But if split, the companion would be under his own status, correct? Or am I misunderstanding the companion upgrade policy posted by OP, which states twice "on the same reservation"?

Not yet post-flight, but after OLCI neither of us has been upgraded, the PNR was split, F is full on both segments, and there is no way to see the upgrade list (only the standby list).

On the "it's not all bad" front, at least both BPs have "Added to Upgrade Standby List" and boarding group 1 on them, and both reservations are visible in my account.

I get the feeling that I would have been upgraded w/o the companion, that the CPU process skipped us over.

The Same thing and same explanation happened to me last night HNL-LAX, gave wife the 1st class seat as any other guy would! (I think?)

OK this is my problem too, and I have not seen an answer. Husband 1k can be upgraded at T-24:00 check-in but because there is only one upgrade seat available then, the PNR is split, and I (PremPlat) am now on a separate PNR...
Problems:
1. No indication anymore that I am his "companion" (not even same last name) so my odds of an upgrade have plummeted -- Calling 1K line, I am told that they cannot list me as a companion through the computer, it has to be done at the gate day of flight. They don't even see me on the original rez.
2. And how about the return??? He got an upgrade100 hours out, but I'm once again completely unidentified as his companion and 1K line says they cannot do anything...

This makes the "companion policy" a complete illusion...except in the rare case that enough upgrade seats are released at 100 hours that 1Ks AND their companions can be accommodated.

Does anyone know a workaround? UAInsider???

Yes, as far as I'm concerned - any guy would...

My wife & I just flew back from OGG to LAX on the 4th, and luckily my UG (1K) went through before the system conversion to SHARES and I was ready to give my seat to my wife, but luckily, she cleared at the gate as they were boarding...and they even sat her next to me, so no issue with the both of us (although she's a Plat on her own right).

-jeremy

I believe that neither of you would get it. If you are on the same PNR the system assumes you do not wish to be split.

Ah gotcha. For some reason I thought I saw or read that the PNRs got split automatically. Thanks. Guess I'll call UA to have them split us into two PNRs.

Just wanted to follow up again on my recent experiences of traveling with a companion on the same PNR. For my outbound flight, I was split off the original PNR when I opted to be added to the upgrade list at checkin. That said, my companion still received my benefits, including being added to the list.

Fast forward to the return leg yesterday. We are now on two separate PNR's, but my companion kept my benefits, including being added to the list again.

So it seems like in this one case, the system worked properly. What was strange though is that both of us were in the same fare class, and checked in at nearly the same time, yet somehow a few people wedged themselves between us on the upgrade list (in both cases I was higher on the list). I guess when everyone is checking in at T-24 that can happen.

Flight on March 6 but on the return flight it doesn't happend

Wouldn't this make sense if there were other "statused" people on your flight? The way I understood it, your companion is CPU'ed after all other similarly ranked elites. No?

1K: Companion Upgrade issue!?
 

Last night I was talking to 1K service about one of my upcoming flight, then I was told:

UA migrated into Co system, so for now on if you are flying with someone and has a pending upgrade request, your reservation will be separate into 2 different reservation # and received a different position in the upgrade list.

So for example, if I am flying to Hawaii with my wife (I am 1K, and she is Gold)
then 24hr before the flight, the computer system will separate our reservation into 2 individual reservation, then we will be put on the upgrade list seperately according to our individual status. If you want to avoid this to happen, the only way is to give up your upgrade...

I dont know what kind of monkey is running the MP for UA now, but this is totally stupid. I will try to call 1K service again to verify this issue. If this is confirmed, then I will be moving to other airline for sure. :td: :td: :td::td:

Companion Upgrade Policy is Confused by Agents
 

I'm flying this Friday with a companion. I am 1K, so well within window. United.com is showing RN9 and 16 available seats per the mobile app in First. I just called UA to ask about the upgrade and what was happening and was told that you have to split non-status companions off of reservations. I said that was Continental's policy and pointed them to the page on United.com that said that you did not have to do that. The agent said that she was former pmUA and that the old policy was to keep the res together. I'm on hold now for a supervisor. Who is right?

There are several different policies:

1) The pmCO way
2) The documented new UA way
3) The way the system is processing them
4) The N other ways the agents will describe

We need to get 2 and 3 converged and education to correct the 4th... what a mess. Sorry for all those that need to suffer through this, I know how you fee, I have been in the same boat.

In the past on PMUA, I always fly with my 8 year old daughter on my reservation and we would be upgraded together when the upgrade cleared in the window - which was very often.

