lapeter

We just flew #837 from NRT to BKK on 4-6-13. About two hours prior to boarding all 8 F seats were unbooked and there were 7 Bus. seats available. Also on the standby list were 15 names. Same 15 names were on the Bus. upgrade list and same 15 names were on the F upgrade list. I assume all 15 names were Non-revs. Prior to boarding it looked like 15 people were in line at gate counter. Listening to some of the people, I could tell they were Non-revs. We were in Bus. and I saw first get filled with the same non-revs and same people were in business. I assume that UA employees contracts get them the first and bus. seats. As a lowly 1K, I don't expect to upgraded twice, but it seemed like there were some GS in Bus. I would have thought the GS's would have gotten the F seats from Bus. I now know that United does not do that. I am happy to get upgraded to Bus. but it is interesting how the F seats get filled. It was still a comfortable flight.

Sulley

If you want Global First, pay for it.

For everything that United employees have had to endure over the past 15 years, it's one of the last remaining perks of the job...

mgcsinc

It's this way on many (most?) CPU-ineligible flights.

sbm12

Unless they put down a GPU why? And if they put down a GPU they would have cleared ahead of the non-revs.

halls120

Concur. Since there are no CPUs on international flights, if you want the UG, you need to pay for it.

tuolumne

What's your implication? because it sounds like you were perturbed by the fact that non revs are allowed in premium cabins. You want F, pay for F. Non revs have nothing to do with taking those seats away from anybody, which I suspect is how you approached this situation from.

channa

For everything the frequent customers have had to endure in the past 15 months, an upgrade for a dying breed GS who hasn't defected yet isn't exactly unthinkable.

TravelBeat

Here, here!

A ride up front in a seat that will push out empty is a small reward for all the abuse they put up with from the travelling public AND their own company.

lapeter

Some Non-Revs are family of employees and family members may not have had to put up with us nasty customers- haha. I guess a GS that spends a lot of money with UA should be shown a little more consideration, but I may be in the minority. It is still fine being just a 1K.

HNLbasedFlyer

This is common on all airlines on a route without complimentary upgrades - the non-revs sit up front - this isn't a United issue. If you put the revs up front on a non-complimentary route - what would be the incentive to purchase a ticker up front?

WineCountryUA

One option would be to "upgrade" the paying customers to F (just the paid business -- not double upgrades) and place the non-Revs in Business which isn't half bad. Seems like that would be a win-win for everyone.

lapeter

Good point. I assume some of the passengers in Bus. cabin paid for it and were not upgrades with miles $$$ or instruments.

sbm12

Then we should also upgrade any paid Y fares to business and put the non-revs in Y, right??

The rules are quite clear: Non-revs have access to F if no one is paying for it. No one paid for it. The non-revs get it.

LilAbner

International F/C lists are prioritized by established rules set down by UAL. If someone wants F/C either buy B/C and use a GPU or use miles like I did for three of us in June and pay for it (with hard earned miles). Btw, it has been determined many, many moons ago that an airline that treats their people & families as F/C employees also let them ride in F/C if nobody else wants to pay the price. There are NO CPU's on international flights and I can assure you that in NRT they go by the book!

No need to worry about who is a non-rev in NRT (or Germany, for that matter) as the g/a's have that under control.

tuolumne

I suppose the most salient question is, why? This is an international route that operates in accordance to UA's system wide seating policies. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems youre suggesting a system wherein paying J get automatic upgrades to 3-cabin intl. F on a space available basis. Unfortunately, such a system would never fly with the company or the employees, the latter of whom already lost domestic First privileges due to a similar "auto upgrade" system. Losing international F would cause mutiny among the ranks. Further, the company already rakes in money from NRSA in premium cabins - the seats are not going out completely revenue negative.