US Airways Upgrades?

[Wazzo]

Has anyone done this successfully with US Airways:

http://www.usair.com/awa/content/travelplanning/envoyfirst/goupgrades.aspx

I'd love to fly first class!!!

Any tips on getting it cheap?

Thanks!!

 

[safetymom]

It's called First Up at the airport. If the first class cabin hasn't checked in full then they will sell upgrades at the gate. It depends on the length of the flight, and is per segment.

You can upgrade to first with freq. flyer miles or become a preferred member of their Dividend miles programs. I am upgraded on almost every flight for free.

 

[Wazzo]

It's called First Up at the airport. If the first class cabin hasn't checked in full then they will sell upgrades at the gate. It depends on the length of the flight, and is per segment.

You can upgrade to first with freq. flyer miles or become a preferred member of their Dividend miles programs. I am upgraded on almost every flight for free.

You are upgraded for being a preferred member? We're flying in 3 weeks... if I sign up now, will it work? Or do you have to be a member longer?

 

[safetymom]

If you are signing up now you are just a regular Dividend miles member. You need to be a Silver, Gold, Platinum or Chairmas Preferred member with at least 25,000 miles flown this year.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you go deeper into the U S Airways site, it's not JUST being a member of their FF plan; you also have to have flown a certain number of miles or a certain number of flights in a calendar year.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

There is no free lunch, just as there are no "free" First Class upgrades.

If you want to earn an upgrade, fly 75-100,000 miles per year and become an "elite" member of their flying club. Even then, you may not get a "free" upgrade, since airlines are shrinking the size of their First Class cabins, because people aren't buying First Class seats.

 

[Wazzo]

I definitely don't fly enough to be a preferred member of any status!!

I was talking about the GoUpgrades opportunity anyway, which requires you to PAY extra, not go for free! You're supposed to call 30 hours ahead of your flight and you can pay $50-250 extra if room is available in first class.

Free would be nice, but I'm in no way expecting that!

 

[bavaria]

The reality is that on many aircraft the business/first cabin is checking in full and there may not be such an opportunity. I fly United and (un)fortunately they have managed to tweak their schedules and aircraft so that there is rarely an empty seat, and as such a large percentage of United fliers are elite members (it targets business travellers) it can be rare to successfully get an upgrade on certain routes, whether paying with $$ or certificates.

United now has Star Alliance upgrade awards, meaning that we can upgrade on partner carriers. Between US Airways elite members like Safetymom and United elite members like me vying for those seats, there may not be an upgrade for cash opportunity for the leisure traveller.

On an airline such as Alaska, however, which has a large leisure base, this type of upgrade can be easier. I did it last year on a red eye SEA-MCO for a very small amount.

 

[safetymom]

You can be a preferred member for 25,000 miles. The First Up program at the gate is open to anyone willing to pay the money.

 

[DebbieB]

You have to fly the 25,000 miles within a calendar year to get silver status, not just total miles (gold is 50,000, platnium is 75,000, chairmans is 100,000). I became silver about 3 months ago and have been 4 for 9 on free first class upgrades (they work down from the highest level).

Silver members are eligible for upgrade at the 2 day mark and first up becomes available at 30 hours, so it would only be available if all the elites have already been upgraded.

When I flew last week from PIT, the flight at the next gate was to Orlando and they announced they were selling first class upgrades, I think $100. The flight I took from Phoenix to San Diego last Monday left with 2 empty first class seats, I didn't hear any announcements (I was upgraded at 2 days).