So now, the new United will split us up (without warning) and she will be left in coach to fend for herself. Nice.

Supervisor said that the CO policy will prevail an that she put in a note to have the site updated. We'll see what happens next.

This is absolutely atrocious.

A published policy that has been in place since the 'new' MileagePlus rules and conditions have been in place BEFORE the 03rd of March.

However, UA, upon system integration, decides not to do it the published way and in turns does (what obviously) is easiest and keeps the old CO system, since it doesn't require any effort at all and obviously screws the passenger the most (splitting records, own status, requesting companion at airport...ridiculous).

What can we do to bring this (among countless other things) to the attention of UA that this is not acceptable? Any company publishes rules and policies for their program for structure. When a company doesn't honor it's own policies, there is something fundamentally wrong with it, and it obviously shows what we can expect from the company - more of incompetent systems integration, policy implementation and even employees that have no clue what's going on and scarier: they have no idea what SHOULD be happening or what their own rules say.

Sorry for the rant, but this is yet another thing that COdbaUA should have had in place as part of the system integration eleven days ago. :td: :td: :td:

If you select to waitlist during the check-in process it will split. Otherwise it will not.

I do not believe this is accurate.

Again, I do not believe this is accurate. If you have not yet been upgraded at the OLCI window there is the potential of needing to split, but otherwise it should not happen.

Given the number of other things that agents have been wrong about with this transition I'd say waiting for an actual announcement of policy change makes more sense than sharpening the tines on the pitchfork just yet.

I agree with you SBM12 that it's not time to take to the streets, but it is annoying to see a published policy not known by the phone agents and not being followed. The woman was very nice and said that she was pmUA and that they always kept reservations in tact. I hope that this is resolved and that they are incorrect that the pmUA way will stand as it makes it more fair instead of playing gate upgrade roulette.

So I posted my experience in another thread about this...but it seems like the process as currently published was correctly applied to my recent flight. I had a companion booked with me under one PNR (they are BMI silver so no chance of getting on u/g list alone). We were both placed on the u/g list upon check-in (the system split our reservation into 2 records), and they even got my baggage allowance of 3 bags (system still had me at Gold status). This was the same on the return.

I see a lot of unfortunate cases out there, but I'm holding out hope that the system has been coded correctly and these are just short-term bugs...

I was upgraded at T24 on a HNL-LAX flt on Wednesday, 3-8-12. According to the information given on the 2012 Mileage Plus program, my wife who was on the same PNR would have the same status as myself for a Complimentary Premier Upgrade and she was added to the ugrade waitlist as #1 on the list which was how I thought it should be.

My PNR was split without my permission or authority and upon arrival at the gate at HNL, I saw that she had dropped to #4 on the Ugrade waitlist so I approached the podium and asked the gate agent what happened. The HNL United gate agent said Continental always split the PNR so that is why my wife's status reverted to a General Member.

I gave my wife my FC seat and after takeoff my wife saw an open seat in the First Class section. On the connecting LAX to LAS flight (3-9-12) the
same basic thing happened again and I refused the upgrade to stay in E+ with my wife.

Is this option obvious when checking in? I have not taken any flights yet this year.

It seems that people are reporting that one of two on a PNR are clearing prior to check-in. In this case, I don't see how waitlisting when checking in would have an effect.

Companion Upgrades - Still Have to Split the PNR?
 

My understanding that post 3/3 we were no longer going to be faced with splitting a PNR when checking in at T-24 with a companion. In other words, the PMUA policy of keeping you and your companion on the same PNR and upgrading you with the same priority was going to be the new policy.

Today, attempting to check in for tomorrow's flight, I am given the choice of putting myself on the wait list subject to this warning: "The following Premier member(s) may be selected for addition to the upgrade list. Please note that travelers added to the upgrade list may be moved to a separate reservation."

Is this an error or did the PMCO companion UDU policy survive post 3/3?

EDIT Checked in via the app. Both my companion and I were added to UG List, and it appears the PNR was not split. Maybe the pss.united site is the new .bomb!

Last time I saw the OLCI page and was eligible for an upgrade it was obvious. I doubt that has changed.

It isn't 100% clear to me what's happening in these cases so I cannot comment with any confidence.

This must have been what happend to me ...

GS flying with a non-status companion on a 767 SFO-ORD on Sunday. I was NOT upgraded and wasn't even on the upgrade list at the gate or on my iPhone.

Not a cool process. (No pun intended).

