Feb 22, 2017, 12:57 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Active thread Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues"
Waitilisting for awards
Click for the current rules from United
Member experiences:
At the airport if you have not yet cleared:
Note: The correct priority term here may in fact be a code that is one of WAI, WBI, WCI, or WDI depending on status. The is per GG ONESTANDBY lines 32-55.
Note: PR-1 status is given to those who "paid" the requisite miles for an upgraded seat (i.e. biz) when only the non-upgraded space (i.e. coach) was available. The PR-1 status is to clue the system (and agents) in so that it is clear that you have been "displaced." (NOTE: once you have obtained PR-1 status, should there be any change to your ticket, e.g., an involuntary reroute by UA due to missing a connection, the PR-1 status will most likely get dropped and you must have it reattached (esp. before any UGs are given to others).
Unfortunately at T-24, many GAs do not get this concept. Use the above to plead your case but be prepared to be unsatisfied. One method that can get you to a higher level of understanding is the UC. Their staff seem to not only have a better understanding of the issues, but they can contact the gate and exert some influence on the less informed GAs, AND they seem to have more of an interest in helping PAX. If you can get into the UC, it will be worth your while.
**Note: If you get the UG on the long haul, the higher level of award miles you are using (like with the GPU) are considered used up regardless of the short haul. You will not be charged the lower level # of miles (i.e. refunded the diff between the lower level and the higher level you paid in advance), rather the higher level award miles will be considered spent. That is the risk you take when you do Plan B.
Waitilisting for awards
Click for the current rules from United
From the above link:You may redeem miles for travel in United Global First, United First, United Business or United BusinessFirst, even if the space is not available. In these cases, United Economy in the same award type must be confirmed, and the front cabin will be waitlisted. If the courtesy waitlist does not clear, it will expire 24 hours before itinerary departure, and you will automatically be added to the airport upgrade standby list upon check-in. In these cases, you will be confirmed on a space-available basis by a United airport representative at the gate once the flight has closed for check-in. For United BusinessFirst and United Business travel awards, the difference in miles will be refunded when the United BusinessFirst or United Business class segment of the trip could not be confirmed. Waitlist requests may only be made over the phone with your local United Customer Contact Center.
- You must have a confirmed segment to wait list for different cabin and/or a different flight.
- Can only waitlist for UA/UX operated flight, cannot waitlist for partner flights. Can waitlist for UA/UX flights on a mixed itin.
- Maximum number of WL segments in a PNR is 2.
- When confirmed segment is on a partner, you can waitlist for UA operated alternative.A report of being refused waitlisting for Economy{mixed reports - need further confirmation/clarification}.
At the airport if you have not yet cleared:
Note: The correct priority term here may in fact be a code that is one of WAI, WBI, WCI, or WDI depending on status. The is per GG ONESTANDBY lines 32-55.
The agent should give you “PR-1 status” which gives you top-priority status and moves you to the very top of the upgrade standby list, ahead of employees and everyone else trying to upgrade with miles+cash. If one agent won’t put you on the list as a displaced Business class passenger with PR-1 status then find another one who will. With this status the odds of you getting a business class are very high if there are still open seats (or if anybody no-shows).
If the agents in the airport are all clueless you should direct them to look
up “gg onestandby” in their system (they’ll know exactly what this is)
and look around lines 85-89 which spell out the details of the procedure for
this award.
If the agents in the airport are all clueless you should direct them to look
up “gg onestandby” in their system (they’ll know exactly what this is)
and look around lines 85-89 which spell out the details of the procedure for
this award.
Unfortunately at T-24, many GAs do not get this concept. Use the above to plead your case but be prepared to be unsatisfied. One method that can get you to a higher level of understanding is the UC. Their staff seem to not only have a better understanding of the issues, but they can contact the gate and exert some influence on the less informed GAs, AND they seem to have more of an interest in helping PAX. If you can get into the UC, it will be worth your while.
**Note: If you get the UG on the long haul, the higher level of award miles you are using (like with the GPU) are considered used up regardless of the short haul. You will not be charged the lower level # of miles (i.e. refunded the diff between the lower level and the higher level you paid in advance), rather the higher level award miles will be considered spent. That is the risk you take when you do Plan B.
Consolidated "Waitlist for Award Seats Questions/Issues [ARCHIVE]
Sep 30, 2017, 1:48 pm
#1966
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,821
There have been reports of manually splitting PNR in advance can create issues but I have not seen reports related to check-in splits.
Sep 30, 2017, 2:03 pm
#1967
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: EWR/LHR/SFO
Programs: UA 1K 1MM
Posts: 574
What airline? I had 2 pax whose PNR was split flying LHR-FRA-SFO, and nothing affected, but if it were (say) CA I would be super wary. Personally my risk tolerance for award screwups is low, so I'd just un-WL the short segment, but your call. (Obviously, if many UA options available onto where you want to go, I would be less risk-averse, since I know backup options exist.)
Sep 30, 2017, 3:11 pm
#1968
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
Got a weird question:
I am flying CHS-EWR-ORD on 29 Nov
flt - 1249/1062 - 1249 cleared I class
1062 shows as I class waitlisted, but on the second tab that shows up when you are waitlisted, it shows the FC cabin, and the business class is greyed out. Can I only upgrade to FC or do I have a shot at business? Never tried to waitlist on a 3 class bird, on a domestic flight and those flights are always weird anyway....
