I've only changed a flight once and it was IAD-LGA instead of DCA-EWR and it cost me nothing.
Maybe I was confusing same day changes and award changes…those are $0, no?

SDC is free if same fare bucket's available. Award changes are free for Plats and higher.

Hi all

Sorry to repost, but I didn't get an answer last time. I'm about to book SYD-JFK-SYD via SFO or LAX in July/August; I'm on paid J ticket through work but looking to get my partner upgraded from coach via a friendly 1K's GPU. We have some flexibility on dates (e.g. can fly midweek) but all R availability has dried up for that period.

Does he have any realistic chance of clearing the upgrade waitlist, or should we give up and think again? Or does it just vary hugely from day to day?

Decent shot since they're coming from a 1K account

Tue/Wed generally the best days

Thanks. I guess we'll give it a shot and cross our fingers!

If a GPU expires on 1/31/15 does that mean it has to be used on a flight before that date?
I just booked a flight with R9 for 2/15 and it's not letting me select it. I thought it just had to be applied by the expiration date…I guess the flight has to be taken by that time as well?

The GPU can only be applied where the initial flight is prior to expiration.

However, there is a chance in November UA may offer to extend some GPU past their initial expiration -- not much help now but may be useful later.

Cool thanks for the update…this has been my 1st year as a 1K and using GPUs so I think this gets me past the learning curve.

I had booked MEL-LAX with R space planning to use the GPU. However, I will have a trip to Europe in mid-Jan I was going to hold off on booking, but I see the R space so I'll just do that now and use the 1 GPU I have remaining for the night TATL flight.

Well….still going to be on the MEL-LAX flight but paid the copay + miles for BF. :p

IF 1K status is renewed. They usually extend till April ... banking on that this year!

In December 2012, I had a GPU that was going to expire on 12/31/12. I had a flight booked and paid for in February 2013. I asked if I could have the 2012 extended for 6 weeks to cover the upcoming flight, and it was in fact extended.

Have a rather long outbound routing and wondering if a single GPU can be used.

ORD(8/27/14)>IAH(8/27/14)>HNL(8/27/14)>LAX(8/28/14)>SFO(8/28/14)>HKG(8/29/14)>SIN.

The return is not as complex. I purchased this entire itin as a W fare so I could burn a few GPUs. I know they still have to clear but there is quite a bit of R space available now so I was hoping to get this done shortly.

How many legs can a single GPU be used on? Will this outbound require 2 GPUs? If only applying 1 GPU, how do I ensure it is for the longest flights?

no aware of any specified limit

if all connections are under 24 hour, you should be fine with 1.


if any single BF flight clears, the GPU will be consumed. If you are concerned about the HKG-SIN, then call and have applied only to ORD-HKG, and add HKG-SIN after SFO-HKG clears.

That is going to be on grueling trip. Hope you have plenty of recovery time scheduled.

Yea, should be a pretty rough trip. Spending a few weeks in SIN and DPS then have a pretty tough return trip too. Appreciate the knowledge.

But awesome mileage accrual ;)

Get 'em in the bank before March 15!

I suspect the answer lies somewhere in the 50+ pages of the thread, and I looked at 8-10 before I decided to just ask....

I have a flight booked HNL-IAH-IAD. I have waitlisted an RPU. I have read the rules and I understand that if the 2.5 hour flight clears and the 7 hour one doesnt, RPU is done. Now the question, If I pull the RPU and instead waitlist a GPU, would it work like an international flight where the GPU is used only if the overwater flight upgrades? I ask because I suspect that the IAH-IAD segment, being on a weekend, would CPU anyway, and I would hate to use an instrument for that only even if it meant sitting in E+ for 2.5 hours. As to why I booked the flight when there was no R available, work rules is work rules :)

Thanks