1. Pick up the phone and contact United Reservations there and advise them you wish to upgrade your North American flights using 500 mile certificates. They are the final authority as to if your fare is upgradable (despite what it might say on the web). Once on the 500 mile waitlist, your upgrade will be automatically confimed (if Capacity Controlled space is available) 72 hours before flight time. If you don't clear the waitlist, when you arrive at the airport, you can ask to be put on the priority standby list (called the Departure Management or "DM" list) for your upgrade. You hand over the certs at the airport if and when you are issued your upgraded boarding pass.

2. You can not book free car rental days on the web. You must call on the phone.

If you want a real headache, visit the Upgrade Center section of The Unofficial United Help Desk for more and complex details about 500 Mile North American Upgrades. The site is specifically geared to U.S. members and policies, but 95% of it applies to U.K members as well.

Good Luck.

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 12-13-2000).]