pdx1M

Just had an interesting case. My DCA-EWR flight for today cancelled last night so I called and got moved to an earlier flight. The original booking had been in M class and had an instant upgrade. By the time of the cancellation first was fully sold for the flight I moved to - not a big deal in any case. However, just now while sitting in the DCA club I noticed a few things - 1. I was #2 on the CPU upgrade list, 2. There was a seat now available in F. 3. There was, if you tried to book it anew, PN (i.e., instant upgrade space) available, and finally 4. Last night the agent who rebooked me for some reason rebooked me into V rather than M so I now couldn't get the upgrade that was available as PN. So I called UA and had them look at the record, see the error, rebook the flight in M, then instant upgrade me. All legit and probably not actually queue jumping. However, if whoever was sitting on the CPU list at number 1 was watching they saw the number 2 person upgrade ahead of them and would probably think something squirrelly happened. Of course, since we are still awaiting a plane all could be for naught but I thought it all interesting enough to document for others amusement (and my waiting lounge boredom )

mherdeg

Glad things worked out. Hope your flight makes it out today.

My understanding is that those who doubt the wisdom of spending time upgrading DCA-EWR because it's a 199-mile flight have probably never gotten a third round of drinks while waiting on the ground for DCA-EWR to get the opportunity to take off.

pdx1M

In the pmUA days I had things like that happen on rare occasion and benefitted from the rebook being in Y and then getting the upgrade. SHARES seems a bit more likely to get that one right from what I have seen.

exerda

Under SHARES, pax with fares which are eligible for instant upgrade have to actually take action to confirm the upgrade--it doesn't happen automatically, and you just end up high on the CPU list if you don't confirm it.

If this happens to you in the future, bring up the res online and see if it has a "Request Upgrade" icon on the flight (or it may be worded somewhat differently; can't recall the specifics). But it's on the particular flight(s), not on the res as a whole. Click that icon and you can confirm into F.

I had the same thing happen on irrops twice the past year. The first, I was traveling alone and confirmed into F. The second, I was traveling with my wife, and didn't. I stayed atop the CPU list whole time and never cleared (three pax did upgrade, presumably via purchase at check-in).

pdx1M

And to complete the story I happily did make it to EWR (well I don't know that anyone is ever actually "happy" to be at EWR but it was better than the alternative). Looking at both DC and Newark weather seems like UA had more cancellations than they really needed. Weather both places is gray/light snow but certainly flyable. ATC has traffic slowed but still moving. Good luck to all other northeast travelers today (hope it is better as promised tomorrow when I get to do here to YYZ and then home).

mgcsinc

Putting aside all the strangeness of this incident, people need to realize that the "CPU list" is not the CPU list, but the gate upgrade list. Until check-in closes and EUA stops, it is meaningless. The failure to understand that point causes much heartbreak and consternation.

pdx1M

True - I was being sloppy using a shorter name but you are right that to the extent that anyone can actually understand the new UA upgrade process (and I truly doubt that even some guru in UA's IT department can actually claim to understand it in all its glory) it is best that folks do realize that until the GAs have things that list is just a list of possible futures.

escapefromphl

As i try to burn through my miles I have ended up booking standard awards, the benefit is that there is almost always F saver award availability within 48-4 hrs. So I just call up and switch at the point I see it, even at the gate.

mherdeg

UA promised that they would do this when the DOT introduced tarmac delay rules. By doing this (canceling flights when traffic flow is slow but moveable) they are sticking to their commitment.

RobOnLI

This is no different than someone who is #30 on an upgrade list and decides to apply an RPU at the last minute. They'll queue jump the 29 people ahead of them and wind up on the upgrade list as confirmed.

The agent rebooked the OP in the 'lowest available' fare class which was likely 'V' at the time. That was entirely their error as they are supposed to rebook you into the same fare class your original ticket. Of course, this goes the other way many times when you are rebooked into 'Y'.

-RM

astroflyer

I just had an interesting variant on this. I got rebooked from K to Y and B on my new flights. That put my way up the upgrade list (I got 1 of 2), but then it credited as a K fare to the miles...so no bonus. This is some strange hybrid of the previously reported behaviors. Alas, my new routing was much more direct and now I need to request ORC.

anc-ord772

I have this happen a lot when rebooked. So much so that I consider it a surprise if the miles actually post in the higher fare class.