Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten, L.L.P. is currently conducting an investigation into United Airlines’ Mileage Plus ticket upgrade policy. As members of United Airlines Mileage Plus program, some consumers are told that they can purchase a regular Economy Class ticket and apply their accrued miles toward a seat upgrade to Business or First Class.

After opting for the upgrade upon arriving at the airport, some consumers are surprised to find that they must pay an additional “Co-Pay” fee in order to board the Airplane and claim their upgraded seat. These Co-Pay fees can range in amounts to several hundred dollars per seat.

If you or someone you know has been surprised by United Airlines’ requirement of Co-Pays at the point of check-in, or if you would like more information about our United Airlines investigation, please contact us using the link below:

http://www.wcclaw.com/CM/ClassActions/ClassActions95.asp

Please see the Disclaimer Page on this website for important information regarding communications with Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten, L.L.P.

I must have gone to speak to the gate agent mere seconds before they called my name for an upgrade due to the oversold flight. What timing! (Feeling the sarcasm?)

I had actually gone up to inquire about the new program that gives upgrades to Elite members without using miles. I mentioned receiving an email about it and asked if it was in effect yet. The gate agent informed me it was starting in a few weeks but it would be starting early for me.

Perhaps there was a need to shift some passengers around and I was going to be upgraded anyway. I don’t care exactly why it happened, only that it happened. I still attribute it to my sunny personality :)

I’ve sat on this for six months.

Last July, I crossed a million miles on dear ol’ UA. On the way from LHR to IAD (and on to DFW) I got an operational upgrde from Econ to Biz. Thank you very much. Commented to the purser that I was crossing a million miles on this trip and got bumped up again. (Yeah, I shouldn’t be telling anyone this as it can probably be tracked back now.)

But on the way back, DFW to DEN to LHR, I “nicely asked” at the gate desk whether, given that I had JUST crossed a million miles, I might “nicely” get upgraded for the overnight segment.

What I got, not nicely, was that they only would upgrade me if there was an operational need, which there was not, and then the gate agent went on to explain operational upgrades to me. I just mentally rolled my eyes and wanted to say: I’ve just crossed a million miles and you’re explaining an operational upgrade to me? At my age?

Thanks for listening, and back to the point, I’m not paying to upgrade. As a Premier Exec I choose the best econ seats when I book and if I get an upgrade then super, but only if for free. Miles occasionally. Money? Never.

Of course, you probably got that upgrade because you are some level of elite flier and the economy cabin was oversold, not simply because you “asked nicely.” Yeah, hardly anyone just comes up and asks nicely for an upgrade. (If you cannot hear the sarcasm, you are not trying very hard.)

There are so many ways to upgrade and so many people bothering agents to try and get a free upgrade that it gets extremely old. You’ll never know this, but I PROMISE you that asking for free upgrades keeps you from getting them far more than the one you believe you got just by asking.

That being said, myself and my girlfriend were given a complimentary upgrade from SFO to OGG last month. Sometimes you just have to ask nicely.