I don't normally use miles+money upgrades, but then again often don't book a qualifying fare code. As I was in U on this trip I decided to try it...
I was booked DTW-ORD-MUC for my return leg. I had placed an upgrade request using miles + copay approximately a week before departure. I was on the phone with reservations a few days prior to departure for another topic, but the agent cheerfully noted that my upgrade position "looked good."
24 hours prior to departure I received a VERY confusingly-worded email that the upgrade waitlist had expired (implying that the wait list would not be cleared at the gate -- but why would that be?)
Just inside 24 hours I called to change to a different DTW-ORD flight (as I needed some more time in ORD). The agent at the time confirmed that I was "still on the list" for my miles and copay upgrade.
The DTW-ORD flight cleared at the gate (but now I think this was a CPU).
In ORD (where I spent all day working) I noticed that I was NOT on the upgrade list per the mobile app. I checked TWICE at the United Club counter and both times the rep confirmed to me that I was "on the upgrade list" for my ORD-MUC flight -- even after my pointing out that I didn't show up on the mobile app's upgrade list.
Getting to the gate and seeing myself quite clearly NOT on the list, I inquired with the GA and was rudely brushed off with the answer "miles + copay upgrades can't be waitlisted". Even though we were an hour from departure, she refused to let me switch to a GPU.
Once on the flight, the guy next to me told me he was #4 on the list... using MILES AND A COPAY!
To recap:
- Telephone rep says "You're on the list. Position looks good."
- Get waitlist expiration email.
- Telephone rep re-confirms that I'm "on the list."
- United club rep confirms TWICE that I'm "on the list" even though I'm not showing up in the mobile app.
- Get to gate and I'm clearly not on the list. GA almost laughs when I ask about a mileage upgrade and tells me they don't waitlist those.
<Rant to United>
It's unclear what combination of clueless telephone reps, uninformed GAs or SHARES shenanigans caused this, but the net result is one very unhappy 1k customer. I'm 1k, was ticketed in U and should have been near the top of that list. I took a huge bruising at work because I was NOT able to finalize a contract and close the biggest deal in our pipeline the next morning.
</Rant to United>
<Plea to Flyertalk Community>
Where did I go wrong? What could I have done differently (besides use a GPU)?
</Plea to Flyertalk Community>