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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 Jul 12, 2019, 7:31 pm
  #1351  
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Originally Posted by adams828
1K flying with my non-status SO tomorrow, IAD-YYZ. We have not cleared at T-24, and there is only 1 seat in first available, so there doesn't seem to be any reason to delay check-in. While we don't mind sitting separately in case the upgrade clears, are there any risks/considerations on the return if she doesn't have status? *G Fast Track or anything else like that, that may not be printed on her boarding pass?
the link is lost with all the downsides for the return portion. As far as UA things such as extra bag is concerned ... this ca be fixed ... issues such as premium security etc. in a huge YMMV situation and more often than not ... not resolvable.
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 6:14 am
  #1352  
glg
 
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My wife and daughter (both no status) are both waitlisted for biz on one PNR (the book X and waitlist I method) for a flight tomorrow. I'm already in biz on a separate PNR. I've seen 1 I seat open up twice now, but of course they don't clear because there hasn't been 2. I'm guessing I want them to split in this case? They would automatically split this afternoon at T-24?
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 7:12 am
  #1353  
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Originally Posted by glg
My wife and daughter (both no status) are both waitlisted for biz on one PNR (the book X and waitlist I method) for a flight tomorrow. I'm already in biz on a separate PNR. I've seen 1 I seat open up twice now, but of course they don't clear because there hasn't been 2. I'm guessing I want them to split in this case? They would automatically split this afternoon at T-24?
Assuming you are okay with only one of them clearing, then yes. They will automatically split when they check in, assuming the upgrade (waitlist) has not cleared.
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 8:31 am
  #1354  
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Originally Posted by glg
They would automatically split this afternoon at T-24?
No they will split when they check-in.
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Old Aug 1, 2019, 9:12 am
  #1355  
 
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As a related question, is there a way to get off the CPU list prior to the complimentary upgrade window? My wife has an itin that was split on the outbound, but she wants to sit with her nephews (who aren't eligible to upgrade) and there are a ton of F seats available.
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Old Aug 1, 2019, 9:40 am
  #1356  
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It should be possible to call and have the reservation flagged as not upgrade-eligible. May require HUCA.
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Old Sep 23, 2019, 5:26 pm
  #1357  
 
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Looking for some advice...

My partner and I are flying SFO <--> SYD for the first time in late December. We bought economy tickets in July and today we applied 4 GPUs (2x outbound, 2x return). I am United Silver, while she has no status (if you're wondering - the GPUs were a generous gift!).

Our top priority is sitting together, and secondarily, getting upgraded would really make this trip a treat for us!!

This is my first time using GPUs and so would really appreciate some advice:

1) Is there any way to know our current position on the upgrade list, this far in advance of check-in?

2) I understand we're hoping for "PZ" inventory. When does United add more PZ? Is it realistic to hope they would open 2+ PZ seats at a time?


3) Would it help for me to manually monitor for new PZ inventory on our flight? Or has the issue of eligible upgrades getting stuck been largely fixed?


4) Let's say it's T-24 and we're still not upgraded. Is our best strategy to delay check-in to the last possible minute (so our records stay together)? Or by not checking in, would we be excluded from the upgrade possibilities opening up in that final 24 hour window (perhaps controlled by gate agents)?


5) If we finally check in and our PNRs split, and then only 1 of us gets upgraded -- at that point could we "refuse" the upgrade so we could sit together? Or would we have to negotiate that situation ourselves with our fellow passengers?



Thank you all so much!

FWIW - here's what the availability on our outbound looks like at T-3 months..




Last edited by greattypo; Sep 23, 2019 at 5:51 pm Reason: formatting
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Old Sep 23, 2019, 5:50 pm
  #1358  
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Originally Posted by greattypo
1) Is there any way to know our current position on the upgrade list, this far in advance of check-in?
No; nor would it really help, because the list is prioritized by status, so someone with a higher status could buy a ticket tomorrow and leap ahead of both of you.

Originally Posted by greattypo
2) I understand we're hoping for "PZ" inventory. When does United add more PZ? Is it realistic to hope they would open 2+ PZ seats at a time?
United will add PZ inventory when they do not think that they can sell all of their available inventory. It's pretty much as simple as that -- if the sales drop below their expectations, they'll eventually release discount inventory, and, if you get lucky, eventually all the way down to PZ. (Note that if your generous friend has Global Services status, you're actually looking for PN, which will open before PZ will. 1K GPUs do come out of PZ, however). And, yes, they will sometimes open more than one PZ at a time. However, if they only open PZ1, it's possible that you will be bypassed by someone with only a single passenger.

Originally Posted by greattypo
3) Let's say it's T-24 and we're still not upgraded. Is our best strategy to delay check-in to the last possible minute (so our records stay together)? Or by not checking in, would we be excluded from the upgrade possibilities opening up in that final 24 hour window (perhaps controlled by gate agents)?
Yes, you should delay check-in as long as possible in order to keep your records together. The systems that clear upgrades automatically will still consider you, even though you're not checked in.

