Feb 21, 2017, 12:20 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
UA CPU Companion policy
One companion traveling on a paid ticket on the same reservation as a Premier member is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select flights and may be confirmed with the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure. If the companion is a Premier member, the upgrade will be processed according to the highest Premier status level in the reservation.
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation. If two or more travelers on the reservation are not Premier members, it will not be processed automatically. In these cases, Premier members should call the Premier Priority Desk to request a separate reservation for themselves and the eligible companion.
One companion traveling on a paid ticket on the same reservation as a Premier member is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select flights and may be confirmed with the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure. If the companion is a Premier member, the upgrade will be processed according to the highest Premier status level in the reservation.
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation. If two or more travelers on the reservation are not Premier members, it will not be processed automatically. In these cases, Premier members should call the Premier Priority Desk to request a separate reservation for themselves and the eligible companion.
Companions on separate PNR are not explicitly discussed but some GAs will add them at the Gate.
While elites may be eligible (with the right credit card) for award upgrades, companions are explicitly excluded.
Related threads
Questions About Complimentary Premier Upgrades (CPU) on UA
Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
To split or not to split PNR
Archive of earlier posts: Comprehensive Companion CPU Questions [ARCHIVE]
Comprehensive Companion CPU Questions
May 29, 2019, 2:38 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
My first time traveling with a companion as an elite. I'm silver, companion has no status, both of us on same PNR.
During the check in process on the web, I get this message:
Please read the upgrade option below:
Premier® members and companions may be added to the standby list to receive Complimentary Premier Upgrades. If an upgrade is selected, a separate reservation will be created for each traveler. The new confirmation number will be printed on the boarding pass.
Select traveler(s):
[] swag
So I'm confused. Why is there a box to select myself, but not my companion?
And what does it mean that "a separate reservation will be created for each traveler."? If it creates a separate PNR, is there a chance my companion would lose her E+ seat or the elite free checked bag allowance, either on this outbound or on the upcoming return flight?
During the check in process on the web, I get this message:
Please read the upgrade option below:
Premier® members and companions may be added to the standby list to receive Complimentary Premier Upgrades. If an upgrade is selected, a separate reservation will be created for each traveler. The new confirmation number will be printed on the boarding pass.
Select traveler(s):
[] swag
So I'm confused. Why is there a box to select myself, but not my companion?
And what does it mean that "a separate reservation will be created for each traveler."? If it creates a separate PNR, is there a chance my companion would lose her E+ seat or the elite free checked bag allowance, either on this outbound or on the upcoming return flight?
Jun 16, 2019, 9:36 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,231
I’m soon traveling with my family on some routes that *might* be kind of light up front (DEN-BDL on a Wednesday evening; BWI-DEN on a holiday weekend Saturday). Currently I am booked on a paid ticket as a 1K, and my wife and two kids are on a separate reservation on award tickets. I assume we are out of luck with respect to companion upgrades, right? Any strategy here other than ask nicely at the airport?
Jun 16, 2019, 10:53 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
I’m soon traveling with my family on some routes that *might* be kind of light up front (DEN-BDL on a Wednesday evening; BWI-DEN on a holiday weekend Saturday). Currently I am booked on a paid ticket as a 1K, and my wife and two kids are on a separate reservation on award tickets. I assume we are out of luck with respect to companion upgrades, right? Any strategy here other than ask nicely at the airport?
A previous poster has reported success getting a companion upgraded at the airport in this situation. The policy is a bit hazy; if you were on an award ticket, you wouldn’t be able to upgrade a companion, and the official policy is that companions are supposed to be on the same PNR to be upgraded, so this possibility isn’t addressed explicitly. It can’t hurt to ask, but I wouldn’t argue if the agent says no.
Jun 16, 2019, 10:56 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,231
Well, you’d only be able to name one companion, anyway.
