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]
Jan 31, 2019, 10:12 am
#706
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 941
So I've found PZ space on international routes before and have experience hunting for those. However, I've never been able to find PZ space domestically. It seems especially tough since UA has gotten really good at filling the cabins domestically.
I'd like to use RPUs on, say, IAD/EWR-HNL, but those seems equally difficult even though there are more F seats than on the domestic mainline 737s and A319/320s. Browsing here, it seems more luck of the draw (more so than with finding it on INTL flights) - but curious if I missed anything, FT RPU experts?
I'd like to use RPUs on, say, IAD/EWR-HNL, but those seems equally difficult even though there are more F seats than on the domestic mainline 737s and A319/320s. Browsing here, it seems more luck of the draw (more so than with finding it on INTL flights) - but curious if I missed anything, FT RPU experts?
Good luck!
Jan 31, 2019, 1:04 pm
#707
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Anyone having trouble with the RPU/GPU section of the UA website where you can actually apply them to an upcoming flight? I click "Manage Flight", and then "Upgrade cabin" to take me to the "Upgrade Your Flight" page, and on that page there are 2 tabs: "Purchase Upgrade" and "Use Miles to Upgrade". When it's on the "Purchase Upgrade" tab, I see 2 buttons at the bottom: "Continue to Payment" and "Cancel". However, as soon as I click on the "Use Miles to Upgrade" page, those buttons disappear, so I'm unable to save my RPU/GPU selection to apply them toward my flights. I've tried it on 2 different browsers (Chrome and IE) on 2 different computers, and they all seem to be missing the buttons at the bottom if I want to "Use Miles to Upgrade", no matter if I select RPU/GPU, or if I want to use miles and money. Any ideas? I guess I'm just going to have to call the 1K line and have them apply the upgrade.
Feb 1, 2019, 3:02 pm
#708
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Further to my question above, I have an upcoming itinerary that involves DEN-HNL-GUM-HKG...I called the 1K line to apply an RPU for the valid segments, which I thought would have been DEN-HNL, and GUM-HKG (I know that HNL-GUM is GPU only), but the agent I spoke with said that GUM-HKG wasn't valid for an RPU. I told him that I'm on the CPU list for that flight, and that I thought that all flights that are CPUable should be RPUable, but he said when he tried to apply it to that segment that it said it couldn't be done. Any idea why that would be? Do I just need to call again and ask a different agent?
Feb 1, 2019, 3:51 pm
#709
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,419
Feb 4, 2019, 7:26 pm
#710
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: United MP 1K, Marriott Gold
Posts: 24
I know GS GPUs are treated differently than 1K GPUs - notably the application to PN instead of PZ.
Are RPUs the same? Wondering if it might make sense to ask a outside US friend who got GS if they could apply one of their RPUs to one of my upcoming flights that has space in PN but no PZ.
Are RPUs the same? Wondering if it might make sense to ask a outside US friend who got GS if they could apply one of their RPUs to one of my upcoming flights that has space in PN but no PZ.
Feb 4, 2019, 7:30 pm
#711
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,112
I know GS GPUs are treated differently than 1K GPUs - notably the application to PN instead of PZ.
Are RPUs the same? Wondering if it might make sense to ask a outside US friend who got GS if they could apply one of their RPUs to one of my upcoming flights that has space in PN but no PZ.
Are RPUs the same? Wondering if it might make sense to ask a outside US friend who got GS if they could apply one of their RPUs to one of my upcoming flights that has space in PN but no PZ.
Feb 18, 2019, 8:06 am
#712
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
I have an upcoming AAA-BBB-CCC-DDD itinerary where I applied for an upgrade using an RPU on the eligible segments (AAA-BBB-CCC). BBB-CCC is not really worth it, though, as it's just over a 1 hour flight, so I don't really want to waste an RPU on that segment if AAA-BBB doesn't clear. Is there any way to stipulate that I only want to upgrade BBB-CCC if the AAA-BBB upgrade goes through? I'm guessing not, and that I need to call an agent to have them remove the RPU from the BBB-CCC segment (or remove the RPU from both segments, and reapply an RPU for AAA-BBB only, since I think that's the easiest way for them to do it). Is that correct?
If they have to reapply the RPU, does that mean I move to the bottom of the list, or anything like that? I have no idea where I am in the upgrade waitlist as of now, as the flight is still 1 month away.
If they have to reapply the RPU, does that mean I move to the bottom of the list, or anything like that? I have no idea where I am in the upgrade waitlist as of now, as the flight is still 1 month away.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:41 am
#713
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,419
It would if you had them pull and re-apply; it wouldn't if you just have them remove the single segment.
Feb 18, 2019, 11:54 am
#714
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Feb 18, 2019, 12:02 pm
#715
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,470
They might struggle to do that for you, but I'm not sure. In practice, it seems rare that for shorter flights the RPU will make a difference for upgrades, since you may clear CPU beforehand, or you may not have any chance at all.
Feb 18, 2019, 5:51 pm
#716
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
I have an upcoming AAA-BBB-CCC-DDD itinerary where I applied for an upgrade using an RPU on the eligible segments (AAA-BBB-CCC). BBB-CCC is not really worth it, though, as it's just over a 1 hour flight, so I don't really want to waste an RPU on that segment if AAA-BBB doesn't clear. Is there any way to stipulate that I only want to upgrade BBB-CCC if the AAA-BBB upgrade goes through? I'm guessing not, and that I need to call an agent to have them remove the RPU from the BBB-CCC segment (or remove the RPU from both segments, and reapply an RPU for AAA-BBB only, since I think that's the easiest way for them to do it). Is that correct?
If they have to reapply the RPU, does that mean I move to the bottom of the list, or anything like that? I have no idea where I am in the upgrade waitlist as of now, as the flight is still 1 month away.
If they have to reapply the RPU, does that mean I move to the bottom of the list, or anything like that? I have no idea where I am in the upgrade waitlist as of now, as the flight is still 1 month away.
Feb 19, 2019, 7:39 am
#717
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Is the BBB-CCC flight less than 500 miles? I had an experience last year where I was flying ORD-IAH-BTR. My RPU cleared on the IAH-BTR flight but not on the ORD-IAH flight. My RPU was returned. When I reported this, some other FTers reported the same effect and it seemed that the less than 500 miles was triggering the return.
Feb 19, 2019, 8:12 am
#718
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,470
Oh, I didn't think about that...yes, it's definitely less than 500 miles (closer to 250, actually). I knew (or thought I knew) that there was some sort of "rule" about getting back your upgrade back if the shorter segment cleared but a Polaris segment didn't, but I didn't know anything about this 500 mile limit...
Feb 19, 2019, 8:41 am
#719
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,272
Feb 19, 2019, 9:00 am
#720
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,470
So maybe it's not necessary for me to remove BBB-CCC from my RPU request? Or should I just remove it anyway because I don't really care if I get that upgrade or not, and don't want to have to "waste" an RPU on that segment if AAA-BBB doesn't get confirmed, and I'm not one of the lucky ones that gets the RPU returned?