BeerFlyer1

Hi FT-ers,

First time posting - your advice has helped on many occasions!

My husband has been a 1P for many years, and I have been 1P or 2P. We have not been flying as much in 2012, so will be 2P for hubby and GM for me in 2013 .

We are traveling to Mexico in Feb 2013 - will UA sweep us out of E+ for any reason? If not, do we risk losing E+ if there is an equipment change or any other flight disruption?

Thanks - your advice is appreciated!

WineCountryUA

Welcome to FT!, BeerFlyer1

There is no 1P or 2P anymore it is Silver/Gold/Plat/1K/GS

it is hard to predict what the new UA will do when status updates in February, but recent history would suggest there will not be a status sweep at that time. However, aircraft change or irrops could definitively create a problem.

transparent

This happened to my parents on a flight I booked using their MP numbers for them-- both had lost their status after curtailing flying (my dad from Plat and mom from Gold). Some time after they lost status but before the flight, they lost their E+ seats. I only noticed because I was confirming the reservation--no notice was given, and had to call in and convince a nice agent to help.

I would keep monitoring the flight and call in to make your case if it goes away.

mre5765

There is no case to make. Free E+ is granted for status at time of flight.

If one wants E+ then get status, pay for it, or be prepared to sit in E- when the sweep comes.

gobluetwo

The thing folks are overlooking is that husband will be Silver. The question is whether they will sweep the Silver and companion out of E+ because they're technically not eligible to select E+ without a fee until 24 hours before flight time, or if they'll remain in those seats.

As transparent suggested, keep an eye on your seat assignments from Feb 1 until the day before your flight to see if there are any changes to your seat assignments. At the very least, you'll be able to select E+ 24 hours before your scheduled departure time, and any equipment changes through January shouldn't be an issue, as your husband will still be (Gold? Plat?).

vandesa

I had this happen at the beginning of the year.

I did not lose my seats already selected in E+, as I was allowed to book them at time of booking. They remained selected even though I dropped in level. I travel and kept my E+ selected seat. Now I dropped from Gold to Silver which still allowed me access to E+, so perhaps that is the difference.

So mine did not get removed prior to travel.

I am back up to 1K so not an issue any more thankfully.

Long Zhiren

I suppose lounge access changes with status almost instantaneously though.
What's 1P or 2P? I was always UA Silver/Gold etc except between 2002 and 2011 when I went to CO (only to get merged back in to UA). Is that when 1P or 2P occurred? I think UA had Plat way back when but by the time of the CO merger, it was a new reincarnated adoption of CO practices. 1K & GS seem like rather new terminology too.

danM

These are the shorthands for the old United caste system, and have been around since, well, the dawn of FlyerTalk time (except for GS, which was added later):

2P = Premier (now silver)
1P = Premier Executive (now gold)
1K = 1K (still 1K)
GS = Global Services, the revenue-based super-class above 1K

danM

My experience with this was with regard to the 3/3 merger conversion -- As a premier/Silver, I booked a lot of travel on 3/2 (before the rules changed) specifically in order to pick E+ seats in advance.

In a few cases, there were equipment changes which resulted in loss of my seats. In those cases, I was able to call up and point out that I'd originally had E+ seating (which they could see), and at that point they were more than willing to move me into E+ seats without a charge.

That might be something unique to the 3/3 conversion and rules change -- they might not be as accommodating when the issue is loss of UA status.

So, I'd definitely book as much travel as you can before you lose your status, and then cross your fingers. If an equipment or schedule change boots you out, call and see what they say (and report back)

sdub2012

My family and I are supposed to travel to SFO over the holidays. Since I am 1k, I was able to get everyone in E+ and together when booking. Unfortunately, I had to change my flight due to a client meeting, and now I am hearing that my family may not have E+, or much of a seat pref at check-in because I am no longer traveling with them. Is there anything I can do to retain them in E+?

hobo13

What do you mean 'you are hearing'? Why did you ask? Often it's best to leave well enough alone.

And welcome to FT.

SEA1K4EVR

There is a decent chance that if you just split yourself off the reservation they'll retain their existing seat assignments. However if that doesn't happen the only way you can get them back there is to pay the E+ fee. The 1K benefit is for traveling companions..not people on another flight.

alex_b

If you don't touch their seat assignments there is a high chance that you splitting off/changing/cancelling will not change anything, but if there is an equipment swap or other need to reassign seats, you're correct that they'll tumble to the bottom of the queue for seating assignments.

craz

[QUOTE=sdub2012;19849613 Is there anything I can do to retain them in E+?[/QUOTE]

as others have said they should slip thru as long as nothing changes plane change etc etc To be 100% sure they retain E+ the only thing you can do is call UA and pay for it, are they flying with only Carry-ons? otherwise w/o you along they will be Dinged for checked bag fees and then if the rep sees they are in E+ and shouldnt be may yank them out of it or if they are skycaps you can use them and they most likely wont pay attention to them being in E+.Of cause teh bags may slip by as well since it should have been indicated from the get go $0 due to your status but once you dropped off no way to know how Shares will handle it

what the routing?

gobluetwo

If it is an award reservation, you have nothing to fear, as travelers inherit the status of the account from which the tickets were issued. So if you made an award reservation out of your account for someone else, even if you aren't traveling, their reservation would show your status.

I have confirmed this with multiple awards post-March 3 integration, most recently with my wife and 2 daughters to Hawaii over Thanksgiving (I was on a separate revenue ticket).

If the tickets were revenue (ie, you paid for them), I have no idea what will happen. Defer to the above responses.