Are Paid Upgrades Still Available?

[hammo81]

Re: Upgrade from Discount Economy to Business Class using Cash!

Does anyone know if United Airlines still offer Upgrades on Check-in for $500 from ecomomy to Business?

I am planning a trip in August to New York and have enough FF points for 2 return economy tickets but reading a article about the $500 upgrade was very interesting. Saves buying a economy class ticket and using points to Upgrade.. will be cheaper to upgrade at check-in.

 

[straitman]

Re: Upgrade from Discount Economy to Business Class using Cash!

hammo81,

You would probably be better off starting a new thread rather than resurrecting an old one such as this.

.. and I don't know the answer, sorry.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Upgrade from Discount Economy to Business Class using Cash!

Does anyone know if United Airlines still offer Upgrades on Check-in for $500 from ecomomy to Business?

As far as I know the upgrade option is still available, not sure if the cost is still the same though, but there is no guarantee that the upgrade will be offered for any specific flight so the risk is still there that you will spend the flight in economy.

 

[ozstamps]

Re: Upgrade from Discount Economy to Business Class using Cash!

Firstly any UG ex SYD will be one sector and take you only to left coast.

"Secure" a SWU off a 1K who may not use all theirs and that will cost you around the same and you get all flights to NYC done that way. :idea:

And you can do it 11 months out and lock it in.

 

[trooper]

Re: Upgrade from Discount Economy to Business Class using Cash!

There is an ongoing FT thread about these buy ups...

IIRC the price is now significantly higher than USD$500 for a transpac... but, as a previous poster pointed out, you don't KNOW if they will be offerred...

cough shoot indeed....

 

[NM]

Re: Upgrade from Discount Economy to Business Class using Cash!

hammo81,

You would probably be better off starting a new thread rather than resurrecting an old one such as this.

.. and I don't know the answer, sorry.

Good suggestion. I have split this off as a new thread.

 

[alien]

I tried for an upgrade from economy to business (September 07) at the counter however was told none were available to buy but if I had enough points I could. I could buy an upgrade to Premium Economy though which I did for $150. Didn't make sense. ........I don't think the UA staff were in a good mood and i didn't want any hassles so I didn't bother...

 

[ozstamps]

Premium Economy is NOT Biz class.

 

[NYCguy]

Once the new UA F and C cabins are installed, the 744 will have lost 21 seats in C (and 2 in F). I think this may be the death-knell of the paid upgrade, though you could get lucky.

I don't know what UA charges to buy Y+ access for a year, but $150 for a one-way Y to Y+ upgrade sounds a bit steep.

SWU's combined with 1K status (and above...!) are brilliant for escaping Y, but good luck finding someone who's willing to give one away...

You could always fly 100K EQM on *A carriers and get 1K status on UA. Then you'll have all sorts of upgrades coming out the wahzoo. But before you ask - sorry, all mine are spoken for!

 

[stryker]

Premium Economy is NOT Biz class.

"Premium Economy" isn't even premium economy.

And UA don't have any staff left in Australia (or won't have very soon when they close the Red Carpet Clubs at SYD and MEL), so anyone you deal with these days is a contractor, who can quite happily be in a bad mood if they wish.

It's contractors supervising contractors...