Getting an upgrade on a flight to Paris is tough- but possible! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
A reader query…
Dear Chris:
I have been saving my miles to use for an upgrade from coach to business on round trip United nonstop SFO to Paris/CDG. Planned to travel beginning October.
I called and had the ticket all booked ($1289.00) and ready to go. Then the agent said, “you are aware that there is a $550 co-pay each way’? So the ticket would have been $1289. 00, + the 20,000 miles each way, + $1,100 dollars. I said forget it.
Is it even possible to get a reasonable upgrade on these flights?
D.R.
Hey D.R. First off, congrats on getting that $1289 economy class roundtrip fare on SFO-CDG- that’s a good deal, especially if you can use your status to sit in economy plus. And September in Paris is spectacular! No crowds, great weather, friendly locals…
But getting a big, flat business class seat on United’s popular Boeing 767 SFO-Paris flight is a tough nut to crack. Especially in October when business travel is back in force and United can sell those seats at a premium.
We did a quick scan of business class fares on the SFO-CDG nonstop and found them in the $8,000 to $9,000 range.
United’s business class fares SFO-CDG in early October
So that fare + copay of $2,389 plus 40,000 miles is still a lot cheaper than buying a ticket.
Even when you calculate your 40K United miles at about 1.5 cents per mile ($600, or $2,989 total), you still come out way ahead of the business class fare.
So it really depends on how badly you want this:
2-1-2 BusinessFirst class seats on United’s 767-300ER
Or are willing to sit through this:
Economy class on a United 767 (Photo: United)
What would YOU do? Please leave your comments below.
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