Best Chances for NRT/HND to East Coast Business Class Upgrade?
 

Having been burned last year on multiple GPU upgrade requests, I have purchased mostly cheap Z fares this year for my international trips. However I have an upcoming trip to Japan in September and have the 6 GPUs still sitting in my account. Looking at the specific flights, the outbound EWR-NRT has 13 seats occupied on the seat map (I know they are not always accurate) and 14 on the inbound. For those of you who make this trip frequently, what do you think are the chances of the GPUs clearing on a H or Q fare? I really do not want to get stuck on E+ on this flight. Thanks for any feedback.

I have had good luck with this route - especially mid-week to mid-week. Watch the R space daily after booking and call in when you see it open up as the automated wait list processing isn't as reliable as we might hope - I usually check first thing in the morning.

I have had great luck with the routes to NRT ex-EWR. I typically buy a W fare when applying GPU and wont book until I see R space.

Worth a connection to you to lock in RN space now? or worst case do a SDC if 24hrs out your flight looks booked solid and business....

the day of week is the most important factor. There sometimes are readily available R spaces during the mid week (Tues, Wed or Thur) so make sure to search for those.

I've never had a problem on this route - actually, I've never had a problem applying a GPU to an international segment because I know day of the week matters and I book appropriately.

Going to Asia, you want to book Tues-Thurs primarily, and avoid Fri/Sat/Sun (Saturday is the worst day). Coming back to the US, just stick with any mid-week date Tues-Thurs.

Thanks to all of you who responded. I have been monitoring the flights but there have been no R space, even though the load seems light. Oh well, will probably go ahead and make the booking and hope the upgrade comes through.

How many TPACs have you actually cleared on GPUs?

IME, Friday is often easier than Thursday outbound. Business travelers want to get home late Friday, not late Saturday.

sangho - I would be aggravated too, if I was 1K and had 6 GPUs to use, and my international upgrades on W fares constantly failed to clear. I cannot speak to the EWR-NRT route. But I often fly SFO-NRT. There are 2 B747 flights a day. On a trip I'm making shortly, there was R9 availability at booking both flights, both directions. This remains the case. Although I'm flying on a Wednesday, I see R availability weekend days too.

Think positive. EWR-SFO-NRT is more miles! :)

Over the years, more than 20 - I've never flown TPAC in Y on UA. I usually fly Wednesday or Thursday to Asia, and Monday-Wednesday back to the US.

Booked my ticket, but it was the flights from IAD that had R space open up this morning. None of the other flights show any space on the dates I wanted, but this is good enough, except that the United schedule from NYC to IAD is terrible these days, and the flights are frequently delayed/cancelled. Hoping that there is no drama for this connection on the days I will fly.

This was actually an interesting enough question that I went through all our flights since our first year as 1K in 2007. I don't have records of mileage upgrades before that.

Over the years, we've cleared 13 SWU/GPU westbound to Asia/Pacific and 12 eastbound with no failures. This is better than either our Europe or Middle East numbers, which inclede one failure each. The day-of-week breakdown shows westbound success on Sunday (x3), Tuesday (x1), Wednesday (x3), Thursday (x2), Friday (x2), Saturday (x2). Eastbound, it's been Sunday (x1), Monday (x5), Tuesday (x2), Wednesday (x1), Thursday (x1), Friday (x1), Saturday (x1).

And all these numbers should really be doubled since there were two of us on each flight.

For OP on the outbound, perhaps you can fly ex-NYC the night before so as not to risk missing the TPAC seg? I was able to do an SDC before to change an early morning flight to an evening before one to pad time in the event RJ scheduling wackiness ensued for a DCA -> EWR -> TPAC routing. Of course I paid for a hotel at EWR, so I ate that cost too for the peace of mind. However, this is a YMMV thing, as I tried it again and the agent said it would be incurring additional fees.

I commonly see IAD // NRT R space during weekdays. Haven't done EWR // NRT before.

I haven't missed an TPAC upgrade following the general scheduling as specified upthread since winter of '10 (after learning about how to upgrade!). Once was a battlefield up on a Thursday ex-EWR. Half the time I've confirmed at booking. Last time returning from Asia on a Sunday in June, I changed routing ex-HKG several days out and paying the change fee to ride NQ in Y and confirm for NRT -> IAD when J < ~6 for HKG -> EWR. Basis fare that day was Q with about 1.5 months on WL.

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O/T but I just found my old email confirmations for my first TPAC upgrade... CO B fares R/T EWR // HKG at ~1800.... i miss those days!

Best Chances for NRT/HND Upgrade?
 

Need to fly Tokyo-Washington, DC on a Saturday in late March. No HND/NRT flights show "R" availability as of now. Most of the flights have no seats selected in J or just 1 or 2. I see "P" availability up to 9 on some flights and "PN" availability as well. Any recommendations for easiest upgrade for a 1K? Thanks!

Did you look at flying through SFO? I've found plenty of R SFO-NRT in mid to late April and have in fact booked 4 seats across a few week span.