Upgrading an upgrade?

Hi there,

I'm planning on taking a west coast US trip buying an economy ticket in an appropriate bucket and upgrading with miles to Upper.

I'm using the trick of looking for one way reward flights and outbound there seems to be availability in Upper so no problems there but the return (10th May +/- 3 days) there seems to be only PE available (checked LAX/SFO/LAS).

If I book an upper outbound and a PE return and then I find availability nearer the time is the upgraded PE leg eligible for upgrade to Upper by giving up my extra 20000 miles?

Thanks for your help!

[mcmbenjamin]

Yep. And maybe a 50USD/25GBP change fee if the remember to charge it. Good way to lock in what you want now. I bet you UCS opens up; just start checking 7 days out.

[RichardMannion]

Yes that is fine to do, there will be no need to pay any difference as its not a revenue change (you are using reward inventory), and you would have already paid the correct rate of APD.

Thanks,
Richard

Excellent, just what I wanted to hear.

Will get on the phone to Virgin then.

Thanks for your help.

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
Yep. And maybe a 50USD/25GBP change fee if the remember to charge it. Good way to lock in what you want now. I bet you UCS opens up; just start checking 7 days out.

Can you use VS miles to upgrade when at the airport? Am sure this must have been covered before, but damned if I know where...

Yes you can use miles at the airport. Sometimes there is more availability of rewards seats too, although I have to say that VS have always been very helpful in getting extras released by their revenue management department once we were within a week of the flight in question. Occassionally at non-UK airports getting a miles upgrade can be difficult as the foreign agents are not as familiar with the FC systems. This has always prooved to be a problem at PVG for me. However good old insistance, combined once with a call to FC, has always done the trick!

Originally posted by sailor99
Yes you can use miles at the airport. Sometimes there is more availability of rewards seats too, although I have to say that VS have always been very helpful in getting extras released by their revenue management department once we were within a week of the flight in question. Occassionally at non-UK airports getting a miles upgrade can be difficult as the foreign agents are not as familiar with the FC systems. This has always prooved to be a problem at PVG for me. However good old insistance, combined once with a call to FC, has always done the trick!

Interesting! How does that work then - should I ask at check in? Would they be able to access my account there, or should I take along my latest statement (sounds a bit archaic, but who knows?)

Sorry, another question! The ticket I have is PE out, and UC back - bought it on miles plus money - would it still be possible to try for an upgrade out in this way?

Interesting! How does that work then - should I ask at check in? Would they be able to access my account there, or should I take along my latest statement (sounds a bit archaic, but who knows?)

Just pop along to the ticket sales desk along with your FC card and hopefully the jobs done. Don't forget that not all booking classes are upgradeable - see Richard Mannion's fare class guide for details. However even a non-upgradable fare class can sometimes be upgraded on the day with luck and a fair wind.

Richard's fare class guide

Originally posted by sailor99

Interesting! How does that work then - should I ask at check in? Would they be able to access my account there, or should I take along my latest statement (sounds a bit archaic, but who knows?)

Just pop along to the ticket sales desk along with your FC card and hopefully the jobs done. Don't forget that not all booking classes are upgradeable - see Richard Mannion's fare class guide for details. However even a non-upgradable fare class can sometimes be upgraded on the day with luck and a fair wind.

Richard's fare class guide

Thanks sailor - got to be worth a try!

Sure has! Where you off to and when?

Originally posted by catsilversword

Originally posted by sailor99

Interesting! How does that work then - should I ask at check in? Would they be able to access my account there, or should I take along my latest statement (sounds a bit archaic, but who knows?)

Just pop along to the ticket sales desk along with your FC card and hopefully the jobs done. Don't forget that not all booking classes are upgradeable - see Richard Mannion's fare class guide for details. However even a non-upgradable fare class can sometimes be upgraded on the day with luck and a fair wind.

Richard's fare class guide

Thanks sailor - got to be worth a try!

Hmmm - just had a look. I have a K class on outward flight, so looks unlikely, unless they're feeling very generous. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained and I don't mind losing face [:p]

Do you have the 20000 required miles for the 1 way u/g to UC now? If so would you consider paying some level of ticket change fee to move your fare grade to S? How much it will cost would depend on how far away the flight is, how full it is, etc. But the advantage would be that you guarantee your UC place on the way out. If the idea appeals to you, just give FC a ring. The worst they can say is no, and the worst you have to say is "thanks, that's a bit too much for me".

