UA: When are your upgrades clearing?
#46
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Minneapolis MN
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 488
Lowly silver, had two or three clear at T-24 which was very exciting (early morning BOS-LAX and a SFO-LAX hop or two)! Only won a battlefield upgrade once (SFO-PHL with a group of 4 no-showing, very lucky!). I suppose it makes it all the more enjoyable when they do...
#47
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,773
It is what it is. You don't know if it's being sold to someone else for less, but I get the feeling your assumption is that it is. UAs decided there was too much capacity (and with it, too many 1st seats). I benefit from being flexible and on a route (LAX-OGG) that it would be hard to reduce the number of 1st seats. You aren't going to see regional jets, 319/320, smaller 73s flying to Maui.
UA promises upgrades AS EARLY as 96 hrs out, and I get them (and others get them) on routes with a lot of available seats. You're on a route with lesser capacity now and you're complaining that you're not getting the same upgrades you used to get and assume theyre being sold for less to others. In you case, you're right - why stay with UA? UA doesn't want to increase capacity solely so you can get free upgrades. Some day I may face the same capacity reduction and may not get the upgrades at the window (if at all) that I get now. I'll make a decision then, but certainly won't be blaming UA for changing capacity or imaginary people stripping me of my upgrade.
UA promises upgrades AS EARLY as 96 hrs out, and I get them (and others get them) on routes with a lot of available seats. You're on a route with lesser capacity now and you're complaining that you're not getting the same upgrades you used to get and assume theyre being sold for less to others. In you case, you're right - why stay with UA? UA doesn't want to increase capacity solely so you can get free upgrades. Some day I may face the same capacity reduction and may not get the upgrades at the window (if at all) that I get now. I'll make a decision then, but certainly won't be blaming UA for changing capacity or imaginary people stripping me of my upgrade.
Imaginary people? Not sure what that means but two FC seats at T-96 and 2 FC seats open at check-in and T-1. Those same seats were booked by the time we boarded and I was still #1 on the Waitlist. Those seats were sold or given away to other people. I'm not begrudging UA for selling them if they could. I stated that initially but there's nothing "imaginary" about the people that got the seats.
I happy for you that your on such a CPU friendly route most of the time. There's plenty of us on here that are not and that means our experiences are no less valid than yours.
#48
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Rewards - LTPP
Posts: 4,240
.
Imaginary people? Not sure what that means but two FC seats at T-96 and 2 FC seats open at check-in and T-1. Those same seats were booked by the time we boarded and I was still #1 on the Waitlist. Those seats were sold or given away to other people. I'm not begrudging UA for selling them if they could. I stated that initially but there's nothing "imaginary" about the people that got the seats.
I happy for you that your on such a CPU friendly route most of the time. There's plenty of us on here that are not and that means our experiences are no less valid than yours.
Imaginary people? Not sure what that means but two FC seats at T-96 and 2 FC seats open at check-in and T-1. Those same seats were booked by the time we boarded and I was still #1 on the Waitlist. Those seats were sold or given away to other people. I'm not begrudging UA for selling them if they could. I stated that initially but there's nothing "imaginary" about the people that got the seats.
I happy for you that your on such a CPU friendly route most of the time. There's plenty of us on here that are not and that means our experiences are no less valid than yours.
#49
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1P; HH Diamond; MR Gold
Posts: 83
in December 2012, a number of rescheduled flights due to weather and extra flights in service allowed me to get s few CPU as UA Gold at the T-48r mark. IND-IAD cleared at T-48 while IAD-IAH cleared at <T-24. The following week, IAH-IAD cleared at T-48.
I have had a few others clear at T-48 as well. Although the routes I had were not always full planes.
I have had a few others clear at T-48 as well. Although the routes I had were not always full planes.
#50
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,012
My most recent: cleared about T-12. Required that I call; my RPU dropped off the res at check-in, and I was plummeting down the CPU list. Voila; EF sends me an alert that R is available, which I verified on .bomb. A quick call to the 1K desk got me the seat--which I think I would have lost had I waited for "the system" to handle it, given I "jumped" a half dozen pax on the list by calling. But darn it, I had used a RPU,so that seat was mine.
#51
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
So it's the size of the aircraft, the time and day of the week, planning, and luck, with a few cancelled flights thrown in to totally bugger up everything.
As others have mentioned these are "Complimentary", and free, so I have no complaints.
#52
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicago
Programs: United 1K
Posts: 477
You never know
Upgrades clear whenever without a clear rhyme or reason. And there is no way to know if things are even working correctly. I actually find the list that is generated after you check in absolutely useless. I've had several instances where it looked good up until a few minutes before "boarding" only to get moved down and not upgraded. Clearly bogus "transparency."
