10 years later and my condition has not improved. I still suffer from upgrade phobia. When will I outgrow this?
Unless I buy a business class ticket, every United flight is a careful cost/benefit analysis. Do I take the gamble for a complimentary space-available upgrade or do I just apply an upgrade instrument (miles or a regional/global premier upgrade)? It is a careful balancing act because 1.) I don’t have an unlimited supply of upgrades, but 2.) I don’t want to sit in economy class.
In 2010, I wrote a post entitled Do You Suffer from Upgrade Phobia?
I’ve got a bad condition. I call it upgrade phobia. While I don’t fear upgrades themselves, I fear missing them and I stress out over them even when I know I’ll probably get the upgrade in the end.
While I hate sweating out something as inconsequential as an upgrade, I do. I lose sleep when I see myself on the waitlist and find myself checking the status of my upgrade on my phone or computer every hour, like a crack addict needing a fix. At this stage in my flying career, I have not reached the point where I don’t care either way if I get the upgrade or not. I’m still enamored by the plush seat, higher service levels, and a meal.
And sadly, nearly 10 years later, nothing has changed.
I have a 5.5 hour United flight today. It’s a route that I have cleared 100% of the time in past years and a route that was wide open in business class until even yesterday. But my upgrade did not clear and the cabin is now full. My only hope, as I set atop the upgrade waitlist, is for cancellations or no-shows.
Oh how I wish this did not matter to me. I have an exit row seat with more legroom than first class. As a 1K, meals are complimentary and the United hamburger is often better than either first class meal choice. This is not an overnight flight, either. Nor are there lie-flat seats in business class.
But. I. Can’t. Stop. Looking.
Over and over again, I’m refreshing my flight status on the United app to see if someone cancelled or if I can do a confirmed same-day-change onto another flight that may have upgrade space. My productivity will be compromised today. I need to get over this or just start buying business class tickets outright. I’m tired of the upgrade game. 10 years later, I’m still tired of it. I still suffer from upgrade phobia.
#firstworldproblem
Do you suffer from upgrade phobia?
Move to Asia, the seats are better here.
Thank God. I thought I was the only one. Where does a support group meet?
We usually meet around the upgrade screen just in case it’s faster than the app, necks craned upward until it clears or boarding begins.
Epic reply Kyle. Just Epic.
There are two well known cures to upgrade-phobia.
1. Move to Europe (let’s just say Frankfurt, since you’re loyal to Star Alliance). Lufthansa has the same seats in business class as in economy on their short haul routes. Eating a meal in the lounge and booking the exit row of economy class (which has more legroom than business) will be superior to upgrading. With any luck, you’ll let go of you need for an upgrade.
2. Fly Spirit’s 3AM flight from Plattsburgh to Fort Lauderdale in the last row of economy class in the . Anything else will feel like heaven compared to that.
You are on a roll today Matthew, loving it!
@ Matthew — Given the value of your time, just buy the business class ticket and be done with it. I started doing this a few years ago, and my life has been much better ever since. Just don’t try to fly BOD-ORY in business class, mad Queen or not… 😉
You think upgrade phobia is bad. Try playing non-rev phobia. Especially when you really need to be on the plane or are really hoping that last seat in First/Business wont get sold on you.
I’m curious how the business class cabin went from wide open to full. if you’re a top tier elite, you should’ve gotten bumped up when upgrades were being passed out.
I am joking as I type this but I think it’s the upgrade phobia type of travelled that hisses and scowls at my family (mostly my son) as we are sitting in paid seats as they walk back. A close friend travels internationally weekly for work and is complaining about his upgrades not clearing as they did in the past.
Upgrades are nice when they happen. You know the old saying though, WFBF
Sitting in economy is therapeutic; you should do more of it to give an opportunity to reflect upon your privileged life. I would spend more time ‘down the back’ myself but I’m old and slightly arthritic.
I get you, Matthew! When I receive that “Your upgrade is confirmed” email from AA, it ALWAYS makes my day. My family is amused. My friends intrigued. Bystanders probably think I won the lottery. It’s like gambling, sort of, but without a downside. Well, sitting in the back is a downside when upgrades don’t clear . . .
Don’t worry; you’re not alone. I do (did?) this too until I finally gave up on the upgrade game as a 7 year 1K. With the price differential between economy and first often not being that huge, I will just book the first class seat. And sometimes I book economy and then watch the buy-up offers that appear within the reservation screen from time to time. Sometimes that latter method can allow you to score a first seat for pretty cheap.
Especially when I fly an airline on which I have no status, often times the differential can be partly (or even significantly) justified by not having to pay seat selection and checked bag fees.