Kacee

Looks like a mis-post. $867 was likely the upfare to P. $236 is indeed a good price for the buy-up.

UA is really screwing its elites on the ps routes now with very limited R releases and cheap buy-ups.

jjmoore

Something not making sense here... was there a $631 disparity between the S and W fares in economy? Those fare classes are very close to one another on the scale of fare classes.

Did the $236 PCU get you into P class? Are you certain the $867 PCU was into P... sounds like it may be more like Z....

Kacee

$867 for P sounds about right. The P fare on that route (really a V-UP with an economy basis) is around $2000 RT.

fjfv19

I can't agree with this more. :-: I'm watching ps routes go from 21-22/28 booked at T-4 to 28/28 and sitting in the back. When they are offering buy-ups of as low as $236 (seen a lot of $299), instruments will clear with less frequency.

ifly153

Agree, RPU becoming less useful on PS. A few months ago on Wed night flight, I was #9 with 8 seats a few hours after checking in. I broke down and bought the $300 offer from S fare to BF, and got my RPU returned. The days of guaranteed RPU on PS is over, need to find R at booking.

jjmoore

At the end of the day, UA is in the business of trying to make $. RPU's do not provide any additional revenue, and they are apparently looking for the balance between maximizing profits by selling these sane-day upgrades and not SIGNIFICANTLY angering top flyers when their upgrade certificates are somewhat less effective. I am still sitting on RPU's in October... usually, I have spent them by mid-year, but I have had the same issue as others on this thread - not clearing on the UG list even with a RPU / GPU.

gtpdiddy

Sorry, I got the fare code wrong:

LAX-JFK
K => P
price offered: $867
PCU
Accepted shortly after ticket issued by travel agency

JFK-LAX
V => P
price offered: Been around $1300(!) but suddenly dropped to $236!
PCU
Accepted at $236

Yes, the $867 was offered initially after purchase in mid-Sept (it was ticketed by a travel agent and I just logged in after to check for PCU); I went for it since I personally didn't have to pay for the original economy ticket, and K fare would've gotten me 50% AE miles, so I paid the PCU to get to P fare.

The JFK-LAX outbound was priced at $1300 for PCU at that time. I've been checking it everyday to see if it would drop vs spending $175 and 15K for the upgrade. Cash & miles upgrade was waitlist only, but fortuitously today I found the route now cost only $236 for PCU so I grabbed it instantly and it did go up to P fare. So I spent on my own just over $1000 to get 125% status miles, which I think it's a good deal. Oddly the original economy fare was around $500 but now the total fare after PCU is $2300.

GT

1kBill

Or when they are desperate to not upgrade over-entitled elites.

lpro1111

Was on a PS flight yesterday, Thursday October 2nd. Looked the night before and business had 2 seats left. In the morning was offered a buy up for $319. Took it. LAX to JFK.

LarkSFO

Are you saying that UA is offering the $236 (or 'low') buy ups to non-elites, while not offering the same buy up to elites?

If yes, then I agree, that is unfair behavior.

CashN

Do they expire at YE? If my next three flights don't clear I fear every single one of mine that didn't clear will expire. so basically, being a 1K meant nothing this year for the first time in 6 years...

diburning

I didn't check at the time of accepting the offer, but there was quite a lengthy UG list at the gate, but some of those might have been from all the misconnects due to cascading IRROPS due to weather (and it was really due to weather that time!)

I used to have status, but it seems that from the way United has been running things that it might be more advantageous to remain a kettle.

pjs91015

I had an interesting experience on September 28. Traveling on LHR-EWR I was originally on the 4pm but was running late so got the very last sear on the 6pm (middle seat all the way back). I was on the waitlist for a mileage upgrade (20k $425) on the 4pm and when I moved to the 6pm it disappeared. I checked into the 6pm about 3 hours before the flight and was offered $1900 for an upgrade which I declined. I then called United to see if they would honor my mileage upgrade and put me on the list. While they put me on hold I went and looked at my reservation and it offered an upgrade for $739 (2 hours before the flight). Took the reservation and hung up.

what route: LHR-EWR
original fare bucket: H
price offered: $739
PCU/UFC? UFC
Where it was offered/accepted: Mobile app
Accepted

The interesting thing was that when I called United to find out when I would get my 20k back they told me that I could not because the reservation showed that I flew in business! I had to take screen shots of my credit card and send it in for them to reimburse my miles and $425.

pjs91015

what route: SFO-LHR
original fare bucket: H
price offered: $899
PCU/UFC? UFC
Where it was offered/accepted: Mobile app
Accepted

Was waitlisted for 20k and $425 upgrade so this as a no brainer for me on a 10 hr flight.

usa18dca

Had an interesting experience checking in for my POS trip.

It offered me $119 to UG POS-IAH from U Class, I declined then the website hiccuped. So I had to restart the check-in process, lo and behold I was upgraded to business class without having to pay $119.