Feb 22, 2017, 12:57 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Active thread Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues"
Waitilisting for awards
Click for the current rules from United
Member experiences:
At the airport if you have not yet cleared:
Note: The correct priority term here may in fact be a code that is one of WAI, WBI, WCI, or WDI 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 seem 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.
Waitilisting for awards
Click for the current rules from United
From the above link: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 must have a confirmed segment to wait list 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.
- Maximum number of WL segments in a PNR is 2.
- When confirmed segment is on a partner, you can waitlist for UA operated alternative.A report of being refused waitlisting for Economy{mixed reports - need further confirmation/clarification}.
At the airport if you have not yet cleared:
Note: The correct priority term here may in fact be a code that is one of WAI, WBI, WCI, or WDI 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.
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 seem 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.
Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues [ARCHIVE]
Oct 5, 2017, 12:10 pm
#1981
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
Slight correction, ability to book XN does not equate to IN access. XN is available to all elites and Chase card holders, while IN is only for Plats and above. So XN=>IN is true only for Plats and higher. Otherwise it's XN=>I.
Oct 5, 2017, 1:36 pm
#1982
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
It's just Saver to Saver and Standard to Standard that is the requirement.
Oct 6, 2017, 7:56 am
#1983
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
What is the best process to follow if I inventory and upgrade doesn't clear prior to check-in?
Will a waitlist item automatically move to PR-1 status in the upgrade priority list at T-24 check in? Would a presentment of paid upgrade even occur at check-in possibly?
After check-in, should one call to premier desk to confirm upgrade status or can that only be done at the airport?
TIA
Will a waitlist item automatically move to PR-1 status in the upgrade priority list at T-24 check in? Would a presentment of paid upgrade even occur at check-in possibly?
After check-in, should one call to premier desk to confirm upgrade status or can that only be done at the airport?
TIA
Oct 6, 2017, 12:33 pm
#1984
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
What is the best process to follow if I inventory and upgrade doesn't clear prior to check-in?
Will a waitlist item automatically move to PR-1 status in the upgrade priority list at T-24 check in? Would a presentment of paid upgrade even occur at check-in possibly?
After check-in, should one call to premier desk to confirm upgrade status or can that only be done at the airport?
TIA
Will a waitlist item automatically move to PR-1 status in the upgrade priority list at T-24 check in? Would a presentment of paid upgrade even occur at check-in possibly?
After check-in, should one call to premier desk to confirm upgrade status or can that only be done at the airport?
TIA
Fighting with agents to change your upgrade list placement has had limited success reported in this thread, although if you are not added to the upgrade list at all then you should get that fixed. Easier to do at the airport, I believe.
Oct 6, 2017, 3:50 pm
#1985
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: New York NY
Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler
Posts: 2,617
My recent experience is that it will be treated identically to an uncleared instrument: you will remain on the I class waitlist until the gate, and will be added to the upgrade standby list at WxI priority (x depends on status), which I *think* is after all instrument upgrades and ahead of all CPUs.
.
.
Oct 6, 2017, 4:46 pm
#1986
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: EWR/LHR/SFO
Programs: UA 1K 1MM
Posts: 574
I know this is very much in dispute, but +1. I continue to see "leapfrogging" behaviour on the list that can only be explained by I/IN waitlisters being higher on the gate list than R waitlisters, and lower on the EUA/hidden list.
Oct 6, 2017, 5:04 pm
#1987
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
Another hypothesis is that it's by status first and then fare class, i.e.
1K wl for R
1K wl for I
Plat wl for R
etc.
The fact that both R class waitlists and I(N) class waitlists use the same syntax and send identical emails when unconfirmed, so I'm pretty sure they are similarly treated.
Oct 7, 2017, 8:16 am
#1988
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
A recent experience
Waitlist for IN on UA connecting to confirmed partner in I, 2 passengers.
Was unable to check-in, called "1K Desk" for help. Also, noticed bag allowance seemed to be in error.
The agent could not explain the check-in issue and wanted to talk to a supervisor.
Took about 10 minutes on hold and came back confirming the proper bag allow and guessing the check-in was a passport needed issue. But I mentioned the passports were showing as accepted.
Agent then guess the issue was the waitlisting and before I could say anything, killed the waitlist ("F is booked full, so the WL didn't matter")
Check-in did now work but WL couldn't be added back as we were under the 24 hour prior to departure and it would have to be done at the airport -- and F was full anyways.
Next day as we arrived at the airport 2 seats opened up.
At bag checking agent said they could not WL as it had been removed and we should call the "1K desk" -- pushed back and got nowhere.
When to UC, UC agent got us back on the Gate WL and we were #1 , #2 .
Cleared about 10 minutes later (and some elite was pissed about our sudden last-minute appearance on the Gate WL
Moral of story -- agent knowledge / experience matters.
Waitlist for IN on UA connecting to confirmed partner in I, 2 passengers.
Was unable to check-in, called "1K Desk" for help. Also, noticed bag allowance seemed to be in error.
The agent could not explain the check-in issue and wanted to talk to a supervisor.
Took about 10 minutes on hold and came back confirming the proper bag allow and guessing the check-in was a passport needed issue. But I mentioned the passports were showing as accepted.
Agent then guess the issue was the waitlisting and before I could say anything, killed the waitlist ("F is booked full, so the WL didn't matter")
Check-in did now work but WL couldn't be added back as we were under the 24 hour prior to departure and it would have to be done at the airport -- and F was full anyways.
