The upgrade landscape to Europe has changed dramatically since last year for many travelers. The $500 ticket that could be upgraded with miles is nearly extinct. This fall, upgradeable fares start at $1,000 (some even are $2,000+). Now more then ever it pays to compare the upgradeable fare with the lowest Business Class fare before ticketing. To help you make your miles go further, here’s a rundown of how the six major carriers compare on upgradeable fares.
(Miles needed to upgrade and surcharge figures are based on the lowest requirement for a round-trip ticket from the U.S. to Europe.)
American: B-
50,000 miles / $700
No major changes. Allows upgrades on almost all published economy fares with the exception of O and Q fares. No surcharge required to upgrade when buying B fares. Charges $300 less for its surcharge than Continental, making it slightly above average.Continental: C+
40,000 miles / $200
No major changes. $200 co-pay is on B fares; surcharges go as high as $1,000. Also allows upgrades on B fares with Northwest airlines for 40,000 miles r/t. The slight improvement in rating is because Continental requires the lowest number of miles to upgrade of the six carriers.Delta / Northwest: D-
50,000 miles
The marriage has lowered Northwest’s grade from a B-. Now it’s a bottom dweller. Why? Because Delta and Northwest have on average the highest upgradeable fares of any major U.S. airline—more than $2,000 to Europe. The program is also rife with traps: On NY-London, the lowest upgradeable fare is $1,712 (booking code M), but the lowest Business Class fare is $1,598 (booking code I). We usually recommend using miles for upgrades, but not in this case. Blow them on free award travel instead. (For now Northwest still offers upgrades on partners Continental and KLM. See FCF May 2009 issue for information.)United: B
60,000 miles
Its current program is in place through January 12, 2010. (United originally set July 1 as the start date for its revised program.) A minor change is that upgradeable fares on some routes have increased from last year, hence the drop in grade from B+ to B. For example, last year travel from Los Angeles to Munich permitted upgrading on a fare of $1,471; the same travel dates this year require you pay $1,579. Let’s hope the trend stops here and now, but don’t count on it.US Airways: C
60,000 miles
The program remains unchanged. Upgrades are allowed with any round-trip fare of $1,400 or higher, including taxes and fees. The slightly higher rating is because when compared to other airline fares, US Airways is now closer to other average rated carriers.[table_opt style="gray-header" id="1501" width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]
[["<strong>Airline<\/strong>","<strong>Chicago - Paris<\/strong>","<strong>Los Angeles - Frankfurt<\/strong>","<strong>New York - London<\/strong>","<strong>Miles Required<\/strong>","<strong>Surcharge<\/strong>","<strong>Rating<\/strong>"],["American Airlines *","$1,175 ","$1,375 ","$1,099 ","50,000","$700","B-"],["Continental *","$1,338 ","$1,398 ","$1,240 ","40,000","$1,000 ","C+"],["Delta","$2,173 ","$2,281 ","$1,712 ","50,000","N\/A","D-"],["Northwest","$2,173 ","$2,281 ","$1,712 ","50,000","N\/A","D-"],["United","$975","$1,155 ","$584","60,000","N\/A","B"],["US Airways","$1,807 ","$1,175 ","$1,388 ","60,000","N\/A","C"]]
<small>*Includes mileage surcharges</small>