Waitlist GPU or try to snipe R?
 

Hello all,

Outside of getting GPUs to clear at time of booking, I've had no luck getting them to clear when waitlisted, which has made me pessimistic of the whole thing. I have had luck just checking for R space periodically (sometimes daily getting closer), finding openings, calling and just clearing into it via a GPU or miles.

Is this just me being superstitious? Is it safe to just waitlist the GPU upgrade and let United handle it?

I have some flights that are way out in Nov/Dec and so its prob too early for R-space to appear but I'm booked into M fare and want to upgrade if possible, should I just waitlist?

Can you not do both? You can waitlist now, but keep checking and if you see R available without being cleared, you can call in to secure your upgrade.

I've had two four wait listed flights clear in the last few weeks, so the process does generally operate. How or when is a different story...

I would agree with the other reply -- apply the GPU and if you see R open up, just call to have them process the upgrade. Not applying it right away may very well cause you to miss out on an R release.

Both. The upgrade clearing process is so broken. I'm 7 snipes in 8 attempts this year. I feel bad for the suckers on the waitlist with faith in UA, but I'm not about to join them.

Agree - do both. The UA upgrade system seems to work like an old mainframe - different jobs run at different time - and it's the time between the jobs that offers opportunity - or loss....

I waitlisted with RPU / GPU on both segments of a round trip for four that I booked around January or February. Split the PNR a while back and immediately cleared me and my wife on the outbound. Got a computer note a few days ago that let me know tht my wife and I had cleared on the return. Still hoping the kids can clear on one or both segments.

But based on the above, the 'puter was doing its job. Having said that... I'm still checking periodically for R inventory...

The waitlist works reasonably well up until T-24, then it all falls apart.

I cleared SFO-HKG last week off the waitlist. R never opened (and has never opened since). From watching bookings, it appears they cleared 9 pax off the waitlist all at once.

I have a question about this waitlist process. I've read a lot of threads, but still am not sure I understand the bit about checking R and calling in if I see space. I requested upgrades ($$ and miles) on an international flight next month. Of the four segments on that trip, two have cleared the waitlist; I'm waitlisted for the other two (one domestic, one transatlantic). So if I monitor the availability of R (currently at 0 on these flights), and see that R becomes available, and I haven't been cleared off the waitlist, and if I call in --- would an agent then upgrade me? or tell me that I'm still on the waitlist? or does it depend on the agent? And does it matter what fare I'm booked in? Does status?

(Is there an overview/wiki on all this upgrading?)

Please don't add this to a wiki. If everyone knows, then no one gets the space

Maybe because it is a mainframe? Have you seen the green screens the gate agents have to work with?

Hardly likely. There's a 37 page thread devoted to the topic. upgrade-still-waitlisted-even-though-r-class-available

Read thread linked above for details.

LOL I know - but MODERN mainframes have the ability to do more than one thing at a time...

My last 4 all worked fine, EWR-LHR cleared at the gate as we were boarding, it was full but the 2 that cleared ahead of us got moved to F. The return was GVA-IAD and cleared 2 weeks or so before the flight and I got an email to let me know.

tht

CO built many functions off the mainframe in ancillary systems.

It is my understanding that the clearing of the waitlists is handled by another system which runs in sweeps, which is why we see these anomalies (seat is available, but waitlist hasn't cleared yet).

Same with EUA (CPU) - that's a separate system that sweeps the flights to process upgrades.

Yep, very broken and now they want to add all this additional logic about revenue based miles etc. I guess UA wants to be a software company now with very crappy code.