lucky9876coins

Chances are pretty low typically that there wont be a waitlist the day of and that they will clear right then. If you want the upgrades, request them sooner. If you don't, I guess you could wait, but the chances are slim of it working, IMO.

hockeyguy

If your goal is to get both upgrades for the direct cost, or neither if that doesn't work (i.e. all or nothing), then you can call any time within your 48 hour upgrade window to see whether you can be confirmed on both flights at the same time. You can also check at the gate, but keep in mind that if your upgrades come though after you've checked in for the flight, you'll need to be uncheked in (a.k.a. "offloaded") and then checkin again in order to get the direct cost in e500's.

However, as lucky pointed out, this isn't very likely to be successful. The chances that there is no waitlist on both flights is pretty low to begin with, and add to that the fact that you have to get the timing right between the two flights.

If you wouldn't mind using a single e500 for the shorter leg by itself, you could always request that leg first, then request the longer leg only if and when the shorter one clears. In the DFW-ORD-GSO direction, you'd want to cancel the ORD-GSO upgrade if it hasn't cleared by the time you board your DFW-ORD flight so that you don't end up using an extra 2 e500's if the ORD-GSO leg clears at the gate in ORD.

mre5765

As a 2P, unless it is an empty flight, your chances of being upgraded same day are slim. You want to be the first 2P in line.

What I would do is apply for the upgrade online, and at exactly 24 hours before your flight leaves, print your boarding passes from home. It is possible, if not likely that your upgrades won't have cleared. Then once you get to the gate, if you do get upgraded, see if they'll upgrade you with one or two e500s instead of three. If you get upgraded when you print your boarding pass, see if the GA will take pity on you and reprocess your upgrade. But be extremely
courteous when you talk to the GA.

But you do end up using three, don't feel badly. Many 2Ps (and even 1Ks if you observe other threads) don't get to use their complimentary e500s and "suffer" E+. Indeed, I've read my posts disparage e500s as "useless". You'll be in first class, and life is very good there.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

WineCountryUA

Great reference piece ^

Probably should clarifly the
"You can switch upgrade instruments (e.g., from CR1 to e500) over the phone" is only if the CR1 has not cleared

UnitedSkies

I would suggest that you add this to the Wiki as well.

lucky9876coins

EXCELLENT post!^ This is truly helpful, since we seem to have posts about this at least once a week!

FBKSan

Good suggestion. Done.

dav3d

okay I am still a bit of a newb... can someone post a link for the wiki (first I have heard of it)

cepheid

OP, thanks for a great post. A correction: 3Ps also qualify for the reduced purchase price. I've made that edit (and other minor formatting ones) on the wiki page.

FBKSan

Thanks for taking care of the wiki, Cepheid, I've corrected the OP. (OT: Link to the Wiki is http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php...nited_Airlines)

fadeforward

Yes, this should definitely be added to the FAQ. Great post.

Under the "Expiring e500s:" heading, you could be more specific. e500s can be used for flights departing from the date e-500s are received to the end of the calendar month one year from the date they are received. For example, if an e-500 is received on November 3, 2007, it can be used on flights departing as late as November 30, 2008. e500s with earlier expiration dates are automatically used before those with later expiration dates. Expiration months are listed on the united.com e-upgrade summary, the last possible date of use is the end of the last day of that month.

I think this is correct, though I admit I've never had e-500s expire, so I just got this info from a CSR. Edits are welcome, as are judgments that this is unnecessary detail.

mahasamatman

Although this is the way it's supposed to work, it doesn't always. It always pays to keep track of your upgrades.

djdevvydev

Thanks FBKSan for the great summary! Plenty in there I wasn't sure about.

I have a small suggestion: it appears from previous FT posts that CR1s are awarded for 1K/GS at the time of an e500 sweep, based on your status at sweep time rather than when the miles were earned. You may want to add that point (or maybe not).

weero

First class work FBKSan ^!

The only remark that I have is that the posts regarding switching the instrument after the upgrades have cleared (last list tab under "miscellaneous", referencing iwebslinger's original thread from 2005) may no longer be current with the updated upgrade system UA introduced around March 2006.
Ever since, I have not even managed to swap miles for SWUs, i.e. equivalent ug instruments! So what I and BrisbanePE suggested then and what certainly worked then, is probably barred these days.

Again, congrats on the fantastic feat!

FBKSan

Thanks, I've added this more detailed information.

djdevvydev, can you clarify? If this affects the way e500s are issued, I'll gladly amend the OP. If it only impacts CR1s, I'll leave that for another thread (I mention other upgrade instruments here only tangentially). But I may be missing something...

Thanks for the update, Weero. Can anyone provide additional information about switching UG instruments after the upgrade has cleared? I intentionally left that point a bit vague, in keeping with the tone of the post I referenced.