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
#1141
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 285
If our PNR had been spit at or before check in on the outbound flight, how/why did my husband get upgraded with me (even seated together) on one of the return legs, but didn't even show on upgrade list for our connecting flight on the outbound? It seems he had my status on the return, but not the outbound?
#1142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,186
If our PNR had been split at or before check in on the outbound flight, how/why did my husband get upgraded with me (even seated together) on one of the return legs, but didn't even show on upgrade list for our connecting flight on the outbound? It seems he had my status on the return, but not the outbound?
#1144
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 312
I had to buy a two-way ticket (2 pax) as it was international and applied GPUs. The intercontinental legs cleared but the domestic ones haven't yet and I don't think it will on the outbound today.
I would prefer to keep the reservations together rather than splitting to ensure we're kept together in IRROPS (other pax is non-elite, I'm 1K). As such, when I check in I'll opt not to split and waitlist.
When I decide not to split on the outbound, will this affect the waitlist for the domestic leg on the return? That is, will it flag "do not upgrade" the whole reservation or just on the outbound leg when I check in first?
Thanks!
I would prefer to keep the reservations together rather than splitting to ensure we're kept together in IRROPS (other pax is non-elite, I'm 1K). As such, when I check in I'll opt not to split and waitlist.
When I decide not to split on the outbound, will this affect the waitlist for the domestic leg on the return? That is, will it flag "do not upgrade" the whole reservation or just on the outbound leg when I check in first?
Thanks!
#1145
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,080
I have only faced this issue a couple of times. I'm Silver. My wife rarely flies. I booked us on round trips. I wasn't expecting an upgrade. I could move both of us into E+ at T-24 on the outbound but could not move her on the return even though there were many E+ seats available.
Since, both times, she got E+ on the outbound, perhaps for future flights I should just book two one-ways??
Since, both times, she got E+ on the outbound, perhaps for future flights I should just book two one-ways??
#1146
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
I had to buy a two-way ticket (2 pax) as it was international and applied GPUs. The intercontinental legs cleared but the domestic ones haven't yet and I don't think it will on the outbound today.
I would prefer to keep the reservations together rather than splitting to ensure we're kept together in IRROPS (other pax is non-elite, I'm 1K). As such, when I check in I'll opt not to split and waitlist.
When I decide not to split on the outbound, will this affect the waitlist for the domestic leg on the return? That is, will it flag "do not upgrade" the whole reservation or just on the outbound leg when I check in first?
Thanks!
I would prefer to keep the reservations together rather than splitting to ensure we're kept together in IRROPS (other pax is non-elite, I'm 1K). As such, when I check in I'll opt not to split and waitlist.
When I decide not to split on the outbound, will this affect the waitlist for the domestic leg on the return? That is, will it flag "do not upgrade" the whole reservation or just on the outbound leg when I check in first?
Thanks!
You would need to call in and cancel the waitlist before checkin.
#1147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
My recent experience is that if you are waitlisted with an instrument, you will not be offered a choice - it will split automatically when you check in. (it won't split if all the flights you are checking in for have cleared).
You would need to call in and cancel the waitlist before checkin.
You would need to call in and cancel the waitlist before checkin.
If I were the OP, i'd let it split - in terms of IRROPs, the non-elite is now a J customer - not much "bad" could really happen since you're flying with that person anyways. At worst, an auto rebook on separate flights can easily be handled.
#1148
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
I was traveling with a friend on a joint reservation and had us both upgraded using my GPUs. The reservation was split (without me knowing) so when the IRROP happened I was protected in J for the next flight but she was not, and in fact ended up allocated a middle E- seat.
As I was first in line for the rebooking I was able to successfully negotiate her back into J (as someone from the flight decided not to the rescheduled flight) but we were not seated together.
#1149
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,324
I have only faced this issue a couple of times. I'm Silver. My wife rarely flies. I booked us on round trips. I wasn't expecting an upgrade. I could move both of us into E+ at T-24 on the outbound but could not move her on the return even though there were many E+ seats available.
Since, both times, she got E+ on the outbound, perhaps for future flights I should just book two one-ways??
Since, both times, she got E+ on the outbound, perhaps for future flights I should just book two one-ways??
My recent experience is that if you are waitlisted with an instrument, you will not be offered a choice - it will split automatically when you check in. (it won't split if all the flights you are checking in for have cleared).
You would need to call in and cancel the waitlist before checkin.
You would need to call in and cancel the waitlist before checkin.
#1150
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
I hate this
There were 5 of us on 3 different PNRs for flights home tomorrow (done so to maximize UG chances and make sure we had bags covered). I did auto-check in for the flight home, but nowhere did I agree to split PNRs at T-24. Lo and behold, we're now on 5 different PNRs (one of whom is a minor), and of course the new ones didn't show up in my account (had to log in under their MP numbers to find the info).
How do we stop this in the future? An incredibly annoying "feature" IMO.
How do we stop this in the future? An incredibly annoying "feature" IMO.
This is BEYOND ANNOYING.
United needs to make the default a "no split" and the check boxes should be "split". The default should not be a split because on the phone, once you hit "check in", you are automatically split, and there is no option on the phone to let you not do this.
This sucks so bad.
#1151
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,080
This is BEYOND ANNOYING.
United needs to make the default a "no split" and the check boxes should be "split". The default should not be a split because on the phone, once you hit "check in", you are automatically split, and there is no option on the phone to let you not do this.
United needs to make the default a "no split" and the check boxes should be "split". The default should not be a split because on the phone, once you hit "check in", you are automatically split, and there is no option on the phone to let you not do this.
I don't have time to be on hold for who knows how long to check in for a flight.
#1152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,359
This involuntary PNR-splitting logic continues to be the bane of my check-in experience. It's asinine that the prompt to split the reservation or refrain from joining the upgrade waitlist has been removed, and instead that the former choice is made automatically.
Touching wood that after some cleanup involving partner segments everything is going to work, but there are still some worrying signs. Hopefully no more to come, but possibly more to come.
Touching wood that after some cleanup involving partner segments everything is going to work, but there are still some worrying signs. Hopefully no more to come, but possibly more to come.
#1153
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 951
Thought this had been fixed, sadly I see it hasn't. Messed up my check in and split the reservations. The wiki does seem out of date though as it focuses on auto check in.
What's the damage here for my companion (non-elite) and I (elite) now that i've split our reservations? Upgrades?
What's the damage here for my companion (non-elite) and I (elite) now that i've split our reservations? Upgrades?
#1154
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,359
Thought this had been fixed, sadly I see it hasn't. Messed up my check in and split the reservations. The wiki does seem out of date though as it focuses on auto check in.
What's the damage here for my companion (non-elite) and I (elite) now that i've split our reservations? Upgrades?
What's the damage here for my companion (non-elite) and I (elite) now that i've split our reservations? Upgrades?
For whatever it's worth, it seems that the companion status is more reliably retained now, at least in some aspects. My companion retained BG1 throughout, although on a domestic flight with CPU our upgrade list positions were so far apart it seems dubious that the priority was correct.
#1155
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,299
From my perspective, the most immediate consequence of the auto-split is that one pax can get upgraded without the other.