No, and many on here (including myself) vouch that by being an elite, your TOD offer will actually cost more to you than a non-elite.

I personally have proof of that.

Lastly, yes, you can watch for a TOD. When you check-in, it should give you an "upgrade now" option, and will list a price (usually ending in $XX9).

On a route like LAX/SFO, you may not even get the option should 100% of F class be full, which personally on busier days tends to be.

Correct. Many would say that you have a lower priority for cheap offers.

I'm a plat and it has been more than two years since my last CPU. To be fair, I did refuse one a few weeks ago because I was travelling with my family (on different PNRs), but as a gold, I would say that you basically have just about zero chance at a CPU except on complete leisure routes.

This sucks! I'm currently GOLD and have a flight next week, LAX-IAD on a Friday night, 11pmish -seat map currently shows 17 open FC available... I was hoping I can score one. We'll see.

As a 1k I have cleared exactly 2 CPUs since Jan 2014. Both were over a year ago; one SFO-OKC and an EWR-SFO at 2100ish on a Friday.


I don't even think about CPUs any more. For me based in SFO, they are so rare they might as well not even exist

1K out of SFO here, over 50% for the year. i think it really depends on your schedule

As others stated you are trying to get a CPU out of two huge elite traveler hubs. I am PLAT out of SFO and often fly to SEA and it is basically a non event. SEA to SFO is so crazy when they board GS a literally half the flight boards. I have almost had to gate check carry on as a BG1....crazy. Just a bunch of tech people with tons of status in and out of SFO and SEA.

As a Premier Gold for the past few years I have scored ZERO upgrades.

It wasn't always like this. At the equivalent UA status level several years ago (Premier Executive) my upgrade rate was about 50%. But the various changes post-merger in how upgrades are assigned and sold have made it extremely unlikely for golds to get upgrades. I now consider it basically a fictional benefit of gold status.

I was gold for 2 years (2012 and 2013) and managed only 5 or 6 upgrades. One of those was IAH-ORD on Labor Day, LAS-IAH on a Monday, IAH-MAF on a weekend, and the balance were leisure flights, IAH-PVR and vice versa.

Now that I'm closing in on Silver next month I'm considering redirecting credit towards AC so that I don't hit Silver in order to protect my non-status TOD eligibility. :D Never thought I'd say that...

I've literally never gotten a CPU
 

Based in SFO, was Silver the past two years and Gold since Jan 2015. 0-for-15 since turning Gold, pretty much all flights going into or out of SFO. A mix of midweek work travel to DEN, leisure travel to Europe or weekend short hops to LAS/LAX/SAN.

When it was CO, I got upgrades quite often as a Gold. Ever since the merger, that number has plummeted. Even as a 1K, it is hit or miss. I've failed on both a RPU (JFK-LAX) and GPU (EWR-LON) this year.

I've gotten CPU on a few routes to/from ORD this year. But the upgrade list is generally 20+ people so it isn't easy on the well traveled routes. Just look at how many are lined up in Boarding Group 1.

The same whine here appears regularly on the DL board where the derisive term for DL selling seats in F is FCM.

Bottom line is that with a vastly improved economy and a more rational F pricing structure the freeloader UG's, whether they're called CPU's on UA or Medallions on DL, are going the way of the dodo bird.

I spent four years as a UA gold without a single upgrade. When it did finally happen ORD-SFO my meal was a plate of tepid nuts and the beverage service was two glasses of wine from a milk carton.

With the new mileage earning charges, I now book flights just based on price. So far I am much happier. This week alone UA lost $2,000 of revenue from me. Somehow I'll still probably be a gold next year thanks to SAS and ANA.

Over the past several years, usually as a gold, my upgrade rates were in 70 - 80% range. This year as a plat, I think I'm ~65%. It really does depend on where you're flying and when. Hub to hubs are going to be tough..always. I'm based out of CVG, and fly to various places - YYZ, EWR, SFO, SJC, etc. and the rate varies depending on route. Into/out of CVG to/from ORD/DEN are usually pretty good for me, onward is dependent. Rare to get an upgrade into SFO (no surprise there), but SJC, when I can fly there, is much better. Ironically, ORD-YYZ, even in my days as a silver, were very good odds, while coming back the other direction is much tougher. I have no idea why.

Yes, the rates are lower these days, with the economy better and more people willing to buy (or take upgrade offers) to F, and my view is, if UA can sell the seats for $, they probably should first. I know that's likely to get flamed in here, but they are a business. I like an upgrades as much as anyone else, and appreciate when I get one, but am perfectly fine sitting in coach, since it's what I pay for (and, a lot of my flights are short-haul to medium-haul at most). If one really wants to sit in the F cabin, one should probably pay for it. And outside of the U.S., this is usually the only way to get in a premium cabin.

This. I know people like to complain on here a lot about UA and about how much better DL is, but you see the same thing on the DL board. Sure, there are DL routes that are easier to upgrade on, but out of ATL on key routes, for example, it's likely as difficult, if not more so, than getting a UA upgrade out of SFO or IAH.

I agree also that free elite upgrades are going to be a very rare occurrence on all carriers in a few years.

It's very unlikely you'll be upgraded on a flight to IAD, but stranger things have happened.

I don't think I would be too concerned about whether or not an upgrade LAX-SFO cleared; it's such a short flight.