Upgrade chances on SYD/MEL flights

Old Apr 2, 2014, 7:30 am
  #181  
 
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*G upgrade chances, debating switching flights last min

UA *G, waitlisted for BF with miles+copay on this flight:

UA 839 LAX-SYD 4/4/14 F2 A1 J3 C2 D2 Z1 P0

Considering switching to:
UA 839 LAX-SYD 4/3/14 F0 A0 J1 C1 D1 Z0 P0 (yikes)
UA 863 SFO-SYD 4/3/14 F3 A3 J1 C1 D1 Z1 P1
UA 863 SFO-SYD 4/4/14 F2 A2 J3 C3 D3 Z0 P0

The bold one a better chance with more F cabin to clear BF out of?
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 8:10 am
  #182  
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WHEN?

All are near full in Biz, and a GS would not clear on any is my guess.
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 9:39 am
  #183  
 
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Tomorrow 4/3 (Thursday) or 4/4 (Friday). Basically willing to pay the change fee if it improves my odds at all.
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 9:48 am
  #184  
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You are on a flight with C3 and you'd pay real money to move to a flight with just C1?

$mi$ik would love you to do it!

ANY Plat, 1K or GS trumps you all day long on either.

A revenue ticket is $5K or more one way, and walk ups are pretty common, so they will hang onto it until the death.
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 3:05 pm
  #185  
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Originally Posted by intrigue65
UA *G, waitlisted for BF with miles+copay on this flight:

UA 839 LAX-SYD 4/4/14 F2 A1 J3 C2 D2 Z1 P0

Considering switching to:
UA 839 LAX-SYD 4/3/14 F0 A0 J1 C1 D1 Z0 P0 (yikes)
UA 863 SFO-SYD 4/3/14 F3 A3 J1 C1 D1 Z1 P1
UA 863 SFO-SYD 4/4/14 F2 A2 J3 C3 D3 Z0 P0

The bold one a better chance with more F cabin to clear BF out of?
It is not normal procedure to op-up from business to first.
As a UA Gold, you chances are poor at best on any of those flights.
Before spending any money, I would call and ask how many are on the waitlist or ask the agent their best advice.
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 4:24 pm
  #186  
 
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The last few times I've flown US-SYD, there have been 12-15 people trying to upgrade to 1-2 seats in both C and F. That was on the 747s in Jan and March. The 777s have fewer seats, making it even worse.

I'd say your chances of an upgrade as UA 1P on a flight that's already C1-3 are close to zero. C1-3 could mean that the flight is already overbooked, although they are still willing to sell full fare tickets.

Good news is the 777s are much better in economy than the old 747s were. Flew them yesterday SFO-SYD and was pleasantly surprised. Very light load: most passengers in E+ got a row of 3 seats

Last edited by flyerbjorn; Apr 2, 2014 at 4:31 pm
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 4:31 pm
  #187  
 
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Thanks guys! I think my money might be better spent on a few more PQM via premier accelerator to get me into Plat to boost chances for this leg and 1k by the time I get back. Looking marginally better at F2 A1 J5 C4 D4 Z2 P0 now

FWIW I flew this route in Jan and cleared both ways as Gold but outbound from USA on a Tuesday and back on Saturday was probably less competitive. Or I got lucky.
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Old Apr 2, 2014, 4:35 pm
  #188  
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You should be looking at the booking info on "flight status" not fare class availability.

839 is booked full 4/3. It's booked 34/40 for 4/4. 863 is booked 37/40 and 38/40.

So your current flight has the *best* upgrade chances. Though that is a relative term, as the odds are, as previous posters have noted, not very good at all.

As WineCountryUA notes, UA will not fill F in order to allow upgrades Y to J.
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Old Apr 26, 2014, 9:31 am
  #189  
 
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waitlisted on a SFO-SYD flight on 7-1. This thread isn't giving me hope especially since i lost status.

