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"
Nov 6, 2023, 6:36 am
#302
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
In theory it clears when you reach the top of the waitlist and I/IN space is available. I is scarcer these days.
Nov 6, 2023, 10:59 am
#303
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PWM
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 1,335
So it sounds like you have UA status? My trouble is I have no status so I get routed to the non-status agents who were probably hired a week ago. So I'll talk for a few minutes until I realize they don't understand, then ask for a supe. Based on what the agents say (I never get connected directly) I can kinda gauge whether the supe knows the deal or not. Regardless, even if they do, it ends up being "we don't do that anymore."
Nov 7, 2023, 4:06 am
#304
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 14
So it sounds like you have UA status? My trouble is I have no status so I get routed to the non-status agents who were probably hired a week ago. So I'll talk for a few minutes until I realize they don't understand, then ask for a supe. Based on what the agents say (I never get connected directly) I can kinda gauge whether the supe knows the deal or not. Regardless, even if they do, it ends up being "we don't do that anymore."
Nov 7, 2023, 5:22 am
#305
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Arizona
Posts: 18
I cleared a waitlist award on an SFO > SYD itinerary after being added to the upgrade list at T-72. Flight was about 9 months ago. I cleared around T-48. No status. I started at around 5 on the upgrade list I believe. Felt like I'd won the lottery :P
Nov 9, 2023, 1:47 am
#306
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 218
recently, we were #6 & 7 on the list on separate PNRs and cleared T-36hours. We booked nine months before the flight and the load was not very full in any class to begin with ...... Polaris was showing about 30 seats unassigned until about a month before and then it went to about 20 unassigned, which doesn't surprise me as business travelers don't need to book far in advance ..... load was not very heavy in any class on this particular flight to begin with .... about a month before, I did see IN9 show up but we don't qualify if I understand correctly (we;re both mere Million Mile flyers). Good luck !!! I think the mix of credit card, status, these new points, etc makes understanding if/when you'll get upgraded has gotten too complicated for me .....
Nov 9, 2023, 3:25 pm
#307
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 20
recently, we were #6 & 7 on the list on separate PNRs and cleared T-36hours. We booked nine months before the flight and the load was not very full in any class to begin with ...... Polaris was showing about 30 seats unassigned until about a month before and then it went to about 20 unassigned, which doesn't surprise me as business travelers don't need to book far in advance ..... load was not very heavy in any class on this particular flight to begin with .... about a month before, I did see IN9 show up but we don't qualify if I understand correctly (we;re both mere Million Mile flyers). Good luck !!! I think the mix of credit card, status, these new points, etc makes understanding if/when you'll get upgraded has gotten too complicated for me .....
Nov 10, 2023, 4:41 pm
#308
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 218
the flight was a couple of weeks ago. Economy plus was about 50-60% full of assigned seats for weeks/months ...... the morning of the flight, it was about 40% full, so I assumed a bunch of those folks also cleared the waitlist for Polaris. (It was obvious there were some delighted upgraders and couples who had been split up even though there were at least 5 pairs of seats in the middle at t-36) There was a waitlist of about 18 people at the gate, so I assume they were waitlisted for economy plus ??? lots of speculation on my part, and, as always, YMMV. Good luck !!!
Last edited by JKD; Nov 10, 2023 at 4:50 pm Reason: added more information
Nov 14, 2023, 7:45 am
#309
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: UA S, Marriott Gold (UA), Hertz PC (UA), HH Gold (cc), Avis PP, National EC Executive
Posts: 280
Does “displaced” status apply on the domestic leg of a business saver ticket, too?
eg, flying from South America to sfo. GRU-ORD confirms business saver space at booking. ORD-SFO books into XN.
Can I get to the top of the upgrade list for ORD-SFO? (And do I get to the top at 108 hours before or only 24 hours before? ie, is it possible that PN opens before IN and thus someone gets an upgrade even though I technically “paid” for biz seat?)
eg, flying from South America to sfo. GRU-ORD confirms business saver space at booking. ORD-SFO books into XN.
Can I get to the top of the upgrade list for ORD-SFO? (And do I get to the top at 108 hours before or only 24 hours before? ie, is it possible that PN opens before IN and thus someone gets an upgrade even though I technically “paid” for biz seat?)
Nov 14, 2023, 8:06 am
#310
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
The same policy applies to domestic connections.
It will not get you to the top of the list, and right now the visible list actually ranks IN requests after all CPUs. I don't know if this is reflective of actual clearance order since the UA displays have gotten so unreliable in this regard.
It will not get you to the top of the list, and right now the visible list actually ranks IN requests after all CPUs. I don't know if this is reflective of actual clearance order since the UA displays have gotten so unreliable in this regard.
Nov 14, 2023, 9:02 am
#311
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: UA S, Marriott Gold (UA), Hertz PC (UA), HH Gold (cc), Avis PP, National EC Executive
Posts: 280
But is it “supposed to” get you to the top of the list? You’re supposed to have the same priority for the first class seat as someone who booked F or J and got rerouted onto a fully booked (F0) flight right?
Nov 14, 2023, 9:15 am
#312
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
Before the gate, I am fairly sure that all of these queues (each waitlist class plus CPUs) are processed independently and not necessarily in sensible order.
Nov 14, 2023, 9:39 am
#313
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
* Until recently, where they started going to the weird PNx PZ0 INx I0 thing on some flights, opening business class award space for Platinum and higher without opening upgrade space for anyone except GS. But I've only ever seen that internationally.
Nov 14, 2023, 12:21 pm
#314
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
That never made any sense from a business perspective. UA has very clearly set up its processes so that upgrade space is higher priority than award space*, because they open upgrade space prior to opening award space. The "displaced business class passenger" argument inverts that priority, but only at the gate. I'm not convinced it was ever the official policy, and I agree with findark that it is not the way things work today, except occasionally when someone browbeats a line employee into listing them incorrectly.
* Until recently, where they started going to the weird PNx PZ0 INx I0 thing on some flights, opening business class award space for Platinum and higher without opening upgrade space for anyone except GS. But I've only ever seen that internationally.
* Until recently, where they started going to the weird PNx PZ0 INx I0 thing on some flights, opening business class award space for Platinum and higher without opening upgrade space for anyone except GS. But I've only ever seen that internationally.