Upgrades at the airport

Hi all, I'm going to Vegas in Feb and I'm thinking about going UC on the way back, but I'm wondering if I should chance it and pay for an upgrade at the airport if there are any available.

Does anyone know if upgrading at the airport is generally cheaper (or more expensive) than booking UC straight off? Do you still get the extra miles/tier points?

[Neil]

Hi and welcome.

The problem I see with waiting to upgrade at the airport, is the fact that it is almost a certainty there will be no UC seats available. The LGW fleet only has 14 UCS and they are very popular, so waiting will almost certainly result in disappointment.

Also, on the day upgrades to UC are rarely a good price, but you would earn miles TP's as an UC fare.

Thanks Neil, didn't know there were so few seats to be had. I might have to take the plunge and book it straight off... I went UC with work last year and now it's very hard being in economy when you know what it's like up at the front!

Thanks Neil, didn't know there were so few seats to be had. I might have to take the plunge and book it straight off... I went UC with work last year and now it's very hard being in economy when you know what it's like up at the front!

yes once you fly UC it is very hard to 'downgrade' back to PE / Y !

Thanks Neil, didn't know there were so few seats to be had. I might have to take the plunge and book it straight off... I went UC with work last year and now it's very hard being in economy when you know what it's like up at the front!

yes once you fly UC it is very hard to 'downgrade' back to PE / Y !

Wish I could always turn left !!

In the lounge at LHR now returning to JFK, having upgraded from economy O to UC at check-in for £154 plus 30k miles. Sweet! Staff were awesome! Flights at this time of year seem to be empty between LHR and NYC.

In the lounge at LHR now returning to JFK, having upgraded from economy O to UC at check-in for £154 plus 30k miles. Sweet! Staff were awesome! Flights at this time of year seem to be empty between LHR and NYC.

Congratulations, that's a good result y) enjoy the Clubhouse.

However, try this coming Sunday and I think you'll find UC is pretty zeroed out.

Thanks! I'm pretty mean with my miles, saving up a load for when times aren't so good, but couldn't resist this. Economy was such a shock on the outbound although the service was still excellent in an economy cabin 1/3 full. Sorry there's no room for you in UC this Sunday, always worth asking at check-in and at the gate too I now think......

Sorry there's no room for you in UC this Sunday, always worth asking at check-in and at the gate too I now think......

Oh, I have ways of fixing that ): .

On our way back last Wednesday from Vegas asked how much upgrades if any were available, it was $5040 for the 2 seats. We could not warrant paying this as with exchange at roughly 1.5 it would have been £3360 one way.

For that we could probably get return sometime next year, the couple behind us did maybe they won at the casinos.

There is some availability in February upper class even if you only upgrade with miles one way, or do a combi.

How do you earn so many miles?! What's the secret??

I've been saving up for the last 3 years and only have 16k

How do you earn so many miles?! What's the secret??

I've been saving up for the last 3 years and only have 16k

apart from flying... virgin credit cards.
get miles from every purchase.
doubly awesome if you are in the US, where the 'sign up bonus' is huge, but still worth it in UK.

How do you earn so many miles?! What's the secret??

I've been saving up for the last 3 years and only have 16k

Charge everything possible to the card - only what you would normally spend and pay back of course.

It might only be £5 in Sainbury's or M&S getting your lunchtime sandwich but it all soon mounts up !

How do you earn so many miles?! What's the secret??
(

Taking 40+ flights a year in UC or PE.
Staying at partner hotels, using car hire, connecting flights, anything that gives FC miles.
American Express travel rewards.
Credit card ...

Soon you'll be in the millions!

What a sweet trip, no queues at immigration in jfk. Thats a first for me.

I don't quite manage 40, but 10 flights per year for last 2 years means they rack up fast, loving the new 100% FC gold bonus......

How much was the economy "O" ticket in the first place, if that's not too personal a question, as that's a great deal.
Is there a better time for Vegas flights, say midweek instead of weekends etc?

Is there a better time for Vegas flights, say midweek instead of weekends etc?

Your question re flying to Vegas is answered here

Economy EWR-LHR out, LHR-JFK rtn was $766. £154 fee consisted of £94 (to get rtn leg to an L) + £60 extra APD and 10k to get to PE at check-in. I then inquired in the CH about UC availability and it was 20k more miles, as you'd expect, but they waived the extra APD for UC for some reason (usually another £40 o/w). I didn't complain. Remember, these upgrade costs are o/w.

The flight was VERY light. UC half full, on VS9 there's a v large UC cabin. The original economy fare was cheap and I booked only 10 days before flying. Economy was 1/3 full on the outbound so they must have dropped the fares $100 or so when they realised it wasn't filling up.

When I was put in PE initially I saw the seating plan and PE was 3/4 full.

Overall, I think it was a v empty flight and being FC gold may help. Sticking it all on a US virgin AMEX card helps too. Right.... need a couple of revenue fares to earn those 30k back!

Economy EWR-LHR out, LHR-JFK rtn was $766. £154 fee consisted of £94 (to get rtn leg to an L) + £60 extra APD and 10k to get to PE at check-in. I then inquired in the CH about UC availability and it was 20k more miles, as you'd expect, but they waived the extra APD for UC for some reason (usually another £40 o/w). I didn't complain. Remember, these upgrade costs are o/w.

There is no diffrence in the APD rate for PE and UC. Once you paid the £ 60 extra APD to move from Y to PE thats all there is to pay even if you then move up to UC.

APD has two rates - 'lowest' for the economy cabin and 'other' for all other cabins.

You had been let off the difference between the PE and UC fuel surcharges.

Ok, I didn't mean APD then. In my mind, there's the cost of the ticket and then 'other' costs.....

Ok, I didn't mean APD then. In my mind, there's the cost of the ticket and then 'other' costs.....

Yes and VS and many other airlines want you to think that they have nothing to do with them when infact the biggest element of these other costs is the airlines own fuel surcharge

I did some calclations on this thread

Thank you for reminding me. Before I joined FC I simply assumed the surcharges were all tax. The reality hit home a couple of years ago when I first went to book a reward flight and discovered that miles don't cover the fuel surcharge which is scandalous IMO. Airlines can seriously devalue miles by doing things like that.