If you get upgraded and the PNR gets split, yes there is a substantial chance they will lose free checked bags. I’ve heard there are some airport agents that will still help you out, but it’s in no way a guarantee or required of them to do so. Beyond just that, once PNR is split it’s split. So say you get upgraded on the way out, then on the way back there’s irops. Could get you into real trouble. After my own recent PNR split debacle upgrading my family but not myself (no good deed goes unpunished), I vowed I will NEVER do that again. Not worth it. Enjoy being with your family on the flight.

Not sure what your issue was, Irrops should be no problem but will require require the help of an agent. Same on bags, it requires the agent to look up the record history. Many have reported most past split PNR issues on return flights are gone.

*** Prior Issue ***
Looked up your earlier posts and most issues were addressed, to repeat1) The OLCI issue for minors is a problem
2) Yes, you get free E+ on separate PNRs but requires a call
3) Yes, you get the bag allowance but you need to specifically ask the agent to check the PNR history
4) Children 12 and under can accompany their parent thru PreCheck without have the precheck sysmbol. The over 12 childern, surprized they get that on a common PNR, TSA has gotten stricter about companions needing their own PreCheck (except for 12 and under)
5) High boarding group groups can board with those having lower boarding groups

So splitting PNR requires a bit more manual effort but most issues addressable with a little knowledge (the purpose of this thread).

But if you're not looking for it, how do you know when it was split? I'm annoyed that somebody, not me, split the PNR my son and I are on, and due to irrops, I now have to deal with two different PNRs, one of which may or may not have the same status that I have (I'm Plat, he's non-elite). I don't know why it split, unless it was because one seat in Biz had opened up and the only way to put one of us in Biz and the other in PE would have required splitting? Which in the end wasn't needed, *if* that was the case, since I passed on the Biz ugrade and stayed in PE with him.

I'm going through a lot of nonsense trying to fix what UA broke by delaying my flight an hour, missing my MUC-LYS connection. Hoping to get the destination changed to MRS so I can still get to where I need to go in time, but UA is saying they can't do that, talk with LH. And now I just looked and discovered the two different PNRs. I have a different thread for the destination change request. Thanks-

To have different cabins / fare classes -- including upgrading only one requires splitting the PNR.

I am on a United reservation with myself (Plat), mother (gold), dad (silver), and four other family members w/o status (general members). We are all seated in economy plus. We are headed to/from Europe connecting both ways in the US on an all-United metal itinerary.

The first flight is coming up and is J9 and 10 seats showing unreserved in first. Would love to hear any advice and recommendations on how to split the PNR (never done before). Can I call United and split before into two groups: myself and one general member passenger, and then my mother, father, and three remaining general member passengers? It sounds like if before T24, the auto upgrades would skip my big group in preference for reservations of two or less? The additional complication is that the second group has a gold and silver together - what does that do for upgrades?

The return domestic leg is currently J6 with six unassigned seats (weeks out) but it'll just end up working however we figure out the PNRs above.

Thanks!

No longer on the website but in the thread's wiki concerning CPU
Is anyone showing CPU eligibility now?

Nobody, including myself, is showing CPU eligibility.

What would it do if I did me (plat), my dad (silver) and a general member in one reservation?

Again from the wiki

Thanks forgot I read that!

I split into two PNRs/reservations and my reservation does not show CPU eligibility for any of the all-US domestic legs. Should it automatically show up? We decided not to split the other group up.

Me (plat) and one general member
Mom (gold), dad (silver), and three general members

Sometimes icon doesn't show until you reload the reservation. I assume you did that at least once already, though.

If still not showing, changing seats might get it to come back.

Otherwise, my best guess for what to try is call and ask if agent can remove and re-add MP#.

edit: afterthought, if you have pluspoints, might try applying them and then removing them (assuming PZ0).

You and GM should be CPU eligible
The other PNR will not be CPU eligible because you don't have enough elites to support three GMs. You would need to split off one GM, or split again with gold+gm and silver+gm and then a lone GM. On the other hand, as a gold a CPU is highly unlikely to clear, and even less likely a silver so it may not be worth the complications this creates for reservation management.

Moving seats did not work. Never done PlusPoints upgrade than cancel. No availability on any of my flights.

Yes, exactly why I didn't bother breaking up that second group. Gold is unlikely to clear and my mother didn't really care about getting upgrade vs complicating.

PlusPoints waitlist then cancel didn't work either. I shall wee what happens soon and report back.

Updated: it shows me and my GM family member on the waitlist even though my reservation page didn't show the CPU-eligible. I think it looks good to get upgraded. Cross fingers.

Thinking about splitting PNR with 3 people into 2+1, since my wife and I (Silver and Gold respectively), have a better chance of upgrading via a MUA on the outbound flight rather than the 3 of us (3rd person has no status). I have already applied a MUA to the inbound for all 3 of us on the current PNR and we're on the waitlist. Miles and $s came from my accounts. Outbound: IAH-ORD-FRA-Schengen. Inbound: Schengen-MUC-IAH. Inter Schengen flights are on LH.
Questions:
If I split the PNR on the outbound and apply a MUA for IAH-ORD-FRA, will the inbound upgrade request still be there for the 3 of us? I think the 3rd person will be further down on the waitlist after the split due to no status and it being separate from my Gold status?
If the inbound upgrades do not clear will I still get a refund of the miles and $s back to my account, more specifically for the 3rd person now on a separate PNR?
This is more of a curiosity rather than something I'll do, can I still buy up to First on the IAH-ORD segment even though I applied a MUA? Will the buy-up be visible?
Also, will this affect the LH PNR, will it be split as well? Fare class changes, complications? Have not changed anything on the LH flights yet.