Upgrade with miles--waitlist actually does clear
 

I booked a IAD-DEN trip about a month ago for a trip on August 3. The return flight had R space available for upgrade with miles, but not the outbound flight. So I tried the waitlist. Today the outbound upgrade cleared.

I had been under the (clearly mistaken) impression that if R space is not available for domestic flights at the time of booking, then it is never released. I guess that previously I had been unable to figure out the upgrade waitlist procedure, after they changed the reservation system.

Just like with the old reservation system, I had to call United to have the reservation agent "clean up" the reservation.

FWIW, the flight still shows R0.

R space generally opens up T-24 hours. Thats when your miles upgrades will clear. If you notice R space and your upgrade hasn't cleared call in and have them clear it, i've done it twice for a LAX-SYD flight using a miles + copay upgrade.

My brother's upgrade cleared today for SFO-EWR on the 8th (4 days out).

I was under the impression that status trumps miles for upgrades that close in. The upgrades have already been given away to GS and 1K members.

CPU upgrades yes. but you don't get those on international flights. Miles + Copay will always trump instrument upgrades on the list.

Yes waitlists clear quite regularly prior to T-25 or so (assuming UA opens R). The bugginess now is mostly confined to T-25 in.

It will actually clear itself up in a day or so.

That's not really accurate. Waitlists frequently clear days, weeks, or months in advance of T-24.

+1 Kacee

Much to my surprise, this evening, July 4, a legal holiday to boot, I got email that our flight OGG-LAX in August had cleared UG. Tickets booked a month ago.

^ to UA this time!

Of course they do. But by T-24, all remaining R space will open up.

Related question about international travel
 

So, if I book a flight from New York to Singapore 6-8 months in advance in, let's say E+, as a Silver, for my wife and myself, and we use miles + cash to upgrade to seats showing availability, what are the chances that we will actually be upgraded?

False. There is no documented difference between miles and instrument upgrades. It still status-based.

It depends on the day of the week. Much higher chances mid week than weekend IME.

I booked 2 xxx-IAH-NRT-SIN about four days ago and then yesterday applied GPUs to one and miles and copay to the other. Instant upgrade on the IAH-NRT and return legs--the ones I really want upgraded. R space wasn't available when I booked. I was surprised. I made this trip May-June and everything was upgraded except the NRT-SIN legs several weeks in advance. One NRT-SIN ticket was upgraded (mysteriously, a family of four got upgraded in advance of me and I was first on the upgrade list). Outbound was on a Wednesday, return on a Tuesday.

Now, I'm 1K so I'm ahead of you in the pecking order, but upgrades seem more plentiful than last year.

Thanks manneca. Maybe even more plentiful next year if United drives away enough customers.

Ummm im pretty sure GPU/RPUs trump CPUs on the upgrade priority list. Also i've never once had a miles + copay upgrade not clear while everyone on the same route is complaining about their GPUs not clearing.

But then again i don't know for sure so hey if you say so.

GPU/RPUs do trump CPUs on the upgrade priority list. But paying miles for an upgrade is not a CPU; it's still considered an instrument upgrade.

More discussion on this topic here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...p-rpu-gpu.html

Also, from United's own site (emphasis mine):

Source: http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...e/default.aspx

If I haven't cleared at T-24, any reason to delay checking in? I can't quite understand the upgrades for those already checked in but it appears those switch to standby upgrades and then those on the waitlist for mileage upgrades are SOL (in which case it would make sense to delay check in). Am I following that correctly?