Jump to content

Upgrading air fare


Hapytocruise
 Share

Recommended Posts

I spent two hours on the phone with Delta yesterday trying to upgrade my assigned seats to Delta Comfort( which are now unavailable. We purchased our air through Uniworld and they are considered special fare tickets. After we were booked you can call and upgrade to Delta Comfort which we did..well our river cruise was cancelled and Uniworld rebooked our air for next month. We now have economy flight is full and no Comfort seats. Delta will refund the fare we paid for upgrade. I asked about business Answer no because this is a special fare booked by Uniworld😬

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have booked with Viking with coach air fare included. Anyone upgraded to Business Class and if so, what was the process and cost to do so. Or should we pass on the air fare included and make our own arrangements? Much appreciate any advise.

 

Why not call Viking and ask how much it is to update to Economy Comfort. Usually I do my upgrade with the airline, just need to have your e-ticket from Viking. This year because I am flying Air France, I went directly through Viking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently booked the Douro with Vantage for next spring. I requested fights with American, which they booked. After I paid in full, I requested that they go ahead and purchase the tickets. The flights were ticketed the next day, and I was able to upgrade to American's main cabin extra with no problem and to get on the list for upgrade to business class using a combination of miles and dollars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We decided to book our own airfare. Viking was okay with our United flights, not "sure" about Lufthansa. Would have to pay the additional $500 because of spending extra days before and after the cruise on our own. The problem would be upgrading to business class. Since Viking waits to actually book the tickets, business class would be unavailable. So, contacted United, same flight into Amsterdam, used miles to upgrade; Lufthansa returning from Basel, Premium Economy. Yes, it cost us a few extra hundred dollars, but worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FuelScience, good luck with the upgrade on American using miles and dollars. My husband has status with American, and we tried to upgrade to business this spring using miles and dollars - we put in for the upgrade as soon as was possible, and didn't get it. From what I read, it is very difficult to use the miles/dollars combo. You'd think they would want the extra $, and they definitely don't make it sound difficult on their website!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FuelScience, good luck with the upgrade on American using miles and dollars. My husband has status with American, and we tried to upgrade to business this spring using miles and dollars - we put in for the upgrade as soon as was possible, and didn't get it. From what I read, it is very difficult to use the miles/dollars combo. You'd think they would want the extra $, and they definitely don't make it sound difficult on their website!!

I think that my chances are very slim, but it doesn't cost anything to ask. As you said, AA's new priority system makes it tough. I'm lifetime gold, but that doesn't mean a lot these days. We'll be flying to Madrid on a Saturday night, so I'm hoping that there won't be a lot of business travelers, but even so, it's a real long shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're right - should definitely ask!! My husband is lifetime Platinum, which also doesn't mean much these days. We were flying into London - lots of business class seats but probably also a lot of business travelers. Good luck!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have booked thru Viking paying the up charge to get business class seats, you may want to call their air department and see what they can offer. Sometimes it's a good deal but you may be limited to their routing unless you choose to go the custom air route. If air is booked thru Viking your transfers will be included however if you do air on your own, no transfers. Usually it's easy enough to get your own transportation to/from the ship if booking air on your own.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On AA, Platinum once meant something. Now it means you're in a long line behind all the Emerald flyers. I did get the bump up recently PHL- MAD, but no such luck coming back LIS-PHL.

 

Since retiring, flying less, and only being a million mile lifetime gold, I have multiple domestic 500 mile upgrades in my account. I could fly multiple times across country on all of them! The chances of using them as only a gold: far less than shooting snake eyes before crapping out!

 

UA's system is now mostly the same. With the new changes in pricing policy of the three major US carriers here is the current situation. If you want BC or FC, then pay for it, and get on with life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have lifetime status as well on United and it is almost worthless but we do have a better chance of upgrading on slower days, off-season, odd times. We no longer use "mileage" credit cards and have opted for a cash back Fidelity card and we feel more free to book any airline rather than chasing miles. The airlines have made it so difficult to use miles.

