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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 Dec 22, 2016, 3:38 pm
  #1066  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 24 years/2MM, Honors LT Diamond, AVIS & Hertz Prez Club
Posts: 4,746
Originally Posted by Kmxu
One of the passengers is eligible for CPU (Chase CC holder), who is split out from the reservation.
Beware if the credit card holder's miles were not used for the ticket they are not CPU eligible. The CPU only applies when miles and cardholder are the same person.
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Old Dec 24, 2016, 7:30 pm
  #1067  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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This benefit does not apply to companions traveling on award tickets. If a reservation includes passengers other than the Cardmember, the Complimentary Premier Upgrade will not be processed. Premier members will be added to the upgrade standby list at check in on the day of travel.
Did the system ever ask you if the eligible pax want to be waitlisted? Since no +1 for award booking.


Originally Posted by Kmxu
I checked in an award ticket reservation with three passengers today. One of the passengers is eligible for CPU (Chase CC holder), who is split out from the reservation. This is a one-way ticket. I thought that only round-trip tickets got split for the return segments. Anyway, unrelatedly, the split-out passenger did not get TSA Pre, while a non-status passenger with the original reservation got TSA Pre. And so is his 1K companion on this reservation.
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Old Dec 24, 2016, 7:33 pm
  #1068  
 
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That's incorrect, I'm even eligible for upgrade on a 014 ticket X class.

Originally Posted by SFO 1K
Beware if the credit card holder's miles were not used for the ticket they are not CPU eligible. The CPU only applies when miles and cardholder are the same person.
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Old Dec 24, 2016, 10:39 pm
  #1069  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
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Originally Posted by Juventini
That's incorrect, I'm even eligible for upgrade on a 014 ticket X class.
Are you stating my comment is incorrect? If so please provide your source. Here's mine:

Premier members who are primary cardholders for certain Chase-issued MileagePlus credit cards are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades when traveling on award tickets on United-operated flights. The following credit cards qualify for this benefit:

United MileagePlus Explorer Card
United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card
United MileagePlus Club Card
United MileagePlus Club Business Card
United MileagePlus Presidential PlusSM Card
United MileagePlus Presidential Plus Business Card
Complimentary Premier Upgrades on award tickets will be prioritized as indicated in the "Upgrade Confirmation Priority" section above, and prioritized after the lowest paid fare class within each Premier level. This benefit does not apply to companions traveling on award tickets.
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Old Dec 24, 2016, 11:37 pm
  #1070  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Beware if the credit card holder's miles were not used for the ticket they are not CPU eligible. The CPU only applies when miles and cardholder are the same person.
From what you commented, you are suggesting if A is UA elite+chase UA cc holder, but A is travelling on award ticket which redeemed using B's miles, then A is not eligible for CPU. Is that what you actually mean?
(And let's set the +1 aside since +1 is not eligible in the case of CPU on award ticket).


Originally Posted by SFO 1K
Are you stating my comment is incorrect? If so please provide your source. Here's mine:

Premier members who are primary cardholders for certain Chase-issued MileagePlus credit cards are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades when traveling on award tickets on United-operated flights. The following credit cards qualify for this benefit:

United MileagePlus Explorer Card
United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card
United MileagePlus Club Card
United MileagePlus Club Business Card
United MileagePlus Presidential PlusSM Card
United MileagePlus Presidential Plus Business Card
Complimentary Premier Upgrades on award tickets will be prioritized as indicated in the "Upgrade Confirmation Priority" section above, and prioritized after the lowest paid fare class within each Premier level. This benefit does not apply to companions traveling on award tickets.
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Old Dec 25, 2016, 6:04 am
  #1071  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,882
Originally Posted by SFO 1K
Beware if the credit card holder's miles were not used for the ticket they are not CPU eligible. The CPU only applies when miles and cardholder are the same person.
For this trip, my miles were used. My wife was the primary holder of Chase Explorer card. She got the upgrades. Perhaps, the system was wacky before Christmas.

add: when checked in on App, it asked which pax I wanted to put on upgrade standby list.

Last edited by Kmxu; Dec 25, 2016 at 6:10 am
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 10:44 am
  #1072  
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So if I were to split my 3 person PNR to 1 (UA Gold) + 2 (no status) in hopes of a better UG chance is it still true that the +2 lose my elite benefits as listed in the Wiki?

We can't all go as single PNR's because my son is only 5yo, so it's either me alone or him w/ me.

"Why might splitting be bad?
If your companions are not elite, they will no longer qualify for the elite benefits they inherited from you. That means no free baggage, 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..."

Any recent confirmation of this would be of great help!
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 12:39 pm
  #1073  
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Originally Posted by Tony300S
So if I were to split my 3 person PNR to 1 (UA Gold) + 2 (no status) in hopes of a better UG chance is it still true that the +2 lose my elite benefits as listed in the Wiki?

We can't all go as single PNR's because my son is only 5yo, so it's either me alone or him w/ me.

Any recent confirmation of this would be of great help!
Nothing's changed. Split off the one person, and keep you and your son together. Gives you more of the benefits without needing agent intervention.

Remember to give everyone great seats (no middles) so in case two are upgraded the last has a good seat.

Something like: ABC DEF - then place flying partner in A, son in C and yourself in D.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 1:44 pm
  #1074  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Help with I hope is a simple ?

Certain times when I read the wiki's on FT I just go crazy and this is one of them. I figured I was fairly savvy about flying. I am one 1K and LT Gold for life with UA. But I didn't realize the issue with using auto check in.

