What is a "B" economy class ticket on United ?, i can't find that class option on the res form.

if using united.com, choose upgrade type- miles YB. B is the second most expensive economy class booking category, hence only 15K to upgrade internationally.

This is a good strategy but realize that there is nothing "quick" about this approach. United quotes that the 21,000 miles will be posted to the account 6-8 weeks after a qualifying transaction. It also takes some time (i.e. around a couple of weeks) between the initial credit card application and the time that the card arrives ready for use.

glad to see united is upgrading the quality of seat from lax to nyc in business class...it must be do to the competition from virgin...however all of the old seats must be going to the hawaii flights...just flew business class from lax to maui (ogg) and it was one of the most uncomfortable seats ever.

glad to see united is upgrading the quality of seat from lax to nyc in business class...it must be do to the competition from virgin...however all of the old seats must be going to the hawaii flights...just flew business class from lax to maui (ogg) and it was one of the most uncomfortable seats ever.

"glad to see united is upgrading the quality of seat from lax to nyc in business class..." United's p.s. Business Class service (jfk-sfo/lax) has not changed for a few years when it comes to the seats. The email sent from flightbliss isn't "breaking news" - apparently just a reminder of the nice product United offers on the route. UA biz class on these routes are the same seats as international widebodies but with leather instead of cloth and personal DVD players instead of the screen built into the seat (I.E. no live map of where you are) You didn't fly UA biz OGG-LAX. You flew DOMESTIC UA F-class on either a 757,767, or 777. Those planes have only 2 classes- domestic F and Y. United domestic F product/seat is mediocre, only marginally better than Yclass.

Any comments on Business class seats on United 747s from LAX or SFO to Sydney? Any advantage to the upper deck seats?

"Any comments on Business class seats on United 747s from LAX or SFO to Sydney? Any advantage to the upper deck seats?" As you know, only UA and Qantas fly those routes. I've heard Qantas biz class is a lot nicer than UA, but never flown them. I can speak about UA's 747 upper deck business class seats. If you can get upper deck on a 747, its VERY nice. If you score row 15 or 16, even better. Massive amounts of room!! the window seats even have lots of storage space in special bins which close flat so you can lay drinks, pillows, etc on top. The FAs tend to be more attentive. I love the upper deck :) Again, the seats themselves are the same, but the extra room to maneuver and storage space make it a great experience.

As a frequent flier to Australia, (Global Services on UA and Exec Plat on AA) the only time I would fly United over Qantas is if I get the first class upgrade. Qantas biz seats are lie flat at an angle, where United's are the ones they have used for several years and are not lie flat. The other comment I would make is everyone is acting like United's LAX/SFO-JFK P.S. service is new. Newsflash...it has been around for 3 years or so.

My wife and I spent $600. to have enough miles for 2 business class seats for a trip to Australia thru United. We booked in March for a trip in Nov. We were told at booking that no seats for available! When we asked when any seats were available they said tomorrow. We were put on a wait list. We did everything United told us per buying extra miles so we could use them and now they are jerking us around. Any suggestions on how to get the seats in business class? We even booked travel in Australia thru United Vacations.

"My wife and I spent $600. to have enough miles for 2 business class seats for a trip to Australia thru United." Your post is confusing. You did not specify if you bought an economy ticket and want to upgrade to C or if you are trying to get a free C class ticket. So which is it? If you want free C class seats to australia, good luck. I've rarely ever seen them available. Usually, you need to book a year out (the day the seats are released to inventory) to get a free seat. Upgrade costs 30,000 mi/seat/each way for H or M class and 15000 for Y or B. Since you mention waitlist, I assume you may have bought a ticket and tried to upgrade. Upgrade seats are slightly easier to come by and may not clear until very close to departure. Its the price you pay for taking a gamble. If inventory is available at time of booking, thats the only way to guarantee your business class seat. Otherwise, just wish for the best.

To Mminnich, The upstairs has it's pro's and con's. Only you can decide if it would be right for you: Pro: feels private, fewer people walking by your seat Con: ceiling is lower, some people feel claustrophobic. staircase is difficult for some to manage. fewer bathrooms (either only 1 or 2, don't recall). Takes longer to get off the plane. Seats are exactly the same as downstairs.

