Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Archive thread
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight {Archive}
Related thread -
Ways to search for upgrade space at booking?
Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
Decoding the alphabet soup - fare buckets for UA
Expert Mode Update: better upgrade visibility and opt-in to see fare bucket data.
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight {Archive}
Related thread -
Ways to search for upgrade space at booking?
Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
Decoding the alphabet soup - fare buckets for UA
Expert Mode Update: better upgrade visibility and opt-in to see fare bucket data.
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight
#166
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,932
Goal is to get upgraded transpac for company event in January where I can only book economy. Options I'm eyeballing are TPE-SFO on either BR or UA.
Booking tool is making it hard to find my way into upgradeable fare for BR (my usual choice). UA has a W fate TPE-SFO on 852/872 that is potentially doable and I have a 1k friend offering me some PP.
Both flights have 9s across the board except for all upgrade classes. Anyone think this is a pretty doable route for Silver being sponsored by 1k?
Booking tool is making it hard to find my way into upgradeable fare for BR (my usual choice). UA has a W fate TPE-SFO on 852/872 that is potentially doable and I have a 1k friend offering me some PP.
Both flights have 9s across the board except for all upgrade classes. Anyone think this is a pretty doable route for Silver being sponsored by 1k?
Good luck.
#167
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,761
Or buy yourself up to premium economy if the difference isn't that much, which sometimes it isn't. Then the worst case is a domestic first -like experience
#168
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: United currently plat
Posts: 203
Aloha folks,
Booked on
12/2 UA 396 B fare J is 42/60 (iʻm #17)
12/3 UA 990 R fare (CSR told me iʻm #3 currently)
*edit* i just spoke with a very kind CSR who looked it up for me, I am in fact 17 on the list on UA 396 with 16 GS & 1Ks ahead of me. So that leg is off the table.
I could buy up on 396 for $700 currently or re-fare the whole outbound into J for +$1178. Seeing as tho I have very good chance of the intl segment clearing I may as well just grin and bear the first leg in Y. Or should I just cancel the PP req on the domestic leg and watch the paid upgrade offers as they come down towards day of departure.. ?
Booked on
12/2 UA 396 B fare J is 42/60 (iʻm #17)
12/3 UA 990 R fare (CSR told me iʻm #3 currently)
*edit* i just spoke with a very kind CSR who looked it up for me, I am in fact 17 on the list on UA 396 with 16 GS & 1Ks ahead of me. So that leg is off the table.
I could buy up on 396 for $700 currently or re-fare the whole outbound into J for +$1178. Seeing as tho I have very good chance of the intl segment clearing I may as well just grin and bear the first leg in Y. Or should I just cancel the PP req on the domestic leg and watch the paid upgrade offers as they come down towards day of departure.. ?
Last edited by evol; Nov 26, 2023 at 4:09 am
#169
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,993
Aloha folks,
Booked on
12/2 UA 396 B fare J is 42/60 (iʻm #17)
12/3 UA 990 R fare (CSR told me iʻm #3 currently)
*edit* i just spoke with a very kind CSR who looked it up for me, I am in fact 17 on the list on UA 396 with 16 GS & 1Ks ahead of me. So that leg is off the table.
I could buy up on 396 for $700 currently or re-fare the whole outbound into J for +$1178. Seeing as tho I have very good chance of the intl segment clearing I may as well just grin and bear the first leg in Y. Or should I just cancel the PP req on the domestic leg and watch the paid upgrade offers as they come down towards day of departure.. ?
Booked on
12/2 UA 396 B fare J is 42/60 (iʻm #17)
12/3 UA 990 R fare (CSR told me iʻm #3 currently)
*edit* i just spoke with a very kind CSR who looked it up for me, I am in fact 17 on the list on UA 396 with 16 GS & 1Ks ahead of me. So that leg is off the table.
I could buy up on 396 for $700 currently or re-fare the whole outbound into J for +$1178. Seeing as tho I have very good chance of the intl segment clearing I may as well just grin and bear the first leg in Y. Or should I just cancel the PP req on the domestic leg and watch the paid upgrade offers as they come down towards day of departure.. ?
