I just bought four tickets to Hawaii on separate PNRs, but I chose them because the outbound flight was R4 and the inbound was R5. Then, I began processing the upgrades using regionals/globals and after I got to the third ticket the remaining space disappeared. Of course, it could be that someone scooped up the remaining seat on the outbound and the two seats on the return, but those flights are 6 months from now and the R availability was the same for the past few weeks (so, possible but seems like an odd coincidence).

My question is this: did I somehow trigger something in United's computer system where it saw three upgrade seats redeemed in close succession and pulled the rest until inventory management or someone can review the loads? Right now the system won't even let me process the fourth and final ticket to be on a waitlist--it just gives me an error message. That further stokes my suspicion that this is maybe a website issue...

Thanks in advance for any insights you all may have.

Muckus

Update... About 10 minutes later and the flights are R1 and R2 now as they should be. Maybe this answers my question; confirming that I did trigger something in their system. Has anyone noticed this before?

I've seen this. I've had R9 before booking on a W fare and then after booking it went to R0. The next day it was R5 and I was able to use GPU's.

This just happened to me this morning. I booked an SEA-EWR-FLL flight. The EWR-FLL was R6 before I pulled the trigger and bought the ticket. Then that segment showed up as waitlisted. I went back and "voilá" R0.

I actually called the "1K" desk, and the guy was quite helpful. He couldn't open the space, but said, "I wouldn't worry too much about this clearing."

Since an instrument upgrade with 1K trumps a lot of other upgrade options, I feel cautiously optimistic. It's a 6:30 am departure on Wednesday with what appears to be an empty forward cabin. I just like the reassurance of seeing that it's cleared. Now I have to wait up to six weeks to see if that actually comes to fruition.

All HOD/TODs by whatever status trump all instruments.

If my upgrade window comes and goes without the upgrade clearing, I lower my expectations to a coin-toss chance of getting in F. If the upgrade still hasn't cleared at T-24, I set expectations to 0. As mentioned, TODs rule on game day!

You'll have no problem with that clearing...especially if you truly saw the flight was R=6 before you applied your instrument. At least one seat will be released, if not more. I hope you have an EF subscription so that you can be alerted when R opens up. UA is very slow in processing waitlists when R opens up, if they process them at all.

-RM

Why didn't you process the upgrades while booking?

They may have done the same thing with the space after you got a few, but why force yourself to wait the random time for ticketing before you can upgrade when you can do it all in one transaction?

can not do that with RPUs or GPUs -- must be ticketed first.

GPU/RPU inv goes from 9 to 0 in 24hrs?
 

I am trying to upgrade myself (1k),Wife, and 2 other people using 3 RPU and 1 GPU. Yesterday there was 9 seats on flight one from phx to den, but it wouldn’t let me upgrade and the box showed grayed out. i figured oh well i will call in the am, now it shows waitlist only.. and FC is wide open. this is a 757 so kind of confused why it’s all for sale now and no upgrades are allowed?
could this be am equipment swap??

Highly unlikely it's an equipment swap. The R availability flucuates on a daily basis. It's not unusual to see R9 today and then R0 tomorrow and the cabin still appear to be empty. Lesson learned by many of us is that when you see R>0 don't wait at all.

As a sidenote, are you swimming in RPU/GPU's? The PHX-DEN flight seems like a waste of an upgrade, especially a GPU. Just my unsolicited opinion.

I just booked an IAD--FLR r/t through FRA for MsHalls120 and I, and everything worked as advertised. :eek: ;)

IAD-FRA was R3, FRA-IAD was R4. made the reservation on the website, got the purchase confirmation in four minutes, went back in to use GPUs for ugrading, worked without incident. Checked the fare class afterwards, and the flights now show R1 and R2.

Maybe they are getting the bugs out of the system! ^

R availability changes constantly. If FC is open you they will probably open up some R fares at some point.

Yes it does - but it shouldn't be dropping this drastically mid-transaction:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...rt-change.html

I re-read the OP's post and it seems that some details may be missing. Was there R9 or were there just nine open seats in FC on the seatmap? If there was R9 yesterday did you try to upgrade yesterday or this morning? The title of the thread led me to believe the R inventory changed from yesterday to this morning and not that it changed yesterday during the upgrade process.

GPU/RPU inv goes from 9 to 0 in 24hrs?
 

No biggie I guess it's a Sunday flight in late February. I could probs have them put me an wife in ug list when I get to the airport. We are actually going from phx-Oma I am going to take new job and won't be traveling this year so figured use them or loose them!