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]
Sep 24, 2018, 5:30 am
#2611
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: MRY
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 19
Another data point
Me: 1K, SO no status. Miles out: mine Miles return: hers. Booked SO for NA-Europe-NA, I waitlist, X confirmed 60k each way (separate tickets, my miles one way and hers the other).
Outbound: SFO-(XN/waitlist I)-FRA-(X, LH)-AMS
At check-in she ends up on the very bottom of the list ahead of only nonrevs. As I understood it she should be behind PR1 and before PR2. Reference GG Onestandby to no luck, and then they say she shouldn't be on the list at all even. There was I class now open on a LH flight via LAX-MUC, so I cancelled ticket and rebooked a new one.
Return: CPH-(I confirmed, SK)-LHR-(XN/waitlist I)-SFO. Same deal, bottom of the list. This time they said the mileage difference had been automatically refunded at 24 hours and she should not even be on the standby list, and proceeded to remove her. This was even stranger, gate agent called it a straight economy ticket despite her flying I the first leg (I know this would be refunded after if Polaris didn't clear, but at T-24???) . Gate agent said I should have requested a day ahead that the miles not be refunded. Thought you were supposed to automatically go to standby list as SOP.
Is bottom of the standby list, or even auto-cancelling the request /returning miles at T-24 now the norm? Have done this many times before and always was near the top of the waitlist. Was procedure followed, or should I write in?
Outbound: SFO-(XN/waitlist I)-FRA-(X, LH)-AMS
At check-in she ends up on the very bottom of the list ahead of only nonrevs. As I understood it she should be behind PR1 and before PR2. Reference GG Onestandby to no luck, and then they say she shouldn't be on the list at all even. There was I class now open on a LH flight via LAX-MUC, so I cancelled ticket and rebooked a new one.
Return: CPH-(I confirmed, SK)-LHR-(XN/waitlist I)-SFO. Same deal, bottom of the list. This time they said the mileage difference had been automatically refunded at 24 hours and she should not even be on the standby list, and proceeded to remove her. This was even stranger, gate agent called it a straight economy ticket despite her flying I the first leg (I know this would be refunded after if Polaris didn't clear, but at T-24???) . Gate agent said I should have requested a day ahead that the miles not be refunded. Thought you were supposed to automatically go to standby list as SOP.
Is bottom of the standby list, or even auto-cancelling the request /returning miles at T-24 now the norm? Have done this many times before and always was near the top of the waitlist. Was procedure followed, or should I write in?
Sep 24, 2018, 8:18 am
#2612
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,395
I think we can safely call the "between PR-1 and PR-2" thing debunked at this point. It may have been policy in the past, but recent reports are that the list is ordered by status and that waitlisted business class requests are treated exactly the same as upgrades from cash tickets.
Sep 24, 2018, 1:18 pm
#2613
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
I believe that the bottom of the standby list is normal for a no-status passenger. Cancelling the request is not.
I think we can safely call the "between PR-1 and PR-2" thing debunked at this point. It may have been policy in the past, but recent reports are that the list is ordered by status and that waitlisted business class requests are treated exactly the same as upgrades from cash tickets.
I think we can safely call the "between PR-1 and PR-2" thing debunked at this point. It may have been policy in the past, but recent reports are that the list is ordered by status and that waitlisted business class requests are treated exactly the same as upgrades from cash tickets.
Sep 26, 2018, 11:33 pm
#2614
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NBO/ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 188
Agent was happy to waitlist all segments in IN—disappeared for a while and it took forever—but was not aware of any ability to waitlist an XN segment. Flight is R4 RN4 IN1; fingers crossed.
Sep 27, 2018, 12:29 am
#2615
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
Weird. It's literally the same process you just sell a waitlisted XN segment instead of a waitlisted IN segment.
Sep 27, 2018, 12:41 am
#2616
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NBO/ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 188
How reliable are ExpertFlyer alerts for UA award space?
Sep 27, 2018, 1:04 am
#2617
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: 66,844
Sep 28, 2018, 11:02 am
#2618
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 45
Upgrade a saver award ticket
Hi,
I wanted to know if it is possible to upgrade a saver award ticket that I purchased with miles. I wanted to surprise my wife with a babymoon trip to Hawaii so I booked a United saver award ticket for 22.5k miles. I do not have any status, but was wondering if I can pay up to upgrade to premium class (Business/First), maybe with some additional miles + copay.
