Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
 

Happy New Year, everyone. I'm looking at LAX-NRT on 11 March, purchasing Premium Plus in R class, hoping to upgrade to Polaris. I'm 1K. According to the sticky upgrade post from UA, #2 in priority says PlusPoints and MileagePlus upgrade requests. Is either type of upgrade request truly equal or, for example, does a PlusPoints upgrade request have priority over a mileage redemption request?

Wow - what a misinformed and ultimately lame GA.

David

Yes both PlusPoints and MUA are equal

Thank you, leftysauce!

Data point confirming what we've long known, namely that GS CPU has upgrade priority over 1K on PlusPoints. I waitlisted PP on SFO-PHX. Showed at #4 on the list one week out (booked 5/20). UA opened PZ 6 days out and I cleared (now booked 6/20). Nos. 1-3 are still on the list. The only explanation for this is that 1-3 are GS who are not using PP. They listed higher than me, but when PZ opened I cleared, while they're still waiting for the CPU.

How does waitlisting for a saver business award sit on prioritization?

What about the possibility that 1-3 are on the same PNR and only one or two PZ (PN also) are open?

Sometimes that could explain it, but here the flight was PZ6, which also implies at least PN6, so a single PNR for 1-3 with a supported request should have been cleared by the system before it got to 4.

Over the years things seem to have moved around a lot with this, but currently as far as I can tell it puts you at the bottom of the list. However, if I/IN opens, you can clear. So it helps far in advance of flight, but it hurts for battlefield upgrades.

Hi,
In October 2022 and was in Platinum status, I booked a trip from nonstop roundtrip IAD -> HND for family of 4 with class fare type K operated by ANA. The trip is for early April 2023. Now, I earned 1K status with 280+ points, how can i use these points for upgrade? I called UA and they told me that K class is not eligible. They also said if I want to use the PP, I will need to upgrade my fare type and pay for the difference, then request to use PP for upgrade which i will be put in waitlist? Is it worth to pay for the difference knowing that i might not get the upgrade from ANA? Also, i am a newbie to this so thanks in advanced.

If flight is operated by ANA, you need a high fare class to be eligible to upgrade. See this page for the list: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...de-awards.html
It is probably not worth the difference in cost. If you can change to a flight operated by UA, you can upgrade from K class for 80 +P pp (320 +P total for 4 persons). Of course that is also subject to having PZ available, which may be difficult to find.

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

The roundtrip U fare -- the least expensive upgradeable fare on ANA -- is about $3800 per person. Under no circumstances would I switch to that in order to use an upgrade that might not clear. Unfortunately, I think you need to resign yourself to flying in the back unless you can find a decent fare on UA, where at least you'd get Economy Plus seating and could potentially apply PlusPoints to any fare. However, there's no guarantee that your K fare would be available on UA -- I'm not seeing a lot of discount availability for WAS-TYO in April. I would't pay more than about $100 per person to switch to UA (just due to the value of E+ to me personally), unless I was certain I could clear the upgrade. If you see PZ>=4 on the UA flight -- activate Expert Mode if you haven't already -- then an upgrade would clear immediately. Otherwise, you'd be waitlisted, and I don't see the point.

Note that in order to have enough PlusPoints to upgrade both directions, you'd need to pay for a (fairly expensive) W fare or purchase Premium Economy. From a discount fare, you'd only have enough PlusPoints to upgrade one direction.

on ANA you need to be in YBMEUH class to apply PlusPoints on one segment.

on United, YBMEUHQVW class needs 40 one-way and STLKG needs 80

Are you sure? H is not listed here: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...Lufthansa.html

no you're right. I memorize it as YBM EUH so subconsciously typed H 😂

I understand that GS clears into PN and so on a three class international plane, even if they're in coach they'll clear for Polaris before 1Ks in Premium Plus, and I'm used to seeing upgrade lists where they're listing for both PP and Polaris.

But what would account for Y pax showing up in a different order on the PP and Polaris waitlists?

- One of the Y pax is #4 on the PP waitlist and #13 on the Polaris waitlist. How could someone who is ahead of an apparent GS (see below) on the PP waitlist be behind me (#9 - on an A fare) on the Polaris waitlist?
- Another pax is #5 on the PP waitlist, but #4 on the Polaris waitlist, and well ahead of me (#9) as a 1K.
- A third pax is last on the PP waitlist (#12) but #8 and ahead of me on the Polaris waitlist. Is it really reasonable to think that even the lowest status Y pax waitlisting is GS/using GS PPs?

Is it possible that there's a problem with my waitlist request? I am first among those only waitlisting for Polaris (presumably the rest of the folks in PP with me).

Pax 1 is definitely not GS or he/she would've been ahead of you but since he/she is so high up on the PP list, he/she is most likely 1K and waitlisting for PZ. He/she is behind you because you are in PremiumPlus.
Pax 2 is behind pax 1 on PP but way above you and pax 1 so he/she most likely has non-GS status (or potentially but highly unlikely GM) but sponsored by a GS instrument waitlisting for PN.
Pax 3 is most likely waitlisting for PN as well but not GS, or else he/she would've been high on the PP list, so he/she is a non-GS, low tier elite (or even GM) sponsored by a GS instrument.


Remember, PP list follows the true order of individual statuses since everyone is waitlisting for the one and only RN. For Polaris list, I like to think of it as many sub-lists nested within lists, since you have to take into account for:
1. GS sponsored (PN) or non-GS sponsored(PZ)
2. Within each PN and PZ lists, order is sorted by PremiumPlus first and other economy
3. Within each PremiumPlus and other economy lists, order is sorted by Pax premier status, fare class, and other tie-breakers

Super helpful, leftysauce, I hadn't considered how RN waitlists would be status-organized as opposed to prioritizing GS PPs first.