Originally Posted by greattypo
4) Say we're not upgraded T-24, we check in and our PNRs split, and then only 1 of us gets upgraded -- at that point could we "refuse" the upgrade so we could sit together? Or would we have to negotiate that situation ourselves with our fellow passengers?
Generally, yes, although if the flight is full, it can be a hassle and the gate agent may tell you to figure it out on the plane.

If you find yourself in that situation, the best time to handle it is in advance. Find the gate agent and say something like, "Hi, I'm <greattypo>, and we're #1 and #2 on the upgrade list. We'd prefer to stay together, so if only one seat is available, I'd rather just sit in economy." It's not foolproof -- another gate agent might process upgrades without asking the person that you talked to -- but it'll help.

As for the availability: seat maps can be misleading, because not everyone selects a seat during the booking process. Check the flight inventory in Expert Mode. The closer it gets to PZ, the better. (J9 C9 D0 is bad. J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 PN9 PZ0 is as good as it gets without PZ actually being open).
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Old Sep 23, 2019, 6:54 pm
  #1359  
 
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Wow

Jsloan - thank you so much for this advice! So clear and so helpful.

As for the availability... Check the flight inventory in Expert Mode. The closer it gets to PZ, the better. (J9 C9 D0 is bad. J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 PN9 PZ0 is as good as it gets without PZ actually being open)
Now Im getting excited...

J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z9 ZN9 P9 PN0 PZ0 outbound
J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z1 ZN1 P0 PN0 PZ0 return

By the way, would you recommend manually monitoring for new PZ inventory opening up? Or has the issue of eligible upgrades getting stuck largely been fixed?

Last edited by greattypo; Sep 23, 2019 at 7:10 pm
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Old Sep 23, 2019, 8:54 pm
  #1360  
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Originally Posted by greattypo
Jsloan - thank you so much for this advice! So clear and so helpful.
Happy to help.

Originally Posted by greattypo
Now Im getting excited...

J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z9 ZN9 P9 PN0 PZ0 outbound
J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z1 ZN1 P0 PN0 PZ0 return
Looks reasonably promising, especially on the outbound. If those happen to be mid-week, that'll help quite a bit. Holidays -- you said T-3 months earlier -- can be hit or miss for upgrades; on the one hand, business travel is down, but on the other hand, airlines seem to be doing a better job marketing those seats to (paid) leisure travelers than was once the case.

Originally Posted by greattypo
By the way, would you recommend manually monitoring for new PZ inventory opening up? Or has the issue of eligible upgrades getting stuck largely been fixed?
It doesn't seem to happen as regularly as it did before, but it certainly won't hurt to check from time-to-time.
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Old Nov 10, 2019, 11:12 am
  #1361  
 
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Im really annoyed about the companion treatment on split itineraries. I can manage it domestically by just buying one-ways, but on an INTL itinerary, that is prohibitively expensive.

My PNR split at check-in for the outbound even though we had both cleared several hours prior to check-in. Why? Who knows.

Now, on my return INTL leg, I am already cleared to J and my wife is buried on the list. Is that really the intent of the process? Give companions the same priority on outbound but treat them as non-status on the return? It seems they are letting IT drive the system rather than vice-versa. Or they just dont care, which given all the other recent enhancements and rumored enhancements, is probably more likely.
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Old Nov 10, 2019, 1:25 pm
  #1362  
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Originally Posted by HKBelonger
Im really annoyed about the companion treatment on split itineraries. I can manage it domestically by just buying one-ways, but on an INTL itinerary, that is prohibitively expensive.

My PNR split at check-in for the outbound even though we had both cleared several hours prior to check-in. Why? Who knows.

Now, on my return INTL leg, I am already cleared to J and my wife is buried on the list. Is that really the intent of the process? Give companions the same priority on outbound but treat them as non-status on the return? It seems they are letting IT drive the system rather than vice-versa. Or they just dont care, which given all the other recent enhancements and rumored enhancements, is probably more likely.
If your PNR split at check-in there must have been something still waitlisted; did you have a domestic connection?

And companions are supposed to retain priority, but like many things handled by UA's automated processes, it often fails. They definitely don't care much.
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Old Nov 10, 2019, 1:59 pm
  #1363  
 
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Yeah. So frustrating. That IAD-EWR segment we had no chance or care of clearing is now keeping her from clearing the TATL return. Stupid.
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Old Nov 10, 2019, 2:05 pm
  #1364  
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Originally Posted by HKBelonger
Yeah. So frustrating. That IAD-EWR segment we had no chance or care of clearing is now keeping her from clearing the TATL return. Stupid.
When you have a connection, if you don't want it to split, you need to call in and get an agent to manually remove all upgrade requests. It may be best to check in over the phone in those situations so that your desire is clear.

Stupid indeed.
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Old Nov 10, 2019, 2:19 pm
  #1365  
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There have been many recent reports of elite's status carrying over to the companion on the return after splitting on the outboard, is it clear the status did not carry over?
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