United Upgrade

[GiantFan]

Recently purchased an upgrade to biz class from prem Econ. Happened during online check in. Seemed too good to pass up.

I recently checked with UA and they advised that mileage is based on original booking class. They also refunded me the prem Econ surcharge.

You need a PHD these days to navigate FF miles.

I was also in the US last month and we boarded by how much your ticket cost. Pay full fare and you were on first. Deep discount, last. New to me.

[Diplomatico]

Frequent flier programs in the U.S. are no longer mileage based programs; they are spend based programs. To earn miles and/or qualify for tier levels of elite status, you need to both fly a certain number of miles AND spend a certain dollar amount each year.

Mileage has been based on original booking class for quite some time now. You purchased a discounted fare to get into business class so they aren't going to reward you with a premium fare bonus. Also makes sense they'd refund your Economy Plus surcharge.

Flying used to be fun. Now it sucks.

[californiabeachboy]

Agree that with United you are boarded based on your fare class/ticket price. Last month I returned from Bkk to California. When I got to LAX, after 16 hours of flight, the United attendant declared that my puddle jumper from LAX to San Diego was overbooked. When I asked her where I was on the "bump" list", she said "you will be the first to be bumped". I appreciated her honesty, but I didn't like her answer.

What? after a 16 hour flight? But apparently because I had booked the ticket on CX (including the LAX-SAN segment), I was at the bottom of the fare class. I begged, I pleaded, but to no avail. She said "we bump based on fare class", and I was in the absolute bottom.

I was lucky, because a group that already had a boarding pass didn't show up at the gate, so I got on. But it is very important now to be aware of your fare class/ticket cost in terms of your place in line. Showing up early means nothing as far as I can tell.

[impulse]

Flying used to be fun. Now it sucks.

Also used to be expensive. I'll take a sucky experience on a dirt cheap ticket over a "nice flight" costing 3 months' salary- any day of the week.

That is, of course, unless it's a company paid ticket.

Which seems to be how a lot of the posters here pay for their flights (not necessarily drawing that conclusion about Diplomatico) - they don't pay. Someone else does. So they don't notice how cheap it has become- just how commoditized sucky.

I fly both ways- company paid, and out of my own pocket. So I appreciate that, adjusted for inflation, flying is cheaper today than I can ever remember it. Level of service has diminished, but I can always pony up for the front seats if I want to go back in time to a more genteel flying experience...

[Diplomatico]

Flying used to be fun. Now it sucks.

Also used to be expensive. I'll take a sucky experience on a dirt cheap ticket over a "nice flight" costing 3 months' salary- any day of the week.

That's where we differ. Your "three months' salary" is a bit of an exaggeration but it's people that share your perspective (not judging that, btw, other than mine is different) that has led to the current horrific experience that is flying on a U.S. airline.

"Sucky" is okay if it's cheap. No, it's still sucky. People don't think that way about other products they buy so why think that way about airfare?

Funny, you don't see that on most Asian or Middle Eastern airlines where there is still a relatively honest effort to provide some modicum of service, IMO. And you certainly don't get the level of rudeness and "attitude" that you get from many U.S. carrier employees. (Of course, some of the Asian/ME carriers are state subsidized which changes the profit equation, too.)

(Edit: my days of flying for business are over, thank goodness.)

Edited January 5, 2015 by Diplomatico

[ToddinChonburi]

I donate my miles to help out the military families. They need them more than I do .