Mar 31, 2014, 3:57 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Waitlisting for awards
Click for the current rules from United
Waitlisting options
Waitlisting can only be done over the phone, not online.
You can not book a standard award and then waitlist for a saver award.
If waitlisting for a higher cabin, best if done at the time of booking or soon afterward.
If done more than 24 hours after booking you may be charged an award change fee.
Generally, the waitlisted class mileage is deducted at time of request and will be refunded if unsuccessful
When waitlisting for a higher, state you are waitlisting for I (or IN if a plat or higher) -- do not use the word "upgrade", it may confuse the agent
If waitlisting for a segment when the rest of the segments are already in the higher cabin, there is no refund if unsuccessful
Member experiences:
Note: The correct priority term here may, in fact, be a code that is one of WAX, WBX, WCX, or WDX depending on status. The is per GG ONESTANDBY lines 32-55.
Note: PR-1 status is given to those who "paid" the requisite miles for an upgraded seat (i.e. biz) when only the non-upgraded space (i.e. coach) was available. The PR-1* status is to clue the system (and agents) in so that it is clear that you have been "displaced." (NOTE: once you have obtained PR-1 status, should there be any change to your ticket, e.g., an involuntary reroute by UA due to missing a connection, the PR-1 status will most likely get dropped and you must have it reattached (esp. before any UGs are given to others).
Unfortunately at T-24, many GAs do not get this concept. Use the above to plead your case but be prepared to be unsatisfied. One method that can get you to a higher level of understanding is the UC. Their staff seems to not only have a better understanding of the issues, but they can contact the gate and exert some influence on the less informed GAs, AND they seem to have more of an interest in helping PAX. If you can get into the UC, it will be worth your while.
**Note: If you get the UG on the long haul, the higher level of award miles you are using (like with the GPU) are considered used up regardless of the short haul. You will not be charged the lower level # of miles (i.e. refunded the diff between the lower level and the higher level you paid in advance), rather the higher level award miles will be considered spent. That is the risk you take when you do Plan B.
Related thread - Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
Archive of past posts - Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues [ARCHIVE]
Click for the current rules from United
Waitlisting options
- Waitlist for alternative flights times / routing
- Waitlisting for a different cabin
From the above link on waitlisting for a different cabin: You may redeem miles for travel in United Global First, United First, United Business or United BusinessFirst, even if the space is not available. In these cases, United Economy in the same award type must be confirmed, and the front cabin will be waitlisted. If the courtesy waitlist does not clear, it will expire 24 hours before itinerary departure, and you will automatically be added to the airport upgrade standby list upon check-in. In these cases, you will be confirmed on a space-available basis by a United airport representative at the gate once the flight has closed for check-in. For United BusinessFirst and United Business travel awards, the difference in miles will be refunded when the United BusinessFirst or United Business class segment of the trip could not be confirmed. Waitlist requests may only be made over the phone with your local United Customer Contact Center.
You can not book a standard award and then waitlist for a saver award.
If waitlisting for a higher cabin, best if done at the time of booking or soon afterward.
If done more than 24 hours after booking you may be charged an award change fee.
Generally, the waitlisted class mileage is deducted at time of request and will be refunded if unsuccessful
When waitlisting for a higher, state you are waitlisting for I (or IN if a plat or higher) -- do not use the word "upgrade", it may confuse the agent
If waitlisting for a segment when the rest of the segments are already in the higher cabin, there is no refund if unsuccessful
Member experiences:
- You must have a confirmed segment to waitlist for different cabin and/or a different flight.
- Can only waitlist for UA/UX operated flight, cannot waitlist for partner flights. Can waitlist for UA/UX flights on a mixed itin.
- The maximum number of WL segments in a PNR is 2.
- When confirmed segment is on a partner, you can waitlist for UA operated alternative.
Note: The correct priority term here may, in fact, be a code that is one of WAX, WBX, WCX, or WDX depending on status. The is per GG ONESTANDBY lines 32-55.
The agent should give you “PR-1 status”* which gives you top-priority status and moves you to the very top of the upgrade standby list, ahead of employees and everyone else trying to upgrade with miles+cash. If one agent won’t put you on the list as a displaced Business class passenger with "PR-1 status"* then find another one who will. With this status, the odds of you getting a business class are very high if there are still open seats (or if anybody no-shows).
If the agents in the airport are all clueless you should direct them to look
up “gg onestandby” in their system (they’ll know exactly what this is)
and look around lines 85-89 which spell out the details of the procedure for
this award.
If the agents in the airport are all clueless you should direct them to look
up “gg onestandby” in their system (they’ll know exactly what this is)
and look around lines 85-89 which spell out the details of the procedure for
this award.
* note "PR-1" may not be the correct term, see the Wxx note proceeding this section
Unfortunately at T-24, many GAs do not get this concept. Use the above to plead your case but be prepared to be unsatisfied. One method that can get you to a higher level of understanding is the UC. Their staff seems to not only have a better understanding of the issues, but they can contact the gate and exert some influence on the less informed GAs, AND they seem to have more of an interest in helping PAX. If you can get into the UC, it will be worth your while.
**Note: If you get the UG on the long haul, the higher level of award miles you are using (like with the GPU) are considered used up regardless of the short haul. You will not be charged the lower level # of miles (i.e. refunded the diff between the lower level and the higher level you paid in advance), rather the higher level award miles will be considered spent. That is the risk you take when you do Plan B.
Related thread - Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
Archive of past posts - Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues [ARCHIVE]
Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues"
Apr 23, 2023, 10:57 pm
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
YMMV. Technically, no, although the system allows it if the agent is willing to do it.
