Cash Upgrade and SYD-SFO

[BlueAU]

Last time I flew United was a domestic flight and that was many many years ago.

I'm about to fly to SYD-SFO for work and unfortunately it's in Y. I've been told it's really bad!

Has anyone flown SYD-SFO? Couldn't find any TR's.

Also has anybody had success with paid upgrades at check in with cash? I found some articles (but 2007) on FT about this working, but not sure if that still happens.

B

 

[serfty]

...

Also has anybody had success with paid upgrades at check in with cash? I found some articles (but 2007) on FT about this working, but not sure if that still happens.

B

I believe these still happen:

UA Upsell Offers For Bus./First Seating (At Purchase, OLCI, or Gate) 2011 Edition. - Page 56 - FlyerTalk Forums
SYD Upgrade Chances - LAX or SFO? [Merged] - Page 50 - FlyerTalk Forums

Maybe at rates over $1000 and subject to levels of availability.

 

[Flying Fox]

Not me but a good friend of mine did it recently. She said it was terrible. The meal was terrrible and they only have their old main screen projector for movies. Seats were squashed really tight and she didn't like it.

Was told by another friend who took J that it was better but not good (unless that has been upgraded recently). More like QF domestic J.

Bets of luck!

 

[BlueAU]

Not me but a good friend of mine did it recently. She said it was terrible. The meal was terrrible and they only have their old main screen projector for movies. Seats were squashed really tight and she didn't like it.

Was told by another friend who took J that it was better but not good (unless that has been upgraded recently). More like QF domestic J.

Bets of luck!

Thanks Flying Fox. Unfortunately I didn't get a choice to pick and I would never pick this for my personal travel. I really dread what will happen, but as long as I'm safe, I think the rest doesn't really matter. QF J would be better than what you describe in whY!

I believe these still happen:

UA Upsell Offers For Bus./First Seating (At Purchase, OLCI, or Gate) 2011 Edition. - Page 56 - FlyerTalk Forums
SYD Upgrade Chances - LAX or SFO? [Merged] - Page 50 - FlyerTalk Forums

Maybe at rates over $1000 and subject to levels of availability.

Thanks serfty. I will ask for a PCU or UFC ... seeing what Flying Fox wrote, I might have to fork it out !!!

 

[trooper]

E+ is available for purchase too.... a bit more legroom but nothing else.......

Normal Y seats (or E- as some call them) are pretty standard... anyone who felt "squished" would no doubt feel the same in Y on QF/DL etc....

No worthwhile IFE.. so take your own!!!!!! Not a problem these days.....

The new UA C seat is pretty good (and I'm almost sure all the 747's have them now...)
.. it lies flat which is (for me) the main thing! The UFC price seems reasonable given how cheap many of the Y fares are...

Service on UA IME.. like any airline... varies with the crew. The Australia routes are popular with cabin crew.. and as seniority determines choice of route you do get a lot of senior FA's... It doesn't worry me.. but some folks seem to get offended if a (female) FA isn't young and thin....regardless of what THEY look like presumably...

 

[BlueAU]

E+ is available for purchase too.... a bit more legroom but nothing else.......

Normal Y seats (or E- as some call them) are pretty standard... anyone who felt "squished" would no doubt feel the same in Y on QF/DL etc....

No worthwhile IFE.. so take your own!!!!!! Not a problem these days.....

The new UA C seat is pretty good (and I'm almost sure all the 747's have them now...)
.. it lies flat which is (for me) the main thing! The UFC price seems reasonable given how cheap many of the Y fares are...

Service on UA IME.. like any airline... varies with the crew. The Australia routes are popular with cabin crew.. and as seniority determines choice of route you do get a lot of senior FA's... It doesn't worry me.. but some folks seem to get offended if a (female) FA isn't young and thin....regardless of what THEY look like presumably...

36 hours out, there were about 10 E+ seats to purchase. 24 hours out, all gone. However ExpertFlyer shows a few still available.

I read that you could do UFC/PCU online, so I went to check in .... said I was 15 mins too early. Waited 15 mins, asked for more passport info, then told me I was ineligible for online check in.

Would really like to try C/J, even if UFC is about $1k, I think that would be OK. Still a lot cheaper than buying you're own. I don't get people who said C/J is never worth it, I guess they've never tried it For me, it is part of the journey!

Will rock up and ask tomorrow about UFC ... hope they say yes .... otherwise I have 3 hours in the airport roaming around doing nothing!

 

[BlueAU]

Here's availability

F6 J2 C2 Y9 B9 M9 U0 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G8 A6 D2 Z2 E0

 

[clifford]

36 hours out, there were about 10 E+ seats to purchase. 24 hours out, all gone. However ExpertFlyer shows a few still available.

Not sure where you got this from. I don't believe that this info is published.
.

Would really like to try C/J, even if UFC is about $1k, I think that would be OK. Still a lot cheaper than buying you're own. I don't get people who said C/J is never worth it, I guess they've never tried it For me, it is part of the journey!

I would never pay $1,000 to upgrade to C/F. Dead money if you ask me. Just think of what a nice hotel (or whatever tickles your fancy) you could get for that money when you get there....

As for never having tried it, I usually upgrade for free or get an award ticket. And I'd try desperately not to do that 14 hour flight. It's a killer. I'm off to LAX and back in a couple of months time, flying MEL-DRW-DPS-CGK-SIN-BKK-HND-HNL-YVR-LAX-YVR-ICN-BKK-SIN-DPS-DRW-SYD. Of course, I'll be stopping over at a few points along the way. Several of the longer flights are in business class and most are on Mileage Plus awards.

 

[QFMEL]

J fine if you're upstairs, not spectacular, but pretty comfortable if you pick your seat right.

J downstairs is four abreast in the middle- looks way too much like PE for a seat that'd cost as much as it does.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Although it looks like you've already taken this trip, if you will be flying on United again, you can always ask them to status match your Qantas Gold status to Mileage Plus (most likely to Premier - *A Silver)... While it's not a complete match, it would give you free upgrades to Economy Plus seating (and First seating where available on US domestic flights), which would certainly be better than nothing! The status match requirement is that you fly 10,000 miles within 3 months of receiving the free status, then you'll retain it for at least a year