Now my wife is my designated companion and flies at my current status, 1K. Then even print a 1K card for her. I assume if we use the auto check in function, which I previously always used, she still flies at 1K status even though her own level without companion would probably be Silver (has Chase Club card as well)?? I must admit there are numerous times that I get upgraded and she doesn't AND even the reverse. (Of course being the nice guy I am all always give her the F seat :-)
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 1:52 pm
  #1075  
 
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Like you I am MM Gold (which got upgraded to Plat for the second half of 2016). My wife is my designated companion. When she flies solo, she flies with my status, i.e. gets E+ on check in. In order to get upgrades when we fly together, we have to split PNRs, and then it's pretty random who gets them.
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Old Jan 3, 2017, 2:27 pm
  #1076  
 
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Thanks, that is pretty much my experience as well. When she flies solo she always gets my 1K perks although I would say she doesn't SEEM to get CPU's as frequently as I. I don't even attempt to ever try to figure out why that happens (class of ticket, hub, etc....)! We have learned to just shrug it off. CPU's even for me seems to be getting rare. I travel to Hawaii on biz a lot and UA no longer gives CPU to Hawaii on certain routes so many times my 1K status is meaningless (as far as CPU's). Of course I can and do use the occasional regionals and miles for upgrades.
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Old Jan 4, 2017, 8:53 am
  #1077  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
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Flying in a group of 10 people this weekend. Only 2 of us have 1K status, the rest are no status, and we wanted to maximize the benefit for the group. So we did this:

record locator #1: 8 people ... a 1K and 7 people with no-status
record locator #2: 2 people ... a 1K and 1 person with no status

The idea is that everyone would get luggage and econ plus seating. And 2 people (record locator #2) might have a chance for an upgrade. No one will check-in online, it will be at the airport. We did book these as RTs rather than OWs (I should have read this thread earlier)

- I was told that the 1K on record locator #1 will not be on an upgrade list because there are 7 people with no status on the same record. Is this correct? Or do I have to do anything to keep this record from being split (which would be very bad as 7 people would lose benefits)?

- We are about 68 hours before the flight and the people on record locator #2 are not upgraded yet. A reliable source with access to loads told me that economy is oversold by 3 and first has 4 seats (out of 16) available. We are thinking that once we are about 6 hours before the flight, the upgrade will not come through via reservations, so we might as well call and tell UA "no upgrade" on this reservation, just to be safe and keep it from auto-splitting. Then, at least we would have a fighting chance for upgrades in the 100-hour window on the return. Does this make sense?

- Finally, will all 8 of the non-status people on these reservations get access to Priority check-in and priority security (even if the 1K is not present at that moment)?

Thanks.
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Old Jan 4, 2017, 12:38 pm
  #1078  
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Originally Posted by aacharya
Nothing's changed. Split off the one person, and keep you and your son together. Gives you more of the benefits without needing agent intervention.

Remember to give everyone great seats (no middles) so in case two are upgraded the last has a good seat.

Something like: ABC DEF - then place flying partner in A, son in C and yourself in D.
Thanks! ^
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Old Jan 4, 2017, 12:56 pm
  #1079  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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- Nothing needs to be done, as long as you did not put RPUs GPUs MUAs on everybody.
- You will have chance to opt for no split-no upgrade during check-in(online or kiosk, see wiki above), if I were you don't even bother with agent while check-in and tag bags, use kiosk or self tag if all possible.
- Should be ok

Originally Posted by BangkokTraveler
Flying in a group of 10 people this weekend. Only 2 of us have 1K status, the rest are no status, and we wanted to maximize the benefit for the group. So we did this:

record locator #1: 8 people ... a 1K and 7 people with no-status
record locator #2: 2 people ... a 1K and 1 person with no status

The idea is that everyone would get luggage and econ plus seating. And 2 people (record locator #2) might have a chance for an upgrade. No one will check-in online, it will be at the airport. We did book these as RTs rather than OWs (I should have read this thread earlier)

- I was told that the 1K on record locator #1 will not be on an upgrade list because there are 7 people with no status on the same record. Is this correct? Or do I have to do anything to keep this record from being split (which would be very bad as 7 people would lose benefits)?

- We are about 68 hours before the flight and the people on record locator #2 are not upgraded yet. A reliable source with access to loads told me that economy is oversold by 3 and first has 4 seats (out of 16) available. We are thinking that once we are about 6 hours before the flight, the upgrade will not come through via reservations, so we might as well call and tell UA "no upgrade" on this reservation, just to be safe and keep it from auto-splitting. Then, at least we would have a fighting chance for upgrades in the 100-hour window on the return. Does this make sense?

- Finally, will all 8 of the non-status people on these reservations get access to Priority check-in and priority security (even if the 1K is not present at that moment)?

Thanks.
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Old Jan 5, 2017, 3:39 pm
  #1080  
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Originally Posted by BangkokTraveler
- I was told that the 1K on record locator #1 will not be on an upgrade list because there are 7 people with no status on the same record. Is this correct? Or do I have to do anything to keep this record from being split (which would be very bad as 7 people would lose benefits)?
I recently had a Plat+3 and checked-in using the UA app. I was not asked about upgrades for either outbound or return. Record was not auto-split nor did I get added to the waitlist. Ironically one of the few flights where I had a shot at CPU but not too dismayed as there was a distinct possibility of irregular ops.

Last edited by Boraxo; Jan 6, 2017 at 7:39 pm
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