Aug 13, 2013, 12:23 am
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
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
The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop
Dec 3, 2014, 5:01 pm
#901
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: PDX
Programs: United MP (Platinum), AS (75K), AA (GM)
Posts: 223
Ugh. Just fell into this [old] trap. Me and a companion's PNR split since we were both on the mostly hopeless waitlist for an UG using an RPU (We are both Silvers - a 1K with the RPU sponsored us). I did not get any kind of confirmation screen on the online checkin process. Now we are split for the remainder of the trip. What a bad practice 
Dec 9, 2014, 7:26 pm
#902
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AA EXP, HH Diamond, MR Gold, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,252
Actually from an upgrade perspective your status will transfer to him on the separate PNR and he'll get all companion benefits including upgrades, free bags, Premier Access, E+...and he will inherit your status on the upgrade list at the airport.
I have recent experience doing this multiple times with non-status companions when I had to change my travel plans but not theirs... they even retained my status on flights that I didn't fly with them on and got all the associated benefits.
You can even test this out.. look at his PNR.. does it have the message saying a CPU has been requested for him? Can you move him around in the E+ cabin without it requiring a fee?
I have recent experience doing this multiple times with non-status companions when I had to change my travel plans but not theirs... they even retained my status on flights that I didn't fly with them on and got all the associated benefits.
You can even test this out.. look at his PNR.. does it have the message saying a CPU has been requested for him? Can you move him around in the E+ cabin without it requiring a fee?
I wasn't thinking and split a PNR so that I could upgrade a return segment, one with miles and one an RPU. My companion has no status and the outbound segments no longer show CPU eligible. It also tries to charge me if I change him to another E+ seat.
FWIW as a data point, the itinerary includes two segments on US, and that PNR appears to have been split as well.
Dec 12, 2014, 10:43 am
#903
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YVR, COS, DEN
Programs: UA - Silver
Posts: 38
Just checked in for a flight this weekend from an Android Mobile device. I'm within T24 and I was never asked if I wanted to split the PNR. I removed the auto-checkin for the return trip (which is within T72), it still shows CPU eligible and I only have one PNR. I'm thinking it should show "CPU Requested" for the return instead, but so far, so good. More as the trip progresses.
Update: Within 3 minutes of checking in for the outbound, I checked the reservation on a PC and it now shows "CPU requested" for the return flight....still on one PNR with 2 people.
Update: Within 3 minutes of checking in for the outbound, I checked the reservation on a PC and it now shows "CPU requested" for the return flight....still on one PNR with 2 people.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 12, 2014 at 12:57 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Dec 14, 2014, 9:26 am
#904
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YVR, COS, DEN
Programs: UA - Silver
Posts: 38
The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop
Update: Return trip didn't clear until OLCI, but both PAX upgraded.
Dec 24, 2014, 2:27 pm
#905
formerly known as daveland
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NY, NY, USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Delta Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 2,969
Situation: No status in UA. Purchased a PTY bound ticket on COPA but after some changes the itin is now 100% UA. Since tix are in Y and B class I submitted for mileage upgrades (10k and 15k, no copay, so why not?) for us both. The flights are all full so waitlisted.
Now, just checked in for outbound and discovered this insane PNR split. Called and agent was telling me I split it and we had to go back and forth a bit until he explained what really happened.
Already frustrated I'm now stuck managing the reservation on two PNRs, my question is about whether or not we remain "stuck together" from a system perspective on the UG. I *absolutely* do not want to be upgraded if she is not.
The agent was emphatic that I cannot be upgraded without her despite the separate itins. Does the FT crowd agree? I got us the only seats together left on the plane so not looking to risk an upgrade/downgrade scenario.
Now, just checked in for outbound and discovered this insane PNR split. Called and agent was telling me I split it and we had to go back and forth a bit until he explained what really happened.
Already frustrated I'm now stuck managing the reservation on two PNRs, my question is about whether or not we remain "stuck together" from a system perspective on the UG. I *absolutely* do not want to be upgraded if she is not.
The agent was emphatic that I cannot be upgraded without her despite the separate itins. Does the FT crowd agree? I got us the only seats together left on the plane so not looking to risk an upgrade/downgrade scenario.
