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]
Dec 23, 2018, 6:43 pm
#2686
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
Dec 28, 2018, 1:45 pm
#2688
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: UA 1K, MM
Posts: 389
My latest (and positive) experience: Called to waitlist Mrs. Lancelot for business to Paris in February. First agent I reached knew what he was doing. He kept apologizing for how long it took (only 15 minutes) to deduct the business-saver miles even though she was confirmed in economy saver.
Two hours later (!) my wife got an email that her waitlisted flight had cleared! The flight still shows no business saver availability (and I didn't pay enough attention to the seat map to see if it changed beyond my wife's upgrade, e.g., if anyone else also cleared at the same time).
Two hours later (!) my wife got an email that her waitlisted flight had cleared! The flight still shows no business saver availability (and I didn't pay enough attention to the seat map to see if it changed beyond my wife's upgrade, e.g., if anyone else also cleared at the same time).
Last edited by lancelot21; Dec 28, 2018 at 2:55 pm Reason: For clarity
Jan 4, 2019, 1:51 pm
#2689
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
Standby List Priority and Domestic CPU versus IN
1) My wife and I are checked in for a flight that leaves South America in 6 hours, well within 24 hours. I am on a paid U with a GPU applied and am currently number 1 on the standby for Polaris list. My wife is on an IN waitlist ticket (originally XN) and is showing number 3 on the list. Shouldn't she be number 1 since she is technically displaced and I am just an instrument upgrade?
2) Also, she is on an award ticket, is 1K and has a Chase Explorer card, so shouldn't she be eligible for a CPU on the domestic segment that we also have? She doesn't show on the domestic upgrade list at all, even though her reservation showed "CPU Requested". The folks on the phone said the miles would be considered used if only the domestic segment cleared in IN since we are coming from South America and not over an ocean, so I removed the IN waitlist from the domestic segment.
I tried to resolve this on the phone and have been given the run around for a couple of hours, everything from it being outside of 24 hours to being within 24 hours and a system change 2 weeks ago that changed everything. I wish this stuff wasn't always such a headache, it's great when it works.
2) Also, she is on an award ticket, is 1K and has a Chase Explorer card, so shouldn't she be eligible for a CPU on the domestic segment that we also have? She doesn't show on the domestic upgrade list at all, even though her reservation showed "CPU Requested". The folks on the phone said the miles would be considered used if only the domestic segment cleared in IN since we are coming from South America and not over an ocean, so I removed the IN waitlist from the domestic segment.
I tried to resolve this on the phone and have been given the run around for a couple of hours, everything from it being outside of 24 hours to being within 24 hours and a system change 2 weeks ago that changed everything. I wish this stuff wasn't always such a headache, it's great when it works.
Jan 4, 2019, 2:53 pm
#2690
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: 66,834
1) My wife and I are checked in for a flight that leaves South America in 6 hours, well within 24 hours. I am on a paid U with a GPU applied and am currently number 1 on the standby for Polaris list. My wife is on an IN waitlist ticket (originally XN) and is showing number 3 on the list. Shouldn't she be number 1 since she is technically displaced and I am just an instrument upgrade? ...
So as both 1Ks, the award fare class is lower than the paid fare class. your were higher.
And another 1K on a paid fare class with a waitlisted upgrade could have been placed in between
.... 2) Also, she is on an award ticket, is 1K and has a Chase Explorer card, so shouldn't she be eligible for a CPU on the domestic segment that we also have? She doesn't show on the domestic upgrade list at all, even though her reservation showed "CPU Requested". The folks on the phone said the miles would be considered used if only the domestic segment cleared in IN since we are coming from South America and not over an ocean, so I removed the IN waitlist from the domestic segment. ...
As for the award ticket, is she the primary cardholder? Whose miles were used?
The CPU Requested does suggest the CPU was applicable to the award ticket
Jan 4, 2019, 4:08 pm
#2691
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 91
I''m glad to share my experience today, which is similar to what @lancelot21 said above. I booked an XN award from PEK to ORD and called in to waitlist for business class. It took a while for the agent and the supervisor to figure out how to process but eventually my reservation ended up with the "I Class Waitlisted" message. About 5 hours later the WL has cleared, though United did not send out email notifications. Looking at the seat map it's also a Polaris-retrofitted 772. Thanks everyone for the info. Woohoo!
Jan 4, 2019, 5:37 pm
#2692
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
The latest thinking, is waitlisted awards are treated similar to waitlist upgrade instruments -- and then status, fare, .... It is unclear if this prioritization is a change from the past but it does seem to fit many recent experiences
So as both 1Ks, the award fare class is lower than the paid fare class. your were higher.
And another 1K on a paid fare class with a waitlisted upgrade could have been placed in between
Was the South American segment a Polaris segment (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile?) if so, you got bad advice, if the waitlist award did not clear on the Polaris segment but did clear on the non-Polaris segment, your miles would have been refunded.
As for the award ticket, is she the primary cardholder? Whose miles were used?
The CPU Requested does suggest the CPU was applicable to the award ticket
So as both 1Ks, the award fare class is lower than the paid fare class. your were higher.
And another 1K on a paid fare class with a waitlisted upgrade could have been placed in between
Was the South American segment a Polaris segment (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile?) if so, you got bad advice, if the waitlist award did not clear on the Polaris segment but did clear on the non-Polaris segment, your miles would have been refunded.
As for the award ticket, is she the primary cardholder? Whose miles were used?
