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What!!! Complimentary Upgrades only clear for YBM fares within the window?

What!!! Complimentary Upgrades only clear for YBM fares within the window?

Old Mar 13, 2012, 10:03 pm
  #61  
 
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Upgrades are a joke now, and this is probably something that is not high on the priorty list to fix
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Old Mar 13, 2012, 10:04 pm
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by NickP 1K
My ticket was issued by our corporate travel agent so even though not united.com originated upgrades online were available

You have to click on the Instant Upgrade link BELOW the itin ; NOT try to click Upgrades on the Res Tools bar as that will apply other instruments/miles/money - WARNING: INSTANT UPGRADES DO NOT SEEM TO BE AUTOMATIC!!! YOU MUST GO INTO THE RECORD AND CLICK THE INSTANT UPGRADE LINK

What I see is this:

PN is needed for B/M Instant upgrades
JN for Y Instant upgrades

PN seems to match ZN which is standard First/Biz Awards - This also seem to match regular farecodes A and P

JN seems to match regular seat availability in F - so a Y instant farecode upgrade means if a rev seat is available it's yours (so it seems)

Upon confirming the upgrade on the link, A, P, PN and ZN all went down to 2

On these flights R and RN were zero'd out which are used for GPU (SWU), RPU (CR-1) and miles (RN for Elites) ; so if I used an instrument it would have gone to a waitlist

Hope this sheds some light - BTW Expertflyer.com shows all new combined UA inventory perfectly
This sounds like good advice. However, my experience buying a B fare yesterday (myself through CO.bomb) was that the final page *before* purchase completion asked me which legs I wanted to upgrade, I had to manually check the box next to each leg, and then my actual ticket showed 'United First (ON)' (for a trans-con 2-cabin). As you said, I ensured PN had availability on EF before booking and looked for the 'U' Instant 1K Upgrade icon+label beneath the fares. So, it sometimes works if you're willing to pay ...

I suspect the difference is that your ticket was booked via corporate trave vs. directly on the web site.
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Old Mar 13, 2012, 10:13 pm
  #63  
 
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Originally Posted by Strom
This sounds like good advice. However, my experience buying a B fare yesterday (myself through CO.bomb) was that the final page *before* purchase completion asked me which legs I wanted to upgrade, I had to manually check the box next to each leg, and then my actual ticket showed 'United First (ON)' (for a trans-con 2-cabin). As you said, I ensured PN had availability on EF before booking and looked for the 'U' Instant 1K Upgrade icon+label beneath the fares. So, it sometimes works if you're willing to pay ...

I suspect the difference is that your ticket was booked via corporate trave vs. directly on the web site.
OK so it seems if you purchase on United.com it will do the Instant Upgrade prior to ticketing - Good to KNOW (Yes we can put out helpful now whining posts!)

For my Agency issued ticket when I clicked Instant Upgrade on the res process was the same, I had to MANUALLY select the legs; my original message intent was to ensure people knew these are NOT automatic upgrades. They are Instant confirmed but NOT automatic.

My record still shows PN for two cabin transcon Wonder why the difference - were you within your CPU clearance window anyway? I wasn't

OP: DO you mind changing your thread title to "What!!! INSTANT Upgrades only clear for YBM fares within the window" See alot of people going off original Y/B/M Upgrade topic

Last edited by NickP 1K; Mar 13, 2012 at 10:26 pm
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Old Mar 13, 2012, 10:21 pm
  #64  
 
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Just Got The Upgrade Screwing Also

I'm a 1K and my partner Gold. The new system is supposed to give us both the same priority (1K) if we stay on the same reservation. Flying PDX-SFO-EWR. Of course nothing cleared in advance even though there were upgrade seats. I just checked in online and it split our reservation in two, upgraded me on the PDX-SFO flight with no waitlist on the SFO-EWR flight. My partner was put on the waitlist for both flights at the gold status which is now worthless. Called 1K desk and was on hold for over 30 minutes. The agent was from the original UA and said she doesn't know what to say anymore. Everyones upgrades are being screwed up. She could not even look at the waitlist to add me or adjust status. We will now be at the mercy of the airport personnel that are also ready to walk off the job (I really feel for them). Someone at UA's head should role for this but other than the frontline employees no one seems to care. This 1K has just about had it!
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 5:28 am
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
There's no reason to PM them on #1. They've already stated that the CPU process does not map to the R/RN bucket. In other words, the availability of R/RN does not ensure that any CPUs will clear, even when the "sweep" runs.