Another scenario: I don't think this is proven or why any would do this, but theoretically, if a GS is traveling, but had his/her 1K friend apply PlusPoints, since it's not a GS request, he/she will be waitlisted for PZ instead but still prioritized over premiers within the PremiumPlus and other economy lists.


Like this:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...08d818e91f.png

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c701ba3d67.png

They gave me an option to change it to UA to a fare Q for extra $426 per person and then i can use the PP to upgrade. Even if i go with this route, I feel there's still risk that we might not get upgraded and still stay in the back.

When you say "activate Expert Mode", you mean "Advanced Search"? If not, what does that mean? If i am eligible and have enough points for upgrade, does it matter if i request to use PP 3months verses 1 week before departure?

No, Expert Mode: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...site-back.html . It allows you to see inventory data, including the all-important PZ bucket, which is what's needed for PlusPoints to clear.

There is a very real advantage to being on the waitlist earlier rather than later, because if they ever do open any space, you could clear into it if you already had your PlusPoints applied.

Plan to book an intercontinental flight and use PP to upgrade. When searching, there are two waitlist options for upgrading. Fare class S w/ 80PP one way or W w/40PP. The price difference between S and W is $100. As a new 1K, have no idea which would be a better option. I'm thinking to go with W but have 360PP in my bank and wondering if I can use them all by deadline. Any advice? Thx

If you can confirm the upgrade now, and if you reasonably expect you can use the remaining +P before expiry, $100 is worth saving 40 +P.

If it's waitlist only, stick with S and 80 +P.

On the other hand, it's a gamble to spend the extra $100, but not a huge gamble. And it will put the OP higher on the upgrade waitlist to be on a W vs S fare.

Of course there's no telling whether that higher priority will pay off, but I did have a couple times last year where I took a gamble on a higher fare code and ended up as the last person to clear the waitlist. Naturally I don't know if that was the reason I cleared.

I wouldn't spend the $100 for higher upgrade priority, but it's a low valuation of 40 PP if OP will be able to use them before they expire. So the question I would ask (basically same as fumje) is whether there's a realistic possibility of using those 40 PP before they expire. This is a difficult question for a newly minted 1K to answer.

It is a lottery system. You win sometimes and lose a lot more often. Just monitor PN/PZ spaces (PN9 may suggest that PZ may become available soon) for your flight. If the chance is good, upfare to W to save 40 PPs for other purposes.

It seems more like PZ1, not PZ6

Thanks all for the explanation. Much appreciated!

Actually it was PZ3. So even if the three ahead of me were on the same PNR (they had totally different names), there was sufficient PZ for them to clear if they had PP applied.

You don't see many PP applied on this route. I applied to a no-status family member around x-mas and he jumped to #1 on the waitlist.

I see. I thought it was PZ1 because after the upgrade, the occupied seats go up just by one. So UA only upgraded one passenger, leaving two PZs open afterward.

Yes, it was outside the CPU window. There would be no basis for upgrading GS who were not listing PP.

How “FRA,C” been able to clear an upgrade from the stand by list BEFORE the pax with the confirmed seat, and people with confirmed seat haven’t been able to clear an upgrade? Aka how “FRA,C” from the stand by list been able to go in front of confimed seat pax?


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2c8f78aa3.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1b8ea0398.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ee6388d5d.jpeg

Likely a displaced business-class passenger.

or deadheading pilots (but maybe they don't show up on Standby? Not 100% sure)

My money would be NRPS on standby (probably a pilot), just because I don't think I have everheard of a revenue pax actually getting listed like this correctly during IRROPS.

I can't think of any scenario when NRPS would show on the standby list? They're largely treated like any other booked ticket -

changed my mind - 99.999% NRPS deadheading pilots that booked 3hrs+ prior departure (less likely but possible one of the c-suites or board members)

it showed up on standby most likely because the deadheading pilot booked within 24 hours but greater than 3 hrs (remember most upgrade/standby within 24 hours will show up on upgrade/stby lists)

Hah, I read it as "(UA) (opened) (PZ 6) (days out)", i.e., PZ opened to 6 some unspecified many number of days out. :p

Anyway, clarification already obviously provided.

(super late reply — I don't get quote alerts any longer?)

Had a weird one today. MCO has been crazy booking lately, and I was in E+ window. I prefer ialses, but couldn't get one and I've been watching. 1K, and put some miles on the flight to get a better ranking. Early (7:54am) flight and the night before 2 seats left and I'm number two, should work out. Boarding at 7:14. At 7, still haven't cleared, plus there are two people booked but not checked in. Go to podium and GA says that they won't clear until 30 minutes before flight.

I assume that is the LAST time it and will run automatically, but does she have to wait to run it? I said I'll be on the plane already stuffed in a window seat. She said wait or swim up stream....

Then someone upgrades out of no where taking one seat, leaving me out, so I load with 1K- but I'm watching the app and bang I see it, I get upgraded, so I grab my bags and start fighting the flow. Oddly, the F cabin sees me and when I'm at row 8 he asks if I forgot something. I just say "I'm in One-Alpha"- he never gets it.

So one of the upgrades went to the immaculate last-minute miracle, but the person in front of me dissppeared ... WEird.

I assume the las minute upgrade was a GS last minute transfer?

Is it true that the GAs have to wait for 30 min before the flght to run upgrades? Or is it only automatic and they can't do anything?