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-   -   Where is airline comparison chart for awards/upgrades with miles? (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/where-is-airline-comparison-chart-for-awards-upgrades-with-miles-789546/)

HKP Jun 11th, 2009 01:29 PM

Where is airline comparison chart for awards/upgrades with miles?
 
I seem to remember someone posting a very useful website listing the major airlines' various policies re: things like paying a fee to use miles for a transoceanic upgrade, etc.

Anyone remember either the thread or the link? (Have used search for "upgrade chart" or "compare airlines" but kind of at a loss re: figuring out the exact wording to find what I'm looking for.)

bettyk Jun 11th, 2009 03:09 PM

I'm not sure if this is what you are talking about, but alot of people refer to www.flyertalk.com for info on airline programs, mileage awards, etc.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles-points-1/

julia1 Jun 11th, 2009 05:37 PM

Bookmarking. Thanks for the link.

HKP Jun 12th, 2009 09:07 AM

Actually what I was remembering was an actual chart, with airlines listed down the left side and various levels of awards, fees, etc. across the page. Maybe I imagined it.

kybourbon Jun 12th, 2009 09:47 AM

I don't see how fees could be listed since they are dependent on airport you are flying in and out of.

HKP Jun 12th, 2009 07:14 PM

Not sure what you mean, kybourbon... I'm referring to things like American's policy of charging $350together with 25K miles each way for an upgrade from the US to European cities, while Delta (as far as I know) and UA don't impose the fee -- or "copay" as another thread puts it. Not variable acc/to airport.

bettyk Jun 12th, 2009 07:42 PM

OK, so I googled and found this on Airfare Watchdog's website. This has fees but doesn't refer to AA's charges for an upgrade.

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/Airfa...fee-chart.aspx

Gardyloo Jun 13th, 2009 07:36 AM

The types and nature of costs and requirements for upgrades are way too numerous to put into one table. It depends on the particular airline, the specific class of the ticket being upgraded, the frequent flyer status of the passenger, the dates, times, specific routings... too many variables to allow easy summary. You can really only see the full picture by querying the individual airlines' websites.

However one basically universal fact makes it a little easier. With very very few exceptions (really only a half dozen that I can think of) no airline will allow you to upgrade using anybody else's miles but their own, i.e. you can't use American miles to upgrade on a British Airways flight, even though they're partners in the same alliance, etc. You can <i>redeem</i> American miles for <i>award</i> tickets on BA (with some exceptions, like US < > UK) but not to upgrade a paid economy BA ticket to business class, say.

So if you're looking for upgrade opportunities rather than straight award opportunities (or really in both cases) you need look no further than the airlines' website(s) where you have accumulated miles/points.

yk2004 Jun 13th, 2009 02:38 PM

HKP, I don't recall seeing such a table (for all airlines in one) that you described. Even for American Airlines (as the example you gave), it is $350 + 25k miles required for one-way upgrade for discount economy tickets. But if one buys a full fare economy, it is only 15k miles and no co-pay.

I believe for Continental, there is a sliding scale with the co-pay, depending on the fare class you're booked into. Therefore, each airlines has it's own complicated system already.


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