I totally concur. As I have mostly been an observer here, this would be a Policy change that would be a deal killer for me. If in fact a Companion on my PNR does not get my status for Upgrade, then I go elsewhere. As someone who has always flown United growing up in Chicago and now living in Denver, but also flying Continental too back in the 80's when they were big in Denver, this would be a "new" merger policy too great to overcome.

I'm patient on all the "other" bugs they are trying to work out, including an errant 35,000 miles taken out of my account this week for no apparent reason, but if this is found to be a new Companion policy, I can't live with it.

PNR splitting on pmCO was one of the most annoying issues with CO.

On a recent flight both my companion (gold) and I (1K) were upgraded at T-24 on the same PNR on the outgoing flight. We received an e-mail notification. Everything was great.

On the return flight I received a confirmation mail at T-24 which only included myself. When I reviewed the reservation online, only I appeared and there was no indication that anything had changed. The only way to figure out what her new PNR had now become was to log on to her account. She received no notification about this at all. At the airport she was at the top of the waiting list, however, and cleared, but only minutes before boarding.

I never clicked on any "add me to upgrade list" as it never appeared.

PNR splitting is horrifying on multi segment trips since it affects later segments, and also during IRROPS. This is one feature I wish would just go away forever. I hated it during pmCO and I hate it now.

Does anyone know if the same maddening mechanism is in place for intl itineraries on the upgrade waitlist on GPUs?

That would seriously keep me from booking a ticket this summer.

Companion Upgrades
 

I'm sure there are many posts on this but I couldn't find anything.

I'm Premier and have +1 companion...

reservation was split at checkin, I am on the upgrade list and companion is not.

I called united and the agent said companion upgrades are only at the airport....

Any advice here?

At the gate there was an open F seat. The GA paged someone for it, but the person never showed. That seat went out empty. The GA saw the empty seat immediately before the door closed.

At least the PNR splitting seemed to work well. The new PNR showed on my account (and on the iPhone app). The two PNRs kept switching position in the list, which was slightly annoying. This was a one-way ticket, so no info on how the PNR split would affect return flights.

Not sure if this is related, but only one of the segments posted to my account, and it did so w/o with 500 mile minimum (and no segment credit).

I have another one-way with a companion on Monday. I'll see how that goes and report back.

So, as I've previously stated - a policy that was written and in effect prior to the 3rd of March that was inherently a PMUA policy that was to be implemented by SHARES (I can't believe I wrote that :rolleyes:). However, what we have is SHARES NOT using this policy and instead doing the PMCO way of companions...

Either we have:
1. Incompetent software developers who didn't make any changes with the system that handles this.
B. A company who thinks it can write policy changes that are published well before the system conversion, then when the date comes, pretend they are complying with these and also have their agents plead ignorance and throw their hands up in the air ('I'm not sure what's going on, it's THE system').

What we don't have any details of is elites clearing in advance on companion upgrades and trying to figure out if it is still done with PMCO's standards (the upgrade only clears at the lowest status and only when multiple seats [as many as are on itin] are released. Granted, no one is getting any CPUs anyways because they are all being sold for a few bucks, but still...i'm guessing that it's being done in the PMCO way.

Given that this policy, and the fact that COdbaUA seems that writing rules that it doesn't follow (TOD upgrades, returning uncleared CR1s/SWUs, etc) is just fine, there are inherent issues with the management here. If they don't honor the companion upgrade policy and didn't ever (seemingly) intend to, then how are we supposed to honor the fact that the other issues are being worked on?

I don't get how people are claiming that issues are being worked out and 'things will be fine soon'. The integration issues should have been worked out well in advance and tested (MULTIPLE TIMES) prior to the integration.

-jeremy

Companion u/g new rule?
 

I know there has been a lot of chatter about how companions are upgraded using the complementary u/g's. I spoke to the 1K desk today and was informed that though I can receive a comp u/g (if available) within 96 hours of my flight if my companion does not clear between the 96 hour mark and the 24 hour mark my companion loses my status, the record is split and the companion is put on the airport u/g wait list based on his/her status, if any. Huh? Since most comp u/g's are clearing, if at all, within 24 hours how in the world would the companion u/g clear unless perhaps the companion also is a 1k? My traveling spouse has no status. We are traveling to Hawaii next week. Very confused and troubled.

Unfortunately the agents (so depends on the past history of the agent) seem to be quoting the old rules -- the above is clearly not what the new UA rules state
MileagePlus upgrades: A view on what’s changing

Companion policy
Starting March 3, a companion traveling on the same reservation as any Premier member — including Premier Silver — will be eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades, on SELECT United-operated flights. The companion may be confirmed as early as the Premier member’s confirmation window, and will maintain the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure.


