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CPUs improving ?
I've noticed that in 2013 (and esp post Feb 1), my CPU success rate (and position in waitlist queue) has drastically improved.
Anyone else experiencing the same (or the opposite) ? ps : i'm EWR based |
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Not on my end ex-SFO. Opposite experience. |
I'm 100% this year, but then again I'm based in HNL, not exactly an elite hub.
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Limited experience this year with UA domestic, but not seeing any improvement at all.
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DEN-SJC, good < 50%
DEN-SFO, bad 0% |
I was thinking the same thing just now as I got an email saying that the afternoon ORD-PVD flight I booked at 3:00 this morning had been upgraded. 1K on a Q fare. They were trying to sell the upgrade to me at check in for $109 but at T-3 hours they cleared me and someone else off the wait list.
I've had very good success recently with upgrades clearing recently it seems. Seems like more flights are clearing at the 1K window, and I've even had some success with battlefield upgrades, including SDC/standby for earlier flights, which were almost unheard of at the old United. |
About the same for me out of SEA...~50% (I was 95% before 3/3).
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Limited experience on domestic, but I'm 50%, or 1 out of 2 both LAX/SFO
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I've been lucky - I'm a Silver and 4/5 on CPU's this year so far, but mostly due to traveling off days, touristy destinations and fortunate equipment swaps.
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Originally Posted by demkr
(Post 20503256)
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Not on my end ex-SFO. Opposite experience. |
Originally Posted by Yoshihirokun
(Post 20503349)
I've been lucky - I'm a Silver and 4/5 on CPU's this year so far, but mostly due to traveling off days, touristy destinations and fortunate equipment swaps.
As a 1K, my upgrade percentage on low fares (e.g. G) is zero. My upgrade percentage on expensive fares (V or better) is about 80%. |
Originally Posted by bldr1k
(Post 20503371)
The level of premier really doesn't seem to matter much anymore since the upgrades are sorted by fare.
As a 1K, my upgrade percentage on low fares (e.g. G) is zero. My upgrade percentage on expensive fares (V or better) is about 80%. |
I have been having absolutely atrocious luck with CPUs as a 1K out of EWR. I think I've ended #1 on the list 5 times, including one time going from #1 with 5 available at T-12 to #1 with 0 available at boarding. I actually had a better percentage last year when I was still a Platinum. Routing through LGA seems to help a little, but not much.
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I fly out of EWR and haven't noticed any improvement. I've just kind of resigned to using regional upgrades or miles for those flights I really need to be in a better seat.
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Originally Posted by bldr1k
(Post 20503371)
The level of premier really doesn't seem to matter much anymore since the upgrades are sorted by fare.
As a 1K, my upgrade percentage on low fares (e.g. G) is zero. My upgrade percentage on expensive fares (V or better) is about 80%. |
Originally Posted by fjfv19
(Post 20503420)
I have been having absolutely atrocious luck with CPUs as a 1K out of EWR. I think I've ended #1 on the list 5 times, including one time going from #1 with 5 available at T-12 to #1 with 0 available at boarding. I actually had a better percentage last year when I was still a Platinum. Routing through LGA seems to help a little, but not much.
If American had a flight to Asia out of SEA or if Delta would allow SWUs to be used on reasonably priced economy fares I would switch so fast you'd hear a sonic boom. |
I don't even bother checking anymore, since I'm SFO and EWR based. 0 for forever. My ex EWR flights are the businessperson's Sunday afternoon specials, and when I used to look I was always in the teens on the list.
bt |
CPU % static for me 2013 vs 2012. I've experienced a noticable improvement in operations and in-flight staff since 1st quarter of last year.
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Originally Posted by sknyski
(Post 20503540)
I don't even bother checking anymore
My domestic flights are pretty much all transcons, IAD-SFO/LAX so I don't even bother checking. At his point I just redeem miles if I really want the upgrade. |
Originally Posted by andyh64000
(Post 20503510)
Yeah that is the most frustrating part. Then you walk through the F cabin and see people in the previously available seats without a MP account on their BPs and know they just paid tens of dollars to upgrade.
