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The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop

Old Aug 13, 2013, 12:23 am
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Last edit by: Guate87
What is this whole PNR auto-splitting thing about?



First, you need to realize there are two separate upgrade waitlists. There's the advance upgrade waitlist, which runs periodically from your applicable upgrade window until about four hours before departure, and the airport waitlist, which is manually cleared by the gate agents about 30 minutes before departure.



The first waitlist can handle an elite and a companion automatically. If you're next in line for an upgrade and there are at least two upgradeable seats available, you'll both get the upgrade.



The second waitlist (the airport one) can only handle upgrading one traveler on a PNR. If there is more than one person in your reservation when you check in, you'll be asked if you want to either split the reservation if waitlisted for CPU or stay on the same reservation and decline being on the gate waitlist. For supported waitlisted upgrades (PPs or Miles) you will not be asked and it will split (without choice) at check-in.



Next, you need to be familiar with United's "auto-check-in" feature. If you select this option when you check in for your original outbound flight (depending on how you check in, it may automatically default to selecting this), then shortly after 24 hours before your return flight segment, you'll automatically be checked in and boarding passes will be electronically delivered to you. discontinued



If you opt for this and the system automatically checks you in, and if you have two people in your reservation, the system will automatically split your reservation. You and your companion will now be on two separate reservations, and you'll be waitlisted for an upgrade and your companion won't.



Why might splitting be bad?



[color=#000000]If your companions are not elite, they will no longer qualify for the elite benefits they inherited from you. That means no free baggage (including credit card companion bag benefit), no Economy Plus seating access (although they won't be booted out of E+ if they're already seated in it, barring irregular operations), no Premier Access, and potential issues in irregular operations as a result of being on a separate reservation (they may be rebooked on a separate flight from you without agent intervention). If you have TSA pre-check your family traveling with you on the same PNR can use the precheck line - which they cannot do if you split. And if you are traveling with children
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The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop

Old Apr 10, 2012, 7:37 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by PSU Mudder
FWIW on PMCO they never auto-split PNRs. If you were with a group and wanted the upgrade, you had to split it yourself over the phone or on the website, with the full knowledge of the risks you were taking in the event of irrops.
Very true. In the PMCO world, upgrades on a PNR were based on the lowest level FF tier passenger. If you wanted an upgrade as an elite and you were travelling with a non-elite, you had to request the PNR split.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 7:50 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by controller1
Very true. In the PMCO world, upgrades on a PNR were based on the lowest level FF tier passenger. If you wanted an upgrade as an elite and you were travelling with a non-elite, you had to request the PNR split.
I tested this during the first week post 3/3 and it still worked like PMCO. Has any definitely confirmed with real experience that upgrade on PNR if two us now based on status of the highest level FF?
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 7:59 am
  #33  
 
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Perhaps this is done, to make more available space, to sell E+ seats. If an E+ seat is given complementarily, then it can't be sold to someone else.

Indeed, it is annoying.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 8:01 am
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Boraxo

Maybe time to eliminate UDU. This doesn't happen on airlines where you must request an upgrade and pay with cash, miles or stickers.
^^ x 1000. UA should just go back to the way it was before UDU.


Originally Posted by channa
That's a bit of a draconian response to a systems problem. PMUA's systems handled this situation just fine:

1. You would either both get the upgrade ahead of time or neither would (like on CO's systems today);

2. At checkin, you would both get on the upgrade list without a split (unlike CO's systems today);

3. If not upgraded prior to departure, all you had to do was alert the GA that you were together and did not want to separate (or they'd find out when they called you forward to alert you of the upgrade or possible upgrade).

The real problem is not UDU, it's the same as we've seen so many times already. SHARES is simply not robust enough to handle the needs of the business.
Perhaps it is a draconian response, but given the systems limitations of SHARES on this specific issue, getting rid of UDU would be a clear benefit.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 8:02 am
  #35  
 
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If these are automattically splitting on the outbound does that mean on the return trip of a RT my wife doesn't get to us my free baggage allowance (3 bags @ 70 lbs)?
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 9:07 am
  #36  
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Originally Posted by trekwars2000
If these are automattically splitting on the outbound does that mean on the return trip of a RT my wife doesn't get to us my free baggage allowance (3 bags @ 70 lbs)?
The policy is that if you were forced to split the record due to the system limitation for upgrade purposes, they are supposed to override any associated fees from splitting the companion from the record.