Apr 23, 2023, 11:20 pm
#152
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SFO, ORD, IAD
Programs: UA Plat, AA Plat Pro, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Plat
Posts: 353
Well, I understand that even getting agents to do the "standard" waitlist for saver business when confirmed in saver economy is an uphill battle these days. So, I suspect I'm in for many HUCAs 
.
Thanks for the info, though. It's helpful to know that it is possible.
. Thanks for the info, though. It's helpful to know that it is possible.
Apr 29, 2023, 1:37 pm
#153
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SAN
Programs: AS 100K, DL MM, AA PLT
Posts: 2,934
FWIW, to add another datapoint, today I was successful in getting waitlists added for a different flight in both IN and XN (have IN booked), but had to get to Web support to do it--the usual premier desk insisted it didn't work that way :/
May 3, 2023, 9:20 am
#154
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist, Marriot LT Titanium, UA 2.4MM, HH Gold, AS MVPG
Posts: 3,400
Tried three different avenues today to try and waitlist nonstop EWR-MUC (we are confirmed EWR-LHR-MUC). No dice. Tried chat. Then called and then called again and was transferred to web support. They say it is not possible. You can only do it within 24 hours of departure. Seems contradictory to the online rules. Oh well.
May 11, 2023, 1:48 pm
#155
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 496
Am I correct in my understanding that if I am booked in a standard economy award (YN) that I can't then waitlist on the same flight for a XN so I can get some miles back?
Is this correct?
The "waitlist" rules seem to only apply for Polaris. Correct?
Is this correct?
The "waitlist" rules seem to only apply for Polaris. Correct?
May 11, 2023, 2:04 pm
#156
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
Yes correct, never heard of that being possible. Of course you can rebook in the case you notice XN is available.
May 12, 2023, 10:45 am
#157
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 26
We had been waitlisted for SFO-FRA on an XN LAX-SFO-FRA ticket for the last month -the flight is in just under 2 weeks, but looking at the waitlist, we were at the bottom of 20 people, and we have no status. There are only 6 seats available at the moment in Business (3 in Premium Plus with a waitlist of 7).
I didnt feel it was worth staying waitlisted for Business Saver (odds feel very unlikely) so I got UA to remove the waitlist so I could see paid upgrade costs to both premium cabins.
We are considering paying cash for the upgrade to Premium Plus now, but UA wont refund the extra miles taken out for waitlist till the trip is complete. If we do a cash upgrade is this going to confuse/complicate things for the refund? I would hate to not get those 30k miles back each + have paid out of pocket for Premium Plus!
Alternatively- I wonder if we could also go on the waitlist using miles for Polaris once in Premium Plus ?
I didnt feel it was worth staying waitlisted for Business Saver (odds feel very unlikely) so I got UA to remove the waitlist so I could see paid upgrade costs to both premium cabins.
We are considering paying cash for the upgrade to Premium Plus now, but UA wont refund the extra miles taken out for waitlist till the trip is complete. If we do a cash upgrade is this going to confuse/complicate things for the refund? I would hate to not get those 30k miles back each + have paid out of pocket for Premium Plus!
Alternatively- I wonder if we could also go on the waitlist using miles for Polaris once in Premium Plus ?
May 12, 2023, 11:26 am
#158
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SAN
Programs: AS 100K, DL MM, AA PLT
Posts: 2,934
We had been waitlisted for SFO-FRA on an XN LAX-SFO-FRA ticket for the last month -the flight is in just under 2 weeks, but looking at the waitlist, we were at the bottom of 20 people, and we have no status. There are only 6 seats available at the moment in Business (3 in Premium Plus with a waitlist of 7).
I didnt feel it was worth staying waitlisted for Business Saver (odds feel very unlikely) so I got UA to remove the waitlist so I could see paid upgrade costs to both premium cabins.
We are considering paying cash for the upgrade to Premium Plus now, but UA wont refund the extra miles taken out for waitlist till the trip is complete. If we do a cash upgrade is this going to confuse/complicate things for the refund? I would hate to not get those 30k miles back each + have paid out of pocket for Premium Plus!
Alternatively- I wonder if we could also go on the waitlist using miles for Polaris once in Premium Plus ?
I didnt feel it was worth staying waitlisted for Business Saver (odds feel very unlikely) so I got UA to remove the waitlist so I could see paid upgrade costs to both premium cabins.
We are considering paying cash for the upgrade to Premium Plus now, but UA wont refund the extra miles taken out for waitlist till the trip is complete. If we do a cash upgrade is this going to confuse/complicate things for the refund? I would hate to not get those 30k miles back each + have paid out of pocket for Premium Plus!
Alternatively- I wonder if we could also go on the waitlist using miles for Polaris once in Premium Plus ?
IME any non-standard processing gunks up the automatic refunding but you can get it back with a quick call after the fact do not a big deal unless you need the miles for something else ASAP.
May 12, 2023, 11:50 am
#159
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...s-upgrade.html
May 12, 2023, 1:37 pm
#160
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 26
Changed the date on my computer to closer to my travel date and it let me see it under United's Flight Status page. Agent on Chat also confirmed the position.
May 12, 2023, 2:19 pm
#161
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SAN
Programs: AS 100K, DL MM, AA PLT
Posts: 2,934
May 18, 2023, 6:58 am
#163
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 488
Twitter and FB replied with a canned message about they no longer do this blah blah blah but successfully got on the waitlist with a phone agent. Surprisingly after the process was done it was cleared right away now I am on an I class.
May 18, 2023, 7:01 am
#164
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
what mileage rate did they charge you?
May 18, 2023, 9:55 am
#165
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 26
Wow it cleared right away! Is the flight not very full/do you have status?