B747SP

Data point: applied 5 RPUs recently: SFO-EWR red eye on a Thurs night; EWR-SFO and IAD-SFO on a Monday afternoon. None cleared.

nomad420

I do the same, I RARELY find R space on my TPACs or TATLs so I just buy P (if available). I am still working and don't have the flexibility as others do to take flights on any day I choose. Burned too many times waiting for a GPU to clear on a SFO-FRA run and stuck in E+ with no sleep and having to hit the ground running in Germany. I use essentially all my instruments on domestic flights. I now basically throw them at everything I fly and see what clears. I have gifted a bunch to family and friends and as you state I have had only a few clear over the last two years. Some friends/family have at least Gold or Silver status and those have occasionally cleared for them. Similar as to what you do, I gift them and tell them to have low expectations.

Probably some of the worst routes to clear on in the country, there are others but these are BAD for sure. I try SFO-EWR-SFO several times a year and have none clear (especially since PS).

StuckinITH

I would like to buy P but often it's not available. 5 international long hauls this year (TPACs and TATLs): for 3 of them there was no P fare available for me. I never find R space at booking for those either. Just have to waitlist GPUs (or miles + copay when the W fare is way too high) and hope for the best.

Kacee

So here's a good example why I consider RPU worthless these days (particularly compared to how they used to work).

UA2364 SFO-EWR on 8/17 is presently booked just 14/28 in J a little over 36 hours out (slow week for business travel I guess). But it's R0.

UA basically will not clear RPU in advance on this route anymore, and undoubtedly will try to sell all 14 open seats at check-in to avoid giving them away for "free."

I'm booked in P so this really doesn't affect me, except to confirm that the upgrade game is not worth playing on this route.

Phil Level

This and THIS! Same for LAX-EWR which is what I fly. P fares now.

Kmxu

jjmoore

The last time I cleared a RPU on a p.s. was last November when I was GS. The upgrade did not clear until we had boarded and there was a no-show (meaning they couldn't sell it at the gate from underneath me). Anytime there has been a seat open on p.s. at the gate, it has been sold out from under me. I am firmly in the camp that believes instruments are worthless for this route, especially now that I am 1K, and my certificates for these flights land me #5 on the list for these flights, and sometimes on hub-hub domestic, even a RPU gets me to #5 on the list or lower sometimes.

Anyway, this week, I cleared into PN on an M fare on my outbound.... SJC-DEN already showing sold out on my flight on Sunday, so no hope there. Will throw a RPU at it, but there are usually a couple GS on the list for this particular flight, so I will likely miss again. Next week, will try SMF instead to see if upgrade-ability improves.... not banking on it though.

GoSh4rks

if you fly late Saturday night, I've had very good luck on westbound PS flights

nomad420

While not a PS flight, I was number #1 on the upgrade list SFO-KOA and thought I would get upgraded as things have opened up into Hawaii with down tick in tourism from volcano. Have had recent luck on this run over the past 3-4 months. But didn't clear, they were selling TOD's for $99! I personally knew people who bought them. So yeah, of course, they are selling F until the door closes. Have also had the same experience, hub to hub, 1K, with instrument and I am like 10 on the upgrade list! Go figure......

DELee

Hey, sometimes nomad420's RPUs are worthless - and sometimes not

But if you don't get an offer to buy up, you still need to apply an instrument on t.p.s. If you don't apply an RPU (or even GPU) to LAX-EWR / SFO-EWR / SFO-BOS, you won't get an opportunity to play the lottery.

FWIW, I cleared in to J on the 1st LAX-EWR flight on Monday last week (#1 on the upgrade list, got the last seat in J as the door closed, I assume because of a misconnect) but didn't clear on BOS-SFO on Friday. Both flights had RPUs applied well in advance and neither .com nor the app would provide a buy up offer to me on either flight segment.

You get what you get if you 've apply an instrument on the t.p.s. routes. Otherwise you won't get anything.

David

SFOrunner

I'm one for one on PS routes this year. Cleared on a Wednesday night with an RPU on EWR-SFO.

I've got four GPU's waitlisted for me and the missus on and SFO<>EWR roundtrip. Taking the Thursday 6:00 AM SFO-EWR, and returning on the Sunday 8:10 AM EWR-SFO. Do I think they'll clear? No. Is it fun to check twice a day looking for R>0? Yes.

cricketer

While I have yet to clear on p.s. this year, the 1K seated in the middle seat next to me on Tuesday cleared after boarding was pretty much complete. Pretty amusing, as he pumped his fist in celebration when he saw his upgrade post in the app. I was happy enough with row 21 and an empty seat next to me to be honest. I'd eaten well in the Centurion lounge beforehand. At least that means it's possible for 1K's to clear on a high fare...

I apply my RPU's on everything now. FLL-IAH cleared for next week. Still waiting to see if EWR-FLL and IAH-SFO will clear. Nice to see one RPU get used, even on a short flight.

ftusername

2018... 4/9 GPU... 3/3 RPU... 3/3 on p.s.

• SFO-EWR on Saturday evening in March cleared T-36. GPU redeposited since ICN-SFO did not clear.
• LAX-EWR on Friday afternoon in April cleared T-24 (shocked this cleared on S fare)
• SIN-LAX-EWR on Sunday in July. SIN-LAX cleared T-23. LAX-EWR cleared after I boarded and was only upgrade on this flight. I found it amusing that as we were walking to front the FA that came to get me told another gentleman "maybe next time".

I keep my expectations low, but I am fortunate that 3 of the cleared GPUs have been for 15+ hour flights.

nomad420

If I didn't have bad luck well..... Cleared my RPU on tomorrows KOA-SFO flight, well I guess that isn't going to happen. I believe the airport is now closed (or soon to be). Battening down the hatches here in Kona and hope to get out later but who knows at this point. For those interested, light rain and winds currently but more to come.

laxmillenial

woo for clearing! But are you going to make it out? Tomorrow seems pretty iffy. Safe travels and hope you have a backup plan in case the airport closes.