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"
Jan 27, 2023, 7:23 am
#48
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Mixed cabin TATL itinerary (UA in Y, partner J long haul)
I’ve booked an award DCA-EWR-YYZ-WAW. The overall award is for business class, which I have on LOT for the last segment; the first two segments, however, are both in UA Y because that’s all there was available.
Am I stuck with sitting in Y, or is there a possibility I can get UA to move me to J/F on the North American segments? If so,
Am I stuck with sitting in Y, or is there a possibility I can get UA to move me to J/F on the North American segments? If so,
- Is availability going to be obvious from a simple segment award search, or will married-segment sorcery come into play?
- Would any such change require current partner availability on the TATL segment?
Jan 27, 2023, 9:14 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
Am I stuck with sitting in Y, or is there a possibility I can get UA to move me to J/F on the North American segments? If so,
- Is availability going to be obvious from a simple segment award search, or will married-segment sorcery come into play?
- Would any such change require current partner availability on the TATL segment?
Jan 27, 2023, 10:04 am
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 218
I went on Twitter and looked up United then clicked on the little mail icon to send a DM. I wrote, “United-is it still possible to waitlist I (saver business) tickets from an X (saver economy ticket)? If so I would like to do so. According to your webpage, waitlisting in premium cabins still exists. My MileagePlus account number is [insert my number].” The agent wrote back and told me the mileage requirement (60,000 per ticket for Europe). After I confirmed that I wanted to proceed, the agent asked for my name, telephone number, and location and then an agent called my cell phone to confirm that I am me to get the security info for my account.
I’m currently waitlisted for an I fare from FCO to ORD and also from ORD to my home airport.
I’m currently waitlisted for an I fare from FCO to ORD and also from ORD to my home airport.
Jan 27, 2023, 2:38 pm
#51
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
If you can find an agent who knows how to do it, you can waitlist for award space in the front cabin. Make sure to avoid the word. "upgrade" -- try "waitlist for I." If you're successful, married segment logic will not apply, but there's no guarantee you'll clear. If you use this strategy, you will not need current availability on the long-haul.
Jan 27, 2023, 2:48 pm
#52
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: 66,850
Agent advised that the MileagePlus desk told her I can’t be put on the waitlist except at the airport on day of departure. (A distinction was drawn between revenue fares, for which they agree I could be waitlisted now, and award tickets.) That makes it sound as if HUCA would be ineffective here.
If, as the prior poster suggested, you asked to waitlist for I space, that can be done but not all agents will or know how to process, so HUCA will eventually work.
Jan 27, 2023, 3:01 pm
#53
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
I believe my exact words were “waitlist for fare class I.” *sigh* HUCA, or maybe Twitter, here I come.
Jan 27, 2023, 3:46 pm
#54
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 218
Thanks for this instruction; I found and saved it while waiting on hold for an hour .... fortunately / unfortunately, didn't need to use it .... after several previous HUCA to upgrade saver US-Japan-US to Polaris ranging from needing $4K, additional 140K miles in addition to 70K already paid for saver economy class ..... to the correct answer: 70K: refunded and 142K deducted! Agent/office was offshore and it took about an hour for the agent to make contact with the supervisor and the supervisor to finish the job. Last week, I did manage to reach a Chicago based agent who knew exactly what to do, but the system was in the middle of updates/upgrades, so the "30 second agents" do exist 😁 I checked the rez and waitlist is there; I checked the activity and miles were returned and deducted as stated. 🤞 that it eventually clears. thanks everyone for all of your advice
Jan 27, 2023, 4:57 pm
#55
Join Date: Jul 2022
Programs: United MileagePlus
Posts: 336
Thanks for this instruction; I found and saved it while waiting on hold for an hour .... fortunately / unfortunately, didn't need to use it .... after several previous HUCA to upgrade saver US-Japan-US to Polaris ranging from needing $4K, additional 140K miles in addition to 70K already paid for saver economy class ..... to the correct answer: 70K: refunded and 142K deducted! Agent/office was offshore and it took about an hour for the agent to make contact with the supervisor and the supervisor to finish the job. Last week, I did manage to reach a Chicago based agent who knew exactly what to do, but the system was in the middle of updates/upgrades, so the "30 second agents" do exist 😁 I checked the rez and waitlist is there; I checked the activity and miles were returned and deducted as stated. 🤞 that it eventually clears. thanks everyone for all of your advice
Jan 28, 2023, 4:46 pm
#57
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Our apologies for the delay in response. We have received an increased volume of customers reaching out in the previous hours. We regret to not be able to accommodate the request as changes on the award waitlist process are already implemented. Waitlisting from Economy to Business or First Class is no longer allowed. This is only permitted for connecting flights that were ticketed on mixed cabin (Economy Saver on one segment and Saver Business/First Class on the connection.)
We understand how this does not turn out as expected, award seats are not released at the same time and may open up at a later time. You may monitor this on http://united.com and change when additional seats are released. ^BT
We understand how this does not turn out as expected, award seats are not released at the same time and may open up at a later time. You may monitor this on http://united.com and change when additional seats are released. ^BT
Jan 28, 2023, 5:22 pm
#58
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 562
Fair, but the waitlist is still ordered in the bucket order, which is still PZ before IN. It's just, if you see open IN, you can clear into it.
I think the Wxx classification is correct, but I also think that's what the system is dong prior to T-24 and would result tin PZ being ahead of IN. I'm not buying your paid / not yet paid rationale -- that sounds like a post-hoc rationalization to me. In my case, when I am waitlisted for PZ on PlusPoints, there' s a good chance that it's the domestic leg of a longhaul itinerary where I was already upgraded at booking -- so my PlusPoints would already have been deducted.
I think the Wxx classification is correct, but I also think that's what the system is dong prior to T-24 and would result tin PZ being ahead of IN. I'm not buying your paid / not yet paid rationale -- that sounds like a post-hoc rationalization to me. In my case, when I am waitlisted for PZ on PlusPoints, there' s a good chance that it's the domestic leg of a longhaul itinerary where I was already upgraded at booking -- so my PlusPoints would already have been deducted.
i was Silver and applied MUA and I believe it was in PD.
Is there a relationship between WXX and PX?
Nope -- just that ExpertMode lists them all in priority order, plus experience of seeing where people end up on the list.
The PR-1 list is essentially waitlisted for J, which would have the highest priority. Then you'd have people waitlisted for JN, C, D, etc. Most of those lists will be empty, because there's no way to waitlist for them within policy. (SHARES will let you waitlist somebody for C class, but UA policy doesn't allow it). And then PZ, PZ, IN, I.
The PR-1 list is essentially waitlisted for J, which would have the highest priority. Then you'd have people waitlisted for JN, C, D, etc. Most of those lists will be empty, because there's no way to waitlist for them within policy. (SHARES will let you waitlist somebody for C class, but UA policy doesn't allow it). And then PZ, PZ, IN, I.
kinda just stuck on the pnr
Jan 28, 2023, 10:01 pm
#59
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
Jan 29, 2023, 9:44 am
#60
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 286
I have found that if an agent responds like that, they have never processed one of these before and simply doesn't know how to do it. Sending a policy document unfortunately doesn't help get them that working knowledge. Have to to HUCA, or whatever the equivalent would be for Twitter. In this case, two phone calls (HUCA on the first attempt after about 15 minutes of struggling) got it properly done. The further response on Twitter, by the way, was the excuse about dynamic pricing making the award waitlist obsolete because they can't price the business award under a dynamic system.