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Consolidated CPU on Awards for UA Elites +Companion Who Hold An Eligible Chase/UA CC

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Old Oct 2, 2015, 2:45 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Upgrading award tickets

Premier members who are primary cardholders for certain Chase-issued MileagePlus credit cards are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades when traveling on award tickets on United-operated flights. The following credit cards qualify for this benefit:
  • United℠ Explorer Card
  • United Explorer℠ Business Card
  • United℠ Business Card
  • United Quest℠ Card
  • United Club℠ Card
  • United Club℠ Business Card
  • United Club℠ Infinite Card
  • United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card
  • United Presidential Plus Business Card

Complimentary Premier Upgrades on award tickets will be prioritized as indicated in the "Upgrade Confirmation Priority" section above, and prioritized after the lowest paid fare class within each Premier level. This benefit does not apply to companions traveling on award tickets.
New statement on companions changed late 2021?
This benefit only extends to one companion traveling on an award ticket. The companion must be traveling on the same PNR as the primary Cardmember.
Early on success in being transferred to the gate list had been spotty and many agents will claim this benefit does not exist. Since 2017 this appears to be working better.

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Consolidated CPU on Awards for UA Elites +Companion Who Hold An Eligible Chase/UA CC

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Old Mar 20, 2023, 10:26 am
  #106  
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Originally Posted by escapefromphl
Same PNR or not, I read it as companion needs to be primary CC holder as well to be on upgrade list.
There is a change in the rule this year. Last year, there were no companions allowed for CPUs on an award ticket. This year, one companion is allowed, but (as for all companion CPUs) they need to be on the same PNR.*. There is no requirement that a companion also be a cardholder; otherwise, there’d be no need for a companion rule.

Because OP booked the two tickets separately, the second passenger would only have been upgrade-eligible if they were also a primary cardholder.

* In theory, this requirement can be waived at the airport, but in practice it seems to be hit or miss.
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Old Mar 20, 2023, 11:21 am
  #107  
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Originally Posted by daviator
... We did it separately because we each wanted to use our own miles for our own booking. So we have the same itineraries, booked at the same time, for the same amount of miles. And we are both UA Gold. So we should both show up on the upgrade list, probably sequentially, right? ...
Clearly separate PNRs, so the second individual needs a qualifying credit card. Leagacy Chase UA MP cards are not eligible. PresPlus, a legacy pmCO card is and most cards post merger
You may be able to receive a Complimentary Premier Upgrade for your award travel if you’re a MileagePlus member with Premier status and a primary Cardmember of any of the following Chase-issued MileagePlus credit cards:
  • United℠ Explorer Card
  • United℠ Business Card
  • United Club℠ Card
  • United Club℠ Business Card
  • United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card
  • United Presidential Plus Business Card
  • United Quest℠ Card
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 10:55 am
  #108  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: British Columbia
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 18
Post Same ticket, same status, why is wife not on upgrade waitlist?
Booked a domestic award ticket with self and wife on same reservation. Come check-in, I'm offered to be on upgrade list (wife was not). I received complimentary upgrade, wife is not even on waitlist. There are seats available in first, but that shouldn't matter whether she gets added to the waitlist or not. Called and texted UA, but they keep repeating that CPUs are system generated and they can't add her to the waitlist.

Am I getting the runaround? Or is it truly exceptional that I received a complimentary upgrade? Other legs of the trip show "CPU requested" on my reservation (now split), hers shows none.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 10:58 am
  #109  
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Originally Posted by DouglasKelly
Booked a domestic award ticket with self and wife on same reservation. Come check-in, I'm offered to be on upgrade list (wife was not). I received complimentary upgrade, wife is not even on waitlist. There are seats available in first, but that shouldn't matter whether she gets added to the waitlist or not. Called and texted UA, but they keep repeating that CPUs are system generated and they can't add her to the waitlist.

