UA-NYC

www.getmyupgrade.com

WineCountryUA

should warn the OP that the data there may be dated (last database update was 4 Dec )

Syzygies

http://www.expertflyer.com

ExpertFlyer has a monthly subscription (annual is better). Choose "Awards & Upgrades", departing and arriving airport codes, pick a Wednesday date and select + or - 3 days to get a week at once. Select United Airlines, then R capacity, connection preference any.

Save your query so you can edit it using "Refine Search", to change the week or destination. Filter search results, uncheck Show Flights with No Availability and apply filter. (Sadly, this can neither be made a global preference nor a saved query attribute. I've written them to no avail.)

You'll now see routings where any leg has R capacity. For most of us, we could care less about the upgrade SFO to LAX but we do want the bed to Asia. For you, you need R capacity all the way through, or else you'll pay for a separate ticket if you can peel off the missing capacity like an onion. Either way, you'll have to browse the results by eye to find the flights that actually meet your criteria.

(I once got in trouble with them for scripting their site. Trust me, I have better things to do and I'd much rather have them script their site. They've made great strides over the years; just noting that scripting their site is still possible.)

This is a great tool; I found routings with capacity I never would have considered.

sbm12

Slightly ironic that you got in trouble for scripting the EF site since that is what they are doing to UA to collect the data.

TheCount2

Consider IST. UA has a ns EWR-IST which appears to run below capacity. But the weather in January might be cold and overcast.

I've used the suggestions to find R,I and O capacity by the posters just above and I'll take this opportunity to thank them.

geofflaredo

Have had good luck the past few years flying to Asia and locking in upgrades at the time of purchase, using dollars (copay) and miles. Have always done this by phone.

This year for the first time my wife is a 1K, I'm a gold. she has GPUs that we would use for upgrades. Unwilling to commit to flights unless we lock in upgrade at purchase time (W fare bucket is the lowest we could buy to use the GPUs, i realize). Reasonably flexible on travel dates, within a particular window late this year.

So............help! is it possible via the website to both search for upgradeable flights AND purchase using GPUs for the upgrade? I think I figured out how to do so if I were to use miles and copay, but that's not the case here. Any tips MUCH appreciated, thanks!

mduell

Buy access to EF, will let you search for R space a week at a time.

geofflaredo

thanks, and please excuse my ignorance on this point - but how do I do that?

UrbaneGent

Yes can you help me too, please? What is EF?

txp

I am not sure we are allowed to advertise someone else's services here, so it is possible that this could be deleted by the moderator.

This said, here is the answer: EF = www.expertflyer.com, get the full subscription. It has been a life saver for me.

UAPremExecflyer

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ilability.html

geofflaredo

Thanks for this. Has made searching easy - but frustrating, because so far I can't get what I want. Question: Is it crazy to specifically request that ticketing agent contact inventory management (or whomever they need to) to release seats? E.G., I know two of us will travel together; one is 1K, the other Gold. I see two outbound dates with R availability, i'm willing to do either of those dates. I see a return date i'm willing to do also, but the R availability is for only one of the two legs.......AND it is paired with NH, so little or no chance of that upgrade clearing or perhaps even possible. So, I naively want to ask/beg/plead for IM to release two seats on the UA flight i want so i can complete the itinerary and buy it. Thoughts?

EmailKid

Join the crowd

Many of us lament the fact that UA does not like to release R, especially TPAC

EmailKid

sbm12

This is just the same inventory as what shows on United.com. No need to pay for that access if you don't want to.

geofflaredo

And now a followup. I've input several upgrade alerts into ExpertFlyer. Earlier today I did a full scan for myself and nothing that i wanted was available. I just got an email alert that one of the legs I'd asked for came open. Went online to expertflyer just to see what that looked like.......and all I saw was a big fat zero. Called United to check; NOT available. So, flyertalkers...........how reliable is ExpertFlyer? In this case, what the database shows me is correct, but the alert I received is wrong. At the very least, I'm wondering what the alert is based on.