Consolidated: GPU segment questions
 

I am scheduled to fly ORD-IAD-MUC in the next couple days. Despite being a 1K on the waitlist for 2 months it seems very likely that I will get stuck in E+ for the IAD-MUC segment. Thing is that when I booked of course ORD-IAD confirmed immediately. So, as I was used to from the days of PMUA I called to undo the upgrade ORD-IAD so I did not lose a GPU over this. A very friendly agent who incidentally was from PMUA (not PMCO) told me that there is a new policy that if the longer segment does not clear, even if the short segment did clear, they will return my GPU even if I keep the upgrade ORD-IAD. Has anyone else heard of this policy? Should I believe this agent? I hate "new united" garbage like this. Thanks in advance.

Yes, this is correct - although it never hurts to call them and confirm.

What do you mean by "new united" garbage? Would you prefer that they kept your GPU? I'm really happy about the new policy and it is documented on the new website at this link. The confusing part is that it specifically mentions that the upgrade is returned if the United BusinessFirst or United Global First segment doesn't clear. It doesn't explicitly mention the it will be returned if the United Business segment (3 class of service plane) doesn't clear. This is from the PMCO which didn't have International Business. Maybe they forgot to include it when they wrote up that page. I do remember reading a post in this forum that someone had gotten theirs back when they didn't clear Y->C. You may have to call to get it back. I'm still missing one from when Y->BF didn't clear.

Update on 4/24: Sometime in the last 24 hours, my missing GPU was returned. It took 3.5 weeks for it to happen on its own but at least I didn't have to call anyone.

GPU confusion / one segment not allowed?
 

I booked FRA-ORD-SFO-KOA in W. R-availability is given on all flights; stopover times are <3h.

When I applied for the GPU all three segments were shown as eligible and I was able to choose C/F seats for each flight.
Now I checked my booking again and the upgrade on SFO-KOA is gone (availability is still R3); it's also not waitlisted.

I called the German-polish hotline and they told me that I either have to use miles or another RPU/GPU without further explanations.

Did I miss something here? I always thought a GPU covers all flights in one direction, as long there's no stopover longer than 12 hours? Is the routing maybe "too long"? Or is it just another glitch?

Hang up and call again, one instrument should over it assuming no true stopovers in the flights

I agree with the above, call until you get the right answer. You should only need 1 instrument as long as you're taking the next available flight after arriving at a waypoint. Ask to be escalated to a supervisor.

Problem solved. Called again, got the same agent and she told me the same again - either CPU or I have to pull another instrument.
Hung up, called again 2 hours later, different agent, put me on hold for 20 minutes, but she solved it - all legs are upgraded now.
She told me that this happens "occasionally" with longer routings.

Btw, except for the first agent ^ for the German-polish (old UA hotline) so far. Despite a strong accent, they have been always very helpful and since the merger they're a good&quick alternative to the 1k-line - nearly no waiting times.

New GPU return policy when intl leg does not clear?
 

Heading to ZRH next week and F & C are solidly sold, so UG chances look terrible out of EWR. MY GPU had already UG'd SAN/EWR, so I asked agent about swapping my GPU for a RPU since I have a ton. He told me not to worry about it because if the EWR/ZRH leg did not clear I would automatically get the GPU returned and my SAN/EWR would be treated as a CPU. (Now that's a chg I would like if it was for real);)

I seriously questioned him on this and he said this is now the policy for a GPU applied to routing including intl leg. IF the long intl leg did not clear, then the GPU would auto-refund. The only exception he said was if the intl routing was not a BF-route, e.g. some of the routes to S. Am. are flying what amounts to domestic F equipment.

He sounded like he really knew what we was talking about. Anyone else hear of this "new" policy??

It's actually the policy, yes - one of the few true enhancements

Bloody hell! A change I like!

I should have signed up for FT years ago. The things we learn here.

Is the same policy also in place for RPU?

Nope overwater segs only, thus GPUs

Quoted from the link wtigerFF provided above:
In most cases, the Global Premier Upgrade will be considered used if any segment of an itinerary is upgraded or flown. However, for travel which includes segments in United BusinessFirst or United Global First, the Global Premier Upgrade will be re-deposited if the United BusinessFirst or United Global First segment(s) could not be upgraded.

There is no similar verbiage on the RPU page. I think the protection was put in place for people expecting a product better than dom F. If you get dom F using RPU for 1 leg, you've 'bout gotten the value of it, assuming it wasn't a 75 mi RJ ride.

Tks to wtigerFF & UA-NYC for the affirmation, and to the mod for getting this into the right thread. There's so much kerfuffle on the TODs and UGs in general that this improvement was missed by me....

I am in the call with 1K desk for my upcoming GRU-IAD-SFO flight. The GRU-IAD segment is seriously oversold, and my chance of upgrade is really small. But my IAD-SFO upgrade is already cleared a while ago.

So I called to ask them to change IAD-SFO upgrade using RPU because I didn't want to waste the GPU if the international segemnt can't be cleared. But the agent told me that there is a enhancement that if the international upgreade is not cleared, then the system will automatically change GPU to RPU. I am pleasently surprised and asked her to confirm, and now she is checking with the supervisor.

Did anyone hear about this change before?

Update: the supervisor confirmed this, and the agent told me that in case the system does not automatically do it because there are some problems with the new system :) I can ask the GA in IAD to do it or call 1k desk to do it if the GRU-IAD is not cleared.

A great improvement. Never need to warry wasting GPU again.

I think it might be better than that:

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...wupgrades.aspx

In most cases, the Global Premier Upgrade will be considered used if any segment of an itinerary is upgraded or flown. However, for travel which includes segments in United BusinessFirst or United Global First, the Global Premier Upgrade will be re-deposited if the United BusinessFirst or United Global First segment(s) could not be upgraded.