upped and didn't want to take our miles....

To follow up on my posting in case it helps anyone else. I kept checking daily trying to book new reward seats online. 6 days before departure 2 PE seats came up so I upgraded. Today (2 days before departure), to my amazement 2 UC seats came up

Now looking forward to the Vegas flight which I certainly wasn't before

Yo Greyt - hope the return upgrades worked out - and don't forget to pay your mystery benefactor for the gift miles!!! [8D]