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 wont 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 (theyll 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 (theyll 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"
Jun 15, 2023, 12:35 pm
#211
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
If you only have an X/XN award and want to waitlist for I/IN award then UA will usually pull the I/IN award mileage, in the world of dynamic awards the agent may be unsure what to do.
For either it may be hard to find a agent to do the waitlisting, even thought it is still a documented option.
Whatever you do, do not speak of upgrades or copay, that will sent the agent in the wrong direction -- this is not an upgrade, it is a waitlist for I/IN
more in this thread's wiki.
Jun 15, 2023, 3:42 pm
#212
Join Date: Apr 2023
Posts: 9
If you have an I/IN award, it should cost no extra miles (usually) to waitlist on connecting X/XN award for I/IN
If you only have an X/XN award and want to waitlist for I/IN award then UA will usually pull the I/IN award mileage, in the world of dynamic awards the agent may be unsure what to do.
For either it may be hard to find a agent to do the waitlisting, even thought it is still a documented option.
Whatever you do, do not speak of upgrades or copay, that will sent the agent in the wrong direction -- this is not an upgrade, it is a waitlist for I/IN
more in this thread's wiki.
If you only have an X/XN award and want to waitlist for I/IN award then UA will usually pull the I/IN award mileage, in the world of dynamic awards the agent may be unsure what to do.
For either it may be hard to find a agent to do the waitlisting, even thought it is still a documented option.
Whatever you do, do not speak of upgrades or copay, that will sent the agent in the wrong direction -- this is not an upgrade, it is a waitlist for I/IN
more in this thread's wiki.
What if I have an ON award instead of IN/XN? I am doing PDX to EWR in economy (YN). I then head to AMS in Premium (ON). Best case waitlisted to IN by using miles and/or cash? If that is even possible since this is an award ticket.
Jun 15, 2023, 3:47 pm
#213
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
Jun 15, 2023, 3:52 pm
#214
Join Date: Apr 2023
Posts: 9
Jun 16, 2023, 12:09 am
#215
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: INN
Posts: 2,908
If you have an I/IN award, it should cost no extra miles (usually) to waitlist on connecting X/XN award for I/IN
If you only have an X/XN award and want to waitlist for I/IN award then UA will usually pull the I/IN award mileage, in the world of dynamic awards the agent may be unsure what to do.
If you only have an X/XN award and want to waitlist for I/IN award then UA will usually pull the I/IN award mileage, in the world of dynamic awards the agent may be unsure what to do.
Jun 18, 2023, 1:53 pm
#216
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,279
Or as I've said before - the internal policy pages on Wingtips on waitlisting award segments is not in line with what is currently listed on united.com. Which is correct? I have no idea, but it's not something newer agents are trained on, and if they're using their internal resources, what they're telling you is correct from those resources.
Jun 19, 2023, 12:17 am
#217
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
Booked a trip IAD-LHR-MUC (IN + X) and asked United via Twitter to add a waitlist for IAD-MUC nonstop (IN or I). The rep replied about an hour later:
We appreciate your patience. We regret that we are unable to waitlist the travelers to Saver Business class on flight UA(xxx). We'd like to let you know that we're no longer processing waitlist requests for Saver Business Award in "I or IN" booking class. We have shifted to dynamic pricing where at any given time, the mileage requirement may change, unlike before that every travel region has fixed mileage requirement.
Jun 19, 2023, 9:31 am
#218
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 73
Im having no luck. Twitter responds saying they they no longer process Waitlist to I cabin.
I called a few times and everyone tells me that since I booked using points I can only upgrade using cash (aka wont even discuss waitlisting as an option)
I called a few times and everyone tells me that since I booked using points I can only upgrade using cash (aka wont even discuss waitlisting as an option)
Jun 19, 2023, 11:19 am
#219
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 106
United website continues to say "You may use miles for travel in United FirstŪ, United BusinessŪ or United PolarisŪ business class, 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" https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/mil...ir-awards.html
You should send them the website and tell them to follow the policy or if it changed to modify it on their website.
Jun 19, 2023, 3:54 pm
#220
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA
Posts: 12
Seeing above that the internal training now says that award waitlisting is no longer possible, and lots of people getting 'no's/multiple HUCAs.
