Mar 21, 2017, 11:58 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Companion {Upgrade} policy
One companion traveling on a paid ticket on the same reservation as a Premier member is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select flights, and may be confirmed with the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure. If the companion is a Premier member, the upgrade will be processed according to the highest Premier status level in the reservation.
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation. If two or more travelers on the reservation are not Premier members, it will not be processed automatically. In these cases, Premier members should call the Premier Priority Desk to request a separate reservation for themselves and the eligible companion.
One companion traveling on a paid ticket on the same reservation as a Premier member is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select flights, and may be confirmed with the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure. If the companion is a Premier member, the upgrade will be processed according to the highest Premier status level in the reservation.
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation. If two or more travelers on the reservation are not Premier members, it will not be processed automatically. In these cases, Premier members should call the Premier Priority Desk to request a separate reservation for themselves and the eligible companion.
To split or not to split PNR
CPU Question (2 elites plus 1 non-elite)
Mar 20, 2017, 8:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: UA - Gold
Posts: 87
CPU Question (2 elites plus 1 non-elite)
Question - have two Gold travelers on the same PNR with a non-status flyer; does United in this instance essentially not upgrade any traveler, or is it possible for these three to upgrade as a block? Wondering about whether it would be worth it to split off one of these travelers into their own PNR. Thanks for any insights!
Mar 20, 2017, 8:32 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
Question - have two Gold travelers on the same PNR with a non-status flyer; does United in this instance essentially not upgrade any traveler, or is it possible for these three to upgrade as a block? Wondering about whether it would be worth it to split off one of these travelers into their own PNR. Thanks for any insights!
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation.
Complimentary Premier Upgrades.It will increase the odds of at least one pax clearing if you split the reservation.
Mar 21, 2017, 4:18 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: UA1K, *G & Wife of UA1K MM
Posts: 3,431
The couple of times I have left 3 of us intact on one reservation, we have NOT appeared on the "day of" upgrade list. If you want the chance of an upgrade, you will need to split the reservation. If only one of you gets upgraded, you can always turn the upgraded seat back in if you don't want to be separated.
How many F seats are available? As golds, you may not have much chance of clearing and it might not be worth the effort, anyway.
How many F seats are available? As golds, you may not have much chance of clearing and it might not be worth the effort, anyway.
Mar 21, 2017, 8:27 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 687
That makes no sense....
Mar 21, 2017, 8:42 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
In the first scenario -- 1K with Silver -- split the PNR because the 1K will then be upgraded as a 1K. In the second scenario, no need to split because the 1K will already be uprgraded as a 1K.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:00 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: UA - Gold
Posts: 87
The couple of times I have left 3 of us intact on one reservation, we have NOT appeared on the "day of" upgrade list. If you want the chance of an upgrade, you will need to split the reservation. If only one of you gets upgraded, you can always turn the upgraded seat back in if you don't want to be separated.
How many F seats are available? As golds, you may not have much chance of clearing and it might not be worth the effort, anyway.
How many F seats are available? As golds, you may not have much chance of clearing and it might not be worth the effort, anyway.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:02 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
One companion traveling on a paid ticket on the same reservation as a Premier member is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select flights, and may be confirmed with the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure. If the companion is a Premier member, the upgrade will be processed according to the highest Premier status level in the reservation.
FWIW: This is counter to the pmCO policy, where the lowest status passenger on a reservation was used for upgrade priority; any non-status companion would invalidate the entire reservation for EUA processing, and you'd have to request upgrades at the gate. Given the amount of kvetching I see about CPU clearance rates, I thought this worth pointing out; under this policy, there is considerably more competition for automatic upgrades than there was under pmCO.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:07 am
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
UA's three passenger rule essentially encourages groups of three who want upgrades to split the PNR into 2 and 1, maximizing the chances of upgrades for 2 pax, and leaving 1 the same as his or her own status allows.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:07 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: 1k
Posts: 79
Piggybacking on this - if you are a 1k with two non-status travelers on your reservation are you just not eligible for an upgrade? Splitting the reservation wouldn't really help because it would either leave the 1k on their own or one non-status pax on their own, right? My brother and sister-in-law, both with no status, are on my reservation (1k) for a trip to HAV in May so have been curious about this.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:13 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
Piggybacking on this - if you are a 1k with two non-status travelers on your reservation are you just not eligible for an upgrade? Splitting the reservation wouldn't really help because it would either leave the 1k on their own or one non-status pax on their own, right? My brother and sister-in-law, both with no status, are on my reservation (1k) for a trip to HAV in May so have been curious about this.
You would have to split the PNR to be CPU eligible.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:16 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
Piggybacking on this - if you are a 1k with two non-status travelers on your reservation are you just not eligible for an upgrade? Splitting the reservation wouldn't really help because it would either leave the 1k on their own or one non-status pax on their own, right? My brother and sister-in-law, both with no status, are on my reservation (1k) for a trip to HAV in May so have been curious about this.
Splitting the reservation would allow one or two passengers to become CPU-eligible, depending upon how it's split. There is no way for a single passenger to sponsor three CPUs.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:18 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Plat, 1MM
Posts: 2,182
One companion traveling on a paid ticket on the same reservation as a Premier member is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select flights, and may be confirmed with the same priority as the Premier member, even on the day of departure. If the companion is a Premier member, the upgrade will be processed according to the highest Premier status level in the reservation.
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation. If two or more travelers on the reservation are not Premier members, it will not be processed automatically. In these cases, Premier members should call the Premier Priority Desk to request a separate reservation for themselves and the eligible companion.
If a reservation includes three or more travelers, and only one is not a Premier member, the Complimentary Premier Upgrades will be processed according to the lowest Premier status level in the reservation. If two or more travelers on the reservation are not Premier members, it will not be processed automatically. In these cases, Premier members should call the Premier Priority Desk to request a separate reservation for themselves and the eligible companion.
Mar 21, 2017, 9:29 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 687
Normally I'd agree that it's pointless anyway, but just over 48 hours left there are eight F seats left (out of 16) on a late night weekday flight to West Palm. My thought is that the timing and leisure centricity of the flight make it possible, however unknown the odds. I'm really thinking about whether to do it ahead of the 48 hr window or not, and like you say the concern is splitting the party. I don't trust United's policies or software, and so without knowing of any examples of 3-ppl upgrading in tandem, despite United's claims of such structuring, it's just the 1+2 thing that keeps eating away at me as I *know* that happens at least from personal experience.