I am flying CHS-EWR-ORD on 29 Nov
flt - 1249/1062 - 1249 cleared I class
1062 shows as I class waitlisted, but on the second tab that shows up when you are waitlisted, it shows the FC cabin, and the business class is greyed out. Can I only upgrade to FC or do I have a shot at business? Never tried to waitlist on a 3 class bird, on a domestic flight and those flights are always weird anyway....
Sep 30, 2017, 3:21 pm
#1969
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
Got a weird question:
I am flying CHS-EWR-ORD on 29 Nov
flt - 1249/1062 - 1249 cleared I class
1062 shows as I class waitlisted, but on the second tab that shows up when you are waitlisted, it shows the FC cabin, and the business class is greyed out. Can I only upgrade to FC or do I have a shot at business? Never tried to waitlist on a 3 class bird, on a domestic flight and those flights are always weird anyway....
I am flying CHS-EWR-ORD on 29 Nov
flt - 1249/1062 - 1249 cleared I class
1062 shows as I class waitlisted, but on the second tab that shows up when you are waitlisted, it shows the FC cabin, and the business class is greyed out. Can I only upgrade to FC or do I have a shot at business? Never tried to waitlist on a 3 class bird, on a domestic flight and those flights are always weird anyway....
International or domestic doesn't make a difference; the only thing that matters is whether or not it's marketed as three class. Your flight is, so you're waitlisted for Business.
Sep 30, 2017, 5:00 pm
#1970
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
On a flight marketed as three-class, if you waitlist for I and it clears, you will be in Business. If you prefer, you can waitlist for O instead, which would clear into First, but would require additional miles. Ignore what the seat map is showing you; it's just confused.
International or domestic doesn't make a difference; the only thing that matters is whether or not it's marketed as three class. Your flight is, so you're waitlisted for Business.
International or domestic doesn't make a difference; the only thing that matters is whether or not it's marketed as three class. Your flight is, so you're waitlisted for Business.
OK, makes sense and is what i expected, but was confused by the seat map graying out Business.
In reality, it is a 2.5 hour flight so VoV, but would be nice to have lie flats.
This is actually part of a larger itinerary, and I am already on business saver, so they didn't charge me any extra mileage due to the fact the change was due to a schedule change on my CHS-ORD direct flight, so I could swap just this flight.
Oct 1, 2017, 5:18 pm
#1971
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
Should the delta of miles (saver biz - paid saver Y) have been decremented from my account to facilitate this sort of paid waitlist? Doesn't seem to have been done that way, is there a more appropriate way to have it done to increase odds-and elevate ultimately to PR-1 status at T-24?
Oct 1, 2017, 5:32 pm
#1972
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,138
thanks, so I was apparently added to the "waitlist", and on that leg 819, it shows two seat map selections, one with the selected Y seats and one with nothing selected only showing what is apparently still available in the Biz cabin, and then showing nothing in the Y cabin (even though it appears to be relatively empty)
Should the delta of miles (saver biz - paid saver Y) have been decremented from my account to facilitate this sort of paid waitlist? Doesn't seem to have been done that way, is there a more appropriate way to have it done to increase odds-and elevate ultimately to PR-1 status at T-24?
Should the delta of miles (saver biz - paid saver Y) have been decremented from my account to facilitate this sort of paid waitlist? Doesn't seem to have been done that way, is there a more appropriate way to have it done to increase odds-and elevate ultimately to PR-1 status at T-24?
The two seat map images is a normal display when waitlisted.
Oct 1, 2017, 5:43 pm
#1973
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
Is there something else to confirm or do?
Oct 1, 2017, 5:51 pm
#1974
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
The concern is if/when the waitlist clears, now you haven't paid for your ticket and you're liable to get in trouble (i.e. refused check-in/boarding) with the auditors if it gets flagged. The easiest thing here is to just call Reservations (or maybe MPSC) and ask for the additional mileage to be deducted.
Oct 1, 2017, 6:13 pm
#1975
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
I have waitlisted and cleared 7 times so far this year, I still have one left to go....
I have had to call in and have ticket re issued manually when they clear, you will get a statement at the top of your reservation. When they reissue, if they forgot to take out miles, they do it then. I am 2/4 on them doing it properly initially.
I have had to call in and have ticket re issued manually when they clear, you will get a statement at the top of your reservation. When they reissue, if they forgot to take out miles, they do it then. I am 2/4 on them doing it properly initially.
Oct 1, 2017, 7:03 pm
#1976
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,138
Oct 3, 2017, 8:54 am
#1977
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
What is odd though is that they both had said, "well, it's only 25K miles more each leg" and were quoting 50K miles more total for the two OW legs, when indeed it should have been 55K more each leg (I had the 30K saver tickets from SFO-IAH-EZE), so in the end they deducted another 110K miles
Hoping that it clears or at least get offered some option. I've been trying to track online, and it's not to clear if/who from the upgrade list is making it into Biz once the flight leaves.
Oct 3, 2017, 9:16 am
#1978
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,446
That was agents making stuff up. There is no reticketing involved when you clear a UA waitlist.
Oct 5, 2017, 10:57 am
#1979
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tx
Programs: AA, UA, WN
Posts: 812
So I have searched this forum and other forums. Can I waitlist for IN if booked in YN? this is a domestic ticket UA metal only.
TIA
TIA
Oct 5, 2017, 11:43 am
#1980
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 518
The answer is no. You have to have X to waitlist for I, and XN to waitlist for IN.