Question. If i purchase a economy plus seat and get miraculously upgraded, do i get refunded the price of the economy plus seat?
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Old Apr 26, 2014, 2:11 pm
  #190  
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Originally Posted by njxbean
.... If i purchase a economy plus seat and get miraculously upgraded, do i get refunded the price of the economy plus seat?
yes (for GPU/mileage upgrades, not-op-ups)
Should be automatic but if not just manually request the refund.
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Old Apr 29, 2014, 11:35 am
  #191  
 
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flew 840 syd-lax 28/4.

3rd on waitlist, I didn't get GPU upgrade, now batting 1 for 3 on this flight this year, whereas all previous flights last year was 4 for 4.

Very odd stuff going on here. 6 empty biz and 2 first seats, existed 24 hours out.

I'm flying in from Wellington to link up and caught in Catch 22 situation. On 016 ticket can't checkin 24 hours before departure on United site because first flight is Air NZ. Air NZ won't allow 24 hour online checkin because UA ticket and visa check. Which seems to drop my 3 month old GPU waitlist for 24 hours while others jump queue until I can check in at gate. Seems to be a glitch in software handshake with ANZ and UA.
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Old Apr 29, 2014, 11:57 am
  #192  
 
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Originally Posted by syrahnose
flew 840 syd-lax 28/4.

3rd on waitlist, I didn't get GPU upgrade, now batting 1 for 3 on this flight this year, whereas all previous flights last year was 4 for 4.

Very odd stuff going on here. 6 empty biz and 2 first seats, existed 24 hours out.

I'm flying in from Wellington to link up and caught in Catch 22 situation. On 016 ticket can't checkin 24 hours before departure on United site because first flight is Air NZ. Air NZ won't allow 24 hour online checkin because UA ticket and visa check. Which seems to drop my 3 month old GPU waitlist for 24 hours while others jump queue until I can check in at gate. Seems to be a glitch in software handshake with ANZ and UA.
AFAIK, if calling in when R>0 at T-24 to confirm your upgrade, hold off on checking in. People have called in and gotten their upgrade confirmed first and then proceeded to check in (airport/online). In your case, since you were not able to check in, if R>0, you should have been able to get an upgrade if your GPU was WL

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-24-hours.html
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Old Apr 29, 2014, 3:07 pm
  #193  
 
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Originally Posted by syrahnose
flew 840 syd-lax 28/4.

3rd on waitlist, I didn't get GPU upgrade, now batting 1 for 3 on this flight this year, whereas all previous flights last year was 4 for 4.

Very odd stuff going on here. 6 empty biz and 2 first seats, existed 24 hours out.

I'm flying in from Wellington to link up and caught in Catch 22 situation. On 016 ticket can't checkin 24 hours before departure on United site because first flight is Air NZ. Air NZ won't allow 24 hour online checkin because UA ticket and visa check. Which seems to drop my 3 month old GPU waitlist for 24 hours while others jump queue until I can check in at gate. Seems to be a glitch in software handshake with ANZ and UA.
I was on that flight (1A), seat 2H in GF remained unoccupied despite an upgrade standby list! (I bought Z & upgraded using miles & $ months ago)
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Old Apr 29, 2014, 8:08 pm
  #194  
 
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Not an upgrade, but...

Few days ago I booked a redemption flight SFO-SYD for late next week. Only Y was available, so that's what I booked.

Called in yesterday and got them to up-fare the ticket to F, and then waitlist in F. Didn't expect much as the flight was F3 C3, with 2 seats showing free in F and 2 in C (I'm still trying to work out exactly how that adds up - do they block a seat in F?).

A few hours ago got the email that the waitlist had cleared, and the flight is now showing F1 C0. Didn't expect it to clear, and certainly didn't expect it to clear over a week in advance - but I'm certainly not complaining!
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Old May 1, 2014, 9:21 am
  #195  
 
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Perhaps too early for this, but has anyone had luck clearing into R weeks or months out on the T7 yet? Or is this a thing of the past?

Just wondering if there's still a decent shot of clearing on trips booked well in advance or not, given that upgrades near departure seem to be iffy now.
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