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,925
Not sure why this has to become personal. I stated MY experiences with upgrades. I didn't blame UA for changing capacity. They changed it and its negatively impacted my success rate.
Imaginary people? Not sure what that means but two FC seats at T-96 and 2 FC seats open at check-in and T-1. Those same seats were booked by the time we boarded and I was still #1 on the Waitlist. Those seats were sold or given away to other people. I'm not begrudging UA for selling them if they could. I stated that initially but there's nothing "imaginary" about the people that got the seats.
I happy for you that your on such a CPU friendly route most of the time. There's plenty of us on here that are not and that means our experiences are no less valid than yours.
Imaginary people? Not sure what that means but two FC seats at T-96 and 2 FC seats open at check-in and T-1. Those same seats were booked by the time we boarded and I was still #1 on the Waitlist. Those seats were sold or given away to other people. I'm not begrudging UA for selling them if they could. I stated that initially but there's nothing "imaginary" about the people that got the seats.
I happy for you that your on such a CPU friendly route most of the time. There's plenty of us on here that are not and that means our experiences are no less valid than yours.
#55
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 6
I had a transatlantic flight on B class, added 35,000 miles and was pending upgrade to business. Got cleared 24 hours before departure.
Today I used my SWU for an upgrade on another transatlantic flight and they mentioned on the phone that most likely I'll be cleared on the gate before boarding but bam I just got upgraded again 24 hours before departure.
So I guess that either I'm lucky, or the flights I'm on are really empty? :-)
Either way I'm happy I'll board the flight tomorrow night and go to sleep zzzzzzz instead of being stuck in coach
Today I used my SWU for an upgrade on another transatlantic flight and they mentioned on the phone that most likely I'll be cleared on the gate before boarding but bam I just got upgraded again 24 hours before departure.
So I guess that either I'm lucky, or the flights I'm on are really empty? :-)
Either way I'm happy I'll board the flight tomorrow night and go to sleep zzzzzzz instead of being stuck in coach
#56
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
I have a flight ORD-MCO that just crossed the 96 hour window. I wasn't expecting a CPU just yet because the flight is showing at R0 (and yes I know it's not a perfect indicator). There are currently 18 unassigned seats in F and it's F9.
What gets me is that I can never discern any rhyme or reason for why a flight sometimes has R inventory and sometimes does not. This flight originally was R9 - I used an RPU to upgrade a companion on a separate PNR, figuring my chances were pretty good to clear with CPU. We'll see!
The last time I had a CPU clear I actually cleared AT check-in, which lends credence to the explanation that the CPU sweep within T-24 actually runs on every checkin.
What gets me is that I can never discern any rhyme or reason for why a flight sometimes has R inventory and sometimes does not. This flight originally was R9 - I used an RPU to upgrade a companion on a separate PNR, figuring my chances were pretty good to clear with CPU. We'll see!
The last time I had a CPU clear I actually cleared AT check-in, which lends credence to the explanation that the CPU sweep within T-24 actually runs on every checkin.
#57
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum Plus
Posts: 166
Upgrades clear whenever without a clear rhyme or reason. And there is no way to know if things are even working correctly. I actually find the list that is generated after you check in absolutely useless. I've had several instances where it looked good up until a few minutes before "boarding" only to get moved down and not upgraded. Clearly bogus "transparency."
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,840
Same happened to me this weekend. Was in coach at check-in and a minute after completing check-in I got the upgrade Email.
#60
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy BS, Hertz & Avis Pres
Posts: 653
Sat morning (1/19) DEN-ORD on a 777 and ORD-PHL on a DirecTV 73: 777 upgrade cleared at T-47:55, the ORD-PHL upgrade cleared at about T-29.
Interestingly, I called UA after the first flight cleared and the second went inside of T-48 without clearing even with "R=9." DON'T jump all over me - I know that R space does not equal a complimentary upgrade but I have had some luck in the past getting phone reps to push the upgrades for me based on R space availability. After the CS rep put me on hold three times and at least appeared to be trying to force the upgrade, the CS agent said "I have been told that R has 'sub-buckets' of fare classes for buy-ups and Y/B/M-ups," which was why my upgrade hadn't cleared.
Interestingly, I called UA after the first flight cleared and the second went inside of T-48 without clearing even with "R=9." DON'T jump all over me - I know that R space does not equal a complimentary upgrade but I have had some luck in the past getting phone reps to push the upgrades for me based on R space availability. After the CS rep put me on hold three times and at least appeared to be trying to force the upgrade, the CS agent said "I have been told that R has 'sub-buckets' of fare classes for buy-ups and Y/B/M-ups," which was why my upgrade hadn't cleared.
Last edited by NgatesSEA; Jan 21, 2013 at 10:29 am