Based on what I read here:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...e/default.aspx
It looks like only people with status can get upgraded, so does that mean non-status people are out of luck? Also, can somebody else who has elite status request an upgrade for us?
Thank you!
I wanted to know if it is possible to upgrade a saver award ticket that I purchased with miles. I wanted to surprise my wife with a babymoon trip to Hawaii so I booked a United saver award ticket for 22.5k miles. I do not have any status, but was wondering if I can pay up to upgrade to premium class (Business/First), maybe with some additional miles + copay.
Based on what I read here:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...e/default.aspx
It looks like only people with status can get upgraded, so does that mean non-status people are out of luck? Also, can somebody else who has elite status request an upgrade for us?
Thank you!
Sep 28, 2018, 11:40 am
#2619
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,272
You can waitlist for I/IN class. Call United up and they’ll pull the additional miles. If waitlist doesn’t clear, you’ll get the additional miles back.
Sep 28, 2018, 1:54 pm
#2620
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: 66,844
As mentioned, you can change your ticket to waitlist for premium cabin space, it will require miles and there may be a change fee to change the ticket type.
you can also, wait till check-in and you may get a cash upgrade offer.
No -- once purchased with your miles there are no additional options
Sep 30, 2018, 9:16 am
#2621
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Europe/USA
Posts: 661
Europe to US Business Award standby
Am looking at Business Class Saver awards for summer 2019, Europe to Los Angeles. TATL flights are in Business but the US domestic flights are in economy, generally from the east coast. Can one request standby for Domestic First? If so, what would be the likely priority?
Sep 30, 2018, 11:37 am
#2622
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: 66,844
Sep 30, 2018, 1:32 pm
#2623
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Europe/USA
Posts: 661
Yes you can waitlist. It is initially a waitlist for I/IN, a separate waitlist from upgraders. At the gate, the various waitlists are merged. -- award waitlists appear to be similar in priority as waitlisted upgrades.
If you are talking about EWR<>LAX, clearance rates will vary from none to poor. IAD<>LAX might be slightly better (barely).
If you are talking about EWR<>LAX, clearance rates will vary from none to poor. IAD<>LAX might be slightly better (barely).
Where might I find where the award waitlist stands among the whole waitlist group, ie top, middle, bottom?
Sep 30, 2018, 1:49 pm
#2624
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: 66,844
Before the gate, award waitlisting is seperate from upgrade waitlisting.
In your case, an award waitlist is looking for I/IN inventory to become available.
Upgrade waitlisting is looking for R space (for non-GS, GS need PN)
These are different waitlists and different inventory.
PN will open first, generally R will open before I/IN -- but exact nature of that is not public.
At the gate, the lists are merged, however, the merging process and ranking has been of great debate and UA is short on details. (and this may have changed with time). Many believe award waitlstings are similar in priority to GPUs/RPUs/Miles+copy and are above CPU. The old PR theories are in some disfavor.
GS are believed to rank above non-GS, including GS on CPU.
For the non-GS, non-CPU routes, it then falls to status, fare and time of request -- not clear what fare level award waitliist sit at.
At the gate, the award waitlist should show on the list but remember the list is not complete until check-in closes for the flight.
(BTW the above is a simplified summary, the wiki has more special cases)
So was that as clear as mud.
Oct 1, 2018, 3:56 am
#2625
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,223
After today's flight I'm now 0/5 for wait-listing for business. The gate agent showed my the upgrade list and that I was in 13th place and swore that it was correct, and that everybody on the list higher than me had higher status and was also paying for an upgrade in miles or cash, so therefore should be in front of me.
At this point I've decided that this part of the MP program is useless, at least for me as a gold member, it just doesnt work. The odd report of success doesnt correlate with all my experience...
At this point I've decided that this part of the MP program is useless, at least for me as a gold member, it just doesnt work. The odd report of success doesnt correlate with all my experience...
I dont think I checked in the previous cases whether the miles were returned, so now I need to go back through 2 years to check it.
This "feature" of the program is going from a simple disappointment to a real negative.
