economyplusfan

I just had a domestic R/T with a companion and didn't even try to figure the system out. United.com said upgrade requested for both, but then that disappeared at T-24, and then our names were not on the upgrade waitlist. Did not split itinerary due to bad past experiences as listed in this thread. Inbound reservation did not list us as upgrade eligible, and again no names on upgrade waitlist once checked in. At least we got to sit together in Y for the whole trip.

divjan

I booked a reservation with a companion, ticketed under one PNR, seats selected in Eco+, 24 hrs before departure upgrade cleared and both of us upgraded to F w seat assignments though the reservation is now split w 2 unique PNRs. Since we are coming back together on the same flight is there a way to add/tie the travel companion back to my reservation or no?....I just want to make sure that they get on the CPU list along w me...
thanks

aacharya

They will be on the list, right behind you in priority.

dbaker

I'm flying (1K) with a non-elite next week. At T-72, we were both upgraded. Adjacent seats assigned. PNR not split.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Outbound check-in I thnk I clicked something that split my Gold SO from me (1k). Neither of us were upgraded, but we were 4 and 5 on the upgrade list OGG-SFO, which I thought strange if i am 1k and she Gold (no Plats?). For return, i was just upgraded. Is she sitting in Gold eitherworld now? If she is, can I rescue her?

emcampbe

If you were on the upgrade standby list, when you checked in, you clicked yes when asked if you wanted to be added to that list, which can only be accomplished by splitting your reservation. So the reservation was split.

For the outbound, you were one after the other because the lower status person inherits the status of the higher status person. That is why you were 4 and 5 - your Gold SO inherits your 1K status. So there may have well been a plat on the list, but your SO would have trumped them as your companion.

By benefit description, this is also supposed to happen for the return, but IME, it never has for me and my wife (I'm gold, she's silver...well, until later this week). We've both been separated in that respect - an agent can see the reservation was split, but the automated system doesn't - i.e. for upgrades, etc. So I suspect you were cleared at your 1K window, but since your SO was split, they can't be cleared yet, because the system sees them as a Gold, and so they won't clear until at least t-48 (if tehre is still R space left - if not they will go on the airport upgrade list). When you get to the airport, you can see an agent to have your SO added as your companion - with that your SO should get your priority. I have seen this work - once when I was split, I was upgraded at my gold window - wife was not and went on the upgrade standby list as 4 or 5 after check in - when I got to the airport and had her added as my companion, she shot up to #1, and got the last upgrade.

Its unfortunately life in the post-merger UA world, if you are on a reservation with 2, and don't clear by the time you check in, you have to choose if you want to take the chance at going on the list, but splitting your record, or keeping on the same record, but not getting the updgrade. Once the record is split, there is no way to put it back together again, the only way to kind of do it is by having the other added as your companion at the airport.

scruffair

I noticed multiple changes in the upgrade process online (i.e. when splitting reservation it lists my companion together with me on that screen) and wanted to know if anyone has had recent experience with companion upgrades on split reservations.

It now appears that companions are indeed keeping the elite's priority on the upgrade list as they're supposed to even when the reservation is split. However, this is for the outbound and I was wondering if people have seen proof that on the return with her now separate reservation, she will still keep my priority on the sweeps and on the day-of list.

Any insight would be most appreciated. Thanks!

wrkn4alivn

There's probably better info about this from someone who knows how this works, but in my recent experience, companion priority on the return was similar, but not exactly the same as mine. Somewhere between T-24 and T-8h, someone was placed in between me and my companion (who has no status) on the priority list. The GA said that was normal. Of course, I got my upgrade along with that next person, but my companion ended up just missing it. There were dozens of pax after my no-status companion on the list, so I'm not sure what the algorithm is.

scruffair

Thanks for the info. As I understand it, the companion goes to the very bottom of that elite tier. There is currently one person in between us on the outbound as well. So that person must be Plat and then I assume no more Plats because my companion is next.

dbaker

Hi, UA Insider.

There is a 23 page thread discussing confusion over companion upgrades. The policy is very clear that companions should clear at the same level, but a lot of questions and confusion about implementation remain.

Tomorrow is the third week in a row that I'll be flying with a companion and I have compiled a list of the points of confusion. An explanation and/or an estimated time for the problem to be fixed would be greatly appreciated.

• Will the CPU system skip over a PNR with two passengers if both cannot be cleared simultaneously? For example, will CPU split a reservation and place one customer in first and leave one in economy?
  
• Out of fear of the above question, if I split off a companion to their own PNR, why can't they retain companion status?
  
• Why does the system split PNRs at check-in, ostensibly for the purpose of the upgrade, even if upgrades have already been cleared? Is this a relic of the pmCO system where PNRs had to be split to be put on the upgrade standby list because EUA didn't handle non-elite companions?
  
• When flying the outbound (even with a separate PNR), my companions receive boarding priority "Zone 1" even if in economy, but on the return, they're in a higher zone number. Why? And when will that be fixed?
  
• On the upgrade standby waitlist, why are companions not listed adjacent to their sponsor? Two examples:
  • I flew with a non-elite (originally separate PNR, split at checkin) two weeks ago and he was automatically added to the waitlist, but was far below me. I was #1 and he was #7.
  • I flew with a Gold elite (originally separate PNR, split at checkin) and she was far below me, I was #1 and she was #5. At the airport, I asked for her to be changed to a 1K companion, which automatically placed her immediately below me (#2).

I think it's a great program and I have benefitted from it. I would just appreciate some clarification and consistency in the process so I can know what to expect.

augkor

I am flying on Thursday and have the same questions. I have looked at the very long thread (mentioned by dbaker) also and while there is a significant amount of information in that thread, the questions raised by dbaker are still not completely answered. In addition, the policy/procedure seems to be a moving target so it would be good to get a definitive answer from UA Insider. Thanks!

globetraveler

dbaker: great question. I have been and will be again (on Thursday) in the same situation as you described above and would love some clarity on the issue.
Some agents will honor the priority request (aligning the companion w/ the 1K status at the gate) but not all agents are familiar with this (particularly at SFO where most agents are former UA).

FlyWorld

I'm also totally confused about this topic. I'd add that I can't figure out how to get two reservations on the same PNR to presumably maximize chances that SHARES will see them as related. I recently bought two different itineraries, online, using precisely the same steps. One of them, we're separate. The other, we're together.

Dan-

These at least are easy. Companions are added to the upgrade list at your group level of elite status but below that of every other elite in your status group. So as a 1K, your companion is added at 1K level above all plats (and other less frequent flyers) but behind all other 1Ks.

channa

Yes. If the flight has 1 seat for upgrade, you will be bypassed. If later, they release another 1 seat for upgrade, you will again be bypassed.


The current UA system is the pmCO system. The system is unable to add someone to an upgrade list unless they are on their own PNR.