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#961540 by jimbowimbo
12 May 2023, 16:04
Hi All,
Looking for the usual forum knowledge to see if I'm getting what I believe to be incorrect info when trying to upgrade a companion booking to UC via the call center..

I originally booked 1 x PE cash return fare LHR-BOS. At the same time of booking I used points to upgrade the outbound leg to UC and paid the applicable points and taxes. I then also at the same time used a companion voucher to get a duplicate ticket. I paid just taxes for the companion ticket. (this is all correct, FYI no reward seats were available to do same on return leg)

However today 2 reward seats were released, so I called to do the same to the inbound leg.
Firstly I was told I would have to pay points and taxes on both the original booking and the companion ticket.
Is this correct?? As if the inbound reward seats had been available at the original time of booking then I wouldn't have been charged points (just taxes) for the companion ticket, so it seems harsh to now say I also have to pay points!?

Secondly, the call center rep then said, because I was wanting up upgrade the companion ticket, then it would need to be turned into a full reward ticket, so he said I would have to receive back my companion ticket, and then pay full points for the whole ticket. Not just pay the upgrade PE to UC points upgrade (and taxes). This seems ridiculous..?

Thirdly (yep..!) I paid £226 in taxes to upgrade my original rev PE ticket to UC (G class) on the outbound, but for this inbound he said the taxes were £330 - this doesn't seem correct, I know the taxes change for origin/destination sure, but £100 difference seems, to me, more than I expected?

Apologies for the essay, but I know a bunch of you also do the same as me of buying rev PE fares and using points to upgrade to UC. I've just never done it with a companion ticket, and then tried to upgrade a leg of a companion fare..
Thanks all :)
Jimbo
#961541 by CommanderB
12 May 2023, 17:37
I don’t know if you’re supposed to be able to upgrade a companion ticket in that way. It sounds like the original ticketing agent may have done some magic to get you halfway there and that’s now causing issues.

If it was me, I’d try and undo the entire thing. Get the voucher refunded (as long as it’s within the 24 month usage period), then re-ticket from scratch as an upper companion ticket using points. That may not be possible (depends on the terms of the underlying PE cash fare).

Your down a bit of a rabbit hole here and the goal should be, get out of the rabbit hole (for the least cash) and still get your upper tickets with the companion voucher :D

Sorry I don’t have an exact answer, but please report back on your progress so we can all learn from your experience.

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