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Originally Posted by njcommodore
(Post 20503734)
You shouldn't make that assumption, despite what others on this board will try to tell you. Lots of ways to get into the F cabin without an upgrade including paid F, sponsored certificates (GPUs, RPUs) and miles. And for the record I'm at 85% out of EWR, including an upgrade on a mileage ticket.
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Mine have gone down this year below even what they were last year. It may be that because I'm paying similar amounts if not slightly more for my fares, the classes of those fares have fallen.
E.g. $600 for a mid-con in T, when last year that would have been $550 for a V or $600 for a Q. I'm also seeing markets where the T fare is double what the S or W fare was last year.
Originally Posted by bldr1k
(Post 20503371)
My upgrade percentage on expensive fares (V or better) is about 80%.
However, I'll add that my success on V and Q fares this year when I've booked them is very poor. |
Doing pretty well with upgrades, but the vast majority have been instrument supported. For CPUs I'm 2/3, with the one miss coming on the SEA-IAD redeye on a Sunday evening. I was #1 on the list after upgrades had been doled out.
Truth be told, for that flight I was much happier in 7A on the 319 than I would have been in 1A because of legroom limitations. |
Not for me. Sitting in the back a lot. I typically book a few weeks out and can pretty reliably predict whether the CPU will clear based on the current load in the F cabin and my fare class.
While this is probably the subject of a different thread, there's clearly something afoot on some of these flights where I'm way down the list. This week, DEN-FLL flight. Flight was mid-day and mid-week to a tourist destination in the height of spring break season. This was not a typical Thursday or Friday night hub-to-hub flight. I finished #7 on the upgrade list on a pmUA 757 (24 seats in F). According to the mobile app, about half the folks in F were "upgraded" by some means or another. The other half apparently "booked" some variant of F or don't show on the mobile app as upgraded. There's no way to convince me that:
So I'm forced to conclude either they are (a) extremely successful at selling F seats at reduced rates, either through V-UP type fares or ToDs, either at booking or at check-in, and/or (b) the CPU algorithm isn't really as advertised. I'm slowly becoming convinced that (b) is a possibility as well somehow. |
Originally Posted by njcommodore
(Post 20503734)
You shouldn't make that assumption, despite what others on this board will try to tell you. Lots of ways to get into the F cabin without an upgrade including paid F, sponsored certificates (GPUs, RPUs) and miles. And for the record I'm at 85% out of EWR, including an upgrade on a mileage ticket.
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Originally Posted by andyh64000
(Post 20503967)
Except when you see 5 seats available when looking at the upgrade list and the open seats in the seatmap and then glance at the BPs of the pax who now occupy those seats when they filled without moving the UG list.
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Originally Posted by bmr12
Not for me. Sitting in the back a lot. I typically book a few weeks out and can pretty reliably predict whether the CPU will clear based on the current load in the F cabin and my fare class.
While this is probably the subject of a different thread, there's clearly something afoot on some of these flights where I'm way down the list. This week, DEN-FLL flight. Flight was mid-day and mid-week to a tourist destination in the height of spring break season. This was not a typical Thursday or Friday night hub-to-hub flight. I finished #7 on the upgrade list on a pmUA 757 (24 seats in F). According to the mobile app, about half the folks in F were "upgraded" by some means or another. The other half apparently "booked" some variant of F or don't show on the mobile app as upgraded. There's no way to convince me that:
So I'm forced to conclude either they are (a) extremely successful at selling F seats at reduced rates, either through V-UP type fares or ToDs, either at booking or at check-in, and/or (b) the CPU algorithm isn't really as advertised. I'm slowly becoming convinced that (b) is a possibility as well somehow. |
Gold here. Lots of success on short- to medium-hauls, and on a flight to HNL; long-hauls have been no-gos. (Except one transcon where an amazing dude asked me to switch with him from the Y exit row so he could sit with his friend -- what do we call that, a friend-up?)
If y'all have a spare moment, consider tracking your upgrade success at diditclear.com :D If the reports on DidItClear are representative, Silver and Gold rates look similar (~30%), as do Plats and 1K's (~60%). To me, this suggests flights are trimodal in terms of F availability, which would make sense to me. |
Originally Posted by njcommodore
(Post 20503976)
Same day change? I'm not trying to "make excuses", but people are very quick to jump to the good old "TOD!!!". Were there some? Probably. All 5 that you saw? Probably not.
