GPU Clear
 

I am a new 1K. Just wondering on a IAD to Rome flight on which I requested upgrade with GPU. Agent confirmed only 3 seats sold as of now.

My fare Class is Q. Can I expect an early upgrade or does seats sold and class bought not really effect when you might get the upgrade.

Sorry if it doesn't make any sense but I am new to this. Flight is May 15.

It's really impossible to predict. At this point, it's not so much seats sold, but how many seats IM thinks will be sold. With a Q fare you should have a decent chance - ahead of all the Ws - but many of us have watched empty J cabins fill completely while our upgrades die on the waitlist. That's why you'll often read that the only sure way to upgrade with a GPU is to search for R and confirm at booking. Anything else, and you're just buying a ticket in the GPU lottery.

I was afraid of that . Unfortunately R availability is pretty scarce going to Europe in May yet quite available in June coming to the USA. Go Figure? I can see it is going to be a struggle to get use out of all my GPU's now that UA has withdrawn from BKK.

I was hoping to get at least 2 used for this trip to Europe which is a rare trip for me and Domestic flights with UA since my home is Atlanta will not likely be of any interest to me.

Specific GPU and RPU usage questions thread
 

Do GS GPU clear any time? Or only when R space is available?

As of this past September, GS GPU-supported upgrades clear into PN, which generally has far more availability than R/RN.

http://blog.wandr.me/2013/09/united-...obal-services/

If a GPU is applied but the PS portion doesn't clear...
 

Hi all,

I did some FT digging, but am still a little unclear about this issue. Anyway, I applied two GPUs on my PSP-LAX-JFK (the second leg being in PS), which is currently waitlisted, although the PSP-LAX component cleared immediately. Does UA consider PS BusinessFirst for the purposes of a GPU redeposit if the LAX-JFK segments don't clear, according to ua.com:

"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."

I certainly wouldn't want to waste two good GPUs on just the first leg. So, do I pull the GPUs or will I get them back of the PS leg doesn't clear?

Thanks for your input!

That generally applies to over-water legs. Too much of a gamble for me IMO to hope you can get them returned domestically.

ps is not yet sold as a BF route. So if I were you I would call and have the GPUs applied only to the transcon segments. You can then apply them to the PSP-LAX segments if/when the transcon clears.

I am trying to find out the meaning of the various references to cabin and inventory availability (e.g. such notes as "Z", "R9", etc.) that I find in these threads, and their significance when it comes to RPU and booking when you hope to use and RPU or GPU. How do you know what fare class is being offered, or if there are more than one, how you select the one that is likely to get an RPU upgrade, etc. I have had bad luck with RPU and find that when I do get it (I am a 1K) is is often on a flight that is far from full, and where even Golds have been upgraded, so I would have been upgraded without the RPU, but they took it away from me anyway, a waste of a "perk" that I am not sure is worth much in any event.

You need to go to your search preferences and enable Expert Mode (this blog shows you how: http://boardingarea.com/onemileatati...s-expert-mode/)
And then you can see that Fare Class will change color when you are searching for flights and you can hover over for inventory. To put it short if you are looking to purchase Economy and use a GPU for BusinessFirst you have to purchase the Economy ticket in W fare or higher and want to look for R space being high for the chance of near instant upgrade once you apply the GPU.

Other people here or blogs can explain it better.

additionally suggest referencing http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...uckets-ua.html

After several years of enjoying C and F due to his overly-generous employer, my husband recently switched companies and finds himself in Y for all flights and so for the first time he has applied a GPU to upgrade from Y to C after having previously only using GPU's on LH C to F (good times :D).

So, on a flight SFO-LHR I called up UA and he was confirmed in BF on the outbound leg and waitlisted on the way back. However, the agent charged him $110.50 (she said it was roundtrip but it is pending twice on his CC). She claims it is an LHR airport tax charged because he is travelling in C. Does this sound correct?

Thanks for your assistance.

That is correct. When you upgrade going to/from LHR you pay the LHR tax for C even if wait listed. You get it back if don't clear.

Thank you so much for your post. It's a sad world we live in when I take your word over the UA agent's. :)

And of course as with all things United, you may have to call if it does not clear - like the RPU I sponsored for a friend :rolleyes:

Then again, many of us are more knowledgeable, especially the Manila agents ;)