I am planning a trip to Paris for July 1 2008. I have not purchased a ticket. I want to fly bus or 1st class. There are 2 of us and we both have over 120,000 miles on UA. What is the best approach? Buy economy and upgrade I assume gives us the best chance. Which class economy is best for upgrade using miles?

When I fly to Australia I always choose the upper deck as it appears to be adults only. I don't know if it is a policy but in 21 years when I have been lucky enough to get a seat up there I don't think I have ever seen babies or toddlers. That makes it a much quieter experience with a better chance of sleeping. That is a major plus to me.

Quantas Airways

I'm flying Quantas January 7, 2008. I'd like to upgrade.

We (2 of us) returned to SYD (thence MEL) on Jan 25, after being voluntarily bumped from paid-for EcoPlus the night before. Strong headwinds, heavily overweight with freight, and overbooked, UA were grateful to us for being first to agree to sat behind and awarded us flight credits and a Business class upgrade the next day (some lucky Business flyer got bumped up to First to give us the two seats upstairs, although seated one row away across the aisle. I've travelled UA Biz class many times, preferring its international product over QANTAS (no U, btw) due to what I consider UA's superior FF product. There is no doubt QF's seating and service is superior to UA's. I always choose upper deck, perferring its intimacy, better service, quietness and feeling one is on a private executive jet. Deplaning has never been a problem, although bear in mind overhead bins are smaller than downstairs. Two restrooms at the front, but if a pilot is using one, you have the charade of a FA putting up a barrier and holding it while the crew do their business. Bizarre. You are forced to head downstairs for your business. The sooner Virgin Blue and Singapore enter the Pacific route the sooner prices will lower, and hopefully UA will re-equip. Singapore is the real challenge to QF on this route, and I know of some who will fly SYD-SIN, to catch the longest flight in the world, SIN-JFK.

I have already purchased two economy tickets LAX - SYD on Qantas. We fly on August 4. Any tips/ideas/suggestions on getting an upgrade (even if we have to pay something for it)? All I could find when I booked is a business class ticket for something like $15,000! My tickets are nonrefundable. One of the two passengers has OneWorld Ruby class on British Airways, if that's of any help. I'm open to any and all advice!

Dear fk - hate to disappoint you but chances of getting upgraded on Qantas are next to nothing! You would have needed to buy an award C class seat on Qantas and those seats are very hard to come by. I generally fly UA ex SYD and their FF program and upgrade policy is far more workable. I have flown C class on the Upper deck with my child on a H class (econ) ticket - using miles to upgrade. I have also tried the PS service LAX-JFK return in C class and I thought the seats were great for domestic US airlines, but certainly not a new service. Re the question for US-HKG - you will need to have the same class of fare as listed for flying USA to SYD, ie Y, B class (and 15000 UA miles) or M, H class (and 30000 UA miles) for mileage upgrades. Any other fares will not qualify for internation travel to/from USA. BTW children are allowed on the UA upper deck - they are just not up there that often it seems. My child was older and quieter than the chatting FA's in the galley! I have also sat in the main C cabin on the 747 - not sure what I like better. Our upper deck experiences have been noisy due to staff talking. Main C cabin can be an issue if babies are seated on the bulkhead in Y cabin - you can hear them in the C cabin. Happy flying.

Oops sorry, in my first post that should not read HKG but Paris! USA Paris upgrades will require certain fare classes on UA plus miles. There may be a chance that you are offered a paid (cash) upgrade if UA have not filled all their C class seats, but the paid upgrades at the gate are becoming more expensive (i.e more like $649 USD each) and harder to come by due to full loads, and lots of elite UA FF members wishing to upgrade. Good luck.

My wife and I plan to fly business class from LAX to SYD next January (2009) on the new Virgin Australia B-777 service. I am doing my homework now and I am trying to avoid being locked in to a non-refundable fare at this time. I am hoping that discounts may be available after Labor Day and summer travels. Anyone else in the same position or planning stages?

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