Lori_Q

Moral of the story: Check, check, and check again! Make sure the airport ticket desk agrees you're on the upgrade standby list!

Question: How often has this happened to you?

Last night I switched from HKG-SFO to HKG-ORD to improve my GPU upgrade chances or, if the upgrade didn't clear, get a row in E+ to myself. After a 1K Desk agent reapplied my GPU manually, I got the email with the title text.

I checked in, didn't see my name on the United.com upgrade list, and called the 1K Desk again. Another agent assured me that I was on the list, even though my name didn't appear. The agent said "you're now on the airport list, but I am not able to see it." I've heard this before, and I understand this is a limitation of their system. So I hung up and did my best to not lose sleep over it.

The next morning I went to HKG four hours before the flight. It was too early to check in at the ticketing counters, and I had only carry-on bags anyway, so I went through security & immigration. My name still didn't appear on the United.com upgrade list, so I called the 1K Desk to ask for reassurance. A very helpful agent saw that my GPU was applied, but she didn't see my name on the airport list. She checked a few places and eventually confirmed I was not on the airport standby list.

I went to the agent at the United Club. At first she declared that I wasn't on the list and started talking about a co-pay and miles -- until I showed her the upgrade standby email on my phone. Then she called the ticketing office and had them research it. Thank goodness the ticketing office found the GPU and added me to the list.

Now I can see the list and confirm that I'm #2 with 3 open seats. At this point I don't care much whether the upgrade clears. My little row of three seats in E+ might be more convenient for getting work done. But this false "you're on the list" reassurance is for the birds. Although the current ticketing system is good and reliable (all things considered), that no-man's land between the main reservation system and the airport reservation system -- especially for tickets changed within 24 hours of flight time -- makes it hard to trust what I'm being told.

Thoughts? Experiences?

WineCountryUA

You switched flights within the 24 hour window and then waitlisted a GPU. Or was it outside the 24 hour window?

If inside the 24 hour window of the new flight, strictly speaking, you should have not been able to waitlist. Some agents will try but it is known to have issues.

Dublin_rfk

More than once on when making a close in change on an international flug I have been told don't worry you're on the upgrade list even though I could not see it and they have been incorrect. Check, check angain, and insist that they Check again and don't be surprised when you find yourself in the self loading cattle section.

Kacee

Exactly. From the website:

Global Premier Upgrades

mherdeg

Did you clear?

I have occasionally had phone agents re-add me to the departure-management standby list when doing an SDC with an international flight where I applied a GPU. I don't ask for it and I know the written policy explicitly says they will not do it -- so I'm always kind of surprised when they DO do it.

RobOnLI

The OP is sitting in 10G. "QUA, L" was upgraded - one of two people.

The other posters are correct. Even if you SDC and you had a GPU applied, if the new flight you are getting on is within 24 hours the GPU should not be transferred and you should not be on the upgrade list. You are only supposed to be able to confirm "R" space immediately if it's available or you get a refund of your GPU. That's it.

My guess...the system correctly didn't put the OP on the upgrade list because it was within 24 hours. The phone agent lied when saying they were on the upgrade list. But the reason the phone agent couldn't see QUA/L on the upgrade list was because they aren't actually on the list.

When calling back from HKG airport the agent probably saw a "stuck" GPU in the reservation and just manually added the OP to the airport list. What they didn't check far enough into was that the OP did an SDC. If they had checked that then their answer should have been, "Sorry, you can't waitlist within 24 hours and "R" space isn't open. I can give you your GPU back."

Now if the OP tells us that HKG-ORD was farther than 24 hours away then this is a technical problem and the phone agent screwed up.

I think the only way the OP would have been eligible for SDC is if they started in SIN and did the SIN-HKG flight. To SDC it has to be United metal/operated so I'm not aware of another flight into HKG that would allow SDC.

-RM

Kacee

Just to clarify, while it's technically not permitted to waitlist within 24 hours, agents will sometimes allow you to do it, and I don't think there's anything per se wrong with asking to be waitlisted, just be aware that it's an exception, not an entitlement, it and may not go smoothly.

spin88

Pardon my asking a dumb question, but what exactly if the purpose of this "rule" It impacts 1Ks/GS (top fliers) and often SDC is because of issue that a flier wants to avoid, or its to a less full flight (which may end up benefiting United in the end). Other than just the usual Smisik era seething hatred against its top elites or typical unhelpfulness, what is the point of this rule?

Tblack15

LOL! This is some great FT stalking. Well done, RobOnLI ^

violist

Often, frequently, only almost every time.
I always thought that it was an acknowledgment of something
wrong in the program. Easier to make it a "rule" than to fix the
procedure.

cmdinnyc

A long time ago at sCO wasn't there an issue or concern that some customers would make refundable business class reservations, then cancel close-in and use an upgrade instrument or miles to book in to that space they freed up immediately? To avoid this, they put in rules to block applying upgrades too close to the time of departure.

jsloan

Yes -- the policy was that the BF waitlist expired 72 hours before departure, for exactly that reason.

However, since UA will still process waitlisted upgrades that were applied in advance, I don't think that's the rationale here, unless they're only concerned with stopping last-minute fraudulent bookings. I think the suggestion that this is a technical limitation rebranded as a rule makes the most sense to me.

Kacee

That would be my guess is well. Supposedly the 24 hour mark is when they "transfer" names to the upgrade standby list and it may be that if you're not on the list at that point, it creates a problem.

I doubt it's because UA hates it elites.

chavala

Funny, but kinda creepy too

mauiUAflyer

So I would like to know, if one does a SDC within 24 hours, how does one re-apply the GPU for the upgrade (if there isn't R available when doing the SDC)? Is this best done over the phone?