through fare and upgrades?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Our nation's capital
Programs: UA 1K & 0.6 MM
Posts: 781
through fare and upgrades?
Hello FT brain trust,
I have used up my GPUs and am trying to identify what option is best for upgrading my next set of flights. I don't want to burn 70k miles in one shot, so want to buy up to biz on the outbound and use miles on the return.
This is the second time I have spoken to a UA agent who quoted me an exorbitant fare to upgrade only the long-haul leg (like, 4-5 times higher than the price on united.com to buy up both segments). When I expressed surprise at how high the difference is, I have had multiple agents tell me it's because my ticket has been booked as a "through fare."
I have googled "through fare," "thru fare," and various permutations thereof together with United, to no luck.
Can anyone explain this "through fare" to me? What does it mean, and why does it making buying up so expensive?
My tickets are booked through a corporate travel agent. Do I need to ask them to do something differently? If so, what instructions do I need to provide?
Thanks for any light you can shed on this situation.
I have used up my GPUs and am trying to identify what option is best for upgrading my next set of flights. I don't want to burn 70k miles in one shot, so want to buy up to biz on the outbound and use miles on the return.
This is the second time I have spoken to a UA agent who quoted me an exorbitant fare to upgrade only the long-haul leg (like, 4-5 times higher than the price on united.com to buy up both segments). When I expressed surprise at how high the difference is, I have had multiple agents tell me it's because my ticket has been booked as a "through fare."
I have googled "through fare," "thru fare," and various permutations thereof together with United, to no luck.
Can anyone explain this "through fare" to me? What does it mean, and why does it making buying up so expensive?
My tickets are booked through a corporate travel agent. Do I need to ask them to do something differently? If so, what instructions do I need to provide?
Thanks for any light you can shed on this situation.
#2
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
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What are the fare classes?
Additionally the "cash" ticket and award ticket can not be on the same PNR.
Misread OP as return being a mileage ticket -- but OP was asking about a mileage upgrade.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 22, 2017 at 7:14 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Which of these two options is cheaper will depend on the fares on the day, but at least the way that UA has been pricing things recently it's very common for something like MCO-FRA to be significantly cheaper than EWR-FRA, so the through fare will end up cheaper than the split fare option.
When it comes to up-fare, they will most likely be splitting it into 2 fares, so you'll pay MCO-EWR in economy, plus EWR-FRA in business - which again will likely be (far) more expensive than MCO-FRA in business, which is why they are quoting you more for upgrading just the one leg than both of them.
OW v's RT shouldn't come into it, as it's generally completely valid to have one direction in business and the other in economy, all on the same ticket, and still have it price as a RT fare. Technically this is down to the fare rules (specifically the combinability rules), but I don't think even UA has got that stingy yet to not allow things like that...
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
When it comes to up-fare, they will most likely be splitting it into 2 fares, so you'll pay MCO-EWR in economy, plus EWR-FRA in business - which again will likely be (far) more expensive than MCO-FRA in business, which is why they are quoting you more for upgrading just the one leg than both of them.
Therefore, it is entirely possible -- even likely -- that you might be able to get a (deep discount) P fare on MCO-EWR-FRA, but if you elect only to upfare the long leg, you might end up with a W fare from MCO-EWR and a (not very discounted :-) D fare from EWR to FRA. And that's independent of whether or not that discounted P fare from EWR-FRA is more expensive than the "same" P fare from MCO-(EWR)-FRA, which is entirely possible.
There are two possible solutions:
1 - The "upgrade a flight" option, offered on United.com during booking and -- if seats are available -- at check-in, allows you to upgrade individual legs without refaring the ticket. Note that you may not earn additional PQMs/PQDs for these type of upgrades.
2 - Upgrade the entire direction (MCO-EWR-FRA, in this example).
Hope this helps. :-)
#5
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Therefore, it is entirely possible -- even likely -- that you might be able to get a (deep discount) P fare on MCO-EWR-FRA, but if you elect only to upfare the long leg, you might end up with a W fare from MCO-EWR and a (not very discounted :-) D fare from EWR to FRA. And that's independent of whether or not that discounted P fare from EWR-FRA is more expensive than the "same" P fare from MCO-(EWR)-FRA, which is entirely possible.
#7
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Same with the upgrade available online -- if you're doing it before flying your first leg, it refares the entire itinerary -- it should be in all respect the same concept as GG BUYUP. It's not going to change the end-on-end restrictions and/or fare break issues.
Unless, of course, you are using mileage upgrades. Here, you play a balancing act on the mileage upgrade co-pay ($500 ish)+cost of miles ($200 ish) for one direction of travel compared to the difference in fare, lightly dependent on the class of service paid. Usually these mileage upgrades are terrible bargains -- it's typically cheaper to purchase the business class seat outright, but in a case like this might make sense.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Our nation's capital
Programs: UA 1K & 0.6 MM
Posts: 781
Thank you so much for the explanation, everyone.
