How often do your RPUs clear?
Sep 17, 2014, 6:37 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PBI / FLL / YUL
Programs: UA 1K, Delta Plat, AA Plat, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Courtesy Card
Posts: 1,983
2/8 this year, may fall to 2/9 if I don't clear PHX-EWR this weekend (not looking good). Failed JFK-SFO 4x, JFK-LAX once, LAS-EWR 1x. I typically book last minute so don't frequently have ability to get R space at booking. When they offer paid upgrades for $299, hard to clear p.s. flights.
Sep 17, 2014, 6:51 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott Life Plat, various others of little note
Posts: 2,763
It's apparent these GPUs and RPUs have been made completely worthless by Smisek and Co.
They don't clear on PS flights and in advanced mode I can't find a single non red eye flight to any reasonable business destination that has any open R seats between now and end of the year.
I'm looking at Nov and Dec flights with not a single seat sold yet still have zero availability for upgrades. Is this the norm? Where can I use them? I'm guessing HNL in the offseason, but I already hit 1K again and don't need vacation travel.
Some of the places I have been struck out this year when waitlisting a GPU/RPU:
SNA-ORD 8x
ORD-SNA 8X
LAX-ORD 3X
ORD-LAX 3X
DEN-ANC
ANC-DEN
SNA-IAH-FLL 2x
LAX-JFK PS
JFK-LAX PS (gave in and purchased for $319)
OGG-LAX
LAX-MCO 1X
So the days of UDU's are long over on any non-obscure business destination and GPUs/RPUs don't clear until 30 minutes after boarding on the odd chance they do clear.
I love the confidence you get when you put in one of these things and watch 12 non-booked seats (I say booked because most flights don't have R seats at all) disappear with the last 4 going 30 minutes before boarding to non-elites paying a couple hundred dollars.
Final thought, is it false advertising the way they describe them?
From UA
Here is what I believe would not be false advertising.
They don't clear on PS flights and in advanced mode I can't find a single non red eye flight to any reasonable business destination that has any open R seats between now and end of the year.
I'm looking at Nov and Dec flights with not a single seat sold yet still have zero availability for upgrades. Is this the norm? Where can I use them? I'm guessing HNL in the offseason, but I already hit 1K again and don't need vacation travel.
Some of the places I have been struck out this year when waitlisting a GPU/RPU:
SNA-ORD 8x
ORD-SNA 8X
LAX-ORD 3X
ORD-LAX 3X
DEN-ANC
ANC-DEN
SNA-IAH-FLL 2x
LAX-JFK PS
JFK-LAX PS (gave in and purchased for $319)
OGG-LAX
LAX-MCO 1X
So the days of UDU's are long over on any non-obscure business destination and GPUs/RPUs don't clear until 30 minutes after boarding on the odd chance they do clear.
I love the confidence you get when you put in one of these things and watch 12 non-booked seats (I say booked because most flights don't have R seats at all) disappear with the last 4 going 30 minutes before boarding to non-elites paying a couple hundred dollars.
Final thought, is it false advertising the way they describe them?
From UA
Here is what I believe would not be false advertising.
Sep 17, 2014, 7:07 pm
#34
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,192
I LOVE RPU's
In 2013 I cleared 14/14 RPU's which equaled 20 flight segments.
EWR-HNL-SFO-PDX
LAX-JFK (x6)
ORD-DEN-HNL-IAH-LGA
JFK-LAX (x5)
ROC-ORD-LAX
2014 is a bit slower, but 5/5 RPU's equal to 8 cleared flight segments.
ROC-IAD/ORD-LAX (x2)
LAX-ORD-ROC
LAX-JFK (x2)
I have 100% RPU clearance. I do clear at booking often, but I also watch for R availability frequently. Like WineCountry I tend to have some scheduling flexibility (on a given day) and book anywhere from 3 months to 3 weeks out. I've also had luck with mileage upgrades, but that is not the focus of this thread.