 

We've recently booked business air with Crystal and Tauck and found their difference between coach and business to be an awesome deal and much better than scrambling for an upgrade. The suggested flights were perfect and allowed for extending our trip on both ends of the cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The airlines do make it more difficult, but that's not the primary problem, imo. With UA, the problems came when they absorbed all the Continental people with the buyout. Continental did make it near impossible to use miles. I know people that waltz over to the UA program with over 3 million miles in the bank! They all descended upon us! Same goes with AA and all those USAir and TWA people. Both Continental and USAir -TWA were defunct businesses, the survivors wrecked the FF programs by absorbing those defunct programs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I spent two hours on the phone with Delta yesterday trying to upgrade my assigned seats to Delta Comfort( which are now unavailable. We purchased our air through Uniworld and they are considered special fare tickets. After we were booked you can call and upgrade to Delta Comfort which we did..well our river cruise was cancelled and Uniworld rebooked our air for next month. We now have economy flight is full and no Comfort seats. Delta will refund the fare we paid for upgrade. I asked about business Answer no because this is a special fare booked by Uniworld😬

Uniworld booked our flights as well. When I inquired about upgrading our seats they told me to contact the airlines. I was sucessful in upgrading our seatson United to Amsterdam but Lufthansa told me it wasn't possible for our return to the States.

 

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Uniworld booked our flights as well. When I inquired about upgrading our seats they told me to contact the airlines. I was sucessful in upgrading our seatson United to Amsterdam but Lufthansa told me it wasn't possible for our return to the States.

 

Paul

You don't provide many details, but if your LH flight is a codeshare, and not booked with an LH flight number, you can't even do advanced seat selection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The airlines do make it more difficult, but that's not the primary problem, imo. With UA, the problems came when they absorbed all the Continental people with the buyout. Continental did make it near impossible to use miles. I know people that waltz over to the UA program with over 3 million miles in the bank! They all descended upon us! Same goes with AA and all those USAir and TWA people. Both Continental and USAir -TWA were defunct businesses, the survivors wrecked the FF programs by absorbing those defunct programs.

I have never had any problem finding award seats using UA FF miles, and in the past, found It extremely easy to redeem CO miles. Not sure why others had so much difficulty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't provide many details, but if your LH flight is a codeshare, and not booked with an LH flight number, you can't even do advanced seat selection.

 

I've been successful in booking seats on a codeshare when I request the CF number for the flight in question. It will be different from the orginating flight CF number.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never had any problem finding award seats using UA FF miles, and in the past, found It extremely easy to redeem CO miles. Not sure why others had so much difficulty.

 

How far in advance do you attempt? Sometimes there's no problem 330 days out. Sometimes you have to wait. What airport do you usually fly from. If it's a major hub that can add a layer of difficulty. I think finding award seats is easier than upgrades with miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did the Rhine Getaway last year on Viking. We paid the $50pp to use Viking Air Plus and it was a wonderful experience. I've heard people say otherwise, but for us they were great!

 

When we booked the cruise we chose to do air through Viking and we paid the Air Plus fee up front. When we had paid the cruise in full we asked to have the flights booked and they did this. We wanted United because we had air miles with them, but United is more for some reason - they are always more - especially out of Newark. I thought I'd be able to upgrade to their Economy Plus, but the more we thought about it, the more we wanted to do business/first on such a long overnight flight.

 

I called back - Viking said, "no problem!" Again United was going to be more - a lot more. I asked what they could do for the base upgrade price. The rep said she could put us on Delta, so that's what we did. We did have a plane change stop on the way back, and I decided I didn't want to do that. I found a direct flight into JFK. Not my first choice, but if it meant we could fly direct, I figured, better the monster you know than the one you don't :D. Called back - changed the flights - easy peasy!

 

We did Amsterdam on our own and we came in early, so we had to arrange our own transport from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship, but it was not a problem. We did an extension with Viking at the end and they arranged everything.

 

I was very pleased with how things went and we will do the same for our Grand European.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On AA, Platinum once meant something. Now it means you're in a long line behind all the Emerald flyers. I did get the bump up recently PHL- MAD, but no such luck coming back LIS-PHL.

