Feb 27, 2019, 11:55 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is "Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays"
Archive thread "Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays" {Archive}
Archive thread "Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays" {Archive}
"Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays" {Archive}
Nov 7, 2017, 10:07 am
#1456
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,618
If you're red eye, I had pretty good % on clearing those earlier in the year - even before hitting gold.
I'm on an afternoon flight later today (SFO-EWR) and looks like I'm #4 with a full cabin (1k + gpu) as of now. Full cabin on way back tomorrow already, and full cabin to IAD later this week... will bring me up to 0/10 since becoming 1k.
I'm on an afternoon flight later today (SFO-EWR) and looks like I'm #4 with a full cabin (1k + gpu) as of now. Full cabin on way back tomorrow already, and full cabin to IAD later this week... will bring me up to 0/10 since becoming 1k.
Nov 7, 2017, 11:17 am
#1457
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AC 25K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 436
Recently I flew LAXIAD on a 752 intl configuration. I had booked it 3 months earlier. Naturally it was R0 at booking time, so I waitlisted for an upgrade with an RPU. At the club on the day of departure, I was #5 on the upgrade list, but it was booked 15/16. The agent offered me the remaining F seat for $249, so I took it. I enjoyed the flight, but the RPU was indeed useless.
Nov 7, 2017, 11:30 am
#1458
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Programs: United, Delta, AA, southwest
Posts: 150
Flew LAX to IAD with K fare, was #1 on list but never cleared. 2nd segment IAD to BOS cleared 10 days in advance.
Return from BOS to IAH cleared 5 days in advance. Next segment IAH to LAX was #1 on list with one seat open then GS jumped me to #2 on list. Seat disappeared from map and I went back to #1 .
Return from BOS to IAH cleared 5 days in advance. Next segment IAH to LAX was #1 on list with one seat open then GS jumped me to #2 on list. Seat disappeared from map and I went back to #1 .
Nov 7, 2017, 12:27 pm
#1459
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,618
Recently I flew LAXIAD on a 752 intl configuration. I had booked it 3 months earlier. Naturally it was R0 at booking time, so I waitlisted for an upgrade with an RPU. At the club on the day of departure, I was #5 on the upgrade list, but it was booked 15/16. The agent offered me the remaining F seat for $249, so I took it. I enjoyed the flight, but the RPU was indeed useless.
Nov 7, 2017, 2:22 pm
#1460
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
Finally cleared SFO-PHX (two pax) for Friday night after two consecutive fails on this route.
Would have CPUed . . . after T-96 sweep still booked only 10/20.
Would have CPUed . . . after T-96 sweep still booked only 10/20.
Nov 7, 2017, 4:29 pm
#1461
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
Nov 7, 2017, 11:25 pm
#1462
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
Yep, this is why outside the occasional miracle, I find them worthless for myself. Best use is for others with lower/no status, since it will jump them in front of the CPU queue.
Nov 8, 2017, 1:01 am
#1463
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,117
Big hubs on domestic routes.
Nov 8, 2017, 7:47 am
#1464
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
Nov 8, 2017, 8:57 am
#1465
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
The only real advantage of an RPU in this scenario is that if there is a no-show or a misconnect, and you're #1 thanks to a supported upgrade, you'll get the battlefield upgrade. It doesn't happen often, but it happened to me a few weeks ago, and when I monitor the upgrade list I notice it happen quite often to #1, and sometimes #2.
Nov 8, 2017, 10:49 am
#1466
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,618
I gift them to family all the time, my brother has about a 25% clearance rate with them as he flies out of non hubs often and will take the odd hour flights as well.
Nov 8, 2017, 11:42 am
#1467
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lt Plt
Posts: 241
All my international travel is on J so I mainly use my GPU for domestic, especially transcontinental
But honestly it is really hard to clear, I have had little success, and mainly it is at the gate. Even buying tickets with several months in advance and having most of J open. Example, flying back BOS-IAH-SAN (12/7), my last flight of the year so using a GPU, right now on the leg BOS-IAH there are 0/20 seats booked on J. How can it be that I have not cleared?
Nov 8, 2017, 1:31 pm
#1468
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA 1K, KF Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 80
9 GPs and 11 RPs sitting in my acccount....haven't been able to use them on any of my flights....probably end up using them on some meaningless LAX-LAS flight...what a wasted perk...not really much a perk these days.
Nov 8, 2017, 1:38 pm
#1469
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lt Plt
Posts: 241
Nov 8, 2017, 2:09 pm
#1470
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: United Plat
Posts: 499
SFO-AUS (non-stop)
Monday afternoon outbound; Friday evening inbound.
Both ways were cleared with RPU 16 days before departure.
Monday afternoon outbound; Friday evening inbound.
Both ways were cleared with RPU 16 days before departure.