EWR-HNL-SFO-PDX
LAX-JFK (x6)
ORD-DEN-HNL-IAH-LGA
JFK-LAX (x5)
ROC-ORD-LAX
2014 is a bit slower, but 5/5 RPU's equal to 8 cleared flight segments.
ROC-IAD/ORD-LAX (x2)
LAX-ORD-ROC
LAX-JFK (x2)
I have 100% RPU clearance. I do clear at booking often, but I also watch for R availability frequently. Like WineCountry I tend to have some scheduling flexibility (on a given day) and book anywhere from 3 months to 3 weeks out. I've also had luck with mileage upgrades, but that is not the focus of this thread.
Sep 17, 2014, 8:29 pm
#36
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: UA-1K MM, AA-Gold, DL-Silver, AS-MVP
Posts: 2,508
I only have 1 failure this year, on a JFK-LAX p.s. Friday evening flight.
All my other domestics cleared using RPU, but I only fly ~10-12 domestic flights/year.
I still find value in them, although lack of domestic flying makes me gift them or they end up expiring.
All my other domestics cleared using RPU, but I only fly ~10-12 domestic flights/year.
I still find value in them, although lack of domestic flying makes me gift them or they end up expiring.
Sep 17, 2014, 8:33 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,519
Sep 17, 2014, 8:34 pm
#38
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium.;UA 1.5MM; UA Lifetime Gold (whoppee); DL Plat
Posts: 2,124
Did AA EXPLAT challenge...was 12/12 for upgrades w/o having to use any instruments.....RPU's seldom clear any more on UA...after 33 years, fed up and skeedaddled. (So I guess that's more ROU/GPU space for you all!
Tried 6 RPU's and 4 GPU's this year.....1 RPU and 0 GPU cleared.
Tried 6 RPU's and 4 GPU's this year.....1 RPU and 0 GPU cleared.
Sep 17, 2014, 8:43 pm
#39
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,783
Sep 17, 2014, 8:49 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: California
Programs: UA GS MM SPG Platinum (Lifetime Platinum)
Posts: 428
Did AA EXPLAT challenge...was 12/12 for upgrades w/o having to use any instruments.....RPU's seldom clear any more on UA...after 33 years, fed up and skeedaddled. (So I guess that's more ROU/GPU space for you all!
Tried 6 RPU's and 4 GPU's this year.....1 RPU and 0 GPU cleared.
Tried 6 RPU's and 4 GPU's this year.....1 RPU and 0 GPU cleared.
Sep 17, 2014, 9:14 pm
#41
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: IAH / HOU
Programs: UA GS, DL-Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Hyatt Somethingist, Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 2,853
As a GS I have cleared every RPU requested except 1, cleared on 11 of 12. The one missed was DCA-IAH, which historically has been a very tough route to upgrade on. Pre-merger I only cleared on this route on B and Y tickets when done in advance, never on discount economy. Now they don't even open space for B upgrades very often.
Sep 17, 2014, 11:20 pm
#42
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,424
The published priority rules suggest that instruments do not have priority on the standby list, although this has not been confirmed and there are other viewpoints on this issue.
Sep 17, 2014, 11:33 pm
#43
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 1,155
They are not worthless to me. I easily used my 4 RPUs earned last year and this year, all on transcon flights: SFO-IAD (lie-flat 764), SFO-DCA (2x) and BOS-SFO.
I did fail to clear once, on EWR-SFO. That route IS impossible.
I did fail to clear once, on EWR-SFO. That route IS impossible.
Sep 18, 2014, 2:37 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott Life Plat, various others of little note
Posts: 2,763
The following is the order of priority, within five days, on flights that are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades:
Premier members on eligible Y- and B-class fares, as well as Premier 1K members on M-class fares: Instant upgrades that weren't confirmed in advance are sorted by fare class, then Premier status
All travelers on waitlisted Global Premier Upgrades, Regional Premier Upgrades and MileagePlus Upgrade Awards: Sorted by Premier status of the redeeming account, then fare class and then time of request
All remaining Premier members using Complimentary Premier Upgrades: Sorted by Premier status, then fare class and then award trav