At <24h, int'l UPGs now only can be WL'd by airport staff
Mar 24, 2012, 9:32 pm
#46
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: EXP
Posts: 84
However, if R space opens up before departure but inside 24 hours (or for that mater any time, since upgrades outside 24 hours are processed at 24 hour intervals but new confirmed upgrades jump he queue) then you can online or call the 1k desk and grab that seat ahead of anyone who is wait listed.
If a pax is waitlisted within 24 hours (or for that mater any time) and that person notices that R>0, can the person then call the 1K desk and get confirmed?
Last edited by chicoflyer#1; Mar 24, 2012 at 9:35 pm Reason: Added: "or for that mater any time"
Mar 24, 2012, 9:46 pm
#47
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: DL MM; UA MM/1K
Posts: 613
I and my family fly a lot between EWR - SIN / BOM /NRT and I also noticed this completely unsatisfactory policy of waiting till the gate for upgrades to clear. I mean the whole value for being a 1K is to use the GPU for family travel with some certainty. We put in about 200k miles as a household.
Happy travels
Happy travels
I flew >200K miles alone and have 3 more household members who reached silver.
All I am asking from UA is that they distribute the excess premium inventory fairly. BF was almost sold out on my recent trips on 82-83 and 48-49. I had a 50% hit rate (including a case where as a 1K on M I was No. 7 on the list with one person clearing). I am very happy with this upgrade rate. UA gave me twice a premium product worth $4K while I paid an average of 1K for a basic product, a total net reward of 6K dollars. A nice benefit for someone whose total spend last year was slightly more than $30K (and this is for two SWUs out of the ten I earned last year).
I understand your desire to see your mother guaranteed a seat up front, but this way more than what UA (or CO) ever committed to deliver. You want a guaranteed seat up front - use all your miles to buy an award ticket for your mother or pay for it.
Happy travels
DLP
Mar 24, 2012, 10:01 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA EXP with lots of BA. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat - No longer chase hotel loyalty
Posts: 6,699
WTH
I believe the OP and the other posters here; however a different counter point - Had a co-workers GPU last week NRT-LAX NOT clear at 24 hours and he got the email stating his upgrade didn't clear but he was on the airport upgrade list.
WHY are some people/flights getting these and not everyone/systemwide on all GPU upgrade requests?
Any pattern on those not getting the transfer to the airport list (e.g. were these pre 3/3 tickets??) His ticket was paid for a week ago.
I also get a Pax requested confirmed upgraded being cancelled might need a few days to return the GPU, BUT when it doesn't clear at all (either prior to 24 hour) or on the airport upgrade list - the GPU should come back RIGHT away so it's usable for an already booked future flight!
WHY are some people/flights getting these and not everyone/systemwide on all GPU upgrade requests?
Any pattern on those not getting the transfer to the airport list (e.g. were these pre 3/3 tickets??) His ticket was paid for a week ago.
I also get a Pax requested confirmed upgraded being cancelled might need a few days to return the GPU, BUT when it doesn't clear at all (either prior to 24 hour) or on the airport upgrade list - the GPU should come back RIGHT away so it's usable for an already booked future flight!
Mar 24, 2012, 10:39 pm
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
Practically, on international flights, you probably won't often see R go from 0 at T-24 to >0 sometime thereafter. So either you'll have been cleared prior to T-24 with R>0 (they'll often release R just prior to the 24hr mark) or else you'll have to wait until they clear directly from the standby list at the gate (in which case R never really goes above 0, publicly at least).
If I'm wrong, then an ExpertFlyer subscription with a flight alert notification for R availability could be very, very valuable.
Mar 24, 2012, 11:11 pm
#50
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 21
Till last December not having to wait for GPU to go through till the end was not a high bar, how come it is now .
I would call it a rapid devaluation of a GPU. Again I am not saying it is useless but just devalued.
Also last year if there were few seats left in business / business first they would hold inventory and that made sense.
But if you have 30+ empty seats at T-5 and you are keeping GPU upgrades held upto the gate you need to recalibrate your yield management abilities.
What is really an airline's ability to fill 30+ seats in C/Z at T-5 on long haul routes. I don't have data to back it up but my guess is their hopes are more robust than their reality.
For the record, every Saturday I will post the UA117 which is of interest to me, so currently, no GPU upgrades being processed and wait listed.
50 seats: 14 sold
A few more weeks to go.
Happy Travels
I would call it a rapid devaluation of a GPU. Again I am not saying it is useless but just devalued.
Also last year if there were few seats left in business / business first they would hold inventory and that made sense.