I am flying XXX-EWR-DEL so the examples of the fare constructions above are very illuminating.
To be honest, I'm a bit puzzled why none of the reservations agents straightened me out by telling me that I could get the same results at a much cheaper price by doing something different than what I was asking for. I think of all of the calls I have made along these lines in the last year, only one 1K agent spent a good 20 minutes working with the fare desk to see how to do this most cost-effectively.
Still a happy ending: As I was checking up on my itin last night, I saw the "buy up to first" banner below the reservation for only $410, instead of the original $1200 or so that was being displayed all week or the $250 + 35,000 miles copay option. I thought it was an error, but lo and behold I was able to buy up from U to P on the outbound flights for a pittance. AND I get twice the PQMs! This was 7 days out, I guess revenue management made some adjustments? Regardless, this was exactly the kind of scenario I was trying to get when calling the 1K desk -- help me find the cheapest way to upgrade without a GPU and without burning so many miles.
The return is a lot more problematic since I have a K fare and Z and D are showing 0. I don't know whether to just suck up the $600 + 35,000 miles copay now or wait a bit to see how things shake out since the return is >21 days away.
A little sad that it takes FT over US reservations to help me understand what I need. Then again, most people calling UA likely don't want to know the esoteric details of how it all works, so the agents are probably working under that assumption.
Thanks again, all!
I am flying XXX-EWR-DEL so the examples of the fare constructions above are very illuminating.
To be honest, I'm a bit puzzled why none of the reservations agents straightened me out by telling me that I could get the same results at a much cheaper price by doing something different than what I was asking for. I think of all of the calls I have made along these lines in the last year, only one 1K agent spent a good 20 minutes working with the fare desk to see how to do this most cost-effectively.
Still a happy ending: As I was checking up on my itin last night, I saw the "buy up to first" banner below the reservation for only $410, instead of the original $1200 or so that was being displayed all week or the $250 + 35,000 miles copay option. I thought it was an error, but lo and behold I was able to buy up from U to P on the outbound flights for a pittance. AND I get twice the PQMs! This was 7 days out, I guess revenue management made some adjustments? Regardless, this was exactly the kind of scenario I was trying to get when calling the 1K desk -- help me find the cheapest way to upgrade without a GPU and without burning so many miles.
The return is a lot more problematic since I have a K fare and Z and D are showing 0. I don't know whether to just suck up the $600 + 35,000 miles copay now or wait a bit to see how things shake out since the return is >21 days away.
A little sad that it takes FT over US reservations to help me understand what I need. Then again, most people calling UA likely don't want to know the esoteric details of how it all works, so the agents are probably working under that assumption.
Thanks again, all!
Last edited by big V; Jun 25, 2017 at 7:38 am Reason: clarity and correcting typo
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Out of curiosity, were you originally ticketed in K on the return? The "Buy up..." link has a bad habit of offering to re-fare your ticket from e.g. U/U to P/K.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Our nation's capital
Programs: UA 1K & 0.6 MM
Posts: 781
Yes, original ticket on the return in K
I'm not sure I follow you. Does the buy up link intentionally take a cheap fare (e.g., K) and try to turn it into a very expensive one? It keeps saying buy up to "first," which I don't know if it's boilerplate since the A/C is all J (777-200) on the international segment, but F on the domestic segment. Is this causing the exorbitant pricing? Or is it the fact that the DEL-EWR segment is only $159? (Which I found astonishing when I looked at the fare breakdown/PQM/RDM earnings. My EWR-WAS is only $5!)
I'm not sure I follow you. Does the buy up link intentionally take a cheap fare (e.g., K) and try to turn it into a very expensive one? It keeps saying buy up to "first," which I don't know if it's boilerplate since the A/C is all J (777-200) on the international segment, but F on the domestic segment. Is this causing the exorbitant pricing? Or is it the fact that the DEL-EWR segment is only $159? (Which I found astonishing when I looked at the fare breakdown/PQM/RDM earnings. My EWR-WAS is only $5!)
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
I'm not sure I follow you. Does the buy up link intentionally take a cheap fare (e.g., K) and try to turn it into a very expensive one? It keeps saying buy up to "first," which I don't know if it's boilerplate since the A/C is all J (777-200) on the international segment, but F on the domestic segment. Is this causing the exorbitant pricing? Or is it the fact that the DEL-EWR segment is only $159? (Which I found astonishing when I looked at the fare breakdown/PQM/RDM earnings. My EWR-WAS is only $5!)