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"Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays" {Archive}

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Old Feb 27, 2019, 11:55 pm
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"Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays" {Archive}

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Old Feb 12, 2019, 3:43 pm
  #2446  
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
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Originally Posted by nomad420
At this point it is all about managing my expectations I guess.
I think that that is a sad, yet universal, truth.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 6:48 am
  #2447  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
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I need to fly EWR-CPH next month and had some flexibility so asked the 1K phone agent to look for any availability leaving either Wednesday 3/20 or Thursday 3/21, at any time, connecting through anywhere in Europe. No dice -- no PZ availability on a single flight EWR-Europe on either day!! Guess the GPU I had extended until April because I wasn't able to use all of mine in 2018 is going to go unused.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 7:30 am
  #2448  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
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Originally Posted by dc89
I need to fly EWR-CPH next month and had some flexibility so asked the 1K phone agent to look for any availability leaving either Wednesday 3/20 or Thursday 3/21, at any time, connecting through anywhere in Europe. No dice -- no PZ availability on a single flight EWR-Europe on either day!! Guess the GPU I had extended until April because I wasn't able to use all of mine in 2018 is going to go unused.
Might check IAD, too, if you don't mind an extra connection. But if you have a credit card that transfers to Avios, check BA for PE to CW upgrade. That is what I am doing about the same time TATL due not only to the absence of PZ but J fares that are really out of whack (USD 9K+).
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:20 am
  #2449  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
Programs: UA/*A Gold, Global Entry, Marriott Plat, Hilton+IHG Gold, Hertz PC, DL
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OT, but UA has W fares to NRT sub-$800 from a few US cities. just a heads up.

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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:31 am
  #2450  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA GS 2MM
Posts: 947
Originally Posted by findark
It's pretty fascinating to compare that list against the public list though. The length implies it is something like all Premiers, but almost everyone on the real list is very high up on the long list... not entirely sure what can be concluded here.
Sorry for being dense, and I did read back through the thread, but how do you get to the “hidden” (eligible passenger ranking) list?
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 10:34 am
  #2451  
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Originally Posted by dc89
I need to fly EWR-CPH next month and had some flexibility so asked the 1K phone agent to look for any availability leaving either Wednesday 3/20 or Thursday 3/21, at any time, connecting through anywhere in Europe. No dice -- no PZ availability on a single flight EWR-Europe on either day!! Guess the GPU I had extended until April because I wasn't able to use all of mine in 2018 is going to go unused.
So, please forgive my naïveté, but aren't you presuming that the upgrade wouldn't clear eventually? I don't think that I've ever booked a flight with PZ > 0, but I have had GPUs clear. I'm counting on this when I fly to Europe next month.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 10:50 am
  #2452  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
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Originally Posted by iapetus
So, please forgive my naïveté, but aren't you presuming that the upgrade wouldn't clear eventually?
Sadly that isn't unusual these days. PZ space on those flights is truly a like seeing a unicorn and I have certainly been burned waiting my GPU to clear.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 12:51 pm
  #2453  
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Originally Posted by djmp
Sorry for being dense, and I did read back through the thread, but how do you get to the “hidden” (eligible passenger ranking) list?
Sometimes when you are offered a cash upgrade offer, they will purportedly show you the "customers eligible for upgrade" which is this "hidden" list.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 1:53 pm
  #2454  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Carmel Valley(was Hawaii)
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Originally Posted by dc89
I need to fly EWR-CPH next month and had some flexibility so asked the 1K phone agent to look for any availability leaving either Wednesday 3/20 or Thursday 3/21, at any time, connecting through anywhere in Europe. No dice -- no PZ availability on a single flight EWR-Europe on either day!! Guess the GPU I had extended until April because I wasn't able to use all of mine in 2018 is going to go unused.
I've never found GPU space out of Newark. Other cities, including SFO, I have much better luck.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 2:11 pm
  #2455  
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Originally Posted by mmack
I've never found GPU space out of Newark.
The first time I ever applied a GPU was EWR-FRA. And it cleared!

And then my inbound was delayed on the ground at EWR ... and I missed my connection. I flew over on a 757 to LHR in E+.

My luck has been better since.
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Old Feb 20, 2019, 2:19 pm
  #2456  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
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This is an archive thread, the active thread is "Upgrade certificates (GPUs & RPUs) are useless nowadays"

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 27, 2019 at 11:54 pm
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 11:49 pm
  #2457  
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FWIW, been applying my two extended 2018 GPUs expiring on 04/30/19 on t.p.s./p.t.s. flight segments only.

This past week on SFO-BOS and then EWR-SFO both were used as last minute upgrades into J. SFO-BOS was on a 752 and then EWR-SFO was on a 781.

I've also learned to apply the instruments as close to T-24 as possible. UA's system seems to hate having RPU/GPU instruments applied and, once applied to any specific segment such as a t.p.s./p.t.s. route, refuses to then let me know what any of the buy up offers are for all segments.

David
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Old Mar 3, 2019, 1:10 pm
  #2458  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
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Posts: 641
I had the system eat an RPU after making a change on a weather waiver. I'm seriously debating whether it's worth calling to get it back considering I've had zero luck even getting into the top 5 on the upgrade list with an RPU so far this year. I'm currently sitting at 15th on what must be an insanely elite heavy flight, with an upgrade list about 100 people long. Last year I had no problem using my RPUs, maybe I should fly to Mexico for a weekend, those flights seem to be the best shot!
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Old Mar 3, 2019, 7:26 pm
  #2459  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1.65M , Platinum, 1K Emeritus, UC Lifetime , HHonors Gold, Presidential Plus card holder
Posts: 695
Originally Posted by zymm
I had the system eat an RPU after making a change on a weather waiver. I'm seriously debating whether it's worth calling to get it back considering I've had zero luck even getting into the top 5 on the upgrade list with an RPU so far this year. I'm currently sitting at 15th on what must be an insanely elite heavy flight, with an upgrade list about 100 people long. Last year I had no problem using my RPUs, maybe I should fly to Mexico for a weekend, those flights seem to be the best shot!
Its too early in the year to let it go. Email customer service and it is likely you will get it reinstated.
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Old Mar 4, 2019, 1:05 am
  #2460  
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Originally Posted by zymm
I had the system eat an RPU after making a change on a weather waiver. I'm seriously debating whether it's worth calling to get it back considering I've had zero luck even getting into the top 5 on the upgrade list with an RPU so far this year. I'm currently sitting at 15th on what must be an insanely elite heavy flight, with an upgrade list about 100 people long. Last year I had no problem using my RPUs, maybe I should fly to Mexico for a weekend, those flights seem to be the best shot!
It will certainly be returned if you ask (phone or email).
fumje is offline  



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