RockinRon

My concern is that with 4 minors if we are split and there are IRROPS we go back to the original K class fares and they place us on different flights. 6 PNRs with the same name might be treated differently than 1 PNR with 6 names that are inheriting 1K status. Just trying to avoid becoming a horror story.

If I am over-thinking this, feel free to let me know. I'd rather be in C than E+ for 15+ hours.

Boraxo

Last week I accidentally split a rez with my 7-year old using the app for checkin. Lo and behold we went to #3 and #4 on the upgrade waitlist (but never cleared ). However she went to boarding group #3 (I remained in #2) which is contrary to Flying Machine's experience.

On the outbound flight we did not split the rez and as a result never appeared on the waitlist.

So I learned 3 things here:

(1) If you don't want reservation split, be careful to uncheck the upgrade box using app.

(2) If you want any chance for an upgrade, you must split the reservation.

(3) Upgrade list placement appeared to follow the highest status as there were several people on the list behind my kid ...

Vulcan

Also accidentally split a reservation last weekend when flying with my 8 year old grandson (EWR-TPA). As I checked in at 24 hours, I was #1 (MM Gold) and he (no status) was #2. Oddly, several hours later, someone else went to #2 and my grandson to #3. This continued until about 3 hours before flight time when someone else became #1 and we stayed at #2 and #4. #1 eventually got the battlefield upgrade.
Note that I didn't not want to be separated from him and called UA at about t-10 hours and had them 'takes us off the upgrade list'. Was told this was done, but we never disappeared from the list on the app and website.

channa

OK, file this one under bizarre ticket splitting issues...

AA ticket, 2 pax PNR, outbound had an IRROP, rebooked on UA. AA gave the UA record, ticket reissued, UA kiosk offered split to get on upgrade list (both customers are UA Plat). No problems.

Return of that same ticket, flew AA one leg that was delayed and misconnected, rebooked to UA for the last leg. UA verified they saw the reservation, AA reissued the ticket, got the UA PNR. Could not check in with UA, app said no ticket.

Called UA, they said there is no ticket, fed them the ticket number, three different agents said it was used on SFO-IAH (which was not the case, this is a new ticket number). Finally a good UA agent pulled up the ticket number and saw it was associated with the original split PNRs.

Since AA was never split, when they requested 2 seats, they had to use a new PNR since the original PNR was already split due to the upgrade issue above. UA agents at both club and CS said they see that but could not associate the good ticket to the good PNR. Essentially we had a good ticket and a good reservation, but the ticket wasn't attached.

In the meantime, after UA confirmed the space to AA hours ago, the flight filled up, and the GA threatened denied boarding to the flight being full. AA, OTOH, had confirmation from who at UA they spoke with approving the rebook.

Finally got a supervisor to rebuild the space on the original split PNRs where the tickets were attached, and we were good to go, and checked in on the phone 9 minutes before checkin cutoff. But this was not without a good hour running around the airport and calling UA and AA several times while UA pointed fingers.

But ultimately it was due to the PNR being split outbound, otherwise it would have kept the same UA PNR and just attached the tickets just fine (like they did on the outbound).

transportprof

So the moral of this tale is no splitting on rebooked tickets from other airlines. Did you get the upgrades, Channa?

channa

I guess the moral is not to split if there are further segments on the original carrier that may need to get rebooked.

Or, better yet, just book OAL itins as each person on the PNR in case you ever get sent to UA which has issues with multi-pax PNRs.

As for the upgrades, not on the outbound, but yes on the return.

swiftaw

Just checked my wife and I in for our upcoming trip. It's the first time flying together where we both have elite status. Of course, it asked me if I wanted to add us to the upgrade list (which of course requires a PNR split), to which I responded yes.

So, now, as expected, we have separate PNRs. What's interesting (or perhaps not) is that I while I can no longer see my wife's reservation when I log into my account, when she logs into her account she can see both her reservation and my reservation (listed separately since they are now under separate PNRs).

goalie

Did your wife's reservation keep the original pnr with your "split" getting the new pnr? If yes, I'm gonna guess that's why both reservations are listed/showing under her account.

