Baley

I've taken this route many times the last couple of years. There was indeed a bug in the system that allowed GPU usage for anything under a W fare, contrary to the rules for this segment.

This bug has been indeed fixed and you cannot upgrade online....but....the rule is a confusion still to many agents. Traveled MNL-GUM-HNL-EWR a few weeks ago and called in to check on my upgrade status for HNL-EWR and the agent wondered why I wasn't upgraded on the GUM-HNL route with my GPU and manually did so for me. However, as I was on a K fare this was technically against the rules I guess?

When I called in a few days later to check on the upgrade status for the HNL-EWR leg again, the GUM-HNL upgrade was flagged by another agent. Told me I wasn't supposed to be upgraded as I needed at least a W fare.

Put me on hold for about 5 minutes and told me they would honor it as it was their mistake but put a note on the file.

Best advice is to call in and inquire....you may get an agent that will apply the upgrade for you. But technically it's not allowed under the upgrade rules.

Kmxu

Thank you, Baley. My poster was not bizarre. It is totally consistent with your best advice.
Anyway, this GUM-HNL flight's BF cabin is United Nonrev party center; that is, the cabin is filled with all UA employees on vacation to GUM.

mh3265a

Both very interesting data points. The UA website indicates that for GUM-HNL and vice versa must be a W fare or higher. Clearly that isn't the case in the two above circumstances. Not sure if UA is just being flexible or if there is some sort of continued system glitch. This route really needs to be RPU eligible NOT GPU or miles and money ONLY.

PaulInTheSky

Anybody still able to get the GPUs or even RPUs applied to GUM-HNL under fare W? I am seriously contemplating a trip to HKG through HNL, but I need to know if this indeed still works.

FlyerBeek

Not recently (as of last month, at least). I believe this loophole was closed about a year ago.

-FlyerBeek

mh3265a

I had a return trip from Guam to Seattle back in August. Went GUM-HNL-SFO-SEA and was on a W fare. Applied a GPU and the upgrade cleared a few days later. RPU was not an option online for me. However, a colleague said they were able to apply a RPU but not clear how or if they were mistaken.

Kmxu

Moderater: please feel free to merge it to another thread.
I checked into GUM-HNL flight very early. I was surprised to see my name on upgrade standby list. I purchased a K fare. The flight is still 8 hour away. But I notice that are 48 people on the upgrade standby list at this moment. Does UA reallly change this route to CPU eligible？
Thanks.
Edit: just checked UA site. The answer is no. So, SHARE is rogue for this flight. https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/upgrade/default.aspx

cosflyer

i would bet that there are 48 standby non revs for that flight instead of 48 on the ug list that are booked on it. i have been to anderson afb a few times and when i was flying out to honolulu there was over 80 standbys for that flight, was told that alot of pacific islander ua employee families travel back and forth to honolulu. so if they are listed for f/j then they would show as standing by for the premium cabin

JVPhoto

OP said their name was on the UG list as well. I'm assuming they're not a non-rev posting here.

I managed to get GUM-HNL-SFO on all one RPU last year.

mahasamatman

Have RPU ever been a problem on this route?

jsloan

Well, considering that GUM-HNL is listed as GPU, W+ class required, I'd say clearing an RPU on it was pretty nice. :-)

I have a trip coming up where I ended up opting to go via NRT because I couldn't confirm an upgrade on any HNL-mainland (or vv) flight. (HNL-GUM and GUM-HNL were both wide open, though).

WineCountryUA

The history of this flight segment has been very confused -- such as http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ger-works.html. Generally if a flight segment is RPU eligible, it will be CPU eligible (with the notable lie flat domestic route exceptions -- PS and Mainland-Hawaii flights)

Kmxu

The list has been trimmed down. My name is gone, too. There is now only one paying customer plus all Nonrev fighting for two remaining seats. Cheers!

mh3265a

Definitely a computer glitch. HNL-GUM should be CPU, at the least RPU eligible, because the service has downgraded significantly over the years to a basic domestic first class service. Would have been interesting if your CPU cleared though....you got my hope up a little.

WineCountryUA

No change in posted policy. UA still explicitly states HNL-GUM is not CPU or RPU eligible. Can disagree if this should be true, but it is what UA states.