While R/RN may give an indication of CPU availability, it does not guarantee it.
Check out the forum "UA Insider Posts/Responses to System Integration Issues [READ ONLY]". In particular, look at posts #21 and #23. If folks think CPU is having problems UAInsider asks that folks PM them...

I'm also not sure what you mean that CPU doesn't "map" to R/RN bucket. The R/RN bucket is what you would upgrade into if CPU runs well. There, before the merger, were stories that R/RN bucket may go to 0 at "sweeps" then back up to R>0.

Last edited by mh3265a; Mar 14, 2012 at 5:29 am Reason: added hyperlink
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 6:31 am
  #66  
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Originally Posted by mh3265a
...I'm also not sure what you mean that CPU doesn't "map" to R/RN bucket. The R/RN bucket is what you would upgrade into if CPU runs well. There, before the merger, were stories that R/RN bucket may go to 0 at "sweeps" then back up to R>0.
One more time:

Originally Posted by CollegeFlyer
Are you sure about this? A UA spokesperson said in a conversation at a recent DO, that on certain flights or in certain markets, EUA was programmed not to deplete the entire R/RN inventory when it ran, especially during the first few "sweeps." Which would mean there is a separate, invisible fare bucket (or a glass-ceiling limit) on EUAs (now CPUs).
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 8:38 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by Bonehead
One more time:
Again, a RUMOR, so until this is verified by an actual UA spokesperson it would behoove someone to continue to document the upgrade issue.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 1:25 pm
  #68  
 
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Originally Posted by Beerman92
I'm not trying to argue semantics but I'd characterize it that there have been a fair number of changes that may or may not cause a ton of turmoil with any given itinerary or ticket. So some are having pretty bad experiences while some are having few, if any problems.

I'm sure that means nothing to a pax who is going through the bad experiences. They don't care that 80% (pick a number from 0 to 100 I don't care) of pax have few to no problems but they are in the 20% having problems.
What I'm trying to get at was that the upgrade changes, which effects every single 1K that flies domestically has been a negative change and this is a factor every single flight for every single 1K.

This is certainly not outweighed by a change that is a special circumstance and happens a fraction of the time.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 1:33 pm
  #69  
 
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Originally Posted by Red_Rob
I stated that
A) PMCO upgrade rates were good for Plats
B) New UA should be better (than PMCO Plats)
I was NOT comparing overall to PMUA.

Basically the rules are the same as PMCO, but as a new 1K you rank ahead of many legacy Plats (75-99K). Given similar rules, and a more exclusive status, upgrades should be better (than PMCO, which I mentioned were pretty good).
Why are you trying to compare 1k's to 75-99k's? That's apples and oranges.

The likely big losers for upgrades are PMCO fliers from 75-99K. Winners are PMUA fliers from 75-99K and PMCO fliers at 100K plus.

If you have data showing low upgrade rates (relatively) for PMCO Plats historically, that would obviously negatively impact my hypothesis. My upgrade rates for a few years as a PMCO Plat (before I made Pres Plat) were around 85%. With most missed upgrades in Dec-Feb (should be Decc-Jan going forward) when elites were inflated before some fell off the rolls.
This has nothing to do with upgrade rates at all. It's much more simple than that. The upgrade process now puts MANY other people ahead of me on the upgrade list as a 1K. That is a 100% without question, negative change for 1K's in regards to upgrades.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 1:50 pm
  #70  
 
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Originally Posted by thach1ef
Why are you trying to compare 1k's to 75-99k's? That's apples and oranges.
It's not comparing 1K's to 75-99K, but rather to PMCO 75K+ (including those over 100K, sometimes >200K+). I.e. I was comparing the experiences of top elites from each program.

