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 22, 2016, 1:20 pm
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
RDU - SFO is R5 but SFO - LAS is R0. Don't care that much about SFO - LAS (though would be nice to clear) as long as RDU - SFO definitely clears.
Aug 24, 2016, 10:16 am
#107
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: UA1K, *G & Wife of UA1K MM
Posts: 3,432
3 passengers, 2 RPUs - question
There are 3 of us traveling together, and we'd like to go first class for one of the legs. I have 2 RPUs to burn and I am (probably) willing to come up with the cash for first class for the other passenger.
Will the online booking system allow me to pay cash for ONE of the upgrades? Or do I need to book this as two separate reservations?
Thanks!
Will the online booking system allow me to pay cash for ONE of the upgrades? Or do I need to book this as two separate reservations?
Thanks!
Aug 24, 2016, 10:33 am
#108
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,895
The online booking system won't allow travelers on the same reservation to be in different classes of service (or even fare classes). You'll need to "split" the reservation in order to apply RPUs or to buy-up with cash.
Note that if you cannot confirm an upgrade with an RPU and need to waitlist, you should probably split into separate 1-traveler reservations.
Note that if you cannot confirm an upgrade with an RPU and need to waitlist, you should probably split into separate 1-traveler reservations.
Aug 24, 2016, 11:08 am
#109
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: UA1K, *G & Wife of UA1K MM
Posts: 3,432
Thank you, mherdeg. You've saved me a lot of time. 
Aug 24, 2016, 11:20 am
#110
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
1. Book all together (E+ seats and useful in IRROPs and baggage overrides).
2. Split off two passengers into their own PNR, ug both.
3. Wait for the final passenger (you) to see if R stays open a week out.
Logic:
As a 1K if there are that many seats open in R (assuming this is a domestic flight and not XXX-HNL/LAX/EWR) you have a high chance of F.
2. Split off two passengers into their own PNR, ug both.
3. Wait for the final passenger (you) to see if R stays open a week out.
Logic:
As a 1K if there are that many seats open in R (assuming this is a domestic flight and not XXX-HNL/LAX/EWR) you have a high chance of F.
Aug 26, 2016, 11:00 pm
#111
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA Silver, AA Gold
Posts: 221
I have my eye on a flight in October that currently has R space. Currently the lowest non-refundable fare is rather high, and I expect it to go down.
Let's say I buy a flexible ticket today (one with no change fee), apply an RPU to confirm the upgrade, and then later on a cheap fare opens up on that flight. Could I call in to change the fare to the non-refundable fare with a refund of the difference, but still keep the confirmed upgrade? Or would they have to refund the whole ticket and issue a new non-refundable ticket without the confirmed upgrade (assuming R=0 at that date)?
It seems like this would not be possible, but something happened this week that made me wonder. I booked a ticket through our corporate travel, and once the ticket was issued I waitlisted an RPU. Less than 24 hrs later our corporate travel's automated system found a lower fare on the same flight, so their system voided the original ticket and reissued in the lower fare class (with different ticket number). However, when I go in to look at the reservation, the RPU is still applied to the same segment and waitlisted, as if the exchange had never taken place.
Let's say I buy a flexible ticket today (one with no change fee), apply an RPU to confirm the upgrade, and then later on a cheap fare opens up on that flight. Could I call in to change the fare to the non-refundable fare with a refund of the difference, but still keep the confirmed upgrade? Or would they have to refund the whole ticket and issue a new non-refundable ticket without the confirmed upgrade (assuming R=0 at that date)?
It seems like this would not be possible, but something happened this week that made me wonder. I booked a ticket through our corporate travel, and once the ticket was issued I waitlisted an RPU. Less than 24 hrs later our corporate travel's automated system found a lower fare on the same flight, so their system voided the original ticket and reissued in the lower fare class (with different ticket number). However, when I go in to look at the reservation, the RPU is still applied to the same segment and waitlisted, as if the exchange had never taken place.
Sep 15, 2016, 2:25 am
#112
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 812
I'm flying CLT-ORD-SFO on Saturday. I applied a RPU to the flight.
CLT-ORD has cleared, but not ORD-SFO, and flight status shows the ORD-SFO flight as booked in full in F.
If it looks like ORD-SFO isn't going to clear, can I call United to downgrade myself back to E+ for CLT-ORD and get my RPU re-deposited? Is there a time limit for this, or can I do it any time before departure?
CLT-ORD has cleared, but not ORD-SFO, and flight status shows the ORD-SFO flight as booked in full in F.
If it looks like ORD-SFO isn't going to clear, can I call United to downgrade myself back to E+ for CLT-ORD and get my RPU re-deposited? Is there a time limit for this, or can I do it any time before departure?
Sep 15, 2016, 8:09 am
#113
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,484
Sep 16, 2016, 2:59 pm
#114
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 90
Hi. I booked an economy ticket and a friend is sponsoring my upgrade through an RPU. The space is currently R0 so I am waitlisted. I have a question about priority on the list. He is 1k and I have no status. Will I be waitlisted with his status or mine?
I searched through here and the previous threads but couldn't find an answer.
Thank you!
I searched through here and the previous threads but couldn't find an answer.
Thank you!
Sep 16, 2016, 3:04 pm
#115
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
Yours unless you are on the same PNR.
Sep 20, 2016, 12:54 pm
#117
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,895
Can I un-apply an RPU after travel has started?
Applied an RPU on a friend's trip SFO-EWR-BOS.
The SFO-EWR upgrade never cleared (it is now 1 hr prior to departure and he is #4 on the upgrade waitlist with the flight sold full in J).
The EWR-BOS upgrade cleared at booking. He's a UA Gold member and I'm pretty sure if I just un-applied the RPU his upgrade would clear "again" given that the flight is
F3 C3 A3 D3 Z3 P3 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G9 N9
I would rather not spend an RPU on a 10pm EWR-BOS flight which will probably have no service.
Can I call in and un-apply the upgrade request? How do I do that? Is it a problem that he's currently checked in for these flights? If I do that now (60 min before departure) will it mess up his travel?
The SFO-EWR upgrade never cleared (it is now 1 hr prior to departure and he is #4 on the upgrade waitlist with the flight sold full in J).
The EWR-BOS upgrade cleared at booking. He's a UA Gold member and I'm pretty sure if I just un-applied the RPU his upgrade would clear "again" given that the flight is
F3 C3 A3 D3 Z3 P3 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G9 N9
I would rather not spend an RPU on a 10pm EWR-BOS flight which will probably have no service.
Can I call in and un-apply the upgrade request? How do I do that? Is it a problem that he's currently checked in for these flights? If I do that now (60 min before departure) will it mess up his travel?
Sep 20, 2016, 1:06 pm
#118
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
Given all fare classes are available, yes you can downgrade and remove the RPU. Getting back on the CPU list can also be done but needs to be requested.
Sep 20, 2016, 2:19 pm
#119
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,273
If you call in afterwards, you'll get the RPU back since the long flight didn't clear.