Billiken

Flying tomorrow on an award ticket CLE-LAS.
738 with 16 first class seats, 3 booked and nobody on the upgrade wait list.

Called and asked to be put on the upgrade list.
After being put on hold for 16 minutes was told

You can only get on the upgrade list at the airport, two hours before the flight, after the revenue upgrades have been given a chance.

edcho

If it is less than 24 hours, it will go to the airport list.

However, what he said is not true. It would be revenue before award in your elite class. Platinum flying on award will be upgraded before Gold on non-Y revenue ticket.

rjque

OK, now I'm really confused. I'm a PP card holder, 1K and flying on a coach award tomorrow morning CLE-SFO. The flight is R9/RN9 but I haven't cleared and not on the upgrade list. I've called the 1K line twice, and have been told that it may happen after all other revenue have cleared, but that I won't show on the list.

I don't believe them and am about to call again. Shouldn't I be on the list?

kyte

If it is <24 hrs then yes. Check out edcho's post above yours.

edcho

In addition to this, be prepared to fight at the airport. It sounds like you should've cleared at the windows but didn't. Chances are that you aren't going to be on the list at the gate. The gate agents probably won't know what you are talking about -- be prepared to bring up the website, wait for long calls on the phone, etc.

bsmnsr

I'd definitely call to be added to the list and fight to be on it. After 4 segments on award tickets, my name didn't appear on the UG list once. Since I was traveling with my wife and daughter I was sitting with them in E+ regardless. However, I'd expect addition to the list to be automatic. What,s the point of having a benefit that you have to fight to get?

rjque

Called back a third time and, after pushing a bit, the rep put me on hold and upgraded me. Got misinformation on all three calls, and the first two calls were clearly misinformation provided just to get me off the phone. I left PMUA for this type of garbage. Nothing appears to have changed.

B787938

Data points:
- I have the presidente plus and the MP select cards
- Flying PDX - IAH and IAH - SJO
- Booked in X and XN on the respective flights
- Upgrades cleared today at the window and I received push email notices

Nice!

SFO 1K

Ironic since the problem you're having is PMCO created and apparently longstanding and now we've become infected by it.

The plus is the benefit of the upgrade. We didn't have that before.
The minus is there was a chance to fix the programming long ago and CO didn't see a need, apparently. Now the problem simply gets exacerbated by the add'l UA fliers who will experience it, and point the finger at UA, who had nothing to do with it until now.

rjque

My comment relates to the CS culture at United. Most of my calls to the 1K desk result in misinformation and people attempting to get me off the phone rather than help me, which is exactly the problem I had with United when I left them (twice) over the past 10 years. It's frustrating to have to deal with that again. And yes, it's also frustrating that something that has been in place for years was a mystery to every employee I encountered.

This morning's flight was an interesting one, as the flight was almost completely empty, which meant employee class was in full effect. It was a PMCO crew and the F cabin was more than 75% filled with employees. The one GS who boarded when GS/military personnel were called got asked by one of the non-revs to move to the bulkhead so the employee could sit with her young daughter. The GS did so, but did not seem happy about it. Aren't there rules against that when flying non-rev?

PHLGovFlyer

On Saturday at T-96 hours nothing happened. Flight showed F9 R9.

No upgrade at T-72 hours either. The flight showed F9 R5 and the seatmap showed all 20 seats in F empty.

I realized that the PNR had both me (the UA credit card holder) and my GF (1k but no UA credit card) on it and that might be fouling up the credit card upgrade. I called UA at about T-59 hours and split the PNR. I never mentioned why or anything about the CC related upgrades.

I checked at T-50 hours and it still showed F9 R5. The mobile site showed 4 pax upgraded and the seatmap showed 4 occupied seats in F.

At T-48 hours I was upgraded! Immediately received the upgrade notice email from United. Flight now shows F6 R1. GF is still in coach so I may be doing some swapping (just to maintain harmony ).

So it appears that 'X' class tickets do still get the upgrade. It also looks like it might be worth it to split the CC holder off onto their own PNR. It's also interesting that I didn't have to do anything related to the credit card to get the upgrade. No calling, no asking to be put on any lists. It just happened ^

Tony&Perry

Every time I check in and then when I go to the United Club I ask the agent if they know about upgrading a reward ticket - even though I am on a paid ticket.
Only ONCE have I found an agent who knew the rules. I was talking to another agent who said (rudely) that a reward ticket cannot be upgraded - and the other agent interrupted and said the rules were pinned on the inside of the cupboard door behind her. Since I have flown 125K miles in the past year this covers many, many agents. I have sent private messages to UA Insider (with no response). How can this be after a year since the rules were introduced!!!!

B787938

You've hit the nail on the head here. There's really no excuse for not knowing your company's policies and then blaming the customer for your ignorance.

I am glad that the first time I have ever used this benefit, my upgrades cleared through the EUA as I noted above. I was not looking forward to duking this out with the matrons at the RCC/PC if they didn't clear or if I didn't end on the list.

crankychick

I used this benefit for the first time on Friday and I cleared the UG at the 1K window. I was surprised - it was a nice surprise actually, since I wasn't counting on it to work.

zigenbock

Yes!!!! XN to R at the 96 hour mark ^