Upgrading an mpm fare

I am travelling from LHR - LAX in Upper Class in a few days. My in laws are travelling with us in economy on an mpm fare. Upgrade seats are showing as available but upgrading their ticket to an upgradeable revenue fare so that I can use miles is v expensive at the moment.

Is it likely that they will just let us use miles at the desk without upgrading the ticket and/or is there any chance of them offering a more reasonable price for an upgradeable class?
Also is it correct that the LHR Clubhouse can no longer process upgrades and this needs to be done at check-in now as someone mentioned?

Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

In theory, the MPM tickets will need upgrading to "upgradeable" code i.e. an L. That said, you should ask at check-in/the T3 sales desk, as it may suit Virgin on the day to allow a couple of people to move forward on the plane if they're over-booked down the back, at a preferential upgrade price.

Someone else will be able to tell you if the flight is busy enough to raise this possibility - they will need to know the date of travel and which flight it is, to check and see how heavily booked the flight is and therefore the possibility of upgrading.

At the end of the day unless the flight is over-booked in economy, there is in reality probably not much chance of getting a reduced-price upgrade to an S or a W. But all the same, ask and you never know...

[Neil]

Hi and welcome,

You are in a pretty tricky situation. The only real options you currently have are to upgrade to an L fare (change fees won't apply) and then use miles. I know you say it is currently expensive, but was that an L fare or a full Y?

The other option is to upgrade to an UC MPM fare, if available, but that wont be cheap.

On the day your only likely option would be to upgrade with cash, but again this won't be cheap. The likelihood of you being able to use miles on your current ticket at the desk at low, but you just never know at the airport.

AFAIK you can still upgrade in the CH.

Neil

Last time i travelled on a mpm ticket, check in at LAS were adamant they would not upgrade it in anyway and very uncooperative to the point I ended up purchasing an upgrade on board, they are very inflexible tickets with usually a low saving on a discounted economy fare, I hope you have better luck

[Neil]

Last time i travelled on a mpm ticket, check in at LAS were adamant they would not upgrade it in anyway and very uncooperative to the point I ended up purchasing an upgrade on board, they are very inflexible tickets with usually a low saving on a discounted economy fare, I hope you have better luck

That sounds like typical outsourced staff at the non main UK/USA airports, who more often then not don't know the full rules so stick with no as an easy answer.