That means you'll have to ask (or argue with) an agent for her to get this benefit.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 9:20 am
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by trekwars2000
If these are automattically splitting on the outbound does that mean on the return trip of a RT my wife doesn't get to us my free baggage allowance (3 bags @ 70 lbs)?
Don't mean to open another can of worms but I think companion is only allowed 2 bags@50lbs when I checked last month for TPAC flights. IME, the checkin agent didn't try to charge for companion bag fee last month post 3/3, YMMV.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 10:03 am
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by lax2010
Don't mean to open another can of worms but I think companion is only allowed 2 bags@50lbs when I checked last month for TPAC flights. IME, the checkin agent didn't try to charge for companion bag fee last month post 3/3, YMMV.
According to the UA Checked Bag Page:

Customers traveling with MileagePlus Premier members or dependents traveling with active U.S. military personnel are also exempt as long as they are traveling in the same reservation. This exemption will not apply to group reservations including 10 or more customers.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 4:14 pm
  #39  
 
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PMCO did indeed split PNR's without calling in. It happened to me several times, always when traveling with a GM. I got upgraded GM didn't (save once when added at gate). PMUA never did it.
I am still unsure of what to do now in the future, no auto-checkin, no add to upgrade list, call???? ... is their problem, I am so sick of SHARES, however I do like watching 5 GA's board a flight. Quite entertaining and what a money saver. Good job $mi$ek.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 4:33 pm
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Originally Posted by zoegksf
PMCO did indeed split PNR's without calling in. It happened to me several times, always when traveling with a GM.
and my wife and I were never split flying PMUA.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 4:39 pm
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Regardless of which sCompany brought us this bundle of joy, UNITED needs to address this ASAP.

Imagine your a normal traveler with companions that are dependent on you (children, elderly, handicap, etc.), the PNR is split, and something goes FUBAR. I would be livid that the airline tried to separate me and my children, intentions be dammed.

All it takes is one time for UA to drop this ball before a parent, or caretaker go elsewhere. People would remember this for a long time.

Last edited by anc-ord772; Apr 10, 2012 at 5:19 pm
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 5:25 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by Boraxo
....it is not appropriate to split parents from children without consent and worse if there is no way to prevent the system from doing it without permission.
This is a serious issue, IMO, and as we approach the summer vacation season I suspect we'll see a lot more problems with it.
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 5:29 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by Sprezzatura
This is a serious issue, IMO, and as we approach the summer vacation season I suspect we'll see a lot more problems with it.
Absolutely...and imagine what it will mean next winter when a snowstorm hits ORD and passengers need to be re-booked, elites traveling with companions will now have two tickets to worry about...and the agents will have twice the work.

The call lines and agent queues in the airport are already horrible and the time it takes anyone (even PMCOers with knowledge of SHARES) to do anything is ridiculous. Multiply this by the number of companions on elites tickets and good luck...



-jeremy
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 5:42 pm
  #44  
 
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Ok, I'm traveling to EWR-MIA saturday morning with (pregnant) wife and two kids under 4, all currently assigned to adjacent E+ seats. I'm 1k and the other 3 have no status.

As of now, 6 seats available in F (F6) so how do I make sure I do NOT get upgraded.

Last edited by petesamprs; Apr 10, 2012 at 5:51 pm
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Old Apr 10, 2012, 5:53 pm
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Originally Posted by petesamprs
Ok, I'm traveling to EWR-MIA saturday morning with (pregnant) wife and two kids under 4, all currently assigned to adjacent E+ seats. I'm 1k and the other 3 have no status.

As of now, 6 seats available in F (F6) so how do I make sure I do NOT get upgraded.
If there are more than 2 people on an elite res then there is no automatic upgrades... In this case I think your good...
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