The CPU Requested does suggest the CPU was applicable to the award ticket
It really makes more sense that the IN is lower on the standby list than paid with GPU. Hopefully it’s applied equally.
The award ticket is using my miles but she indeed has her own card and normally has no issues getting on the upgrade list, sometimes even above me which is odd but we make it work.
I will have to see if they can help at the airport. I fear another battle.
Jan 5, 2019, 6:30 am
#2693
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
I forgot to add that it is indeed a Polaris flight, so guess I got bad info, again.
The domestic segment ended up clearing, it just never showed her name on the list, annoying.
Thanks
The domestic segment ended up clearing, it just never showed her name on the list, annoying.
Thanks
Jan 5, 2019, 11:54 am
#2694
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: 66,834
Yep, for the past few months, those that clear before the gate do not show on the gate list. They did in the past for CPU flights, but no longer.
Jan 7, 2019, 7:23 am
#2695
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: BOS
Posts: 157
Good morning all - sorry if this is posted somewhere else on the 120 pages of this thread, but I have a question regarding a flight I am looking to book.
We are going from BOS-TYO this summer and ORD-TYO shows open IN availability on ANA but no Saver is available for the BOS-TYO routing; I only found the ORD-TYO routing by searching direct options (ORD-TYO, IAD-TYO, etc).
There are no saver domestic available for BOS-ORD the same day, except one at night that will miss the connections.
The lowest BOS-TYO mileage option is 80k standard Economy.
If I book the 80k standard Economy flight and call for the waitlist upgrade, will the ORD-TYO clear right away and the BOS-ORD be the waitlisted leg? From what I understand reading this thread if it were on UA metal it would clear. Do IN waitlists work the same way with codeshare partners?
We are going from BOS-TYO this summer and ORD-TYO shows open IN availability on ANA but no Saver is available for the BOS-TYO routing; I only found the ORD-TYO routing by searching direct options (ORD-TYO, IAD-TYO, etc).
There are no saver domestic available for BOS-ORD the same day, except one at night that will miss the connections.
The lowest BOS-TYO mileage option is 80k standard Economy.
If I book the 80k standard Economy flight and call for the waitlist upgrade, will the ORD-TYO clear right away and the BOS-ORD be the waitlisted leg? From what I understand reading this thread if it were on UA metal it would clear. Do IN waitlists work the same way with codeshare partners?
Jan 7, 2019, 9:47 am
#2696
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
Good morning all - sorry if this is posted somewhere else on the 120 pages of this thread, but I have a question regarding a flight I am looking to book.
We are going from BOS-TYO this summer and ORD-TYO shows open IN availability on ANA but no Saver is available for the BOS-TYO routing; I only found the ORD-TYO routing by searching direct options (ORD-TYO, IAD-TYO, etc).
There are no saver domestic available for BOS-ORD the same day, except one at night that will miss the connections.
The lowest BOS-TYO mileage option is 80k standard Economy.
If I book the 80k standard Economy flight and call for the waitlist upgrade, will the ORD-TYO clear right away and the BOS-ORD be the waitlisted leg? From what I understand reading this thread if it were on UA metal it would clear. Do IN waitlists work the same way with codeshare partners?
We are going from BOS-TYO this summer and ORD-TYO shows open IN availability on ANA but no Saver is available for the BOS-TYO routing; I only found the ORD-TYO routing by searching direct options (ORD-TYO, IAD-TYO, etc).
There are no saver domestic available for BOS-ORD the same day, except one at night that will miss the connections.
The lowest BOS-TYO mileage option is 80k standard Economy.
If I book the 80k standard Economy flight and call for the waitlist upgrade, will the ORD-TYO clear right away and the BOS-ORD be the waitlisted leg? From what I understand reading this thread if it were on UA metal it would clear. Do IN waitlists work the same way with codeshare partners?
Try multi-city search, BOS-ORD-TYO. That should price out as international partner Saver Business plus domestic Everyday economy (or Everyday first, if you prefer to use the extra miles).
In order to get BOS-TYO for the USA-Japan Saver Business price, you’d need to be able to confirm a Saver award on the domestic leg.
Jan 7, 2019, 10:14 am
#2697
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: BOS
Posts: 157
Does Saver domestic ever become more available as it gets closer to the travel date?
Jan 7, 2019, 10:18 am
#2698
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
Yes, UA may open Saver space closer to departure if sales fail to meet their projections, but there are no guarantees. Even if they do, the ANA space may be gone by then.
Jan 13, 2019, 6:43 pm
#2699
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: San Francisco
Programs: 1K 2.2MM
Posts: 2,352
Booked SFO-ORD-CDG today in saver business. The sfo-ord booked in Y, the ORD-CDG in Polaris. I have called 3 times now to ask to wait list the domestic outbound to First. Been told all three times, some after long holds, that it's not possible. Confirming I should keep asking? Any secret code word here?
Also, would I be able to waitlist for SFO-CDG non-stop or is routing change not allowed as a waitlist?
Also, would I be able to waitlist for SFO-CDG non-stop or is routing change not allowed as a waitlist?
Last edited by 1k-all-the-way; Jan 13, 2019 at 7:21 pm
Jan 13, 2019, 8:52 pm
#2700
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,406
"Waitlist for IN class" is about all it takes for me, assuming you're 1K. You may waitlist for the nonstop, but may encounter issues trying to have more than one alternative on the same PNR.