But if you have 30+ empty seats at T-5 and you are keeping GPU upgrades held upto the gate you need to recalibrate your yield management abilities.
What is really an airline's ability to fill 30+ seats in C/Z at T-5 on long haul routes. I don't have data to back it up but my guess is their hopes are more robust than their reality.
For the record, every Saturday I will post the UA117 which is of interest to me, so currently, no GPU upgrades being processed and wait listed.
50 seats: 14 sold
A few more weeks to go.
Happy Travels
Mar 24, 2012, 11:22 pm
#51
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SFO / SJC
Programs: UA GLD 1MM, AA PLT 2MM, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 601
GS flying tomorrow US-South America on full-boat J fare in Business and was waitlisted on GPU for First.
As of today the upgrade hadn't cleared, aircraft swapped from new-config to old-config 777 and OLCI had a seat assignment glitch. After 52 minutes on the phone with a very helpful and apologetic GS agent she (and number of supervisors and ex-COns roaming the call center) sorted out the glitches and got my seat assigned.
With the old-config swap and more F seats the flight was now F6ON0, so she put in a request to revenue management to release an upgrade for me and said she would have to "call the airport too".
That made no sense to me until I saw this thread. In the end my upgrade cleared, but what a mess and who -- except us crazies here on FT -- will spend an hour of their Saturday trying to figure this stuff out.
for process change, ^ to the GS agent who persevered.
As of today the upgrade hadn't cleared, aircraft swapped from new-config to old-config 777 and OLCI had a seat assignment glitch. After 52 minutes on the phone with a very helpful and apologetic GS agent she (and number of supervisors and ex-COns roaming the call center) sorted out the glitches and got my seat assigned.
With the old-config swap and more F seats the flight was now F6ON0, so she put in a request to revenue management to release an upgrade for me and said she would have to "call the airport too".
That made no sense to me until I saw this thread. In the end my upgrade cleared, but what a mess and who -- except us crazies here on FT -- will spend an hour of their Saturday trying to figure this stuff out.
for process change, ^ to the GS agent who persevered.
Mar 25, 2012, 3:46 am
#52
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: DL MM; UA MM/1K
Posts: 613
Till last December not having to wait for GPU to go through till the end was not a high bar, how come it is now .
For the record, every Saturday I will post the UA117 which is of interest to me, so currently, no GPU upgrades being processed and wait listed.
50 seats: 14 sold
Happy Travels
For the record, every Saturday I will post the UA117 which is of interest to me, so currently, no GPU upgrades being processed and wait listed.
50 seats: 14 sold
Happy Travels
I had 3 flights clear before T-24 in the 18 months since I switched to CO.
Happy Travels
And good luck with the upgrades
DLP
Mar 25, 2012, 5:42 am
#53
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 21
In the last 5/6 years I have never had this wait for upgrades to go through till the last moment.
Yes I will admit that I carefully choose the days for the flights, which I know have maximum availability of business seats. Even if I was paying for business seats they were much cheaper on those days ( mid- week going to Asia from EWR), maybe that is why I had no problems.
Also I am nowhere close to understanding the in's and out's of the system as many other forum members do so certainty has a lot of value in my case.
I guess I am disappointed and it shows. But my disappointment is compounded by my inability to understand as to what did the airline gain???????
If they gain 5% in PLF across all all business segment or something material I would understand. My guess in 4-8 quarters it will be more clear as travelers rejigger their expectations and their dollars spent between various airlines.
Quaterly Earnings calls are a wonderful thing.
Happy Travels
Yes I will admit that I carefully choose the days for the flights, which I know have maximum availability of business seats. Even if I was paying for business seats they were much cheaper on those days ( mid- week going to Asia from EWR), maybe that is why I had no problems.
Also I am nowhere close to understanding the in's and out's of the system as many other forum members do so certainty has a lot of value in my case.
I guess I am disappointed and it shows. But my disappointment is compounded by my inability to understand as to what did the airline gain???????
If they gain 5% in PLF across all all business segment or something material I would understand. My guess in 4-8 quarters it will be more clear as travelers rejigger their expectations and their dollars spent between various airlines.
Quaterly Earnings calls are a wonderful thing.
Happy Travels
Mar 25, 2012, 5:48 am
#54
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: PDX (wish I was in HNL)
Programs: Platinum
Posts: 1,687
Theoretically, yes, if R>0 any time within T-24, anyone can request an instrument upgrade.
Practically, on international flights, you probably won't often see R go from 0 at T-24 to >0 sometime thereafter. So either you'll have been cleared prior to T-24 with R>0 (they'll often release R just prior to the 24hr mark) or else you'll have to wait until they clear directly from the standby list at the gate (in which case R never really goes above 0, publicly at least).
