QueenEsoterica

I am flying back and forth to San Francisco in a couple weeks on United, where I am currently a gold member, though will probably be losing my status next year

Anyway, I am probably fairly low on the totem pole for free upgrades, and they're giving me the option to upgrade for 20k points. Normally, I would not give up so many points on such a short (for me) cross-country trip (most of my travel is international), but I will be 33-34 weeks pregnant, and on my recent 8 hour flight back from Frankfurt (at 30-31 weeks) I was stuck in a middle seat at the very back of the plane and was incredibly uncomfortable. I'm tempted to do it (though I am currently in decent economy+ seats both directions). BUT, my husband and I will probably be moving to Europe next year and I've been saving most of my points to fly various family members out to see us, so I'm back to being skeptical about the value of giving up 20k points for 5ish hours of comfort. Plus, right now there are about 8 or so business class seats free (it's first thing on a Monday morning)...should I just hold out and hope that probability works in my favor and I get a complimentary upgrade? Is there any chance I can play up the pregnancy card a little and get some sympathy benefits?

Thoughts and ideas?

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Most of the seats available for upgrade will be doled out before you get to the airport and the remainder (if the GA does his/her job correctly) in order of the waitlist. Hopefully, you get an upgrade as your status dictates or you use points to legitimately move yourself ahead of others. Good luck, either way!

moyang_mm

I would definitely use points to secure a first class seat in the front. (I am assuming you were talking about regular domestic FC right? Otherwise you are not eligible for CPU). The chance of clearing as a gold is close to non-existance. Also at T-24, most of the FC seats, if not all, are gone, either given to high level elites or as TOD upgrades. So I am not positive that you could be accommodated in the FC at the time of boarding...

IADFlyer123

As a gold, Anything to or from SFO is a tough upgrade. Do yourself a favor and get the upgrade if it is confirmable now. Even higher status members have a tough time clearing mileage or instrument upgrades. If you move to EU, intra EU travel is comparatively cheap. You also can buy UA miles at cheaper rates during promotions. Don’t put yourself through a Y seat if you can confirm a J seat.

QueenEsoterica

Well, I didn't say anyone "owes me" something or anything about cutting in front of others, my reservation just says that this is eligible for a free upgrade (to business, not first class) and they will be automatically assigned 48 hours in advance of the flight.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

It does not say that. It says an upgrade may be issued AS EARLY as 48 hours out (for Gold). In practice, this rarely happens, especially on that route. You are unlikely to get a CPU - this is just reality. There are too may higher-level Premiers and people requesting upgrades using miles/instruments for a Gold to expect a CPU on that route. If you want a business seat on that route, you'll need (in all likelihood) to cough up money or miles.

jsloan

The chances for a Gold to get a CPU on an early morning WAS-SFO flight are almost nil. Furthermore, I just checked all of the early morning flights on 10/16, 10/23, and 10/30, and none of them show any upgrade space currently available, so the 20K mile option seems likely to end up on the waitlist, where you will be ahead of non-GS CPUs but behind GS/1K/Platinum instruments (RPUs/GPUs/miles). There's a reasonable chance you'd still end up in the back, though.

I see three realistic options: 1 - consider paying to upgrade; if you don't like the price you see now, continue to check and see if a more palatable option will appear later, 2 - consider an SDC to a one-stop routing via IAH, ORD, or DEN. You're still unlikely to get upgraded on either leg, but you may be more comfortable doing two shorter flights than one longer flight, 3 - consider purchasing an extra seat, if that's cheaper than the FC upgrade fee.

The upgrade process isn't going to know that you're pregnant, and gate agents have much less leeway to give you a sympathy upgrade that than did in the past. There's always a chance that the person who's first on the list notices and complains. About the best that you can hope for is that the gate agent might leave the seat next to you empty if the flight isn't actually full.

Congratulations, though. And good luck.

QueenEsoterica

Oh, and that reminds me, I'm on an S class fare, so I guess that probably puts me even lower in line.

Intra-EU travel is cheap, but my miles will be used getting people from the states to SE Europe.

Baze

If you already have good E+ seats and want your miles for shuttling people to Europe after you move there I would not spend the miles on an upgrade to domestic F.

QueenEsoterica

Thanks! Yeah, I saw something about waitlist, but wasn't sure how that works. I don't have much leeway to change my ticket, unfortunately, as it's a government fare (I'm traveling for work), and unlike certain administrators, I don't get any special travel requests/premium travel if it's under a 17 hour flight.

I guess I will do the 20k, then, as I have to work when I land anyway. Better to have at least a chance at sleep...

jsloan

Correct; you will be behind everyone of higher status, plus Gold members on tickets that are of a higher fare class. Although, I doubt it will get that far. Not sure which airport you're flying from, but here are some examples:

The next IAD-SFO flight currently is booked 15/16 in first with 7 upgrades* and 17 on the waiting list. The following one is a 3-class plane, booked 33/40 in business, with 18 upgrades and 37 on the list.

Tomorrow morning's first flight is booked 11/12, with 4 upgrades and 11 on the list already (but the list only shows people who have checked in).

* or standard awards, or certain types of upgrade offers during the check-in process. It's impossible to tell for certain.

GBadger

Perhaps I'm being cynical, but I'm actually surprised that there is inventory for a mileage upgrade on a WAS-SFO flight that is only a couple of weeks away. Is the upgrade confirmable right now? Or is it only a shot at the waitlist? If the latter, I still wouldn't count on it clearing. As a 1K on a GPU-supported WAS-DEN flight a few weeks ago, I was #11 on the upgrade waitlist at boarding. There were several Global Services members in the back...

Baze

I think post #10 says they saw something about being on a waitlist.

Hipplewm

In the old days, you might have gotten a sympathy upgrade, but now it is pretty much all done by computer. For the GA to override is pretty rare, although shenanigans do happen.

In The 216

I wouldn't spend the 20K on this upgrade. I would take the buyup at check-in. At some point on this flight, a seat in F will open at or after the check-in window opens. You may have to check repeatedly, but chances are it will.

I would also disagree with your statement that you didn't say anything about cutting in front of others. You directly implied it by asking "any chance I can play up the pregnancy card a little and get some sympathy benefits?" What else could you have meant by that other than you wanted a CPU out of order?