Joshua

I waitlisted an RPU for a flight showing A/F/P4, R0 (UA 710 today, LAX-CLE, and an A320 which the new United does not customarily open any R inventory up for until a few days out from departure).

Inventory opened up to F2, R1 about 30 hours before that flight's departure. I rang the 1K desk and asked if my RPU could be applied instantly, but was told no, it couldn't, as there were other people in the waitlist ahead of me.

I went ahead and checked in as early as possible. I got offered a TOD upgrade for $229 (from a $174 base fare), with the solemn warning of "2 seats available, 15 customers eligible for upgrade". I declined.

At this point, I was #2 on the upgrade list on mobile.united.com.

My upgrade then went ahead and cleared at T-23:50.

The customer who was #2 on the battlefield list also cleared.

My questions are:
(1) Did having a waitlisted RPU improve my chances? (Since #1 customer didn't, I don't think it did, unless he had a WL'd RPU too.)
(2) If you see R inventory open up, can an RPU be instantly applied, or do you just end up in some kind of queue? (In other words, is RPU just like CPU?)

Air Houston

1. Yes. Mileage upgrades and instruments are prioritized ahead of CPUs.
2. You should be able to call and have the RPU cancelled and then reapply it and instantly clear.

MatthewLAX

As long as it is outside the 24hr mark, indeed.

1k650

why would you need to cancel it and reapplied ?

MatthewLAX

because RPU and GPUs clear automatically, but apprently not if R space is opened after you apply.

TWAB747nomore

I have yet to clear in a battlefield upgrade as a platinum ....... I had better luck as a 1p

1k650

Interesting! so if the R space opens up after you apply RPU/GPU, it will not clear ? This is a huge step back from PMUA system.

Is this well documented?

MatthewLAX

I can only point to my own experience.

WineCountryUA

sometimes yes, sometimes no IME

Pegasus23

OP: Yes, to your question, but not always.....My experience PIT-DEN. 96 hrs 3 "R" available. I did not clear CPU. Called up and applied a RPU for upgrade, 3 "R" still available. Agent said no. We can no longer upgrade manually. Asked for Supervisor, She too said no because we then oversell F. The computer does all upgrading, but is not working, and they don't know why..... But.... I will do a 1 time exception.....
I wonder since US Airways uses Shares....Would their IT dept know how to fix this mess?

Air Houston

It may clear, just not immediately.

A GPU or RPU will clear when a sweep occurs (if R is available) but you can get it to clear in advance of the sweep by applying the RPU or GPU whenever R>0. A sweep will occur when a 24 hour (approximately) multiple from flight departure occurs or when someone checks in for the flight (which could be more than 24 hours prior to departure due to connecting traffic) provided the process hasn't been stalled by an out of sync record.

You can apply an instrument anytime R>0, even within 24 hours. You can not waitlist a GPU or RPU within 24 hours if R=0, however.

CPUs do NOT process just because R>0. Only GPUs and RPUs and mileage upgrades are "guaranteed" to occur when R>0. Guaranteed is in quotes because we have seen many examples reported where upgrades were not processed properly.

First

This is interesting, thanks for spelling this out so clearly. So what is your strategy in applying RPUs, then, do you like to wait until close-in and see if you can get it to clear right away with R>0? Do you apply it when you book--and hope for the best?

Also, how does the check-in offer affect your thinking, if it all? Seems that you have pretty good CPU success anyway. If I was Joshua, I might have bit when faced with such "tall" odds...

Air Houston

If I really want to be sitting in the front then I apply the RPU as soon as I decide to use it. There are plenty of cases where UA opens up one or two R seats a couple weeks in advance, or a couple days in advance, or at what seems to be any random time. So having the RPU listed is definitely better than not having it listed. You certainly can get upgraded on a waitlisted RPU, it just doesn't happen the instant that R becomes available like it did with PMUA. That said, if you happen to find out about R availability between sweeps (via ExpertFlyer notification or a flight search where you notice it) you can always call and have the RPU removed and then reapply it to get the system to upgrade you right away. Knowing that a CPU won't automatically clear just because there is R availability is immensely helpful in this case because otherwise you might take the RPU off and in the end not get the CPU. I would only remove an RPU at 5-days out if F was wide open and there were hardly any people booked in E+, which would indicate very few Premiers on the flight and an excellent chance of getting a CPU. (For example, flying to Kansas City on Thursday January 4 - which is NOT going to be a busy travel day for Premiers.)

I have been upgraded before check-in on most of my flights this year, and only received a check-in offer one time. I suspect the offer I received was a buy-up to M fare as it was for $300 and the system said there were ten people on the wait-list with one seat available; I declined the offer and sat in an exit row.

sshank

Whoa! That's interesting. I did not know you could apply a GPU/RPU <24 hr window if R>0!

In any case, why the 24 hour limit to wait list a GRU/RPU? What are they trying to prevent?

InterFlyer

I applied a RPU to a flight from SFO to IAD the other day. Stayed on waitlist until the day before flight. 24h prior, I received a message saying that the upgrade did not clear and the RPU would be returned to my account. An hour later the CPU cleared, go figure.