Jun 28, 2019, 10:46 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
It appears at times, UA will release upgrade space, now labeled as PZ, but the upgrade waitlist is not processed until a later time. During this period of time, a new upgrade request will clear, ignoring the waitlist. This could be a new request or someone calling to request their waitlisted request to be clear (sometimes called -- "jumping the queue"). So as a defensive move, some may try to call to get their waitlisted request cleared if this situation occurs. Over the years agents, at times, have been reluctant or agreeable to doing this. More recently there are reports of agents needing supervisor approval to do this (this may be UA's attempt to prevent "queue jumping").
Another strategy in this situation is to remove a waitlisted request and then reapply. This does risk losing one's place on the waitlist if unsuccessful
At times, the waitlist process seems to be delayed for an extended period of time, it is speculated that this is a situation where the waitlist processing is "stuck" -- this may be due to a ticket out-of-sync issue with the passenger on top of the waitlist or other causes. A good agent will notice this if you call about clearing and fix the situation.
Releated thread
Difference of"Upgrade Requested","Segment has been Waitlisted","R/PZ class requested"
Changes to UA's Fare Classes (19-20 October 2018)
Archive thread: Upgrade still waitlisted even though R (now PZ) class is available {Archive}
Another strategy in this situation is to remove a waitlisted request and then reapply. This does risk losing one's place on the waitlist if unsuccessful
At times, the waitlist process seems to be delayed for an extended period of time, it is speculated that this is a situation where the waitlist processing is "stuck" -- this may be due to a ticket out-of-sync issue with the passenger on top of the waitlist or other causes. A good agent will notice this if you call about clearing and fix the situation.
Releated thread
Difference of"Upgrade Requested","Segment has been Waitlisted","R/PZ class requested"
Changes to UA's Fare Classes (19-20 October 2018)
Archive thread: Upgrade still waitlisted even though R (now PZ) class is available {Archive}
Upgrade still waitlisted even though PZ (previously R) class is available
Sep 5, 2018, 6:36 pm
#241
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Polished Aluminum, Air Mobility Command-Chartreuse
Posts: 394
Upgrading on S fare with miles+money, two people on separate PNRs, MSP-XXX-FRA, neither of us have status.
Domestic MSP-XXX upgraded instantly, waitlisted for TATL. Flight is next week. I've been sporadically checking over past week (itinerary reserved last week, ticketed today) and observed fluctuation between R0 and R2. Today flight is showing
J9 JN7 C7 D7 Z4 ZN4 P3 PN0 R0 RN0
If I'm reading correctly we're looking for R>0, but since the IT system is sometimes tied up running Oregon Trail in the background, we might not be automatically upgraded even if it appears? If we try to undo, then redo, we'd incur award redeposit fees?
And if I'm reading the rules correctly, if the Polaris segment doesn't clear, we get miles and cash refunded- hence a domestic upgrade for free? (and UA misses out on the copay- Sad!)
Last group that traveled same route was quoted ~$850 for upgrade at checkin.
Domestic MSP-XXX upgraded instantly, waitlisted for TATL. Flight is next week. I've been sporadically checking over past week (itinerary reserved last week, ticketed today) and observed fluctuation between R0 and R2. Today flight is showing
J9 JN7 C7 D7 Z4 ZN4 P3 PN0 R0 RN0
If I'm reading correctly we're looking for R>0, but since the IT system is sometimes tied up running Oregon Trail in the background, we might not be automatically upgraded even if it appears? If we try to undo, then redo, we'd incur award redeposit fees?
And if I'm reading the rules correctly, if the Polaris segment doesn't clear, we get miles and cash refunded- hence a domestic upgrade for free? (and UA misses out on the copay- Sad!)
Last group that traveled same route was quoted ~$850 for upgrade at checkin.
Sep 5, 2018, 7:23 pm
#242
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NorCal - 1K 2MM
Posts: 2,089
Keep in mind that $850 is cheaper than your copay plus the value of your mileage award miles. So if you end up having to wait until a few hours before flight to get the u/g, while you won't have the security of having it in advance, you'll actually save some money. And yes, you should keep checking. When you saw R=2 you could have called and possibly snared it.
Sep 6, 2018, 7:14 am
#243
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Polished Aluminum, Air Mobility Command-Chartreuse
Posts: 394
J9 R7 RN7
and I'm still in coach on the flight, because IT.
Note: if I search MSP-XXX-FRA, the XXX-FRA segment shows R0... so it appears that there is some married segment impact?
Sep 6, 2018, 7:16 am
#244
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Polished Aluminum, Air Mobility Command-Chartreuse
Posts: 394
About the copay + miles being more, relatively, than the straight payup offered upon checkin- I did consider that, but I'm pretty miles-rich right now and don't mind dropping some UA on this trip. Plus the uncertainty factor- a late evening ex-Washington DC flight that could fill up fast with gov folks on last minute tix.
Sep 6, 2018, 7:18 am
#245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
No, there is not; it's just a display artifact and doesn't mean anything (thankfully, since domestic R space tends to be even more rare than longhaul R). Your flight should have cleared. I'd call to try to get it pushed through before somebody else snipes the space.
Sep 6, 2018, 8:15 am
#246
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Polished Aluminum, Air Mobility Command-Chartreuse
Posts: 394
See, United, that wasn't so hard, was it?!?!?
