UA: When are your upgrades clearing?

Old Jan 20, 2013, 12:46 pm
  #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...
ElliottMB is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 12:59 pm
  #47  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,773
Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
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.
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.
limey1K is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 1:12 pm
  #48  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Rewards - LTPP
Posts: 4,240
Originally Posted by limey1K
.

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.
SDC perhaps? People (not saying you) are VERY quick to always go to the old "TOD" favorite, but the fact is pmCO's SDC policy was much more generous than pmUA's. I'm not defending UA or TODs, but what was a sure thing on pmUA or pmCO is a different animal in the new carrier.
njcommodore is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 1:44 pm
  #49  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1P; HH Diamond; MR Gold
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by sgbani
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.
Had a similar experience as a Gold. LAX-IAD on 24 Dec and return on 29 Dec. I believe both cleared at T-48. There were at least 12 seats open in biz at T-96.
adrocky is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 2:00 pm
  #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.
exerda is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 2:05 pm
  #51  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
Originally Posted by limey1K

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.
Since 3/3 I've never ridden in steerage on a "G" fare and that has been approximately 40/50 - "57's & 37's" btw LAS & IAH/DEN/ORD. 319' & 320's that's another story and I'm about 40/50% on these, especially BWI-LAX.

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.
LilAbner is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 2:09 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicago
Programs: United 1K
Posts: 477
You never know

Originally Posted by PHLGovFlyer
I'm 1K and have had them clear at 96 hours, 62 hours (happened earlier today for a flight late Monday), 23 hours, at the gate, and never.

YMMV
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."
uber1K_Flyer is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 2:10 pm
  #53  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SLC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 493
Total mix for me. On my last trip 1 at T-96, 1 at about T-12, and one not at all. All of them ExPlus on a mini-jet.
eflyte is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 3:30 pm
  #54  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,925
Originally Posted by limey1K
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.
Not personal and definitely not challenging your experiences - just saying a lot of people want to blame people paying literally tens of dollars as the reason for their seat loss. I've grabbed remaining 1st seatat last minute on misconnects. Maybe someone paid the $159 buy up you were offered. Maybe someone bought a last minute fare. Maybe shenanigans. It's all there. At the end of the day, UA promises CPUs if space is available and as early as 96 hours out for. UA does in fact provide CPUs if space is available and as early as 96 hours out. In an earlier post you said you have a problem with their marketing promises because of your experiences. I'm just saying there's no evidence UA doesn't provide what they're promising.
IAH-OIL-TRASH is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 3:34 pm
  #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
milkeystar is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 3:47 pm
  #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.
villox is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 9:50 pm
  #57  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum Plus
Posts: 166
Originally Posted by uber1K_Flyer
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."
Ditto... It's a crap shoot. I was Gold a couple years back... About 10% success rate back then... Now only 1Ks really have any odds...
Ugleeual is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2013, 7:35 am
  #58  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Tampa
Programs: UA Global Services and 3MM, Lifetime Hilton Diamond/Marriott Titanium Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 250
GS and first booked full with upgrades and I am # 4 on standby list... Hard to get upgraded even as a GS...
KevinPK1 is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2013, 7:42 am
  #59  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,840
Originally Posted by villox
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.
Same happened to me this weekend. Was in coach at check-in and a minute after completing check-in I got the upgrade Email.
cfischer is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2013, 10:12 am
  #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.

Last edited by NgatesSEA; Jan 21, 2013 at 10:29 am
NgatesSEA is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.