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
Jul 2, 2017, 10:36 am
#1126
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
It's not clear what the fact set is. Specifically, which flights you were already upgraded on. If you were upgraded for the outbound flights at T-72, the PNR would not be split at check-in. You would presumably have the option of splitting at check-in for the return.
Jul 2, 2017, 10:44 am
#1127
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: PHL, EWR
Programs: UA Gold; AA; Amtrak Select Plus;HH Diamond;Hyatt Disc;Hertz PC; Total Wine Grand Reserve!
Posts: 2,401
Oh I see, I guess this was a first for us (having both segments upgraded at T-72). Outbound, PHL-ORD-LAX were upgraded. On the return, LAX-IAH has been upgraded and we are waitlisted for IAH-PHL.
Jul 2, 2017, 12:14 pm
#1128
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
If you haven't cleared IAH-PHL prior to check-in for the return, you will be given the option to split if you want to retain the possibility of upgrading at the gate.
Jul 2, 2017, 1:27 pm
#1129
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
yes, you'll get the option to split on return if not cleared by then. There's no point in system splitting now since you are already upgraded on both outbound segments.
Jul 15, 2017, 3:52 pm
#1130
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Takoma Park, MD
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, UA Premier Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 515
UA reservation split at check in
I am a premier platinum member booked on a flight to India tomorrow with my family. I had requested an MUA for all of us and we are still waitlisted. Today when I checked in for the flight, the reservation was split into 4 without asking me. When I called the premier desk I was told the 4 records cannot be recombined. Any idea why this happened? Will they get the benefit of my platinum status on the upgrade standby list?
Jul 15, 2017, 3:57 pm
#1131
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
It auto-splits the PNR at check-in (without asking) if you have an instrument applied. The system can only upgrade single pax PNRs at the gate, so this is the only way for everyone to get on the gate list.
Yes. Likely last among any Plats who are waitlisted.
Yes. Likely last among any Plats who are waitlisted.
Jul 15, 2017, 3:58 pm
#1132
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, UA Gold, Marriott LTT, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,539
There is a long thread about this dating back to 2012
The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop
The wiki may have your answers.
The stupid PNR auto-splitting at T-24 needs to stop
The wiki may have your answers.
Jul 15, 2017, 4:13 pm
#1133
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,134
Jul 15, 2017, 4:52 pm
#1134
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, VS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 838
Jul 15, 2017, 4:59 pm
#1135
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,134
Jul 15, 2017, 5:56 pm
#1136
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
As already noted, it will ask you at check-in if no instrument is applied.
That was something else then. Not an auto-split.
That was something else then. Not an auto-split.
Jul 15, 2017, 9:33 pm
#1137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
the only time since the merger I've ever not been asked at check in is a) if I'm traveling by myself and therefore no split necessary to go on the list, or b) if our party has already been upgraded (or, similar to above, c) where I've applied for a mileage upgrade and so like an instrument, system splits automatically at check in without asking). I've also never been split in advance of checkin automatically without me specifically splitting the PNR myself.
Jul 17, 2017, 6:34 pm
#1138
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Takoma Park, MD
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, UA Premier Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 515
I am pretty sure that the check in agent screwed up, but his lead also confirmed. After our records were auto split at check in due to MUAs, my premier platinum checked bag benefit did not transfer to my family who were originally on my reservation.
Jul 31, 2017, 2:20 pm
#1139
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 286
My husband and I are on a BUR-SEA flight-BUR (via SFO; I'm Platinum, hubby no status). This was an emergency rebooking from an LAX-SEA-LAX route. We'd been upgraded on the LAX/SEA trip both ways. When we rebooked, we had upgrades on the first leg (BUR-SFO), but not the longer leg. We didn't check in til we got to Burbank, and I specifically asked the counter agent not to split our PNRs. But when we got to SFO, I'd been upgraded on the next leg and my husband hadn't. Our records had been split.(I got the last seat)
We got upgraded on the return sometime yesterday (flying today). But before we checked in, the system had split our records. We didn't use automatic check in; we checked in at the airport. The gate agent told me this happened "because of my status."
What happened doesn't sound like it conforms to what the WIKI says. How would I have prevented the splitting of our records?
Also, we are flying internationally in a week, United to LHR and then on via South African Airways. I'm hoping for a mileage +$ upgrade on the LAX-LHR leg (we already have that confirmed for the return). On other advice on FT, we will delay check in as long as possible. But whatever happens --will that affect our PNR on SAA at all?
We got upgraded on the return sometime yesterday (flying today). But before we checked in, the system had split our records. We didn't use automatic check in; we checked in at the airport. The gate agent told me this happened "because of my status."
What happened doesn't sound like it conforms to what the WIKI says. How would I have prevented the splitting of our records?
Also, we are flying internationally in a week, United to LHR and then on via South African Airways. I'm hoping for a mileage +$ upgrade on the LAX-LHR leg (we already have that confirmed for the return). On other advice on FT, we will delay check in as long as possible. But whatever happens --will that affect our PNR on SAA at all?
Jul 31, 2017, 2:27 pm
#1140
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
We got upgraded on the return sometime yesterday (flying today). But before we checked in, the system had split our records. We didn't use automatic check in; we checked in at the airport. The gate agent told me this happened "because of my status."
What happened doesn't sound like it conforms to what the WIKI says. How would I have prevented the splitting of our records?
What happened doesn't sound like it conforms to what the WIKI says. How would I have prevented the splitting of our records?
It sounds like maybe you changed your reservation on the day of travel? It's possible that the phone agent checked you in, splitting the records in the process, thinking she was doing you a favor.