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]
May 6, 2018, 11:10 am
#631
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Lesson Learned: Even when there's few, if any J seats either at booking or upon periodic status checks, always apply the RPU/GPU before check in.
Tale: Flying LAX-EWR tomorrow. At booking, only 2 seats open appeared on the seat map. Fast forward to T-24ish check in. 10 seats were open - assume that a whole bunch of folks from Asia and/or Australia flights got rebooked. Too late to apply an instrument past the T-24 mark unless I hustle over to the airport. Now at T-22, down to 4 seats and only 1 showing cleared on the upgrade list. No upgrade offers either online nor on the app. Nuts.
David
Tale: Flying LAX-EWR tomorrow. At booking, only 2 seats open appeared on the seat map. Fast forward to T-24ish check in. 10 seats were open - assume that a whole bunch of folks from Asia and/or Australia flights got rebooked. Too late to apply an instrument past the T-24 mark unless I hustle over to the airport. Now at T-22, down to 4 seats and only 1 showing cleared on the upgrade list. No upgrade offers either online nor on the app. Nuts.
David
May 6, 2018, 11:15 am
#632
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Lesson Learned: Even when there's few, if any J seats either at booking or upon periodic status checks, always apply the RPU/GPU before check in.
Tale: Flying LAX-EWR tomorrow. At booking, only 2 seats open appeared on the seat map. Fast forward to T-24ish check in. 10 seats were open - assume that a whole bunch of folks from Asia and/or Australia flights got rebooked. Too late to apply an instrument past the T-24 mark unless I hustle over to the airport. Now at T-22, down to 4 seats and only 1 showing cleared on the upgrade list. No upgrade offers either online nor on the app. Nuts.
David
Tale: Flying LAX-EWR tomorrow. At booking, only 2 seats open appeared on the seat map. Fast forward to T-24ish check in. 10 seats were open - assume that a whole bunch of folks from Asia and/or Australia flights got rebooked. Too late to apply an instrument past the T-24 mark unless I hustle over to the airport. Now at T-22, down to 4 seats and only 1 showing cleared on the upgrade list. No upgrade offers either online nor on the app. Nuts.
David
May 11, 2018, 9:21 pm
#633
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K, NW forever
Posts: 1,390
May 11, 2018, 10:34 pm
#634
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Yes agents are not supposed to apply for you, and the system has gotten better about blocking, but the moving pieces are not always coordinated. It can throw your reservation into a strange state and mess up your check-in, but better to deal with that than miss the upgrade.
May 13, 2018, 2:24 am
#635
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I have an upcoming TXL-EWR flight. On the upgrade page it offers me the opportunity to upgrade using a RPU. There is a connecting domestic flight later, so I’m assuming the RPU applies only to that? Just asking as I’ve never noticed this before.
May 13, 2018, 9:50 am
#636
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Correct, the RPU will only apply to the domestic portion.
May 21, 2018, 1:02 pm
#637
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AC 25K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 436
At booking time 1-2 months ago, I had applied an RPU for a domestic itinerary tomorrow AAA-BBB-CCC. About two weeks ago, AAA-BBB cleared. It is now checkin time for AAA-BBB, but it is still more than 24h before the departure from BBB. Nevertheless, UA removed the waitlisted R segment BBB-CCC from my PNR, but assured me that my priority in the queue would be preserved. Am I now at a disadvantage compared to someone else using an RPU but originating at BBB whose PNR would still show a waitlisted R segment BBB-CCC for the next few hours (until it's 24h before the departure time for BBB-CCC)? If so, is there anything I can do about it?
May 21, 2018, 1:11 pm
#638
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
UA hasn't actually done anything except send you an email that misstates the process.
May 21, 2018, 2:10 pm
#639
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,413
Does the PNR say "upgrade requested" for the second segment? If so the waitlisted segment has not been removed and you're fine.
May 21, 2018, 3:04 pm
#640
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AC 25K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 436
May 21, 2018, 4:15 pm
#641
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: 3,618
Booked a friends a ticket through my account on line. I usually get a message of something like "do I want to apply an RPU" but didn't get this. Figured it was because ithe ticket was not in my name. Tried to apply one through the manage link to the ticket but didn't see it available. Finally just called the and got it applied immediately. My question is can't you just apply/gift them on line? In the past I have always called but I thought this would be easier going forward.
May 21, 2018, 4:23 pm
#642
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
May 21, 2018, 5:33 pm
#643
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AC 25K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 436
May 22, 2018, 11:04 am
#644
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Programs: UA 1K, UA .53 MM, Marriott Gold, Nexus, GE, TSA Pre, Hertz PC
Posts: 581
RPU Cleared, ORD-SFO
My girlfriend is a Silver, flying CHS-ORD-SFO on an L fare.
At T-27, I saw that UA 222, ORD-SFO, on 23-May was at R1. I called the 1K desk and they applied one of my RPU's and she cleared. She was also offered a seat in First for $199 at check-in, but obviously did not take it. This is the first time I've seen an RPU clear on ORD-SFO, but YMMV.
- LE
My girlfriend is a Silver, flying CHS-ORD-SFO on an L fare.
At T-27, I saw that UA 222, ORD-SFO, on 23-May was at R1. I called the 1K desk and they applied one of my RPU's and she cleared. She was also offered a seat in First for $199 at check-in, but obviously did not take it. This is the first time I've seen an RPU clear on ORD-SFO, but YMMV.
- LE
Jun 19, 2018, 8:07 pm
#645
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: 3,618
KOA - SFO cleared 5 days prior to flight which for me is almost unheard of. Obvious tourism is down on the Big Island so flights seem wide open now. I saw only one seat in F was sold and no R space (typical) so I called 1K desk and asked what gives. Almost freakishly the agent agreed and pushed the instrument upgrade through.