Will UA bump J to F to process J GPUs?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Programs: United Premier 1K
Posts: 1,230
Will UA bump J to F to process J GPUs?
Next week I have a friend flying from HKG to SFO on a W fare. I have applied one of my GPUs to his reservation. R = 0 so he is waitlisted. (He has no status so he will be at the bottom of the upgrade list - I've set his expectations low for the upgrade).
Currently J = 9 and F = 9. The seat map shows J almost full (one seat open) and F pretty much wide open (one seat taken).
I understand this since UA is happy to oversell J and just bump people to F as needed.
My question is: at the gate will they bump paying J customers to F in order to process GPUs from Y to J?
Currently J = 9 and F = 9. The seat map shows J almost full (one seat open) and F pretty much wide open (one seat taken).
I understand this since UA is happy to oversell J and just bump people to F as needed.
My question is: at the gate will they bump paying J customers to F in order to process GPUs from Y to J?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC, SFO, YYC
Programs: AA-EXP, AA-0.41MM, UA-Gold, Ex UA-1K (2006 thru 2015), PMUA-0.95MM, COUA-1.5MM-lite, AF-Silver
Posts: 13,437
Next week I have a friend flying from HKG to SFO on a W fare. I have applied one of my GPUs to his reservation. R = 0 so he is waitlisted. (He has no status so he will be at the bottom of the upgrade list - I've set his expectations low for the upgrade).
Currently J = 9 and F = 9. The seat map shows J almost full (one seat open) and F pretty much wide open (one seat taken).
I understand this since UA is happy to oversell J and just bump people to F as needed.
My question is: at the gate will they bump paying J customers to F in order to process GPUs from Y to J?
Currently J = 9 and F = 9. The seat map shows J almost full (one seat open) and F pretty much wide open (one seat taken).
I understand this since UA is happy to oversell J and just bump people to F as needed.
My question is: at the gate will they bump paying J customers to F in order to process GPUs from Y to J?
#3
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,484
#4
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K 1.45MM, Marriott+SPG Plat, Clear, Nexus, Global Entry and MEX Viajero Confiable
Posts: 1,777
Hmmm.. not quite. If J is oversold they will bump J pax to F but to accommodate J pax. I have seen Y to J upgrades get processed for any remaining J seats... but your friend has little chance due to status.
#5
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: 66,878
UA will op-up to handle the oversold situation but not to create space for upgraders. If J is oversold, some may get 3 class F but not Y passengers will get J if all J is filled.
#6
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,258
No. Never. Here's what will happen (you can watch it all on the app):
1) 1 or 2 paid J passengers will upgrade to F, allowing one or two to move up from Y.
2) The remaining F seats will all be filled with non-paying United employees or their "buddies."
I see this over and over, to HKG and to Europe. The entire Non-rev standby list gets flushed straight into Global First, while lots of paying customers sit in Y with their W fares and their worthless GPUs. I can't remember a 3-class flight where at least half the F cabin wasn't non-rev.
Welcome to United, where employees always come first, and customers last!
1) 1 or 2 paid J passengers will upgrade to F, allowing one or two to move up from Y.
2) The remaining F seats will all be filled with non-paying United employees or their "buddies."
I see this over and over, to HKG and to Europe. The entire Non-rev standby list gets flushed straight into Global First, while lots of paying customers sit in Y with their W fares and their worthless GPUs. I can't remember a 3-class flight where at least half the F cabin wasn't non-rev.
Welcome to United, where employees always come first, and customers last!
#7
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 208
I am a little unclear; can you recommend a different strategy? Would it be better to leave an unlimited amount of unsold J inventory available for upgrade?
#8
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,895
#9
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,258
[Off-topic discussion edited by Moderator.]
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Nov 17, 2016 at 3:03 pm Reason: See note above.
#10
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,421
Put more clearly - United should take the cash/miles/upgrades instead of giving the space to NRSAs for free.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,895
The alternative is to upgrade J to F to create space for Y pax with upgrades to J pending. The non-revs can take the Y seats that they would receive anyway if premium cabin space is full.
Put more clearly - United should take the cash/miles/upgrades instead of giving the space to NRSAs for free.
Put more clearly - United should take the cash/miles/upgrades instead of giving the space to NRSAs for free.
To the extent that this situation represents a problem, the "solution" is to eliminate GlobalFirst. Good news -- Oscar is on it!
#12
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
Moderator note
A growing discussion about the salary and relative pay and benefits of those who travel as non-revs has been deleted or edited. Those posts can find a home in one of many apt, general threads about non-rev travel.
Let's keep this thread more finely focused on the moving up of J to F in order to process those in Economy who are waitlisted for a J upgrade. Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.
Let's keep this thread more finely focused on the moving up of J to F in order to process those in Economy who are waitlisted for a J upgrade. Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,655
No. Never. Here's what will happen (you can watch it all on the app):
1) 1 or 2 paid J passengers will upgrade to F, allowing one or two to move up from Y.
2) The remaining F seats will all be filled with non-paying United employees or their "buddies."
I see this over and over, to HKG and to Europe. The entire Non-rev standby list gets flushed straight into Global First, while lots of paying customers sit in Y with their W fares and their worthless GPUs. I can't remember a 3-class flight where at least half the F cabin wasn't non-rev.
Welcome to United, where employees always come first, and customers last!
1) 1 or 2 paid J passengers will upgrade to F, allowing one or two to move up from Y.
2) The remaining F seats will all be filled with non-paying United employees or their "buddies."
I see this over and over, to HKG and to Europe. The entire Non-rev standby list gets flushed straight into Global First, while lots of paying customers sit in Y with their W fares and their worthless GPUs. I can't remember a 3-class flight where at least half the F cabin wasn't non-rev.
Welcome to United, where employees always come first, and customers last!
#14
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 208
I find it difficult to believe that a GS, on paid J, on the upgrade list could be bypassed for NRSA travel. This is simply untrue and not how the system works.
Can you provide the flight date?
#15
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,421
Yeah - whenever I've seen this the NRSAs are on the WL until they clear it at the gate. Perhaps they were some positive space folks?