This has nothing to do with upgrade rates at all. It's much more simple than that. The upgrade process now puts MANY other people ahead of me on the upgrade list as a 1K. That is a 100% without question, negative change for 1K's in regards to upgrades.
Of course it has to do with upgrade rates. If we were upgraded 100% why would any of us care what the upgrade rules are. I for one care deeply about upgrade rates. I would contend that were you sit on a list gives no satisfaction to most people, but sitting in 1st class does.

As I think a bit more about the issue it may also be related to legacy equipment used. With 16-20 seats in first, the rare Kettle using miles, etc isn't a real problem, but when you only have 8 first class seats on an Airbus it would have been a much bigger deal (from a top tier elite perspective)
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 2:07 pm
  #71  
 
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Originally Posted by Red_Rob
It's not comparing 1K's to 75-99K, but rather to PMCO 75K+ (including those over 100K, sometimes >200K+). I.e. I was comparing the experiences of top elites from each program.
Ok so PMCO "1K's" have it better now because they are in their own tier whereas before they were with the folks from 75k-99k. Is that the gist? If so, fair enough. I'm not PMCO so it didn't help me out. But I understand what you're saying if that's the case.

Of course it has to do with upgrade rates. If we were upgraded 100% why would any of us care what the upgrade rules are. I for one care deeply about upgrade rates. I would contend that were you sit on a list gives no satisfaction to most people, but sitting in 1st class does.
You're totally missing the point. Upgrade rates are based on upgrade rules. The rates don't matter one bit, because the rules are the first thing we have to deal with. Just because you are 100% now and 100% before doesn't mean that 1K's have it better. You'd have to look at every single 1K and compare their upgrade rates if that's the route you want to go.

A much simpler and straightforward method is just looking at the upgrade rules. Now that I know you were only referring to PMCO, it's kinda different. But from a PMUA perspective, the upgrade rules have now put NUMEROUS people in front of me that weren't there before.

That alone will effect my upgrade rates. Whether it happens now, or in 2 months, or in 2 years. It will happen. And that's why upgrade rules > upgrade rates. Rates only tell you about the past.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 2:18 pm
  #72  
 
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I'm a 1K and was returning from SEA to SFO yesterday on a "W" fare. I have made this flight a lot of times in the past ten years. I have always in the past been in the top few on the upgrades list as displayed in the boarding area, if not cleared in advance. Yesterday I was #15! Something certainly seems to have changed, and not for the better in my case.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 2:59 pm
  #73  
 
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Originally Posted by mdspadeccom
I'm a 1K and was returning from SEA to SFO yesterday on a "W" fare. I have made this flight a lot of times in the past ten years. I have always in the past been in the top few on the upgrades list as displayed in the boarding area, if not cleared in advance. Yesterday I was #15! Something certainly seems to have changed, and not for the better in my case.
YEP - a lot of us 1Ks have feared what you experienced. When you let anyone using an instrument to upgrade before a 1K on a CPU you'll move down a number of notches in the system.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 3:02 pm
  #74  
 
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Until takeoff yesterday on IAD-SFO, while I was changing seats, I was offered a $149 buy-up despite purchasing a W fare. Then they gave my upgrade to someone else.

Load of crap.
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Old Mar 14, 2012, 4:46 pm
  #75  
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Originally Posted by thach1ef
Upgrade rates are based on upgrade rules.
Unfortunately the new UA has tossed the published UG rule book (or at least can't get its own systems to enforce it):

Originally Posted by Dan-
Until takeoff yesterday on IAD-SFO, while I was changing seats, I was offered a $149 buy-up despite purchasing a W fare. Then they gave my upgrade to someone else.

Load of crap.
I just asked someone else who flew SFO-IAD on a W and got a $99 offer to post in this thread:

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

V to M (no W currently published) buy-up one way is ~$275, so yours is another TOD
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