Apr 8, 2015, 3:27 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
One of the more confusing aspects of cash upgrades is "does this upgrade get premium cabin mileage bonus and is the fee included in PQD?"
The best assumption is no bonus and fee is not included in PQD but there are some cases where there will be a premium cabin bonus and amount will count toward PQD.
There are multiple cash upgrade paths and different ones are offered at different times (and can be quite hard to separate).
The key is what is the new fare basis after the upgrade. Note R, RN, P, PN, ZN, ON, A and others have been reported.
The following are generally not eligible for PQD or bonus:
However the offer, in "My Reservations" via the cash method tab "Buy Up to First" under "View {Upgrade} Options" is likely to be eligible for PQDs & PQM bonus.
**** Due to UA changes in May 2018, this statement may not be relieable ****
**** This now appears to be an Upgrade Fee (no PQDs) and may book into Upgrade fare class (no extra PQMs) or into a mileage earning bonus fare class (PQMs earning). Unclear if that is a way to tell which will happen ****
Generally these will be reflected on the receipt as
Notice the words "generally" and "likely" -- those are weasel words to protect the wiki author because of the lack of transparency in this system 
For instance, some time of checkin paid upgrades that book into P, will earn PQM bonus but not earn PQDs.
Checking the actual fare basis during booking when you are given access (or using the Saudi site) is key in understanding the outcome.
UA Insider commented on this a while back, but there has been no improvement in the confusion / clarity in the meantime.
The best assumption is no bonus and fee is not included in PQD but there are some cases where there will be a premium cabin bonus and amount will count toward PQD.
There are multiple cash upgrade paths and different ones are offered at different times (and can be quite hard to separate).
The key is what is the new fare basis after the upgrade. Note R, RN, P, PN, ZN, ON, A and others have been reported.
- Many of the upgrade offers results in R/PN/ZN fare class (and post as Zx) -- so like a regular upgrade the mileage posting is based on the original fare class. The upgrade fee does not earn PQDs.
- Others bump the fare basis to a -UP fare which reports as a P/Z/A fare class, these are now earning PQMs at the up-fared fare class and the up-fare costs earns PQDs.
- And others book into a true P/Z/A fare basis and will earn the PQM bonus and the up-fare cost will earn PQDs.
The following are generally not eligible for PQD or bonus:
- Pop-up upgrade immediately following purchase on united.com
- Last minute upgrade at check-in
Additional Charges:
Date/CreditCard XXXX was charged xxx USD for the Merchandising / EDD
xxx USD for: Premium Cabin Upgrade
Date/CreditCard XXXX was charged xxx USD for the Merchandising / EDD
xxx USD for: Premium Cabin Upgrade
**** Due to UA changes in May 2018, this statement may not be relieable ****
**** This now appears to be an Upgrade Fee (no PQDs) and may book into Upgrade fare class (no extra PQMs) or into a mileage earning bonus fare class (PQMs earning). Unclear if that is a way to tell which will happen ****
Generally these will be reflected on the receipt as
Add Collect: An additional amount for the difference in fare was charged to {card} on {date}. $yyy USD per ticket for an additional total of $yyy USD was collected.
For instance, some time of checkin paid upgrades that book into P, will earn PQM bonus but not earn PQDs.
Checking the actual fare basis during booking when you are given access (or using the Saudi site) is key in understanding the outcome.
UA Insider commented on this a while back, but there has been no improvement in the confusion / clarity in the meantime.
Hi Everyone,
I’ve done a little bit of research on this, and I wanted to share some background on the scenario vandrei shared.
At a high level, and as a some of you have noticed more recently in the thread, the buy-up offer we sometimes present immediately upon booking an economy ticket is indeed distinct from the one presented when viewing a reservation in My Account at some point after the flight has been ticketed and confirmed. For example, the offer at booking enables customers to the flexibility to confirm an upgraded seat on a segment-by-segment basis, whereas the one in My Reservations is based on the line of flight.
Additionally, from a functional perspective, the offer immediately upon booking does not change the underlying fare basis for the original purchased fare (even though the visible fare class is reflective of the buy-up inventory), whereas the one in My Reservations results in a complete re-issue of the existing ticket. It is this aspect of the functionality which drives mileage accrual, which is based on the original purchased fare for the offer immediately after booking, but based on the new fare class for the offer in My Reservations. These policies are disclosed in each offer’s respective (and indeed, different) terms and conditions.
Longer-term, the vision is indeed to align mileage accrual policies between the two types of offers. In the meantime, the tradeoff between the two offers continues to be one of additional miles vs. the flexibility to confirm on a segment-by-segment basis.
Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager - Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines
I’ve done a little bit of research on this, and I wanted to share some background on the scenario vandrei shared.
At a high level, and as a some of you have noticed more recently in the thread, the buy-up offer we sometimes present immediately upon booking an economy ticket is indeed distinct from the one presented when viewing a reservation in My Account at some point after the flight has been ticketed and confirmed. For example, the offer at booking enables customers to the flexibility to confirm an upgraded seat on a segment-by-segment basis, whereas the one in My Reservations is based on the line of flight.
Additionally, from a functional perspective, the offer immediately upon booking does not change the underlying fare basis for the original purchased fare (even though the visible fare class is reflective of the buy-up inventory), whereas the one in My Reservations results in a complete re-issue of the existing ticket. It is this aspect of the functionality which drives mileage accrual, which is based on the original purchased fare for the offer immediately after booking, but based on the new fare class for the offer in My Reservations. These policies are disclosed in each offer’s respective (and indeed, different) terms and conditions.
Longer-term, the vision is indeed to align mileage accrual policies between the two types of offers. In the meantime, the tradeoff between the two offers continues to be one of additional miles vs. the flexibility to confirm on a segment-by-segment basis.
Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager - Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines
Some Paid Upgrades Count Towards PQD & mileage bonus and some DON'T!
May 10, 2019, 7:48 am
#601
Join Date: Apr 2019
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Posts: 36
Thank you both for the clarifications, and advice.
May 10, 2019, 7:56 am
#602
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Thanks for the heads up. The company isn't terribly uptight, they allow you to tack on Friends/Significant-others onto the reservations. You just have to mark those as employee will pay on the expense reports. I contacted the company travel admins earlier to see if I could have them book First for me and they would only charge the company the lowest fare and I pay the delta. That is possible, but it's not exactly clear how it will play out on the expense report. I want to try the upfare method before I dive into wacky expense reports.
Thank you both for the clarifications, and advice.
Thank you both for the clarifications, and advice.
May 11, 2019, 9:00 am
#603
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I have trips that I have to book through Concur, which as many know means I have to buy the cheapest ticket available. Usually if I wait 2-3 weeks before I have to leave I can fly UA as the cost between SWA/AA/UA is negligible that it doesn't get flagged. I've read through the more recent posts and can clearly see that to get PQD (which is what I need) I need to call in and do an upfare, not upgrade. When you do an upfare can you pay immediately then? The reason I'm asking is I need my company to be billed the Econ ticket then I want pay the rest to get into P/Z/C/D/J, without a refund going to the company. Hope that's clear, had trouble wording it properly.
May 14, 2019, 11:21 am
#604
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 33
Flying IAD to LHR This coming monday the 15th and was offered an upgrade to business for ~$800 on a $2500 econ fair my company purchased. My biggest question is if i pull the trigger on this upgrade will i get the full credit as if i had taken first in terms of my gold progress?
Is this a good price? Any idea if it will get cheaper? Thanks in advance!
Is this a good price? Any idea if it will get cheaper? Thanks in advance!
May 14, 2019, 11:27 am
#605
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Flying IAD to LHR This coming monday the 15th and was offered an upgrade to business for ~$800 on a $2500 econ fair my company purchased. My biggest question is if i pull the trigger on this upgrade will i get the full credit as if i had taken first in terms of my gold progress?
Is this a good price? Any idea if it will get cheaper? Thanks in advance!
Is this a good price? Any idea if it will get cheaper? Thanks in advance!
$829 is a very common price; occasional reports in the $600 range, but almost never less than that.
May 14, 2019, 11:35 am
#606
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 33
thanks i care about the PQM more... anyway to see the fair class in advance?
May 14, 2019, 11:36 am
#607
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May 14, 2019, 12:43 pm
#608
Join Date: Apr 2013
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May 17, 2019, 7:47 am
#609
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAD/ARN
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Posts: 164
Question - if you take an upgrade offer on the "My Reservations" screen (after ticketing, but well before check-in), does it affect the underlying fare rules?
Looking at an upgrade offer for the return leg of an international trip in a few weeks (specifically ZRH-IAD). Outbound leg for the trip is booked in D, return leg is currently booked in Q. Upgrade offer for return flight is $599, not bad for a long-haul. However want to know what would happen if I theoretically had to change/cancel - current fare for both directions is notated REFUNDABLE/CXL FEE/CHG FEE. I assume (if, say I cancelled later) I'd lose the $599 but would the underlying fare continue to have the same rules (refundable with an associated cancellation fee)? Thanks.
Looking at an upgrade offer for the return leg of an international trip in a few weeks (specifically ZRH-IAD). Outbound leg for the trip is booked in D, return leg is currently booked in Q. Upgrade offer for return flight is $599, not bad for a long-haul. However want to know what would happen if I theoretically had to change/cancel - current fare for both directions is notated REFUNDABLE/CXL FEE/CHG FEE. I assume (if, say I cancelled later) I'd lose the $599 but would the underlying fare continue to have the same rules (refundable with an associated cancellation fee)? Thanks.
May 17, 2019, 8:04 am
#610
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That said, AFAIK, there's no way to tell in advance whether or not UA has changed things. So, you'd definitely be taking a risk.
May 17, 2019, 8:13 am
#611
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAD/ARN
Programs: UA Plat/*G, Marriott LT Gold, Global Entry
Posts: 164
It should not; over the past couple of years, all online upgrades have become "sticker-type" upgrades that do not affect the underlying ticket.
That said, AFAIK, there's no way to tell in advance whether or not UA has changed things. So, you'd definitely be taking a risk.
That said, AFAIK, there's no way to tell in advance whether or not UA has changed things. So, you'd definitely be taking a risk.
May 20, 2019, 8:27 am
#612
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Looking at an upgrade offer for the return leg of an international trip in a few weeks (specifically ZRH-IAD). Outbound leg for the trip is booked in D, return leg is currently booked in Q. Upgrade offer for return flight is $599, not bad for a long-haul. However want to know what would happen if I theoretically had to change/cancel - current fare for both directions is notated REFUNDABLE/CXL FEE/CHG FEE. I assume (if, say I cancelled later) I'd lose the $599 but would the underlying fare continue to have the same rules (refundable with an associated cancellation fee)? Thanks.
Jul 5, 2019, 11:53 am
#613
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 156
Any recent data points on upgrades and PQM/PQD earnings? I have a IAD-SFO leg coming up with a $310 upgrade offer. If it would result in additional PQM then I'd be pretty tempted (sounds like PQD is generally off the table for these)
Jul 5, 2019, 11:56 am
#614
Moderator: United Airlines
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If it books into an award / upgrade fare class, no.
PQDs? Only if done at booking or as true upfare / flight change.
Jul 5, 2019, 1:15 pm
#615
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David