Jan 9, 2016, 5:58 pm
Last edit by: Zorak
This thread is for general RPU usage questions. ---- Previous Thread was Specific GPU and RPU usage questions thread
Questions like "will my upgrade clear" are better placed in
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight [2016]
How often do your RPUs clear?
General comments on utility / value are better placed in
My new United Regional Premier Upgrade (RPU) strategy
Regional Premier® Upgrades (RPUs) are one-way, one-cabin, space available confirmable upgrades as early as the time of ticketing on eligible UA/UX and Copa Airlines-operated flights. They can be used on any fare and any flight that is also CPU eligible and on PS flights. This includes some Oceania and some COPA South America flights. They are generally not usable on flights outside of North America -- see upgrade region chart for details.
PS and non-west coast Hawaii flights are considered one of the better uses of RPUs since those flights are not CPU eligible and since elites are subject to copays on mileage upgrades.
RPUs are earned by elites -- (Re-)qualifying for Premier Platinum earns 2 RPU for the rest of the year, all of the next year and then thru 31 January of the following year. Re-)qualifying for Premier 1K earns 2 more RPUs and you can then earn 2 more RPUs for each additional 25K PQMs.
Unlike GPUs, UA does not offer an extension of unused and about to expire RPUs.
2MM, assuming they did not otherwise qualify for Platinum in the prior year, will have 2 RPUs deposited into their account around mid-January. 3MM+, assuming they did not otherwise qualify for 1K in the prior year, will have 2 RPUs and 6 GPUs deposited into their account around mid-January.
RPUs can be used for other individuals / friends / family but the upgrade priority is based on the status of the flyer, not the earning elite.
RPUs require PZ space (formerly R) to clear (except for GS RPUs which clear into PN space). For a given flight, RPU /GPU or Mileage+Copay have the same waitlist priority -- what does matter is passenger Status then Fare Class and then the time of the request. For more on waitlisting, see Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
A Regional Premier Upgrade will be considered used if any segment of an itinerary is upgraded and flown - no exception. Miles and GPUs have an exception if the waitlisted International BF/GF (now called Polaris business / first) does not clear, the miles/GPU will be returned -- this does not apply to RPUs. Recent changes in the rules make it clear there is no exception for PS routes.
Note on most RPU routes, a "connection" needs to be under 4 hours (longer only if it is the next scheduled flight) or a single RPU will not apply. This standard stopover definition for North American flights.
A single RPU (or GPU or Miles+copay) can not be applied to flights on different PNRs (or for different carriers even on the same PNR).
Questions like "will my upgrade clear" are better placed in
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight [2016]
How often do your RPUs clear?
General comments on utility / value are better placed in
My new United Regional Premier Upgrade (RPU) strategy
Regional Premier® Upgrades (RPUs) are one-way, one-cabin, space available confirmable upgrades as early as the time of ticketing on eligible UA/UX and Copa Airlines-operated flights. They can be used on any fare and any flight that is also CPU eligible and on PS flights. This includes some Oceania and some COPA South America flights. They are generally not usable on flights outside of North America -- see upgrade region chart for details.
PS and non-west coast Hawaii flights are considered one of the better uses of RPUs since those flights are not CPU eligible and since elites are subject to copays on mileage upgrades.
RPUs are earned by elites -- (Re-)qualifying for Premier Platinum earns 2 RPU for the rest of the year, all of the next year and then thru 31 January of the following year. Re-)qualifying for Premier 1K earns 2 more RPUs and you can then earn 2 more RPUs for each additional 25K PQMs.
Unlike GPUs, UA does not offer an extension of unused and about to expire RPUs.
2MM, assuming they did not otherwise qualify for Platinum in the prior year, will have 2 RPUs deposited into their account around mid-January. 3MM+, assuming they did not otherwise qualify for 1K in the prior year, will have 2 RPUs and 6 GPUs deposited into their account around mid-January.
RPUs can be used for other individuals / friends / family but the upgrade priority is based on the status of the flyer, not the earning elite.
RPUs require PZ space (formerly R) to clear (except for GS RPUs which clear into PN space). For a given flight, RPU /GPU or Mileage+Copay have the same waitlist priority -- what does matter is passenger Status then Fare Class and then the time of the request. For more on waitlisting, see Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
A Regional Premier Upgrade will be considered used if any segment of an itinerary is upgraded and flown - no exception. Miles and GPUs have an exception if the waitlisted International BF/GF (now called Polaris business / first) does not clear, the miles/GPU will be returned -- this does not apply to RPUs. Recent changes in the rules make it clear there is no exception for PS routes.
Note on most RPU routes, a "connection" needs to be under 4 hours (longer only if it is the next scheduled flight) or a single RPU will not apply. This standard stopover definition for North American flights.
A single RPU (or GPU or Miles+copay) can not be applied to flights on different PNRs (or for different carriers even on the same PNR).
General RPU earning & usage questions [Consolidated 2016 onward]
Aug 4, 2017, 9:55 pm
#406
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,426
So the question is, do you feel lucky?