Next day as we arrived at the airport 2 seats opened up.
At bag checking agent said they could not WL as it had been removed and we should call the "1K desk" -- pushed back and got nowhere.
When to UC, UC agent got us back on the Gate WL and we were #1 , #2 .
Cleared about 10 minutes later (and some elite was pissed about our sudden last-minute appearance on the Gate WL
Moral of story -- agent knowledge / experience matters.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 7, 2017 at 8:22 am Reason: moral
Oct 10, 2017, 5:16 pm
#1989
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
Looking for a bit of advice here. I have used this approach before and been upgraded prior to check in and also after check in, but it isn't working out this time.
Have a flight XXX-XXX-SFO-ASIA that was purchased XN and then waitlisted with a phone call to IN only for the SFO-ASIA leg, the long one.
Checked in earlier today and didn't appear on the upgrade list. Called in and after an hour on the phone was told I was on the list but it wouldn't show up till 24 hours prior. I didn't believe this but waited anyway. The long phone time was because the additional miles were never originally taken and that had to be fixed.
A few hours later I noticed the upgrade list has started to fill and I am still not on it. So I called again and this time was told it I was not on the list and it could only be done at the airport. This seems contrary to the written policy and not what my previous experience has been.
Of course, I am a tad mad I was misled the first time about being on the list.
So, do I call in again or wait till tomorrow and give it a go at the airport?
Thanks
Have a flight XXX-XXX-SFO-ASIA that was purchased XN and then waitlisted with a phone call to IN only for the SFO-ASIA leg, the long one.
Checked in earlier today and didn't appear on the upgrade list. Called in and after an hour on the phone was told I was on the list but it wouldn't show up till 24 hours prior. I didn't believe this but waited anyway. The long phone time was because the additional miles were never originally taken and that had to be fixed.
A few hours later I noticed the upgrade list has started to fill and I am still not on it. So I called again and this time was told it I was not on the list and it could only be done at the airport. This seems contrary to the written policy and not what my previous experience has been.
Of course, I am a tad mad I was misled the first time about being on the list.
So, do I call in again or wait till tomorrow and give it a go at the airport?
Thanks
Oct 10, 2017, 5:20 pm
#1990
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 695
Waitlist for same segment in 2 cabins
I was able to successfully confirm in saver economy a connecting itinerary and waitlist for a saver first direct flight. Is there anyway I could also waitlist for saver economy on the same direct flight at the same time?
Oct 10, 2017, 5:20 pm
#1991
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
I believe policy is only one waitlisted alternative per itinerary. This is possibly because of the unintended consequences of waitlisting for multiple alternatives at the same time (system has no concept of priority).
Oct 10, 2017, 5:32 pm
#1992
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 695
Out of curiosity, what happens when you waitlist for United First for a flight that you don't have a confirmed seat in economy for and the waitlist doesn't clear before T-24 hours. I assume you get added to the upgrade list at the airport? But I've heard that the waitlist for domestic flights is really just one list so does it put you on the standby list for economy as well? And if it does, can you get a refund to the saver economy rate if you get off the economy standby list?
Oct 11, 2017, 11:00 am
#1993
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
Looking for a bit of advice here. I have used this approach before and been upgraded prior to check in and also after check in, but it isn't working out this time.
Have a flight XXX-XXX-SFO-ASIA that was purchased XN and then waitlisted with a phone call to IN only for the SFO-ASIA leg, the long one.
Checked in earlier today and didn't appear on the upgrade list. Called in and after an hour on the phone was told I was on the list but it wouldn't show up till 24 hours prior. I didn't believe this but waited anyway. The long phone time was because the additional miles were never originally taken and that had to be fixed.
A few hours later I noticed the upgrade list has started to fill and I am still not on it. So I called again and this time was told it I was not on the list and it could only be done at the airport. This seems contrary to the written policy and not what my previous experience has been.
Of course, I am a tad mad I was misled the first time about being on the list.
So, do I call in again or wait till tomorrow and give it a go at the airport?
Thanks
Have a flight XXX-XXX-SFO-ASIA that was purchased XN and then waitlisted with a phone call to IN only for the SFO-ASIA leg, the long one.
Checked in earlier today and didn't appear on the upgrade list. Called in and after an hour on the phone was told I was on the list but it wouldn't show up till 24 hours prior. I didn't believe this but waited anyway. The long phone time was because the additional miles were never originally taken and that had to be fixed.
A few hours later I noticed the upgrade list has started to fill and I am still not on it. So I called again and this time was told it I was not on the list and it could only be done at the airport. This seems contrary to the written policy and not what my previous experience has been.
Of course, I am a tad mad I was misled the first time about being on the list.
So, do I call in again or wait till tomorrow and give it a go at the airport?
Thanks
Oct 12, 2017, 10:10 am
#1994
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
Ugh.. nothing moved and we're about five days out and sadly seats in Biz are disappearing.. I assume either actual purchases or people getting upgraded with GPU or paid upgrades? Now down to just 14 apparently un-allocated seats.
Time to get my neck pillows in order.
Time to get my neck pillows in order.
Oct 12, 2017, 1:13 pm
#1995
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
In the 14 days before departure, almost certainly purchased seats. The vast majority of paid J is bought within 21 days of departure.