Post-devaluation, has anyone successfully waitlisted for I from X since the recent devaluation? Or just waitlisting for X segments in an itinerary that already has confirmed I segments? Thanks for sharing any insight!
Post-devaluation, has anyone successfully waitlisted for I from X since the recent devaluation? Or just waitlisting for X segments in an itinerary that already has confirmed I segments? Thanks for sharing any insight!
Jun 20, 2023, 10:35 am
#221
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 286
Seeing above that the internal training now says that award waitlisting is no longer possible, and lots of people getting 'no's/multiple HUCAs.
Post-devaluation, has anyone successfully waitlisted for I from X since the recent devaluation? Or just waitlisting for X segments in an itinerary that already has confirmed I segments? Thanks for sharing any insight!
Post-devaluation, has anyone successfully waitlisted for I from X since the recent devaluation? Or just waitlisting for X segments in an itinerary that already has confirmed I segments? Thanks for sharing any insight!
Jun 21, 2023, 4:01 am
#223
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: UA1k 3mm, HH-LifeDiamond, Mar-LifePlatElite
Posts: 351
Follow up question to the group at large - I think WL to I/IN been a perk that appears to be going away, since the dynamic chart, and poorly trained agents vs expert agents aside - when I book a ticket, and spend miles, the only information I have to go on in terms of rules and policy for that travel is online and what UA publishes. That is the basis of how I would engage the booking, and be bound by those rules and terms. If that is "incorrect" / inconstant from some system that I as a customer have no access to (wingtips), I suspect this violates some laws in places. I am NOT suggesting legal action, or anything related to that so please put down the flame throwers - but I am saying the rules need to be consistent so that I can fairly decide to enter that transaction. Example, (being overly simple) I see a price tag on the shelf for apples at 10c each, but the "computer" rings them up at 12c. If I went to the manger, almost always, I should pay the 10c no matter what the computer "says". Same would go for a policy printed on a purchase receipt, that says I have a 30 day window to return or upgrade the product, but when I try and upgrade the product in 12 days, being told, no you can't because the computer says the rule changed - you can't get away with that in most places I would think.
Using those rules, if I see the only seat right now available in XN, but have the miles and would reasonably redeem them for IN, so I engage the ticket with that in mind - knowing the published rules say this is exactly what I can do, only to be told sorry the computer says we can't do that anymore is definitely an issue that needs fixed just as much as the agent training.
Using those rules, if I see the only seat right now available in XN, but have the miles and would reasonably redeem them for IN, so I engage the ticket with that in mind - knowing the published rules say this is exactly what I can do, only to be told sorry the computer says we can't do that anymore is definitely an issue that needs fixed just as much as the agent training.
Last edited by UAgeek71; Jun 21, 2023 at 4:05 am Reason: grammar
Jun 21, 2023, 10:41 am
#224
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
Presently posted United award waitlisting rules
- Waitlisting for travel awards is permitted in premium cabins on flights operated by United, and will be automatically confirmed, if the waitlisted cabin is available, based on the status of the account holder.
- Waitlisting may be requested for travel in a premium cabin up to 24 hours before flight departure. If the waitlist does not clear, you will automatically be added to the airport standby list upon check-in.
- Waitlisting for certain inventory types is not permitted.
- Ticketed customers may waitlist for travel in a premium cabin for an alternate flight. Reservations where all segments are waitlisted without any confirmed segments are not permitted.
- Connecting flights: Customers may waitlist on only one leg of the connecting flights and the flight must meet the required minimum connecting time.
- Nonstop flights: Customers can waitlist on only one flight per direction. Alternate dates and times are allowed.
- You may use miles for travel in United FirstŪ, United BusinessŪ or United PolarisŪ business class, 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 Polaris business class and United Business travel awards, the difference in miles will be refunded when the United Polaris business class or United Business class segment of the trip cannot be confirmed. Waitlist requests may only be made over the phone with your local United Customer Contact Center.
Jun 21, 2023, 12:02 pm
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,415
For the record, I have successfully listed alternate flights in both XN and IN in the past, but it was pre dynamic chart days.
The system obviously supports it; it's just an agent typing in a WL segment in the correct class. It's a question of how they want to price and collect, and how the agents are trained.
The system obviously supports it; it's just an agent typing in a WL segment in the correct class. It's a question of how they want to price and collect, and how the agents are trained.