Hello all I am hoping for your expertise here. I thought I read somewhere that you could upgrade to first class at the airport (if there is availability) with Us Air/America West for a small fee vs paying out the nose for a first class seat when you orginally purchase the ticket. Is this true? If so any idea how much the fee is for the upgrade? Thanks.

Jiffer,

If US Air is similar to United, I occasionally get the offer to upgrade to fist class when checking in at the kiosk.

I think the additional fee is less than if I had originally booked on first class, but it is definitely not a “small fee.” Indeed, the upgrade price was still laughable. For example, I think it was $130 from Chicago to Albany, a 90 minute trip. I’ve noticed various prices on various routes, but none were even close to my personal range of acceptability.

I was flying on UA from ORD to LHR and asked about the price to upgrade from econ to business. The price was $550. That's not a "small fee" for sure.

That said... I HATE TO ADMIT IT but I was exhausted and really needed to sleep on this late night flight, so I bit the bullet! Please forgive me... The good sleep was worth it. I was only on short layover at LHR and then had to continue on the ZRH and then take a 2 1/2 hour train ride to Lausanne. It was a very long day.

My flight home from ZRH by way of FRA was during the daytime, so two seats across in econ+, by the window on a 1/3rd full 777 was FANTASTIC from FRA to ORD. I even asked the flight attendant if this FRA flight was usually about this empty... she said no. If it were "yes", I'd make this my standard return from ZRH.

Carol

I think this is what you're looking for:

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content...oupgrades.aspx

I have no direct experience upgrading for cash on USAirways and don't know what the charge would be on particular routes (like CubFan above, my only experience is on United, where the cheapest upgrade I've been offered was $130 for Tulsa-Chicago on a regional jet; no thanks!). These offers, of course, will be subject to availability.

$550 to upgrade internationally is certainly a bargain considering that business class is $1,000 (very rare) to over $3,000 one way.

Carol,

Yes, I’ve seen that $550 offer from ORD to LHR as well. I didn’t buy it, but was mighty tempted. Given your itenary, (mine was much simpler) it sounds like money well-spent!

Business class fares to Europe in "business low season" - like summer or Christmas - can be under $2,000 sometimes. There are also other all-business airlines like Maxjet from New York to London for about the same.

$550 is a fair deal, but if one wants business class, maybe you can look for such ticket in the first place. That way, you can get bonus miles, use of the airline lounges, etc...

rkkwan
I make a number of trips to Bangkok and once in a while to Australia. Now that's a LONG HAUL. I almost always upgrade to business class on these journeys across the large pond.

I've gotten to the point where the trips to Europe are more like "short hops" for me. I expected the LHR trip to be just that. But, because we ended up leaving ORD about two hours late, and it was nearly midnight... I was happy to pay the price for the upgrade at the counter rather than ahead of time.

USAirways also gives the option of paying for an upgrade during online checkin.

We paid $200 per person (one-way) last February to upgrade from the US to the Caribbean. We got lucky on the outbound, but not on the return. We actually had to wait to pay at the gate to ensure that no higher-priority passengers checked in after us; however, we put our names on the waiting list at the normal check-in/ticketing desk. We paid the gate agent using a credit card.

Last October we paid $500 each to upgrade on US Airways PHL to CDG. We even got to use the US Airways Club with comfotable seating and free food. When we arrived in Paris we got to freshen up in the club lounge by taking a shower after the flight. All for that $500.

Price depends on where various factors. We just went to Aruba and it was $150 per person to upgrade - that was for one way. Did not include the return trip. On a trip to Mexico (from LAX) it was $50 per person to upgrade.

On way to Aruba, they only had 1 first-class left. I looked at hubby, he said "no" so I chirped up and said "I will take it".

Am I a terrible wife or what? Oh well, worked out good for him also. He was in coach but did not have anyone in the seat beside him since I was in first-class.

LvSun,

Did you have to ask for the upgrade or did they offer? I want to thank everyone for there help.

Had to ask.

When my husband and I flew US Airways last summer they offered the upgrade after the agent heard my husband was a docor. What she didn't know is that he's a resident and probably makes less than she does

Jiffer,
I had to ask for it. However, on a flight at a gate near us, they were announcing that first-class upgrades were avaialable. Guess it depends on how full first-class is.

When we checked in on the computer at the airport it asks you then if you want to upgrade for I think $50 per person. We were only going to Florida from PHL. This was on usair.

Have used the GO ENVOY option many
times transatlantic for $500 for biz class. Highly recommend on the overnight portion...and the showers/lounge option on arrival feels like LUXURY!!~