slippahs

Wirelessly posted (iPhone-ETOPS: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_3 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B329 Safari/8536.25)

If you choose not to split on outbound and choose auto check in for the return, you will have the do not upgrade flags on your pnr, your return will not be split, and you will not be added to the upgrade waitlist for those flights. So unless you have already cleared all remaining segments, you should probably not auto check in so you can manually check in on the return (probably as late as possible to keep the same prioirty on the last remaining cpu sweeps) to split the reservation so you and your companion can be added to the airport upgrade standby list.

BUT I don't know if the companion will inherit your status on the airport waitlist.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I think that's right. Ms. Trash ended up down the list last time we had to split.

PV_Premier

was that instrument supported or CPU? i assume the latter but one thing i have learned lately is assume nothing.

mirage47

Great point. I will ask at check in tomorrow as could not olci for int without doc verification at airport. Did not use any instruments for ug, did not think many elites on these segments. Will post result of return itins next week. Pnr splitting is horrid! Thanks for the advice!

emcampbe

IME, if selecting no on the outbound, and you don't clear CPU, you will not be asked if you want to split or not on the return. The system will "remember" you did not want to split, and so won't add you to the list. That's what I've found (though based on this thread, i'm sure someone will have the opposite experience).

alex_b

This is my experience too, but with one interesting twist:
I flew LGA-ORD-HNL-KOA and upgraded with GPUs on the outbound (out of RPUs and needed to use them). Elected not to split on the outbound.
On the return (KOA-SFO-IAH-LGA), SFO-IAH-LGA cleared for me (1k) and my wife (silver) at 96 (IAH-LGA) and 72 (SFO-IAH) hrs out.
Auto-checked in at T-24, neither of us were on the upgrade list.
SDC'd to KOA-ORD-LGA due to IROPS, phone agent had to un-check us in; I then did online checkin at around T-5 and was given the option to split. I did this and my wife and I wound up correctly placed together on the UG list (although we didn't clear as we were so close in).

So if you don't split on the outbound, my experience is that CPU prior to T-24 works correctly, and if you can get an agent to un-check you in, you may be able to recheck in and be offered the split.

bmvaughn

Have a flight booked on the ET website for SEA-IAD-ADD-EBB, ADD-FCO-IAD-SEA with first and last legs on UA. Companion has no status, I am 1K.

Should I be worried that our reservations will get fubar? Note that SEA-IAD, IAD-ADD-EBB are on separate days.

alex_b

I would strongly suggest that when you check-in (at a kiosk) you chose not to split on the outbound. If you haven't been upgraded by this point you will lose the chance to get the CPU on the outbound transcon, but I think that's a small price to pay for preserving the itinerary. If you have been upgraded then you don't lose anything.

By not splitting you and your companion should both be processed normally from T-96 to T-24 for the return. If you don't clear in this window, you should speak to an agent when you land at IAD and ask them to split you and put you on the list; in my experience if you're split prior to this your companion has a high likelihood of losing their E+ seat assignments on the return.

ger3sf

Today I did OLCI for the outbound to LAS tomorrow and declined the split. Both 1K on a single pnr did not clear at T-96. Upgrade eligible arrow for outbound segment disappeared from my itin (remained on return segment on Sun).

Now, we thought splitting wouldn't be so bad even if only one of us clears. So I called the 1K line to go ahead and split the pnr. What the 1K agent then said surprised me...he said that even without the split pnr, the system will sweep all eligible pax for CPU at T-12 and T-3.

So even if our names are not on the mobile app's UG list, we could still be upgraded (assuming status fare basis rules still apply). Does that sound plausible?

slippahs

Yes, that is how the system works. There are two lists, the CPU process and the airport waitlist. SHARES can only process one pax on a reservation on the airport waitlist, thus the need to split a reservation with two. The CPU process runs until 3 hours prior to departure. Therefore, if you have 2 on a reservation, and you do not care about the OLCI time tiebreaker that would apply for those at your elite level in the same fare class, it may behoove you to OLCI as late as possible before departure for the later CPU sweeps. This allows the CPU sweep to process you and your companion at the same elite level with the same priority.

alex_b

The choice you have is trading the potential clearance outbound for the ability of your companion to automatically clear on the return (and potential loss of E+ and baggage perks though this is easily fixable). Depending on the
relative value and whether you'll be able to babysit your reservation in Vegas you can decide whether to split or not.

As for the CPU at -12 and -3; I've not experienced a sweep in those windows, but others have and it seems to come from the hidden list rather than the airport list.

ger3sf

To be clear, both pax are 1K. Current status (now at T-8): no UG, 2 more pax cleared F from last night, F booked full, one unassigned F seat (per mobile app). Return segment on Sunday still reflects the CPU-eligible arrow.

I wonder who else gets on the hidden list other than the non-PNR splitters. And what's the point of a separate hidden list, if shares works off the airport (visible) waitlist to process the UGs.

alex_b

Oh sorry if you're both 1k then there is no reason not to split.

Waldofriend

Earlier this week two of us were on one pnr, me gold my companion silver. I checked and saw F1, so realized we probably had no chance of UG. So at OLCI (still F1 and already 8 out of 12 checked in), I decline the split and decline auto return check in. Flight was fine, FC packed and huge UG list - but we had exit so it was ok. Next day, I checked my res and the "Eligible for CPU" blue box which had been there had disappeared from our remaining flights - and the pnr had not been split. Called in, the customer service person couldn't figure it out, checked with their 'help desk' and said, check back at 48 hours prior to return to see if it reappeared and if it hadn't, call back again. I did, it didn't and so I called again. No one, including supervisor, could figure it out. I eventually decided to forget about it since those flights were looking very full in F too. It was just odd.

mirage47

We're back from beautiful Ambergris Caye. What I did was after receiving notice that we both cleared complimentary ug's to first on both legs ORD-IAH and then IAH-BZE I waited to check in at counter. I asked the agent to not auto check us in for the return. Looked up rez at T24 and see we were complimentary ug BZE to IAH but not on the waitlist IAH-ORD, hmm weird. Checked in at BZE and agent was able to get us on the list but by then almost all seats comped already. Had E+ Exit and middle open IAH to ORD so all was good.

Bonus time. Got to IAH and with Global Entry through customs under 10 minutes and line to re-enter was huge. Went outside and upstairs to departures and no one in line, 5 more minutes and sitting in the United Club. Life is sweet when you get the tricks from you all. Many thanks FT'ers^