A previous poster has reported success getting a companion upgraded at the airport in this situation. The policy is a bit hazy; if you were on an award ticket, you wouldn’t be able to upgrade a companion, and the official policy is that companions are supposed to be on the same PNR to be upgraded, so this possibility isn’t addressed explicitly. It can’t hurt to ask, but I wouldn’t argue if the agent says no.
Jul 18, 2019, 9:07 pm
#20
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 363
Purchase Reservation
Hello!
Does it matter who purchases the reservation? I am Gold and wife is 1K, so if I purchase the reservation for both of us, do we still carry her 1K status for CPU priority?
Thanks!
Does it matter who purchases the reservation? I am Gold and wife is 1K, so if I purchase the reservation for both of us, do we still carry her 1K status for CPU priority?
Thanks!
Jul 18, 2019, 10:32 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
Sep 22, 2019, 1:06 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: DEN, ORD
Programs: United 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 46
Hello All. First time posting but had something interesting happen today for my flight so thought I'd see if this has ever happened to anyone else. My wife (no status) and myself (1K) are traveling back home on a CPU eligible flight. At the 24 hour window I clicked the acknowledgement to split-up our PNR so we could both be eligible for an upgrade as there were still quite a few seats available. The interesting part is right away I was listed first and my wife second on the upgrade list, but then my wife received a CPU to first class a few minutes later and today I'm still listed as 1st on the CPU wait list... I'm still currently on the wait list about 1.5 hrs before boarding. There are still empty seats so it might all work out fine, and I would have given my wife the upgrade anyways if we were not both upgraded, but I'm just curious as what could have happened to have her upgraded before me as I'm the 1K? Thoughts?
Sep 22, 2019, 4:32 pm
#23
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,850
Welcome to FT!, BDFlyer15
This happens on occasion for those initially on a common PNR
For now, ignore the visible list, it is not used until just prior to flight time 30 - 40 minutes for CPU.
There is a second list that is used for pre-gate upgrades. The sorting order of the two lists are slightly different. It is how UA does tiebreakers after status and fare, there are a number of factors used but one that can change between the two lists is generally called "time of request".
For visible gate list, it is the order of check-in, so you probably got checked in first.
For the invisible list, there has been some uncertainty of how those on a common PNR are ranked, some think it is the ticket number (losest wins), others think it is the alphabetic order of names, ... either way appears your wife was above you on the invisible list and below you on the visible list.
The invisible list is used until the GA takes control of the flight and closer to flight, the GA processes the visible list.
Rube Goldberg could have not designed a more convoluted system but that is the way it works.
If you really want to dive deeper into this, there is more in Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
..The interesting part is right away I was listed first and my wife second on the upgrade list, but then my wife received a CPU to first class a few minutes later and today I'm still listed as 1st on the CPU wait list... I'm still currently on the wait list about 1.5 hrs before boarding. There are still empty seats so it might all work out fine, and I would have given my wife the upgrade anyways if we were not both upgraded, but I'm just curious as what could have happened to have her upgraded before me as I'm the 1K? Thoughts?
For now, ignore the visible list, it is not used until just prior to flight time 30 - 40 minutes for CPU.
There is a second list that is used for pre-gate upgrades. The sorting order of the two lists are slightly different. It is how UA does tiebreakers after status and fare, there are a number of factors used but one that can change between the two lists is generally called "time of request".
For visible gate list, it is the order of check-in, so you probably got checked in first.
For the invisible list, there has been some uncertainty of how those on a common PNR are ranked, some think it is the ticket number (losest wins), others think it is the alphabetic order of names, ... either way appears your wife was above you on the invisible list and below you on the visible list.
The invisible list is used until the GA takes control of the flight and closer to flight, the GA processes the visible list.
Rube Goldberg could have not designed a more convoluted system but that is the way it works.
If you really want to dive deeper into this, there is more in Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
Sep 22, 2019, 5:43 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Programs: United, American, Delta, Hyatt, Hilton, Hertz, Marriott
Posts: 14,801
Sep 22, 2019, 5:49 pm
#26
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,850
Sep 23, 2019, 10:00 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: DEN, ORD
Programs: United 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 46
Thank you for the detailed response WineCountryUA! I never knew about the two lists for upgrades so learned something new. Either way it became a moot point as I was upgraded at the gate 
.
