:-:
AFAIK, the answer is no. I believe they are all treated equally and time added to the waitlist becomes the next tie-breaker.

Sorry to keep asking questions, but I am confused as to how the upgrade availability relates to fare buckets. A couple of questions:

1. if RN availability for a flight is greater than 0, why does upgrading with miles show "waitlist only"?

2. If "waitlist" only is shown, but the corresponding bucket has availability, will the upgrade clear immediately afterwards, or do I still wait until my window (day of departure) for clearance?

3. BONUS: is "day of departure" the same as 24hrs in advance?

Thanks in advance

It shouldn't if you have elite status.

That said, there are a number of reports of issues between R, RN and various upgrades at this point. It is hard to know if things just didn't get implemented correctly or if there has been a policy shift that has not been well communicated. Either way, I'd keep an eye on both RN and R right now, not just one of them.

It can clear at any point prior to departure if the inventory is available.

In this context, yes.

That was my bad. R/RN are both at zero.
If R/RN are at 0, I assume that means I must wait for that to open up before it will clear? Does UA ever open up fare buckets for upgrades in advance of clearing through the upgrade waitlist?

Correct.

In advance of day-of-departure? Yes. Or are you asking something different?

Yup. What sort of things cause them to open up buckets? Are the opened on a schedule (i.e. they hold some back and open them up slowly leading up to the depart date?

Thanks so much, you are so helpful!

They will open based on the whims of the revenue/inventory management folks. Basically, if they think that the seats are unlikely to sell then they become award seats. That can happen at any time, so there really isn't a pattern that can be drawn like "always at 30 days out 3 seats open up" or anything like that.

Good luck with the upgrade!

Not necessarily. The instruments (inc miles) have the same priority, but after status, base fare is used next in the ordering, then time of request.

So, all GS using RPU(CR1), GPU or miles are ahead, as are 1Ks using higher-than-W base fares, 1Ks on W who requested before you, and also anyone on a Y,B (or M for 1K) instant-up fare who for some reason could not confirm it at booking.

All others should be waiting after you on the list.

There is difference between Domestic and International upgrade order, there is no such thing as Y/B/M in the International scheme of Waitlists.

Question
 

Hi,

I know this is an old topic, but I have a similar question:

If I put myself on the waitlist and only one of the two stretches clears, do I still have to pay the same amount. I'm thinking, what if only the domestic upgrade clears and I'm still stuck in coach on the transatlantic flight.... in that case, I don't want the domestic upgrade. I want all or nothing.

Brussels, Belgium (BRU) to San Diego, CA (SAN)

20,000 miles
+
$550
Conversion per person
Select Regional Premier
or Global Premier
Upgrade
BRU to IAD | 8 hr 25 mn| Boeing 777-200| United BusinessFirst/Lunch| 8 Seats Available (View Seats)
IAD to SAN | 5 hr 14 mn| Boeing 757-200| United First/Meals for Purchase|
Las Vegas, NV (LAS) to Brussels, Belgium (BRU)

20,000 miles
+
$300
Conversion per person
Select Regional Premier
or Global Premier
Upgrade
LAS to EWR | 5 hr 5 mn| Boeing 737-800| United First/Meals for Purchase| | Waitlist Only
EWR to BRU | 7 hr 40 mn| Boeing 767-400ER| United BusinessFirst/Dinner| | Waitlist Only

Yes they will refund your $$ and miles if the BusinessFirst leg does not clear. So you can potentially get a free domestic upgrade.

IIRC if you use miles & $ for an upgrade on domestic + intl itinerary and you are not upgraded on at least one intl flight UA will give you a refund.

Again, sorry to re-open this, just wanted to add some united website material.

I'm running into this now again (at 2 months prior, the international upgrades went to waitlist, even though only 5/40 seats are taken), It looks like Acornragazzo and Kacee are correct:

ref: http://www.united.com/web/en-us/cont...rade-faqs.aspx

With this info, I think I will upgrade each way separately, so they hopefully clear/don't clear independently. I would hate to drop double the miles/$ and then only get one of the international legs to clear.

Yes, this was done because of software limitations and not that "they want to earn interest on your money"

In fact most of the money is held by the credit card processor, not UA.

I went through this situation a couple of weeks back on a ORD-LAX-PVG routing. I was wait listed on the flights but they did not clear. I was more interested in the LAX-PVG leg.

On a side note, 11 days had past and no refund was issued. I sent them a message on their website and miles and fee were refunded the next day.