If I'm wrong, then an ExpertFlyer subscription with a flight alert notification for R availability could be very, very valuable.
Practically, on international flights, you probably won't often see R go from 0 at T-24 to >0 sometime thereafter. So either you'll have been cleared prior to T-24 with R>0 (they'll often release R just prior to the 24hr mark) or else you'll have to wait until they clear directly from the standby list at the gate (in which case R never really goes above 0, publicly at least).
If I'm wrong, then an ExpertFlyer subscription with a flight alert notification for R availability could be very, very valuable.
Mar 25, 2012, 6:30 am
#55
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 21
Small personal story on airline actions and a particular consumer response.
Nearly 4 years ago I had booked my wife and infant daughter on full fare business ticket from SIN-PHL ( two connections all Northwest or codeshare).
It takes nearly 24 hours end to end. My wife was carrying a diaper bag which had all the requisite items.
Mid week flight costed me about 6+ USD. Empty business class.
In the first segement (SIN-NRT) the galley leaked and soaked the diaper bag and spoiled some things she was carrying. To add to her flight experience, my wife asked the airhostess to wash the milk bottles ( she was not carrying enough clean ones for 24 hours of travel). The air hostess told her it was not her job to do so.
In sum my wife ( with a 2 month infant) went the entire route with no help and never forgave me for putting her on Northwest. I was expressly forbidden to put anyone in the family on Northwest period ( business travel was my choice) but if anyone in the family ( including grandparents) was traveling it would never be Northwest ever.
I never complained to the airline ( but i did check out a quaterly earnings call) but no one ever travelled Northwest again in my family + she shared her lovely experience with mom's like her who do transpacific travel with kids and infants.
I think she must have cost them 2 MM miles worth of revenue seats single handedly.
On a positive story, after that I put her on ANA/ SQ EWR - SIN and she loves them as with an infant when food came someone even took care of the infant for 10 minutes so that she could eat some food or whe shewanted to use the washroom by herself they would watch the baby.
So Northwest lost customers to ANA/ SQ.
Customers matter, specifically ones who put time on their Saturdays to figure these things out.
Happy Travels
Nearly 4 years ago I had booked my wife and infant daughter on full fare business ticket from SIN-PHL ( two connections all Northwest or codeshare).
It takes nearly 24 hours end to end. My wife was carrying a diaper bag which had all the requisite items.
Mid week flight costed me about 6+ USD. Empty business class.
In the first segement (SIN-NRT) the galley leaked and soaked the diaper bag and spoiled some things she was carrying. To add to her flight experience, my wife asked the airhostess to wash the milk bottles ( she was not carrying enough clean ones for 24 hours of travel). The air hostess told her it was not her job to do so.
In sum my wife ( with a 2 month infant) went the entire route with no help and never forgave me for putting her on Northwest. I was expressly forbidden to put anyone in the family on Northwest period ( business travel was my choice) but if anyone in the family ( including grandparents) was traveling it would never be Northwest ever.
I never complained to the airline ( but i did check out a quaterly earnings call) but no one ever travelled Northwest again in my family + she shared her lovely experience with mom's like her who do transpacific travel with kids and infants.
I think she must have cost them 2 MM miles worth of revenue seats single handedly.
On a positive story, after that I put her on ANA/ SQ EWR - SIN and she loves them as with an infant when food came someone even took care of the infant for 10 minutes so that she could eat some food or whe shewanted to use the washroom by herself they would watch the baby.
So Northwest lost customers to ANA/ SQ.
Customers matter, specifically ones who put time on their Saturdays to figure these things out.
Happy Travels
Mar 25, 2012, 6:40 am
#56
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Hoosier in Dubai
Programs: EK Gold, UA Platinum, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 576
My upgrade didn't clear (wasn't expecting it to as the flight was packed) but I did get this email notification. My name never did appear on the waitlist after check in.
Waitlist Expired for Confirmation E594GB
Unfortunately, we cannot confirm your request for an upgrade on Delhi, India (DEL) to New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty). You will be automatically added to the upgrade standby list when you check in for your flight. After you have checked in, be sure to go to http://pda.united.com/info, where you can view real-time upgrade standby lists, and more.
Waitlist Expired for Confirmation E594GB
Unfortunately, we cannot confirm your request for an upgrade on Delhi, India (DEL) to New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty). You will be automatically added to the upgrade standby list when you check in for your flight. After you have checked in, be sure to go to http://pda.united.com/info, where you can view real-time upgrade standby lists, and more.