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 22, 2015, 3:41 pm
#766
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
I have a very simple domestic one-way, one segment award ticket. There was only 1 saver F ticket, so booked the missus on that, and then myself on Standard Award Economy (HN) on a different PNR.
(Both saver F, and Standard Economy are 25K miles one-way)
I am having no luck getting any of the phone agents to waitlist me for I class.
Is this a HUACA thing, or do I need to call and book it as a First class saver ticket in economy class or something?
(Both saver F, and Standard Economy are 25K miles one-way)
I am having no luck getting any of the phone agents to waitlist me for I class.
Is this a HUACA thing, or do I need to call and book it as a First class saver ticket in economy class or something?
Sep 22, 2015, 3:50 pm
#767
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,448
Sep 22, 2015, 3:56 pm
#768
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,039
I have a very simple domestic one-way, one segment award ticket. There was only 1 saver F ticket, so booked the missus on that, and then myself on Standard Award Economy (HN) on a different PNR.
(Both saver F, and Standard Economy are 25K miles one-way)
I am having no luck getting any of the phone agents to waitlist me for I class.
Is this a HUACA thing, or do I need to call and book it as a First class saver ticket in economy class or something?
(Both saver F, and Standard Economy are 25K miles one-way)
I am having no luck getting any of the phone agents to waitlist me for I class.
Is this a HUACA thing, or do I need to call and book it as a First class saver ticket in economy class or something?
If the agent you speak with doesn’t know about this tell him or her to look up “DRS reference page MPWAI – Line 37″ in the computer system. I have never done this, so YMMV.
Sep 22, 2015, 9:29 pm
#769
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
Thank you both.
I was aware of the rule about not being allowed to book a standard award and waitlist for a saver award, but I (wrongly) assumed that only pertained to the same class of service.
My issue is that there is no saver economy available on the flight.
So I just canceled the Standard award (free w/in 24 hours) and set up EF alerts for saver Y or F. Obviously can always get the Standard award later since plenty of inventory still.
Appreciate the clarification (and the useful link)!
I was aware of the rule about not being allowed to book a standard award and waitlist for a saver award, but I (wrongly) assumed that only pertained to the same class of service.
My issue is that there is no saver economy available on the flight.
So I just canceled the Standard award (free w/in 24 hours) and set up EF alerts for saver Y or F. Obviously can always get the Standard award later since plenty of inventory still.
Appreciate the clarification (and the useful link)!
Sep 22, 2015, 11:12 pm
#770
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,448
You can still waitlist for I even if you're not booked on that particular flight. You just need at least one confirmed segment somewhere on the itinerary. It might take more than one call.
Sep 23, 2015, 10:12 am
#771
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,633
i want to book the following one way (available in Saver F currently):
SMF-DEN 5:35am dep (XN)
DEN-IAH 10:20am dep (I)
IAH-HRL 9:15pm dep (I)
if I do so, can I wait list for both a nonstop for SMF-IAH (6:11am dep) and an earlier flight for IAH-HRL (2:40pm dep)?
even with the original SMF-DEN-IAH flights, I could still make the earlier IAH-HRL flight, so I figure that should not cause any fly in the ointment to my plan, correct?
Correct. OP, just book an X or XN on a different date, and then request XN or I waitlisting on the desired flight/date that you have ticketed your wife on. I currently have SFO-HNL booked on a date i don't intend to travel and have waitlist request on two flights on the desired date of travel.
SMF-DEN 5:35am dep (XN)
DEN-IAH 10:20am dep (I)
IAH-HRL 9:15pm dep (I)
if I do so, can I wait list for both a nonstop for SMF-IAH (6:11am dep) and an earlier flight for IAH-HRL (2:40pm dep)?
even with the original SMF-DEN-IAH flights, I could still make the earlier IAH-HRL flight, so I figure that should not cause any fly in the ointment to my plan, correct?
Correct. OP, just book an X or XN on a different date, and then request XN or I waitlisting on the desired flight/date that you have ticketed your wife on. I currently have SFO-HNL booked on a date i don't intend to travel and have waitlist request on two flights on the desired date of travel.
Sep 23, 2015, 11:26 pm
#773
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Sep 24, 2015, 10:27 am
#774
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,633
well, i just logged into my EF account and i am sure not seeing it...
Sep 24, 2015, 2:17 pm
#775
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
Correct. OP, just book an X or XN on a different date, and then request XN or I waitlisting on the desired flight/date that you have ticketed your wife on. I currently have SFO-HNL booked on a date i don't intend to travel and have waitlist request on two flights on the desired date of travel.
Of course, if it doesn't clear, then what? I just have to pay the redeposit fee? (I have no status)
My only concern is that this is for a flight on 12/30, so not a great shot of space opening up in general.
Appreciate the help!
Sep 25, 2015, 10:28 am
#776
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
This has been a great exercise in reminding me why I stopped flying United.
Dealing with the phone agents has been soooooooo painful without status.
Finally found one who would check for me, and she hung up (I assume accidentally) when putting me on hold
I have a saver award booked for the following day. If I end up not clearing the waitlist, can I just change this to a standard coach award for the day I want to fly?
Dealing with the phone agents has been soooooooo painful without status.
Finally found one who would check for me, and she hung up (I assume accidentally) when putting me on hold
I have a saver award booked for the following day. If I end up not clearing the waitlist, can I just change this to a standard coach award for the day I want to fly?
Last edited by aisleorwindow; Sep 25, 2015 at 10:35 am
Sep 25, 2015, 2:07 pm
#777
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: 66,822
Sep 25, 2015, 3:00 pm
#778
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
Sep 25, 2015, 5:12 pm
#779
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,448
Sep 25, 2015, 9:14 pm
#780
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043