You may also want to look at expertflyer.com as your flight approaches - it gives you an idea of how full it will be - the fuller PE and Y are the better as far as you are concerned (ie to have a good chance of u/g a K).

Just a little tip - if you are doing an u/g to UC, have you checked the aircraft you are on is an UCS one - I personnally would still u/g even if it were not, but some feel differently. Wouldn't want you to feel you had wasted your miles.

Originally posted by sailor99
Do you have the 20000 required miles for the 1 way u/g to UC now? If so would you consider paying some level of ticket change fee to move your fare grade to S? How much it will cost would depend on how far away the flight is, how full it is, etc. But the advantage would be that you guarantee your UC place on the way out. If the idea appeals to you, just give FC a ring. The worst they can say is no, and the worst you have to say is "thanks, that's a bit too much for me".

You may also want to look at expertflyer.com as your flight approaches - it gives you an idea of how full it will be - the fuller PE and Y are the better as far as you are concerned (ie to have a good chance of u/g a K).

Just a little tip - if you are doing an u/g to UC, have you checked the aircraft you are on is an UCS one - I personnally would still u/g even if it were not, but some feel differently. Wouldn't want you to feel you had wasted your miles.

Hadn't thought about doing that! Yes, we both have the necessary miles to do so.... might well give them a call to find out. What's an UCS aircraft? ( she asks, not wanting to sound too dumb, but wanting the answer!)

Originally posted by sailor99
Sure has! Where you off to and when?

April - going to S Carolina, but flying into and out of Orlando - which could bring its own problems, in terms of popularity of route and getting any upgrade.

Upper class suite - ie suites rather than J2000 seats. The suites are much better. If you look at your booking on the VS site, and go to modify your seat allocation, you will see the seat config at the front. Compare this to the seat plans on V-flyer and you should be able to deduce if the flight is in suites or not. If that is all too much, you can always give flying club a call and ask - they are remarkably helpful that way.

If you are flying april you are likely to find that by now all the G (the code for reward seats) have gone. In this case you would need to wait until a week or so before the flight to see if Revenue release some reward seats. They would not do it now because the stand a good chance of selling them.

Originally posted by sailor99
Upper class suite - ie suites rather than J2000 seats. The suites are much better. If you look at your booking on the VS site, and go to modify your seat allocation, you will see the seat config at the front. Compare this to the seat plans on V-flyer and you should be able to deduce if the flight is in suites or not. If that is all too much, you can always give flying club a call and ask - they are remarkably helpful that way.

If you are flying april you are likely to find that by now all the G (the code for reward seats) have gone. In this case you would need to wait until a week or so before the flight to see if Revenue release some reward seats. They would not do it now because the stand a good chance of selling them.

Thanks - I feel such a luddite at times! Going to look now....

Originally posted by sailor99
Upper class suite - ie suites rather than J2000 seats. The suites are much better. If you look at your booking on the VS site, and go to modify your seat allocation, you will see the seat config at the front. Compare this to the seat plans on V-flyer and you should be able to deduce if the flight is in suites or not. If that is all too much, you can always give flying club a call and ask - they are remarkably helpful that way.

If you are flying april you are likely to find that by now all the G (the code for reward seats) have gone. In this case you would need to wait until a week or so before the flight to see if Revenue release some reward seats. They would not do it now because the stand a good chance of selling them.

And I'd find out about any revenue release through flying club?

Originally posted by catsilversword
Thanks - I feel such a luddite at times!

No need for thanks, trying to help each other out is what the site is for. As for being a luddite, you should have seen my level of ignorance when we discussed walnuts in another thread[:I]

Originally posted by sailor99

Originally posted by catsilversword
Thanks - I feel such a luddite at times!

No need for thanks, trying to help each other out is what the site is for. As for being a luddite, you should have seen my level of ignorance when we discussed walnuts in another thread[:I]

Walnuts - now, do I really want to ask about this? Yep, sur edo.... walnuts, how on earth they they come up?!!![:o)]

[Scrooge]

That would be me

read this Threa it's get quite funny for a while,then goes bananas