I'm on UA90/UA85 (EWR/TLV/EWR) next month with H fare, GPUs applied. No R inventory on either flight. J7, JN7, C4, D0, Z0, ZN0, P0, PN0, R0, RN0, IN0, I0. I've been checking every few days for R inventory but so far, bupkis.

Is TLV still a tough upgrade? I got it twice last year using CO SWU pre-3/3 but the rules have changed.

Return shows J9, JN9, C9, D9, Z9, ZN9, P2, PN2, R0, RN0, IN0, I0. Seatmap wide open. Not worried.

I'd guess you will never SEE R>0 because if you have a GPU applied, it's going to upgrade you and zero out instantly.

Oh, heh, good point.

I've seen FT threads where people have had a GPU applied, but not cleared, they happened to see R inventory then called MP and had the upgrade applied manually. Hope this isn't the case anymore (and yeah I'm a 1K n00b).

I think that problem is gone now that you can see the applied upgrades in your itinerary.

I'm looking for opinions on this itinerary for December 11:
Which do you think would have the better option for an upgrade from Y to C? I list the F availability because I assume that at least SOME people will upgrade from C to F.

(Looking for both first AND second best choices.)

IAD-NRT V fare (13/40 C seats and 7/8 F seats showing available on the 777)
IAH-NRT Q fare (15/50 C seats and 0/0 F seats showing available on the 777)
ORD-NRT Q fare (16/52 C seats and 4/12 F seats showing available on the 747)

Tough call, IMO.

TLV is still a very hard upgrade. If you are on the waiting list, then best case scenario is you clear a few days before the flight (pretty unlikely), second-best case is that you clear at the gate (50-50), worst case scenario is you sit in the back.... at least that is my experience...

What does this statement really mean?

If you fly AAA-BBB-CCC and AAA-BBB is domestic and BBB-CCC is international and you get UG on the domestic portion AAA-BBB but you don't clear on the international portion BBB-CCC, then you get the GPU back?

I've never been able to figure out what "BusinessFirst" is. Is it business or is it first?

If you got upgraded on the domestic portion, then, you were upgraded into first, right? Or, if AAA-BBB was on a 3-cabin domestic section, then you got upgraded into business, right?

This terminology of not referring to business as business and not referring to first as first but rather referring to an undefined thing called businessfirst causes nothing to make sense for me anymore.

The answer to your first question is yes.


Second question is a bit more complicated:
BusinessFirst is a relic of CO which did not have international F. However they felt that their C was better than the average C (the seats certainly were!!) so they picked a name that was halfway between C and F.

Unfortunately the new UA has kept this terminology for all international C, which is bad because it seems to apply to regular C and even the very poor C on some of the old planes that have domestic F-type seats (loungers) rather than lie flat seating. This C should be called Business and NOT BusinessFirst, IMO.

I'd be disappointed if a GPU cleared on a segment containing these old C seats, but not on a transoceanic segment and I lost it.

The answers to your last two questions are yes, and yes.

this might help

United Business and BusinessFirst

United First and United Global First

I have not seen this problem anymore within the last month.

actually I have in past 2 weeks but it was only hours after the inventory was released (after T-24) and noticed by EF. Was on a PS flight and quickly cleared after calling.

I saw it last week.

At least they have not started calling E+ EconomyBusiness. ;)

Yikes. Time to renew Expertflyer.

Still confusing
 

This "Business vs BF" is not as clear as it could be:

It lists one destination area as "Latin America" for "Business" vs "South America" for BF. Anyone know the difference? Also, they sell business seats on p.s., to Hawaii and other domestic routes. It's not mentioned.

The "Business" picture shows people in the lie-flat BF seats, apparently from a PMCO 767 w/ the 2-1-2 layout, not the old recliner chairs. However, that's not what's available on many "Business" planes, such as PMCO 762, 76H, or 764 v1, old PMUA 777 or p.s. 757. Lie-flat is what's expected from BF, not Business. I know it says they're being phased out for transoceanic travel, but selling recliner chairs as BF, not the other way around that's the main concern.

Need a mileage plus account to use a GPU?
 

A friend is going to apply one of his GPUs to my reservation for me. I fly US, so will be accruing with my US account. Just a sanity check that I don't have to have a MP account to apply the GPU?

No, you do not need a MP account for your friend to apply his GPU to one of your reservations.