Note: I guess the operative word here is "Select" United-operated flights. I guess the flights we chose are not "Select".

Companion Upgrades
 

Email received from United regarding Companion Upgrades

Dear Mr. SCAFlyer:

Thank you for contacting United Customer Care. Please accept my apology for not getting back to you sooner.

Concerning your mileage upgrades, the best contact for you would be MileagePlus at 1-800-325-0046 where agents are available to assist you 7 days a week from 6 am. to 10 pm. PST. For more information online, you can access the >Homepage >MileagePlus and tab on the >MileagePlus Service Center tab.

As far as upgrade waitlists- when you're waitlisted together on the same reservation, you will either clear the waitlist and be confirmed together prior to your flight, or you will go to the airport and clear according to your individual status on the day of departure. This is why you clear first and your wife may not, depending on the status of others on the waitlist, on the day of departure.

Thank you for being a Premier Gold member. We look forward to serving you again soon.

Regards,

Cindi S
United Airlines Customer Care

My question for Cindi --- When is the record split?
In other words, if a guy doesn't clear with his wife at the same time (days in advance), when EXACTLY is each person on their own? I have a sneaking suspicion that a 1P and his wife aren't going to hold up the entire waitlist for several days, and then clear at the airport, if at all. I think that if there is an available upgrade during a sweep, someone is going to get it at that time, either someone else next on the list, or just the 1P and his wife is on her own at that time, but I could be wrong.

I also feel that, as of late, this process is not being done exactly as Cindi infers, as cheap buy-up's are also in the mix, around the time people begin checking in.

The way it's supposed to work and the way it's working are 2 different things, IMHO!

Companion Upgrades
 

Interesting. On March 6, my companion (same premier status) and I were both upgraded when checking in at the airport on the outbound trip AND our pnr was apparently split at the same time. Returning on Mar 16, I was upgraded 24 hours before the flight but companion was not. Strange that he was way down on the upgrade standby list. Check-in and gate agents just shrugged their shoulders even though there were first class seats available. --Told companion was not high enough on the standby list & he was on a different pnr now. I was offered to downgrade but I could not get my original seat assignment back so we would not be able to sit together anyway. This split reservation stuff is new for us & just not working. Too much of an airport hassle.

So the way I understand this policy is that if your companion does not clear with you at least 24 hours before the flight, which seems to be the norm now, that companion is likely out of luck unless he/she has higher status also as the companion loses the ability to piggy pack on your status at that point. This is nuts and not what UAL advertises about the companion upgrade for Elites. Nowhere does the information provided by UAL on this issue state that within 24 hours of the flight the companion only gets upgraded based on his/her own status, if any.

Companion upgrade priority
 

Apologies if this asked and answered ad nauseum but I want to make sure I have the upgrade system correct

1) if a PP and GM are on the same PNR, and r>2 both clear
2) if the PP splits from the GM they will clear at t-72 if r>1
3) if the PNR is split, at day of departure the GM can be added to the list at gate below silvers.
4) if the PNR is not split, the GM and PP will both be prioritized below silvers for an upgrade

This is a mess. Based on my travel experiences this weekend, it seems that the mechanics of the policy are not understood by employees.

Thursday afternoon, (an exCon) EWR GA told me that my companion wasn't listed sequentially with me on the U/G list because "it would not be fair to put him (no status) ahead of another elite member." I asked her what the benefit of a companion upgrade policy was if in practice the companion is separated from me on the list and does not clear too. She did not have a response ... In the end, I was #1 and he was #3 (with about 10 people listed after him, which I'm guessing means that the GA was wrong as he most likely was ahead of some other elite members) only 2 cleared off of the U/G list.

Yesterday, I get an email that my Monday U/G cleared, call UA (seat map shows only 6/16 F seats claimed) and rep says that the PNR is split, it cannot be merged again (it can be, a helpful agent did it for me once), and that companion cannot be added to the upgrade list. Check the iPhone app today and companion is currently #1 on the U/G list.

I got upgraded t 72 hours and my companion got split from my PNR and it says RN4. She should of been upgraded but wasn't. I called MP and waited 45 min and they told me companions only get upgraded at gate now. Uh this isn't how it's suppose to be, do now all the time we will be split up, not happy, I can't take the upgrade and leave her in the back. This system is broken

Ok called again and she is now upgraded.....bal to the call and call again until someone knows how t really works