Aug 5, 2017, 7:38 am
#407
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: UA 1k Marriott Plat
Posts: 10
Incorrect upgrade list
I am on ua 497 tomorrow (Sunday) and was number 1 on the upgrade list after using an rpu. There was 8 people below me. I go back and check the list I'm now number 9 out of 10. I called united and the lady talked to her supervisor and said they the list is innocent. She said It will automatically fix itself at some point today. Does anyone actually believe it's will fix itself?
Aug 5, 2017, 10:18 am
#408
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,614
Well that is an interesting comment, I would be pretty PO'ed if I discovered that happened to me. My usual MO is to book fairly far out, apply RPU, and wait. Haven't had great success but I ascribed it to my restrictive flight schedule, times I fly, my hub (SFO), and destination cities (often popular or UA hubs as well).
Aug 8, 2017, 10:29 am
#409
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA MileagePlus Premier Platinum
Posts: 1,352
Strategy for upgrading February flights with RPU
I have a domestic 2-segment reservarion for February (very cheap G fare, so jumped on it). R is available on one of the legs for the outbound, but I cannot use my RPU as the ones I have expire end of January. I will requalify for Platinum, but only in the middle of December, so by the time i get the new RPUs, R space may be gone. Any suggestions how to handle this? Should I just use miles to upgrade now? If I do that, when I get the new RPUs, is it possible to redeposit the miles and use an RPU if R space is still available?
Aug 8, 2017, 10:47 am
#410
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,001
100%, but your original fare class must be available at time you un-apply mileage upgrade. When you un-apply the upgrade, that does not mean upgrade inventory increases by one, however. You'll only want to do it if R exists at the time or if you think there's a real good chance the RPU would clear at some later time.
Aug 8, 2017, 10:59 am
#411
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA MileagePlus Premier Platinum
Posts: 1,352
I know, that's what I had in mind.
Aug 8, 2017, 12:06 pm
#412
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
OP - you could also offer a trade for 2019 expiry RPUs for your 2018 RPUs + something else in Coupon Connection.
Aug 8, 2017, 1:43 pm
#413
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,393
Aug 8, 2017, 3:44 pm
#414
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, BA Gold, SQ TPP
Posts: 1,487
What order do RPUs get used?
Will RPUs expiring in 1/2018 always get used before those expiring in 1/2019?
Or it is based on what was in the account when the upgrades were requested?
Or it is based on what was in the account when the upgrades were requested?
Aug 8, 2017, 4:17 pm
#415
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 575
I thought agents could swap miles for an instrument w/o availability being there?
Aug 8, 2017, 4:33 pm
#416
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,393
Aug 9, 2017, 9:24 pm
#417
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, SPG Platinum
Posts: 22
RPU question for connecting flight
I booked a flight from NAS to SFO which will layover at EWR. I just wonder if I can only apply RPU for EWJ - SFO leg, because I'm a bit worry about in the case of prem-transcon leg wont get clear while NAS - EWJ do, it will waste my RPU. Also I think there is a pretty good chance to get CPU on NAS-EWR leg.
Thanks for any hint here!
Thanks for any hint here!
Aug 9, 2017, 9:28 pm
#418
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,882
I booked a flight from NAS to SFO which will layover at EWR. I just wonder if I can only apply RPU for EWJ - SFO leg, because I'm a bit worry about in the case of prem-transcon leg wont get clear while NAS - EWJ do, it will waste my RPU. Also I think there is a pretty good chance to get CPU on NAS-EWR leg.
Thanks for any hint here!
Thanks for any hint here!
Nexf step in the process is if the PS flight clears in advance, you can then call back and have them apply that same RPU to the NAS-EWR flight - that way you'll get higher priority for that leg.
Aug 9, 2017, 9:48 pm
#419
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, VS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 838
it can be done, but you'll have to call in. You can only apply to all legs in the direction of travel online. You are doing it the smarter way: applying to the leg you really want to clear, as it will be used even if only the segment you don't care about as much clears.
Nexf step in the process is if the PS flight clears in advance, you can then call back and have them apply that same RPU to the NAS-EWR flight - that way you'll get higher priority for that leg.
Nexf step in the process is if the PS flight clears in advance, you can then call back and have them apply that same RPU to the NAS-EWR flight - that way you'll get higher priority for that leg.
Aug 9, 2017, 10:06 pm
#420
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, SPG Platinum
Posts: 22
it can be done, but you'll have to call in. You can only apply to all legs in the direction of travel online. You are doing it the smarter way: applying to the leg you really want to clear, as it will be used even if only the segment you don't care about as much clears.
Nexf step in the process is if the PS flight clears in advance, you can then call back and have them apply that same RPU to the NAS-EWR flight - that way you'll get higher priority for that leg.
Nexf step in the process is if the PS flight clears in advance, you can then call back and have them apply that same RPU to the NAS-EWR flight - that way you'll get higher priority for that leg.