Oct 2, 2015, 2:45 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Upgrading award tickets
New statement on companions changed late 2021?
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.
Previous thread
Consolidated CPU on Awards for UA Premiers Who Hold An Eligible Chase/UA CC {ARCHIVE}
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:
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.
- 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 only extends to one companion traveling on an award ticket. The companion must be traveling on the same PNR as the primary Cardmember.
Previous thread
Consolidated CPU on Awards for UA Premiers Who Hold An Eligible Chase/UA CC {ARCHIVE}
Consolidated CPU on Awards for UA Elites +Companion Who Hold An Eligible Chase/UA CC
Sep 13, 2023, 1:42 pm
#136
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1MM/1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 6,830
Sep 19, 2023, 12:26 pm
#138
Join Date: Sep 2023
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 1
UA complimentary premier upgrade on domestic award tickets
I'm holding Premier Silver status with United Airlines and also carrying a United Explorer credit card. I have two award bookings that I'm a confused about how CPU eligibility applies. One booking is for an IAD-LAS nonstop flight that I have NOT seen CPU Eligible in the booking details. The other booking is for a later, international flight with layover in Houston. The first leg of the international flight is for DCA-IAH which I see CPU Eligible in the booking details. Both domestic award tickets have the same XN fare class for flights taking off while my Premier Silver status is still in effect. I do not understand why one domestic award flight is eligible for complimentary premier upgrade and the other is not. Can anyone shed some light on this inconsistency in complimentary premier upgrade eligibility on domestic award tickets? Thanks in advance!
Sep 19, 2023, 1:20 pm
#139
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
If there are no more than two passengers on the reservation, both of your flights should be CPU-eligible. It's possible that UA got confused -- maybe you weren't yet Silver, or didn't have the Explorer card, when you booked IAD-LAS?
Regardless, I wouldn't invest a lot of time worrying about it. The chances of a Silver clearing a CPU on an IAD-LAS award ticket are virtually nil.
Last edited by jsloan; Sep 19, 2023 at 4:18 pm Reason: Had incorrect word -- thanks econ
Sep 19, 2023, 3:52 pm
#140
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Total Wine & More Reserve
Posts: 4,483
Sep 19, 2023, 4:18 pm
#141
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
Thanks.
Nov 16, 2023, 2:25 pm
#143
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,759
Nov 16, 2023, 2:45 pm
#144
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
Note that this is CPU routes only . So, yes, some international, such as Canada, but this isn't going to get you an upgrade on Polaris-marketed flights.
Nov 16, 2023, 11:55 pm
#145
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 10
I booked an HND-SFO-AUS award using UA miles. The HND-SFO leg is booked in I, while SFO-AUS is booked in XN. I have the UA Explorer Biz CC (no status) but I don't see Upgrade Requested anywhere on SFO-AUS. Is it supposed to be there, or do I have to contact UA to add myself in? I know I probably won't clear the upgrade anyway, but I'm curious.
Nov 17, 2023, 12:40 am
#146
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,350
I booked an HND-SFO-AUS award using UA miles. The HND-SFO leg is booked in I, while SFO-AUS is booked in XN. I have the UA Explorer Biz CC (no status) but I don't see Upgrade Requested anywhere on SFO-AUS. Is it supposed to be there, or do I have to contact UA to add myself in? I know I probably won't clear the upgrade anyway, but I'm curious.
You could potentially try to waitlist for I, if you can find someone who knows how to do that.
Either way, your chances of getting info F on that route are slim.
Apr 12, 2024, 4:53 am
#147
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: UA Platinum, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 201
Husband (1K) and I (Plat) are booked on UA award ticket on same PNR. 3 segments, first two of which are LH J and F, followed by UA Y.
I didn’t think we would be eligible for CPU (although husband is UA Chase cardholder) but we appeared on UG list at 2 and 3.
On checking in with LH husband is still 2 but I dropped to position 10.
Is any of this functioning as intended? More importantly is there any way to get me back up the UG list. Currently 13/16 booked so no guarantee I know but don’t want to miss out if I could get last UG.
I didn’t think we would be eligible for CPU (although husband is UA Chase cardholder) but we appeared on UG list at 2 and 3.
On checking in with LH husband is still 2 but I dropped to position 10.
Is any of this functioning as intended? More importantly is there any way to get me back up the UG list. Currently 13/16 booked so no guarantee I know but don’t want to miss out if I could get last UG.