.
Oct 22, 2019, 1:56 pm
#28
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Plat
Posts: 754
Welcome to FT!, BDFlyer15
This happens on occasion for those initially on a common PNR
For now, ignore the visible list, it is not used until just prior to flight time 30 - 40 minutes for CPU.
There is a second list that is used for pre-gate upgrades. The sorting order of the two lists are slightly different. It is how UA does tiebreakers after status and fare, there are a number of factors used but one that can change between the two lists is generally called "time of request".
For visible gate list, it is the order of check-in, so you probably got checked in first.
For the invisible list, there has been some uncertainty of how those on a common PNR are ranked, some think it is the ticket number (losest wins), others think it is the alphabetic order of names, ... either way appears your wife was above you on the invisible list and below you on the visible list.
The invisible list is used until the GA takes control of the flight and closer to flight, the GA processes the visible list.
Rube Goldberg could have not designed a more convoluted system but that is the way it works.
If you really want to dive deeper into this, there is more in Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
This happens on occasion for those initially on a common PNR
For now, ignore the visible list, it is not used until just prior to flight time 30 - 40 minutes for CPU.
There is a second list that is used for pre-gate upgrades. The sorting order of the two lists are slightly different. It is how UA does tiebreakers after status and fare, there are a number of factors used but one that can change between the two lists is generally called "time of request".
For visible gate list, it is the order of check-in, so you probably got checked in first.
For the invisible list, there has been some uncertainty of how those on a common PNR are ranked, some think it is the ticket number (losest wins), others think it is the alphabetic order of names, ... either way appears your wife was above you on the invisible list and below you on the visible list.
The invisible list is used until the GA takes control of the flight and closer to flight, the GA processes the visible list.
Rube Goldberg could have not designed a more convoluted system but that is the way it works.
If you really want to dive deeper into this, there is more in Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
Dec 16, 2019, 8:25 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
The wiki says,
(emphasis mine).
However, I don't believe this is true any longer—i.e. I don't believe the companion inherits the higher elite's status for CPU now.
It appears to me that if splitting at check-in to go to the gate for the upgrade, the companion will be reprioritised according to his/her own status. Before splitting the companion does still inherit status.
If using an instrument, the companion does seem to still inherit the elite's status, and then check-in time still determines the ranking. (But that is subject for another thread.)
When on a common PNR, the elite & companion will be waitlisted at the start of the elite's time window. The elite and companion will be prioritized based on the (higher) elite's status and their common fare class. They will clear together or neither will clear. At check-in, it will be asked if you wish to be placed on the CPU / Gate Upgrade Waitlist, if answered Yes, then the PNR will be split and each will be placed on the Gate Upgrade Waitlist with the elite's status and their common fare class (and ordered by the lowest eticket number). At this point either 1 or both or none may clear the waitlist. If the check-in question is answered No, the PNR will not be split and neither will be on the Gate Upgrade Waitlist.
However, I don't believe this is true any longer—i.e. I don't believe the companion inherits the higher elite's status for CPU now.
It appears to me that if splitting at check-in to go to the gate for the upgrade, the companion will be reprioritised according to his/her own status. Before splitting the companion does still inherit status.
If using an instrument, the companion does seem to still inherit the elite's status, and then check-in time still determines the ranking. (But that is subject for another thread.)
Dec 17, 2019, 7:35 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
However, I don't believe this is true any longer—i.e. I don't believe the companion inherits the higher elite's status for CPU now.
It appears to me that if splitting at check-in to go to the gate for the upgrade, the companion will be reprioritised according to his/her own status. Before splitting the companion does still inherit status.
It appears to me that if splitting at check-in to go to the gate for the upgrade, the companion will be reprioritised according to his/her own status. Before splitting the companion does still inherit status.