Sep 6, 2018, 8:43 am
#247
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
Roger- appreciate the nudge!, called, was initially routed to the wrong desk, then magically rerouted to "Premier" operator; I briefly explained what was going on and BAM upgrade confirmed! Icing on the cake is that call cut out just after I gave her my travel companion's PNR but both are upgraded.
See, United, that wasn't so hard, was it?!?!?
See, United, that wasn't so hard, was it?!?!?
I have had a call drop before the agent finished working on my request, but the agent did apparently complete it afterwards. I think as long as they know what you want, they can keep going to finish even if you're off the line.
Sep 20, 2018, 2:41 pm
#248
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,019
Yesterday I checked a load on a flight and found R=5 w/ my RPU or GPU request still waitlisted. Called and got the upgrade and saw R go to 4. This morning R was 0 with no more seats claimed. I'll never understand UA's thinking. Pays to watch waitlisted flights. Just sayin'...
Oct 25, 2018, 9:16 am
#249
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
I wasn't sure whether to post this in this thread (which should probably be re-titled 
) or the thread about the fare class changes. Mods: Please feel free to move this post to the other thread if you feel that it's a better fit.
I received an email notification at 9:30AM Pacific Time that my GPU for LHR-LAX cleared. ^ This is the first time I ever remember receiving an advance clearance notification email at any time other than the middle of the night. In fact, I stared at my computer screen in utter disbelief, as I was so blindsided by this stroke of good fortune! I wonder if -- when United programmed the change from R to PZ -- they also programmed for dynamic waitlist clearance when PZ opens up? A girl can dream...
) or the thread about the fare class changes. Mods: Please feel free to move this post to the other thread if you feel that it's a better fit.I received an email notification at 9:30AM Pacific Time that my GPU for LHR-LAX cleared. ^ This is the first time I ever remember receiving an advance clearance notification email at any time other than the middle of the night. In fact, I stared at my computer screen in utter disbelief, as I was so blindsided by this stroke of good fortune! I wonder if -- when United programmed the change from R to PZ -- they also programmed for dynamic waitlist clearance when PZ opens up? A girl can dream...
Oct 25, 2018, 10:30 am
#250
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
I wasn't sure whether to post this in this thread (which should probably be re-titled ) or the thread about the fare class changes. Mods: Please feel free to move this post to the other thread if you feel that it's a better fit.
I received an email notification at 9:30AM Pacific Time that my GPU for LHR-LAX cleared. ^ This is the first time I ever remember receiving an advance clearance notification email at any time other than the middle of the night. In fact, I stared at my computer screen in utter disbelief, as I was so blindsided by this stroke of good fortune! I wonder if -- when United programmed the change from R to PZ -- they also programmed for dynamic waitlist clearance when PZ opens up? A girl can dream...
) or the thread about the fare class changes. Mods: Please feel free to move this post to the other thread if you feel that it's a better fit.I received an email notification at 9:30AM Pacific Time that my GPU for LHR-LAX cleared. ^ This is the first time I ever remember receiving an advance clearance notification email at any time other than the middle of the night. In fact, I stared at my computer screen in utter disbelief, as I was so blindsided by this stroke of good fortune! I wonder if -- when United programmed the change from R to PZ -- they also programmed for dynamic waitlist clearance when PZ opens up? A girl can dream...
More info: two of us on one PNR and I saw PZ1 at about 3pm yesterday with J4. I called and split the reservation and forced the upgrade for my companion. Then my RPU cleared this morning automatically, but not overnight as the norm.
Oct 25, 2018, 10:37 am
#251
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
I received an email notification at 9:30AM Pacific Time that my GPU for LHR-LAX cleared. ^ This is the first time I ever remember receiving an advance clearance notification email at any time other than the middle of the night. In fact, I stared at my computer screen in utter disbelief, as I was so blindsided by this stroke of good fortune! I wonder if -- when United programmed the change from R to PZ -- they also programmed for dynamic waitlist clearance when PZ opens up? A girl can dream...
Oct 25, 2018, 3:47 pm
#252
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
*Assuming they have added more sweeps, vs. just running sweeps once per day (er, night).
Oct 25, 2018, 6:21 pm
#253
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1P 1MM
Posts: 718
I have a data point to add. I have an upgrade waitlisted for a flight in 4 weeks. I saw the flight was showing PZ1 in the morning Pacific time. Called 1k desk and tried to ask the agent to push the upgrade through. The agent played by the book and declined. I wanted to HUACA, but work got in the way (and then I just forgot about it). I got an email time stamped at 11pm Pacific time that evening saying that my upgrade was confirmed. Glad that no one jumped the queue even though the PZ1 was there for like 15 hours+ (probably got lucky because the flight is 4 weeks out)
Oct 25, 2018, 6:45 pm
#254
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Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
UA was likely opening upgrade space one seat at a time to clear pax from the waitlist. That's often what's going on when you see PZ1 (previously R1).
Oct 25, 2018, 7:31 pm
#255
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Starting on October 11th, I've been getting these "upgrade" e-mails for instrument supported upgrades that are very unfortunately titled: "Waitlist Update for Confirmation xxxxxx" (where xxxxxx is the PNF) in HTML. Why "Waitlist Update"?
For "regular" CPU T-96 and later upgrades, I get the "Premier Upgrade Notification" e-mails as pure text files. Same e-mail address (United Airlines, Inc. <[email protected]>), different formats.
FWIW.
David
For "regular" CPU T-96 and later upgrades, I get the "Premier Upgrade Notification" e-mails as pure text files. Same e-mail address (United Airlines, Inc. <[email protected]>), different formats.
FWIW.
David