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Originally Posted by njcommodore
(Post 20503976)
Same day change? I'm not trying to "make excuses", but people are very quick to jump to the good old "TOD!!!". Were there some? Probably. All 5 that you saw? Probably not.
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Not to/from IAH.
I do wonder where the F seats are going that used to go to EUA/CPU/e500. What increased volume to consume them: buy ups? low P/Z/A fares? Y/B fares? |
I have no idea what twilight zone I am living in, but my last three transcons have cleared with a CPU -
SFO-PHL - T/fare - A319 - Monday EWR-LAX - G/fare - 738 - Tuesday (!) SFO-PHL - T/fare - 738 - Tuesday Plus clearance on PHL-ORD-LAX-SAN G-fare as well. I'm not complaining... |
Originally Posted by mgcsinc
(Post 20504014)
If the reports on DidItClear are representative, Silver and Gold rates look similar (~30%), as do Plats and 1K's (~60%). To me, this suggests flights are trimodal in terms of F availability, which would make sense to me. |
Originally Posted by Beerman92
(Post 20504097)
I think one reasonable scenario is that typically pax SDC to earlier flights throughout the day at relatively consistent rates which would mean the last flight or two of the day should have an abundance of available F seats. Not sure that is the case.
Originally Posted by Baze
(Post 20504110)
Basically all I am saying is there is much more to the overall picture than a statistic on a website saying Golds are 30%.
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Originally Posted by bmr12
(Post 20503935)
While this is probably the subject of a different thread, there's clearly something afoot on some of these flights where I'm way down the list. This week, DEN-FLL flight. Flight was mid-day and mid-week to a tourist destination in the height of spring break season. This was not a typical Thursday or Friday night hub-to-hub flight. I finished #7 on the upgrade list on a pmUA 757 (24 seats in F). According to the mobile app, about half the folks in F were "upgraded" by some means or another. The other half apparently "booked" some variant of F or don't show on the mobile app as upgraded.
There's no way to convince me that:
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Originally Posted by Beerman92
(Post 20504097)
I get the same day change idea but those pax who are switching flights have to be switching off another flight. So there shouldn't really be a net increase or decrease in F seats available because of SDC. I think one reasonable scenario is that typically pax SDC to earlier flights throughout the day at relatively consistent rates which would mean the last flight or two of the day should have an abundance of available F seats. Not sure that is the case.
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Originally Posted by andyh64000
(Post 20503967)
Except when you see 5 seats available when looking at the upgrade list and the open seats in the seatmap and then glance at the BPs of the pax who now occupy those seats when they filled without moving the UG list.
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Got my first CPU of the year today IAD-LAX. As a gold flying to/from LAX-ORD/IAD, I never get my hopes up. I guess I'll have to remember to fly on semi-holidays on E fares. LAX-ORD on Monday with H fare I ended up #5/6.
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While this is probably the subject of a different thread, there's clearly something afoot on some of these flights where I'm way down the list. This week, DEN-FLL flight. Flight was mid-day and mid-week to a tourist destination in the height of spring break season. This was not a typical Thursday or Friday night hub-to-hub flight. I finished #7 on the upgrade list on a pmUA 757 (24 seats in F). According to the mobile app, about half the folks in F were "upgraded" by some means or another. The other half apparently "booked" some variant of F or don't show on the mobile app as upgraded. There's no way to convince me that: A dozen people paid a full F fare to sit up front on a four hour flight. There were really 17 or 18 people ahead of me on the CPU list--it's highly unlikely that there were that many Y or B fares, or GSes, or even 1Ks on higher fare classes. So I'm forced to conclude either they are (a) extremely successful at selling F seats at reduced rates, either through V-UP type fares or ToDs, either at booking or at check-in, and/or (b) the CPU algorithm isn't really as advertised. I'm slowly becoming convinced that (b) is a possibility as well somehow. I'd like to see who cleared, how and why... because I doubt it was according to the CPU published criteria. |
Originally Posted by UA-NYC
(Post 20504236)
Thanks for re-bringing some logic back to this thread ;)
And I'm sorry, but I'm calling bs on being able to clearly see the BPs of 5+ people in a particular F cabin. |
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