Understanding upgrade list in App
 

This is a newbie question to the app.

Sorry but I looked everywhere for an answer.

The list says 20 capacity. 18 Booked. 2 checked in.

There are 18 names on the list below with 12 having a tick next to them meaning they are upgraded.

A few answers should clear it up for me.

Is it coincidence that the booked number is 18 and that there are 18 names on the list? I thought booked meant people who paid that fare class to begin with.

Is it coincidence that 20 = 18 + 2?

Am I to understand that since 20 > 18 means everyone will get upgraded?

All coincidences.

Yes, it is coincidence that there are 18 booked and 18 names on the list. No coincidence that there are 18 booked + 2 available equal 20 - the total number of F seats. Seats booked + seats available are the total number of seats.

Names on the list without a checkmark are those still waiting to be upgraded - your place on the list is the number that is next to it. Note this changes often - since it only includes those checked in, as more people check in, the list will likely grow as you get closer to flight time. Alternatively, if those on the list cancel reservations or move flights, they'll be removed from the list.

As for those on the list with checks on it, these are those who have checked in and have already been upgraded. IME, for domestic flights, I will also be on it if I've received a CPU ahead of check in, and have selected a seat (but not if I haven't selected a seat). I believe others have speculated that on domestic flights, those using instruments who have cleared will also appear on the list as upgraded. Some buy-ups also might be added on that list as upgraded - believe those who buy -up fares.

If 18 are booked, and 12 checkmarked, the remaining 5 in F either bought an F or A fare, or were upgraded via CPU and have not selected seats yet.

From your language, I'm guessing there are 18 people on the list, including 12 checkmarked, though not completely sure. Near the top, there is a list total (or some language like that) number, is that 18? Either way, not everyone can be upgraded. Assuming there are 18 booked, plus an additional 5 waiting (18 on list - 12 already upgraded), and only 2 seats available, at the moment, there would be only room for 2 upgrades. This can change either way - if someone else buys up, someone upgraded/confirmed in F cancels, etc.

Thanks, encampe but no where does it says 2 available as you said. It says 20 capacity, 18 booked and 2 checked in.

Can some one explain what those numbers mean? Your right, the list is growing!

OK, let's take this from the top.

(1) The list says: "20 capacity". That means that the front cabin has 20 seats. There are 20 tray tables, arm rests, magazine holders, and so on. This is a physical limit of the airplane and never changes. It does not tell you how many first-class seats are still left for sale.

(2) The list says: "18 booked". There are already 18 people on that flight whose reservations say "first class".

(Some of those 18 people may not have seat assignments, so you may not see exactly 18 first class seats occupied on the flight's seat map.)

(3) The list says: "2 checked in". Checking in for a flight is how you get a boarding pass. You can check in at an airport counter or online at united.com. If you don't check in for a flight you will not get to fly on it.

The "gate agent", the person who stands at an airport gate and scans people's boarding passes and tells them to go onto the airplane, will cancel the trips of everyone who is "booked" but not "checked in" at about 30 minutes before departure, if there is anyone like that. If this happens, this will mean that there are fewer people on the flight whose reservations say "first class". This will mean that there will be more unassigned space in first class, and perhaps some upgrades will happen from the upgrade list.

Only people who are booked in first class will check in in first class. You will never see "checked in: 19, booked: 18".

If you think about (1), (2), and (3) very deliberately, you will notice that there are more seats (20) than people with confirmed reservations (18). That suggests there is probably some room for additional upgrades.

Below these numbers, there is a list with 18 names, including a tick mark that shows that 12 of those names have been upgraded.

This list is apparently a little bit confusing! The list length of 18 means that 18 people on the flight either (a) have gotten an upgrade cleared via the free elite-upgrade process or (b) have checked in, are still in coach, and are eligible for upgrades. This list may grow as more people who are eligible for upgrades check in.

(4) The list shows you that 12 people have check marks and seat assignments next to their name, meaning that they were upgraded.

If you think very carefully you may remember that way at the top of the screen, united.com told you that a total of 18 people had reservations in first class. You know that 12 people were upgraded into first class. The other people in first class bought first class tickets. There are 6 other people whose reservations say "first class". They bought first class tickets.

(5) The list also shows you that there are 6 more passengers on an "upgrade standby list" who do not have check marks next to their name. Those people do not have reservations that say "first class".

Now, let's suppose everyone whose reservation already says "first class" visits united.com and checks in for their flight, which is very likely.

If this happens then united.com will show "capacity: 20", "booked: 18", "checked in: 18".

The airport gate agent will look at this information 30 minutes before departure and they will see that 18 people are allowed to board the plane and go into their first class seats.

Because they know that the plane has 20 seats, only one person may sit in one seat, and only 18 people have first-class boarding passes, they know that there will be some seats which will not have any people in them.

When this happens, the gate agent will print a boarding pass for an unassigned first class seat for the top person on the upgrade list and give it to them. They will keep doing this until there are no seats left to assign.

Thanks. I'm regularly a 1K or at least a Prem Exec so I'm not a newbie, but a newbie to the app (hence the title)!

The two statements you make above are one source of confusion.

All 18 people on the list have checked in right?
Of the 12 people who have a tick next to them have any checked in?
What does the "2" next to check in mean? Because there are now 22 people on the upgrade list and you can only join it if you check in!

Thanks.

Sorry...yes, you are correct. I don't know what I was thinking - but 18 booked and 20 capacity means 2 are available.

Not necessarily. Anyone without a check on the list, i.e. are still waiting to be upgraded, and have a number next to their name, have checked in. They aren't included in the "checked in" number you see, as they are not currently in first class.

2 checked in means two people holding tickets for first class have checked in. They could be from the 12 people with checkmarks, or from the other 5 in F, or a combination.

The ones with checks may not have checked in. As I said, IME, when I get CPU'd prior to check in, and then select a seat, I always show up on the upgrade list. I suspect most, if not all, of the checkmarked people on this list are in this category.

Oops, nope, sorry. The "upgrade list" shown online conflates two things.

Not all 18 (now 22) people on the list have checked in.

Everyone with a check mark next to their name has gotten a confirmed upgrade. We have no information about whether or not they have checked in.

Everyone who does not have a check mark next to their name has *not yet* gotten a confirmed upgrade. They hold coach boarding passes and are checked in and eligible for an upgrade at the gate.

The upgrade list does not give you this information.

The "checked in" list means that two people who have first-class reservations have checked in. They might have bought first-class tickets. They might have bought coach tickets and gotten an upgrade.

here's all you need to know about the situation above: as a 1P, you will not be in the first class cabin on this flight with it booked 18/20 at presumably >T-30 minutes to departure. trust me, i live this reality every time i fly UA now.

it doesn't particularly matter how people got onto the "confirmed upgrade" list unless they don't show up for the flight for one reason or another. once they're on there, they're gonna be riding up front unless they miss the flight or voluntarily downgrade. if you aren't on that list, you're vying for one of the 2/20 that is not "booked". in that situation as a 1P if you are not #1 on the list you probably will not get upgraded, since you will be fighting kettle TODs up to T-30 minutes before departure (the check in cutoff mentioned above).