Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

Comprehensive Companion CPU Questions

Register
Community
Wiki Posts
Today's Posts
Search
Old Feb 21, 2017, 12:20 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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.
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.

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]
Print Wikipost

Comprehensive Companion CPU Questions

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 18, 2023, 1:16 pm
  #91  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 234
I have flight coming up to SYD on award travel (XN) in 5 days, just status matched from American to Premier Platinum, also Chase united card holder.
What's the best option to be on the upgrade list? Have 3 people on the same PNR, would it be best to split them now? 2 - 1 or 1-1-1?

First time using any type of upgrade list on United.
dilvala is offline  
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2023, 2:47 pm
  #92  
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: 66,847
Originally Posted by dilvala
I have flight coming up to SYD on award travel (XN) in 5 days, just status matched from American to Premier Platinum, also Chase united card holder.
What's the best option to be on the upgrade list? Have 3 people on the same PNR, would it be best to split them now? 2 - 1 or 1-1-1?

First time using any type of upgrade list on United.
You flight is ineligible for a status or credit card complimentary upgrade -- this is not a cpu route (except perhaps a domestic leg which is limited to the elite and 1 companion if on the same PNR). For the SYD flight, you may be offered a cash upgrade now (check your online itin) or at check-in but status or credit card will not impact that.

You will as an UA elite have access at a United Club for yourself and 1 companion.
WineCountryUA is offline  
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2023, 4:56 pm
  #93  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 234
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
You flight is ineligible for a status or credit card complimentary upgrade -- this is not a cpu route (except perhaps a domestic leg which is limited to the elite and 1 companion if on the same PNR). For the SYD flight, you may be offered a cash upgrade now (check your online itin) or at check-in but status or credit card will not impact that.

You will as an UA elite have access at a United Club for yourself and 1 companion.
Thanks! Does it still make sense for splitting for domestic flight? It would be long flight from east coast.
dilvala is offline  
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2023, 5:34 pm
  #94  
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: 66,847
Originally Posted by dilvala
Thanks! Does it still make sense for splitting for domestic flight? It would be long flight from east coast.
Coming from EWR, the flights are cpu ineligible. Flights from IAD or BOS are unlikely to clear for a Plat on CPU
WineCountryUA is offline  
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2023, 8:04 pm
  #95  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 234
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Coming from EWR, the flights are cpu ineligible. Flights from IAD or BOS are unlikely to clear for a Plat on CPU

How about ORD - LAX route? How can I tell in the app if this would be CPU eligible segment?
dilvala is offline  
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2023, 8:27 pm
  #96  
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: 66,847
Originally Posted by dilvala
How about ORD - LAX route? How can I tell in the app if this would be CPU eligible segment?
Yes .ORD-LAX is CPU eligible , as are nearly all domestic flights are CPU eligible.
EWR to LAX or SFO and non-West Coast to Hawaii are exceptions
While most UA hub-to-hub flights are CPU eligible, they are also tough CPU opportunities for a Plat -- even for an 1K.

Nearly all flight with one end outside of North America are not CPU eligible

A more complete explanation is at https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...l#region-chart
jsloan likes this.
WineCountryUA is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 11:37 am
  #97  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
Missing from Upgrade List
My two children and I are flying SMF-SFO-BUR on Friday, H fare. We are not on the upgrade list at all. I cannot think of any extenuating circumstances as to why this would be. Has anyone else had this happen to them in the past? Obviously, it's not a big deal, as these are two short hops (though we really should clear the SMF-SFO leg), but I don't understand what's happened (nor does the agent with whom I'm on the phone).
iapetus is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 11:40 am
  #98  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,019
Only one non-Premier companion for CPU?

"Complimentary Premier Upgrade benefits include one companion, but if your reservation has more non-Premier travelers than Premier members, you will need to move one or more non-Premier travelers into a separate reservation in order to be eligible for a Complimentary Premier Upgrade."
IAH-OIL-TRASH is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 11:44 am
  #99  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
Only one non-Premier companion for CPU?

"Complimentary Premier Upgrade benefits include one companion, but if your reservation has more non-Premier travelers than Premier members, you will need to move one or more non-Premier travelers into a separate reservation in order to be eligible for a Complimentary Premier Upgrade."
That's what I'm being told. I'd never heard of that one before. And I wouldn't have guessed that it would result in none of us making the list.
iapetus is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 11:58 am
  #100  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
If it is important to you, why not call?
HNLbasedFlyer is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 12:12 pm
  #101  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,396
Originally Posted by iapetus
That's what I'm being told. I'd never heard of that one before. And I wouldn't have guessed that it would result in none of us making the list.
You can't make the list until you specify a single, eligible companion, which means either splitting the reservation ahead of time or doing it during check-in. Of course, that assumes you're OK with getting split up.
SPN Lifer likes this.
jsloan is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 12:29 pm
  #102  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
Originally Posted by HNLbasedFlyer
If it is important to you, why not call?
I was on the phone with a UA agent while I wrote the original post.

Originally Posted by jsloan
You can't make the list until you specify a single, eligible companion, which means either splitting the reservation ahead of time or doing it during check-in. Of course, that assumes you're OK with getting split up.
Yeah, given the particulars of this trip, I don't think it's worth getting split up. I mean, I'm sure that I could throw points at the second companion and get us all upgraded on the SMF-SFO leg, but it's not worth it. It'll suck knowing that there is availability in first, but I think we'll survive. 😉
jsloan likes this.
iapetus is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2023, 12:32 pm
  #103  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
Also May be hard to split with children (if subject to UAM rule). Can’t leave one or two behind in coach.
drewguy is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2023, 12:22 pm
  #104  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
Originally Posted by drewguy
Also May be hard to split with children (if subject to UAM rule). Can’t leave one or two behind in coach.
I think that my daughter would have none of that!!! (My son might consider it, but he wasn't very keen on the idea either.)

I've never traveled with our kids but not with my wife before. Interesting how these minor variations on a theme can cause one to encounter rules one hadn't ever considered in the past ... 🤔
SPN Lifer likes this.
iapetus is offline  
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2023, 2:30 pm
  #105  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold,HH Gold
Posts: 2,751
Last year on a flight back from BOS to ORD, I had my 2 kids with me on 1 PNR. As I was double checking our seat assignments as we boarded, one of my kids and I were upgraded to first. I am a great dad so I let the 2 kids sit up front although the seats weren't together. UA Plat. Funny story, my son was offered food but declined thinking it had to be paid for. lol. My daughter did not have that problem. I don't remember looking at the upgrade list because I didn't even think any of us were going to get upgraded.
iapetus likes this.
korea71 is offline  
Reply



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.