Am I getting the runaround? Or is it truly exceptional that I received a complimentary upgrade? Other legs of the trip show "CPU requested" on my reservation (now split), hers shows none.
Award tickets are only CPU eligible if you are the primary cardholder of a United-branded Chase credit card. It sounds like you are and she is not.

Within the past year, they have extended that courtesy to one companion on the same reservation. However, it seems like it doesn’t work that well in practice, and not every employee seems to have gotten the memo. At the airport — probably not before — you should (may) be able to get her added at the bottom of the list for your status level. Since your records are now split, she’s not eligible for an upgrade on any of the remaining segments, except under this at-the-airport exception policy.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 11:24 am
  #110  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: British Columbia
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they're repeatedly claiming it is all system generated, they have no control, no option to override. We do have a United Chase card and I'm probably the primary.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 11:31 am
  #111  
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Originally Posted by DouglasKelly
they're repeatedly claiming it is all system generated, they have no control, no option to override. We do have a United Chase card and I'm probably the primary.
I believe that’s correct for phone reps. It’s certainly possible to get a companion added at the airport.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 11:45 am
  #112  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: British Columbia
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 18
still not understanding why she is not at least waitlisted nor do her reservations show "CPU Requested" as mine do. She was eligible on the original reservation as the companion and so should still be eligible. very frustrating to understand.

And very frustrating that the agents (phone or text, supervisor or not) cannot explain nor fix.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 7, 2023 at 2:14 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 11:55 am
  #113  
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Originally Posted by DouglasKelly
still not understanding why she is not at least waitlisted
An issue in their system related to the newly-added ability to have CPUs for companions on award tickets.

Originally Posted by DouglasKelly
nor do her reservations show "CPU Requested" as mine do. She was eligible on the original reservation as the companion and so should still be eligible.
Now that the reservation is split, she has lost her automatic eligibility. You will not be able to restore it.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 12:17 pm
  #114  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
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IME (back in 2020), had to manually add little_1780 to the upgrade list at the airport. Once added, he cleared right away.

UC agent was irritated and quite specific that it cannot be done over the phone.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 2:19 pm
  #115  
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Originally Posted by DouglasKelly
...She was eligible on the original reservation as the companion and so should still be eligible. .....
Why , how did the reservation get split?
The T&Cs require the companion to be on the same PNR, a voluntary split would break that link.
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Old Apr 7, 2023, 8:12 pm
  #116  
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Originally Posted by jhayes_1780 (Post # 661)
UC agent was irritated and quite specific that it cannot be done over the phone.
Based on my experience as a UA phone agent for two years (over 35 years ago), there are very many things that can be done in person at the airport that cannot be accomplished telephonically.
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Old Apr 8, 2023, 6:51 pm
  #117  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Originally Posted by SPN Lifer
Based on my experience as a UA phone agent for two years (over 35 years ago), there are very many things that can be done in person at the airport that cannot be accomplished telephonically.
and I should clarify…. She wasn’t irritated with me or the request, just irritated the system couldn’t handle it automatically
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Old Apr 10, 2023, 5:00 pm
  #118  
 
Join Date: May 2011
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On long haul international award tickets if you take the cash upgrade from coach to PremuimPlus does that just book you into PremiumPlus award inventory or does it look like a revenue purchase where you are now eligible to be upgraded to business class with PP or miles?
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Old Apr 10, 2023, 7:22 pm
  #119  
Ari
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Originally Posted by musing
On long haul international award tickets if you take the cash upgrade from coach to PremuimPlus does that just book you into PremiumPlus award inventory or does it look like a revenue purchase where you are now eligible to be upgraded to business class with PP or miles?
YMMV, but can always cancel and refund within 24 hours if dissatisfied with the result.
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Old Apr 10, 2023, 8:18 pm
  #120  
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Originally Posted by Ari
YMMV, but can always cancel and refund within 24 hours if dissatisfied with the result.
There is no grace period for upgrade purchases. They're immediately final.
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