How Do I get a First Class with Miles?

[Net User]

I was wondering ..is there a secret to getting FIRST CLASS UPGRADES with a
paid coach ticket on NW Airlines? I have like 19K miles racked up and I
would like to enjoy my trip to NY by going First Class. Does anyone know
any secrets??/

Please let me know at

thanks

[Mike Cordelli]

From a usual discount fare it will take 20,000 miles to upgrade to Business
class, so you first have to rack up some more miles. If you purchased a
full fare coach ticket it's half that many miles. One way upgraded are
10,000 miles. Call and ask if you can upgrade, that's all there is to it,
if there is a seat available, they will handle it all for you.

Upgrades are usually one class of service, so if there is Coach, Business,
and then first, you can not upgrade coach to First, only coach to Business
for the miles you have.



"Net User" > wrote in message
...
> I was wondering ..is there a secret to getting FIRST CLASS UPGRADES with a
> paid coach ticket on NW Airlines? I have like 19K miles racked up and I
> would like to enjoy my trip to NY by going First Class. Does anyone know
> any secrets??/
>
> Please let me know at
>
> thanks
>
>

[Douglas W. Hoyt]

>>>>>> From a usual discount fare it will take 20,000 miles to upgrade to
Business class, so you first have to rack up some more miles. If you
purchased a full fare coach ticket it's half that many miles.

You can have a look at the upgrade requirements here:
https://www.nwa.com/freqfly/direct/charts/

If you have a SIGNIFICANTLY discounted coach ticket, the chances are
nil--only pricier tickets ("select coach fares" as the website says) are
upgradable (call NWA to double-check if your ticket is in that category).
One exception is when they sell upgrades outright at departure. I was once
in MSP and they announced that there were a few Business seats available on
the flight to Amsterdam. Anyone in coach could upgrade for $500 cash at
the counter. They would not accept any form of miles for upgrade
there--cash only.

[maryanne kehoe]

I was able to upgrade to Business Class on DL for 25,000 miles plus an
additional $300, this was for my outbound flight to MAN in June.

Airline policies vary----check w/your airline.

[mrtravel]

maryanne kehoe wrote:

> I was able to upgrade to Business Class on DL for 25,000 miles plus an
> additional $300, this was for my outbound flight to MAN in June.
>
> Airline policies vary----check w/your airline.

Interesting. When I upgrade AA flights to Europe on cheap fares, it is
25000 miles each way and no extra payment.

[Michael]

Huh...everytime I have upgraded on Delta international flights, it has
been 20000 miles each way. Except for once when it was a last minute
trip, and I had to pay full coach fare. Then it was only 10000 miles
each way.

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 15:31:22 -0400 (EDT), (maryanne
kehoe) wrote:

>I was able to upgrade to Business Class on DL for 25,000 miles plus an
>additional $300, this was for my outbound flight to MAN in June.
>
>Airline policies vary----check w/your airline.

[mrtravel]

Michael wrote:
> Huh...everytime I have upgraded on Delta international flights, it has
> been 20000 miles each way. Except for once when it was a last minute
> trip, and I had to pay full coach fare. Then it was only 10000 miles
> each way.

Agree.. Since their website say so.. 20000 miles for a one class upgrade
from US to Europe with most restricted coach fares. Maryanne, do they
tell you why it cost $300 plus 25000 miles for the same thing?

http://www.delta.com/skymiles/use/delta_awards/index.jsp

[Yaofeng]

"Net User" > wrote in message >...
> I was wondering ..is there a secret to getting FIRST CLASS UPGRADES with a
> paid coach ticket on NW Airlines? I have like 19K miles racked up and I
> would like to enjoy my trip to NY by going First Class. Does anyone know
> any secrets??/
>
> Please let me know at
>
> thanks

From what I know, there is no secret. You have to fly more and keep
doing it. Carriers reward customers who fly more and fly regularly.
Once you racked up enough miles per year, they'll reward you with
upgrades regardless of the class of ticket purchased. I may be wrong
on the last part. People who fly more usually do on business and do
not typically (can't afford to) hunt for cheap bargains.

I always buy direct from the carrier. When I can, I time my departure
and return so I get lower fares within reason.

[Mike Cordelli]

That's not true anymore, and it's the reason that airlines like Delta and
United are starting low fare carriers.

Many companies no longer allow fully refundable tickets unless there is a
good reason for them, and some are even requiring Saturday stays when
feasible to keep the costs down. Others have negotiated fares that do not
accumulate mileage and requiring their people to use those, saving the
company money, but getting the customer no miles.

I'm not really sure who is flying full fare coach anymore, but it's way less
people then it was in the past. There was a story in the travel section of
the New York Times saying something like low fare - not just for college
kids anymore.


"Yaofeng" > wrote in message
om...
>
People who fly more usually do on business and do
> not typically (can't afford to) hunt for cheap bargains.
>
> I always buy direct from the carrier. When I can, I time my departure
> and return so I get lower fares within reason.

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

In article >, "Mike
Cordelli" > wrote:

> I'm not really sure who is flying full fare coach anymore, but it's way less
> people then it was in the past. There was a story in the travel section of
> the New York Times saying something like low fare - not just for college
> kids anymore.

I just booked six people full coach today (yep, in Y and on a long haul
too). If they want to go somewhere badly enough, they'll pay it.

--
_Deirdre http://deirdre.net
"Dogs may have kept us company on the hunt, but it was the cats who
insisted we invent houses and discover fire." -- Khiem Tran

[Yaofeng]

"Mike Cordelli" > wrote in message >...
> That's not true anymore, and it's the reason that airlines like Delta and
> United are starting low fare carriers.
>
> Many companies no longer allow fully refundable tickets unless there is a
> good reason for them, and some are even requiring Saturday stays when
> feasible to keep the costs down. Others have negotiated fares that do not
> accumulate mileage and requiring their people to use those, saving the
> company money, but getting the customer no miles.
>

My company is not doing that YET. I do my own travel arrangement.
Whether I buy full coach or otherwise depends on economics and do I
bill the client or is it out of the lump sum project. I hope it will
never come to the day when I can't no longer get mileage for flying.

> I'm not really sure who is flying full fare coach anymore, but it's way less
> people then it was in the past. There was a story in the travel section of
> the New York Times saying something like low fare - not just for college
> kids anymore.
>
>

I still do on rare occasions. Why would I if I can get upgrade?


> "Yaofeng" > wrote in message
> om...
> >
> People who fly more usually do on business and do
> > not typically (can't afford to) hunt for cheap bargains.
> >
> > I always buy direct from the carrier. When I can, I time my departure
> > and return so I get lower fares within reason.