CashN

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.

aacharya

I have never failed to clear on p.s. flights.

Only once have I failed to clear the waitlist on non-p.s. - and that was an overnight SFO-EWR on the 752 (lie-flat).

When you say you failed on those routes, was it simply because R = 0 when you were looking?

CashN

R was 0 (even though no seats were sold) and I still put them in to be waitlisted. Never cleared. I'm typically in the top 1 or 2 spots on the upgrade list. It seems to be that no more than 2 or 3 out of 12 on flights to hubs are getting upgrades anymore. The last two round trips to DIA there wasn't a single green check mark on the 40 person plus upgrade list. I also don't believe that those who put in instruments have priority over parity elites on higher booking classes.

ExRSA

I have also had very poor success in getting RPUs to clear this year.

5 of 6 p.s. flights have not cleared for me. (3 of the 5 took with myself number 1 on the upgrade waitlist for what that was worth )

CashN

As a GS????

aacharya

You must have some bad luck, or are flying exceedingly heavy elite flights. Even if the CPU world is pretty sparse, 1K RPUs (see diditclear.com) are batting very close to 85%.

CashN

I know my home airport is one of the most elite packed with seldom 757s.

2009- to Mar 2012 I was 85% UDU 95% on instruments. This year I'm 0% on instruments, 6% on UDU with all being flights of an hour or so.

Not sure how diditclear works but most of my 1K colleagues have experienced the same success as me this year. They are more important than me and don't take the time to complain (or even know what flyertalk is) but they are ready to leave UA, I can assure you that.

CashN

Case in point.

I have two more ORD trips this year. I don't need either as 1K will be maintained before that.

Even on a 757 with 24 non booked seats, an upgrade will not confirm? Since they have not been clearing I have been waiting to the last minute for a higher booking class to improve my UDU chances. It seems it's better to buy cheap and pay the TOD which amounts to the same. Only problem is the upchage shows I paid for an upgrade. The first route is no issues...
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/909/YZL6v4.jpg

Kacee

SFO-HNL is a very easy RPU route. The 764 with lie flats is a particularly good use of an RPU. All year, not just "low season." UA is also currently flying a three-class 772 DEN-HNL; that's a nice RPU use as well.

My experience on ps has been quite different. I've not missed in the past two years. Though UA has made it more difficult recently with the change in policy about opening R at T-24.

CashN

I've done the PS route four segments this year. Missed the first 3, would have likely cleared on the last segment put gave in for $319.

I watched like a hawk yesterday and it wasn't until 20 minutes into boarding that they released the last two seats for upgrades. For $300 (I've heard as low as $279) I can't see how any seats will clear anymore.

Kacee

I've several times SDC'ed off flights that were not going to clear into open R.

Hard to do when they no longer open R.

This is IMO this is one of the top three nasty things UA has done to elites (after Feb. 3 deval. and March 15, 2015 changes to mileage accrual).

micmcguire

Have missed 1 all year (syd to lax).

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I've used or every one of mine. Each confirmed at booking. Since I don't like to waitlist, I have to be flexible.

As for LAX-ORD 11/17, there is R available at 6:42a, 8a, 6:45p, 11p. Are none of those suitable or are you insisting on a specific flight, which obviously reduces your chances? I see R all through that week (not on all flights), but what do you expect - R on every flight??? It doesn't work like that. To be flexible on use of my GPUs, I'm talking shifting cities/dates. You can't even move to an earlier or later time between the same city pair on the same day. I have zero pity for your "plight".

Obviously, empty seats in mid-September hardly is a gauge of a fill with last minute business travelers 2 months from now. Complaining that you can't get a specific flight is ridiculous when UA is offering you four other flights. You are opting not to use them on the available R flights on the day you want to fly - that's not UA's fault.

kb1992

+100

I refuse to buy a coach ticket without R>0.

spearsba

My luck has been the contrary. 5 of 6 TPAC/TATL GPUs cleared. The one that did not, IAH-FRA was a last minute change due to the original flight being canceled. RPUs are just as good. 2 weeks ago ORD-ANC and then ANC to DEN cleared. I am doing IAH-HNL on Sunday, returning the following Saturday. Both ways in W class, both cleared the RPU when I ticketed last Friday. I do try to orginate and return my TATL and TPAC flights on mid-week.