 

Since retiring, flying less, and only being a million mile lifetime gold, I have multiple domestic 500 mile upgrades in my account. I could fly multiple times across country on all of them! The chances of using them as only a gold: far less than shooting snake eyes before crapping out!

 

UA's system is now mostly the same. With the new changes in pricing policy of the three major US carriers here is the current situation. If you want BC or FC, then pay for it, and get on with life.

pinotlover,

 

I'm like you, a million miler lifetime gold with 46 500 mile upgrades, but I usually can't use them. Gold is at the bottom of the barrel for upgrades. We've requested upgrades for the same flights you had (PHL-MAD and LIS-PHL). Hope we get lucky for one! PHL-MAD will be on a Saturday night, so maybe there won't be too many business flyers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't provide many details, but if your LH flight is a codeshare, and not booked with an LH flight number, you can't even do advanced seat selection.

I have discovered that you actually have a booking reference with the airline operating the flight which is different from the booking reference with the airline you booked with. This code will generally let you do all the things that you would normally be able to do. The problem is getting that reference number.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did the Rhine Getaway last year on Viking. We paid the $50pp to use Viking Air Plus and it was a wonderful experience. I've heard people say otherwise, but for us they were great!

 

When we booked the cruise we chose to do air through Viking and we paid the Air Plus fee up front. When we had paid the cruise in full we asked to have the flights booked and they did this. We wanted United because we had air miles with them, but United is more for some reason - they are always more - especially out of Newark. I thought I'd be able to upgrade to their Economy Plus, but the more we thought about it, the more we wanted to do business/first on such a long overnight flight.

 

I called back - Viking said, "no problem!" Again United was going to be more - a lot more. I asked what they could do for the base upgrade price. The rep said she could put us on Delta, so that's what we did. We did have a plane change stop on the way back, and I decided I didn't want to do that. I found a direct flight into JFK. Not my first choice, but if it meant we could fly direct, I figured, better the monster you know than the one you don't :D. Called back - changed the flights - easy peasy!

 

We did Amsterdam on our own and we came in early, so we had to arrange our own transport from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship, but it was not a problem. We did an extension with Viking at the end and they arranged everything.

 

I was very pleased with how things went and we will do the same for our Grand European.

 

This seems very different from the process I encountered with Crystal and Tauck. It was not necessary to pay for the cruise before selecting the flights. You just had to pay the airfare once you agreed to the flights they offer you. There was also some wiggle room in the air itinerary. BTW, even with arriving several days early and not staying in a Tauck hotel, they are still providing airport to hotel transfer. At the end of the cruise they are also transferring us to a non-Tauck hotel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have discovered that you actually have a booking reference with the airline operating the flight which is different from the booking reference with the airline you booked with. This code will generally let you do all the things that you would normally be able to do. The problem is getting that reference number.

Yes, that's true. But my post is not about your PNR. If your LH flight is a code share with another airline, and it wasn't booked with an LH flight number, unless it was an award ticket, you have no advance seat selection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm like you, a million miler lifetime gold with 46 500 mile upgrades, but I usually can't use them. Gold is at the bottom of the barrel for upgrades. We've requested upgrades for the same flights you had (PHL-MAD and LIS-PHL). Hope we get lucky for one! PHL-MAD will be on a Saturday night, so maybe there won't be too many business flyers.

 

I am a 1.5M miler with Delta and that pretty much means nothing these days. Their mileage requirement for business is crazy as compared to many other airlines, at least from our home airport to where we fly in Europe.

 

This week I was able to find two business class tickets for next May using 315k Delta points. I moved miles from my AMEX Platinum account and grabbed them before they disappeared. The dates were not my first choice but this is the first time in several years I have been able to find round trip business class to Europe from Orlando for under 250-350k miles per ticket.

 

To upgrade from economy on DL, one has to purchase a full fare coach ticket. This is typically as much (and occasionally more) than purchasing discounted business.

 

We are finally getting more options to Europe non stop from Orlando as the choices have been very limited for such a large hub.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...