Dec 24, 2014, 4:02 pm
#906
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,769
that will be a potential issue
partially right, partially wrong.
You can be upgraded together in advance (being together might lower the odds a little but if 2 seats opened up, both can clear together) but at the gate it is one at a time.
You can be upgraded together in advance (being together might lower the odds a little but if 2 seats opened up, both can clear together) but at the gate it is one at a time.
Dec 24, 2014, 4:42 pm
#907
formerly known as daveland
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NY, NY, USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Delta Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 2,969
The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop
Hmm. Ok thanks. So would SOP be for me to leave it to see if it clears beforehand and otherwise show up at the gate and let the agent know to only clear us together or not at all?
Jun 7, 2015, 3:26 pm
#908
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Aotearoa New Zealand
Programs: United 1K, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Alaska, etc.
Posts: 56
United splitting reservations when only one passenger gets upgrade
I was traveling with my wife on a flight from Newark last week. I'd used RPUs for both of us, but thanks to a last-minute paid upgrade there was only one seat left in business, which they gave to me (hey, I offered it to her but she told me to keep it).
Today I went to check the next leg of our itinerary, leaving tomorrow, and found that I was now the only passenger on the original confirmation number. She now has her own confirmation number, which means she won't get the benefit of any complimentary upgrades until after we get to the airport and have her manually added to the upgrade list using my status.
Edited: I was told by customer service that United made a change to their system in April which effects this splitting, and since I hadn't experienced it before I thought it was something new. Now I see it's been part of the UA customer service experience for years.
Today I went to check the next leg of our itinerary, leaving tomorrow, and found that I was now the only passenger on the original confirmation number. She now has her own confirmation number, which means she won't get the benefit of any complimentary upgrades until after we get to the airport and have her manually added to the upgrade list using my status.
Edited: I was told by customer service that United made a change to their system in April which effects this splitting, and since I hadn't experienced it before I thought it was something new. Now I see it's been part of the UA customer service experience for years.
Last edited by Flying Kiwi; Jun 7, 2015 at 5:19 pm Reason: clarification that this really isn't anything new
Jun 7, 2015, 3:30 pm
#909
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,892
Are you saying that earlier in 2015, you had a single United record locator for two travelers where one traveler was confirmed in an upgrade fare class (like R) and the other traveler was confirmed in a coach fare class (like W)?
That's very interesting.
I would have been extremely interested to see the united.com view of that reservation.
That's very interesting.
I would have been extremely interested to see the united.com view of that reservation.
Jun 7, 2015, 5:06 pm
#910
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Aotearoa New Zealand
Programs: United 1K, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Alaska, etc.
Posts: 56
Hmmm. I know back in 2011 I was upgraded at the airport on one flight where she was not, and in that case I'm pretty sure the reservations weren't split - but looking back I see that that was on a Continental itinerary.
I thought there were some other cases in between, but I'm not sure.
Jun 7, 2015, 5:15 pm
#911
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Aotearoa New Zealand
Programs: United 1K, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Alaska, etc.
Posts: 56
And just to confirm others' experience, the remaining domestic flights show as CPU upgrade requested for me, not for her.
I really wish AA flew the routes I need. :-( I suppose I could always switch to a combination of QA for trips across the Pacific and AA in the U.S.
I really wish AA flew the routes I need. :-( I suppose I could always switch to a combination of QA for trips across the Pacific and AA in the U.S.
Jun 7, 2015, 9:30 pm
#913
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,418
This wasn't an auto-split and it had nothing to do with any new UA process. This was splitting the PNR to upgrade a single pax. 100% predictable and according to the rules.
Perhaps they should have made this consequence clear to you at the gate when it happened.
Jun 7, 2015, 10:45 pm
#914
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 565
The key is getting to 1MM, then gifting your status to your wife. Then they can split away and she won't lose any benefits. 
Jun 7, 2015, 11:11 pm
#915
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,769
While agreeing the single upgrade would have caused a PNR split on a dual passagner PNR, the PNR was probably split long before that. As the upgrade was at the gate but to have been on the gate list, the PNR had been (auto-)split at check-in.