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I have not managed to clear any SYD flights either with fares as high as M. Try routing through MEL. I have cleared a few.
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Originally Posted by SydUAflyer
(Post 31107158)
Hi,
A disgruntled 1k member from Australia. I don't know whether 2019 has been just a sheer bad luck for me so far (three GPU upgrades that did not go through) or whether there are some structural problems that I am not aware of (new policy for international 1Ks, new policy for more monetization of revenue fares, new policies regarding the priority between GPUs vs miles + copay, etc). I saw a thread where people post their success stories with GPUs, but it would be equally useful to see how people do not get their GPUs honored. For me this year, here are some of my sour experiences with GPU. 1. Flight:UA863 SFO-SYD Date: Feb 2019 Purchased: Sep 2018 Fare class: W 2. Flight: UA863 SFO-SYD Date: March 2019 Purchased: Jan 2019 Fare class: W 3. Flight: UA101 IAH-SYD Date: May 2019 Purchased: March 2019 Fare class: W Given these experiences, I decided to use GPU for Lufthansa flights, all of which got instantly upgraded. Anyone else with similar bad luck this year? Are you trying to upgrade on weekend flights? |
Well, I am quite price sensitive, so I could only go for W class. Maybe V class might do a trick, but until 2018, I have had near 100% success with upgrades on W class. I notice that this year, United is extremely slow with clearing waitlists. Btw, all of these flights were during weekdays.
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Consider this:
Short of EWR-DEL, you're asking for upgrades on one of the most coveted business seats in the route network. And connecting (SFO) to the most elite heavy and GS-laden hub in the network. Booking the lowest possible fare class possible for using GPUs. |
Originally Posted by aacharya
(Post 31107328)
Consider this:
Short of EWR-DEL, you're asking for upgrades on one of the most coveted business seats in the route network. And connecting (SFO) to the most elite heavy and GS-laden hub in the network. Booking the lowest possible fare class possible for using GPUs. I thought SFO-SIN was the hardest to get upgraded on. |
My 2019 GPU clearances: MSY-IAH-LAX-SYD-LAX-IAH-MSY “W” fare MSY-SFO-SIN-SFO-IAH-MSY “V” fare |
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I've had perfect success in clearing GPUs to and from MEL over the past five years. SYD - LAX also worked for me last year. SYD - SFO and SYD - IAH are much more challenging.
Btw, I always clear at booking. I'm not prepared to play Russian roulette with a flight of that length. If there's no PZ space available, I don't buy the ticket. |
Day of the week really matters for SYD.
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For what it's worth, all 5 of the GPUs I've used this year (all TATL) have cleared more or less at booking. And last December I cleared IAH-SYD and SYD-SFO at booking. I think GPU availability/usability for me has gotten slightly but noticeably better this year. In past years, with the same degree of flexibility and booking patterns, I was mostly waitlisting them. I feel like over the past 3 years, I've gone from hitting 75% (mostly waitlisted) to hitting 100% (half waitlisted) to 100% (almost all at booking).
Obviously, YMMV wildly! It's entirely possible that the availability patterns of PZ (formerly R) have shifted in a way that benefits me, but disadvantages others. But specifically w/r.t. SYD, I feel like it's gotten better -- the increased lift to Australia (IAH-SYD, LAX-MEL added over the past couple of years to the traditional LAX/SFO-SYD) seems to have made things easier if you have flexibility. SFO-SYD on a Friday during the school holidays is (and always has been) tough. |
beginning of this year I did the NZ fare from CDG to WLG, connecting in SFO and SYd. I did 4 of them in one month. on each of SFO-SYD I had a GS next to me complaining that their GPU's did not clear. AS 1K i think that chances of this to clear are close to 0 if a GS can't get it
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Similar good fortune with GPUs this year as GS but dismal luck last year (and previous) as 1K. Unfortunately before I realized that they actually may have some value I blew a bunch or short hop domestic flights early this year as in prior years I basically applied instruments to every flight I booked. Still have I think 2/3 left and will probably hit 1K mid summer.
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Originally Posted by NYC2SGN
(Post 31107351)
Can someone give me a list of the top 10 most difficult flights to get upgraded on?
I thought SFO-SIN was the hardest to get upgraded on. We don't have a sufficient global view (as individuals) to make a valid list. Loats of anecdotal data is the below threads. But any thoughts on hardest or even easiest will be based on limited personal opinions. Additionally, the time / day of the week and seasonality has a significant impact.
Originally Posted by Kacee
(Post 31107458)
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...-report-7.html
And https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...2019-a-12.html |
I have flights in June 2019, booked in December 2018.
SYD-SFO cleared at booking SFO-SYD has not cleared and unfortunately it is a Friday flight (a couple of factors locked me into a particular date). My flights to SYD in December 2017 did not clear so I booked away from United to Air New Zealand (and paid the canx fee) so I could be in their Premium Economy. NZ in Premium Economy is so worth It. The sooner United puts Premium Plus on the flights to SYD the better as it makes the long haul flight more tolerable - E+ on the long haul flights is horrible (cannot imagine what it is like in E-). As the OP noted, there are options. I think the decline in ability to use GPUs changed when they got rid of the three cabin planes to Australia. For a route that is so business heavy and with the competition I am surprised they continue with the two cabin aircraft to SYD. |
Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
(Post 31107929)
I think the decline in ability to use GPUs changed when they got rid of the three cabin planes to Australia. For a route that is so business heavy and with the competition I am surprised they continue with the two cabin aircraft to SYD.
From what I've read, it feels like upgrades have in general become more available on the Australia routes over the past five years, some individual experiences to the contrary notwithstanding. |
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