You can, if you want, add her reservation to your account, and I'm not sure of the exact wording to look for, but you log into your account, manually enter your wife's pnr & last name and click to add the reservation to your account and it will then show in your account's list of reservations

swiftaw

No, mine kept the original PNR and hers got a new one.

Aussienarelle

You are not overthinking this issue. Had a dreadful experience in December where I was traveling with my best friend and we were on the same reservation with upgrades SAN-SFO-FRA with a non-stop connection FRA-CAI. We arrived at SAN to be told our flight would not make the connecting flight so they put us on the earlier SAN-SFO flight but we were in E+. Said this was fine as it was the next upgrade that was important. (At no time was I asked if I wanted to the reservation to be split for the potential upgrade SAN-SFO and would have confirmed it was not important).

SFO-FRA flight was cancelled. I called up the 1K desk to find out our reservation had been split and that although I was protected for the flight she was now in E-. They worked some magic and got her back into R, but when SAN split the reservation they removed us from our return CAI-FRA flight and the flight was full. Took over three hours to sort out that mess. The highlight was for the flight back I was refused boarding CAI-FRA as there has been too many reservations and cancellations in my name! I nearly missed the flight as it had become a security issue, and sitting in CAI as a "security risk" is not my idea of a good time. My friend was fine as she was still under the original reservation number.

I wish UA would ask if you want the reservation split as generally my answer would be no when travelling with someone else. They may think they are doing you a favor splitting the reservation but my December 2015 experience means I will never agree to splitting a reservation again.

You are right to be concerned, especially travelling with children. Do no split the reservation!

WineCountryUA

Using "Find a Flight Reservation" just enter the PNR and last name and it will become visible.

On the App you can have it added to your reservation list.

NgatesSEA

(Apologies if this is already covered, I used to lurk in this thread and read up a bit this AM but could not read this whole thread before posting.)

Traveling DEN-ORD tomorrow morning with wife (no status). I am UA Gold.

I decided to try something new and split our reservations during check-in (I thought there was a tiny chance for a CPU - hah!). Now, we have 2 separate reservations: the Premier Access and Pre-Check still show on her boarding pass (and mine) and if I try to do a SDC online with her (now solo) reservation, it shows up as $0 to change and a note that she is on the CPU list. This all occurred "correctly" both online and in the app.

I've certainly had rough experiences with auto-splitting and inadvertent agent splitting, esp. when traveling internationally and on non-UA metal where I want to have my wife show on a *G reservation ... But what happened to me today seems ideal - we are split but she continues with all my premier benefits (albeit a bit further down the CPU list than me).

Is the loss of "both or none" CPU upgrading the only real cost these days of splitting or did I just get lucky here?

Also, did I miss it or is the option to split reservations when viewing on ua.com gone now? Must I call in if I want to split a reservation prior to checking in?

Thanks.

curmudgeon6275

Agreed, Auto-check in handy in some situations, but not in a case like this. Sorry this happened...hope all goes well

DCEsquire

So my wife just got my 1k status b/c I am 1mm. We are flying ORD-DCA and we didnt' select auto-checkin. I did it manually.

She's 1 on upgrade list.
I'm 2.

Only one seat left and she got it.

I keep trying to understand this when it happens but always scratching my head.

Any reason why she got listed higher on the upgrade list? I booked the tickets together mine and then she's number 2 on the booking. Her Name is higher up in the alphabet (both first and last). She also has a FF number that's higher up the alphabet. Know that shouldn't matter but I'm just wondering....

This happens EVERY time we book and are put on the upgrade list.

aacharya

Is her ticket number one lower than yours always?

Assumption is that you are:

Equal in status, fare class, check-in time.

The next tie-breaker might just be ticket number or last name.