I have been booked on NRT-IAH Nov 2 for over two months.

*Waitlisted at time of booking
*B-Bucket
*+30k Miles
*Plat Status

As most are aware, when the system works as advertised, one is supposed to get the upgrade at the time R-Bucket becomes available or is released into inventory.

This rarely occurs as CO states. This is not a unique, one off event nor is it an uncommon occurrence. Going further, CO has been made aware of this issue for at least 2.5 years...maybe longer as I have only read this forum for that period of time and have read the complaints and have, I believe, read where Scott acknowledges the issue.

Only because I read this forum was I able to defeat the shortcoming by watching inventory every couple of days.(as learned here on FT)

*Called elite desk...Got music for only 2 or so minutes before Agent picked up
*Informed agent of R inventory
*Informed agent of my waitlist status

Agent politely puts me on hold while telling me that correcting or fixing this issue has been out of their hands for 5yrs now (not what I recall in the past)and must escalate my call. I spend the next 30 minutes on hold listening to the great things happening on CO's widebody fleet with agent politely checking on me every 10 minutes or so saying she is having to listen to music too.

Agent finally comes back and informs me that I am all set and sorry for the wait. She secured a front BF cabin, middle row seat that wasn't available on the seat map....I thanked her in a upbeat and positive manner as she was as professional as any agent I have had dealings with.

Any person of any status could have secured this seat and I could have been riding in the back.

Or

It could be that there are PPLATS or higher ranking PLATS on the list that could or should have gotten this seat before me.

Or

It could be that in just a few more minutes, hours or days the system would have picked me up.

Or

The system as it stands rewards only those who watch R the most...Checking daily like a psychopath and logging fake iteneraries. Airline Darwanism at its very best.

Why is this still a chronic problem after all this time?....years?

To be clear: you searched for a B fare & found an upgrade available on the date you are booked?

My take is Houston2mnl booked a flight and waitlisted as R was not currently available.

However, once R did open up, he called into CO, verified the space, and then had to have the system manually process the upgrade - something that should have been done automatically and is commenting on the fact he, as well as the agent, have had to do this for a material amount of time.

This is correct.

I only posted that it was B in order to show why I didn't also have to co-pay $ as well as use miles. I also do this for the 150% as the total amount paid generally works out to be the same as when you waitlist for R on a low price bucket.

That's what i gathered but wanted to verify. I'm studious about watching inventory & have never found an R available when I've not received my upgrade.

But being in the software biz, i know that "things" happen. But that doesn't help the OP.

How does one know when R inventory is released and becomes available?

I am waitlisted (B-fare, trying to do a SWU upgrade) for the NRT - IAH this Thursday...still waitlisted...

Thx

do a dummy search for your exact itin. make sure you are signed in. click "advanced search." scroll to the bottom and check the box for mileage reward. the results will show all/any flights with reward upgrade inventory.

Both my parents are supposed to be waitlisted for BF on a transatlantic flight on Wednesday. It's a reward ticket, and, although there was no space available in the BF cabin at the time, they charged me the saverpass miles for that cabin (105,000 miles roundtrip) and put them on a waitlist (with confirmed seats in economy). Flight is now showing on pda.continental.com, but neither of them is on the "Upgrade Standby list" and there are 8 seats still available in the cabin...Were their names supposed to be on the standby list?

The UG standby list on pda.continental will only show you there once you've checked in.

My B-fare SWU upgrade cleared today for the Thursday flight NRT - IAH. Hoping for the lie-flat seats to check them out. Looks like the R bucket in BF became available about 48 hours prior to the flight.

It is E+ on SIN - NRT leg on UA.