Originally Posted by
mauiUAflyer
This has happened to me as well. Usually what happens is that the sponsor does it over the phone, and then doesn't go to the airport to sign the authorization. For example, recently .bomb was having difficulties in allowing on-line sponsoring with CR1s. So they were called in.
When this happens, one needs to call the 1K desk and asked to get transferred to the 1K web support. Be prepared to sit on hold for a while as they take care of it. But it has worked so far for me.
And if you sponsor an upgrade, if it wasn't done from your account on-line, you'll need to make sure you authorize it correctly. I did this at the RCC in SFO for +1.
This has happened to me on numerous occasions, even when the upgrade was done online.
Somehow, OLCI still shows that "upgrade not authorized by a MP member".
It's just a big pain in the butt, especially when the sponsor is not traveling with the sponsee.
Several times, my sponsee had to give me panic calls at airports such as PEK, PVG and HKG, because UA check-in agents won't issue business class BP saying upgrade is not authorized.
When these calls came, usually it's around midnight in US, few hours before these flights leave Asia.
I had to call web support under these situations. What a pain.
Something is wrong with UA IT. It's increasingly happening to me that sponsored upgrade is broken, especially recently.