Bonne chance…
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Nov 26, 2023 at 10:04 am
#170
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,824
If
If it were just me, a downgrade would be a workable strategy. I'm going to stay the course and go with the almost-guaranteed upgrade (already have Polaris for return from Singapore due to really cheap fare that popped up for that leg), since my wife really needs a nice trip (not-so-good news at her last PET scan).
#171
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: United currently plat
Posts: 203
Mahalo! I’ve got my window PE so I should just relax into that. I don’t want to spend another dime on UA this year if I can bear it! My last thought on this would be: Please let my Polaris upgrade clear at T24 so I can use the lounge 🥺
#172
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Princeton, NJ
Programs: UA - GS 8 years 1K - many!!, Mariott - Titanium, Hilton - Gold, Avis - President, Hertz - President
Posts: 44
I'm almost in the opposite situation. UA 869 (HKG-SIN) 12/7, bought PE to get a better chance of upgrading to Polaris for the long flight. But flight is so lightly loaded it almost makes sense to downgrade to Y (travel credit of $500/ticket x 2) for the outbound... seatmap wide open and mirrors all-9s across the board (other than upgrade categories). Even if every single person in PE was 1K or GS it looks like I'd still be safe in Y.
If it were just me, a downgrade would be a workable strategy. I'm going to stay the course and go with the almost-guaranteed upgrade (already have Polaris for return from Singapore due to really cheap fare that popped up for that leg), since my wife really needs a nice trip (not-so-good news at her last PET scan).
#173
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,824
The problem is, if your leg is the initial leg, then the price of coach could be quite high due to repricing of the entire ticket close to the departure date (my recent experience), sometimes the Econ fares can be more than PE if you seek Econ in W code up. However, for a sureshot as the one you describe, I would do it if the pricing worked and I could do PP upgrade with 40 points on a long int'l flight.
I do have 40 plus points to get rid of (quickly!) and would love to use them on the outbound, but only way that would work would be to split the PNR, since I don't have enough for my wife as well. Not too comfortable doing that, but if the upgrades do come through, I'll see if day of flight I can split the PNR and use the 40 plus points for her, and the miles + $450 for me.
#174
Join Date: Nov 2023
Posts: 2
MUC - SFO upgrade chances
Hi. I'm booked Dec 17 MUC - SFO in economy (T class). I'm Platinum and waitlisted for a Mileageplus upgrade (points) to both PP and Polaris.
What are my chances of the upgrade coming through?
Available fare classes: J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z9 ZN9 P9 PN0 PZ0 IN0 I0 O5 ON5 A1 R0 RN0 Y9 YN9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 HN9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G0 XN9 X9
What are my chances of the upgrade coming through?
Available fare classes: J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z9 ZN9 P9 PN0 PZ0 IN0 I0 O5 ON5 A1 R0 RN0 Y9 YN9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 HN9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G0 XN9 X9
#175
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,938
I'm almost in the opposite situation. UA 869 (HKG-SIN) 12/7, bought PE to get a better chance of upgrading to Polaris for the long flight. But flight is so lightly loaded it almost makes sense to downgrade to Y (travel credit of $500/ticket x 2) for the outbound... seatmap wide open and mirrors all-9s across the board (other than upgrade categories). Even if every single person in PE was 1K or GS it looks like I'd still be safe in Y.
#176
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,993
Hi. I'm booked Dec 17 MUC - SFO in economy (T class). I'm Platinum and waitlisted for a Mileageplus upgrade (points) to both PP and Polaris.
What are my chances of the upgrade coming through?
Available fare classes: J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z9 ZN9 P9 PN0 PZ0 IN0 I0 O5 ON5 A1 R0 RN0 Y9 YN9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 HN9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G0 XN9 X9
What are my chances of the upgrade coming through?
Available fare classes: J9 JN9 C9 D9 Z9 ZN9 P9 PN0 PZ0 IN0 I0 O5 ON5 A1 R0 RN0 Y9 YN9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 HN9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G0 XN9 X9
#177
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,824
Could be an issue with a plane change, but there aren't too many planes they can sub on a 15 hour flight. If they swap in a 787 instead of the 777, you'd lose a few seats in Polaris.
#178
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Our nation's capital
Programs: UA 1K & 0.6 MM
Posts: 781
what will that last Polaris seat be released?
T minus 4 hours, 1 Polaris seat available, #1 on u/g list and holding steady. When will that seat finally be released for upgrade? Would the Polaris Lounge let me in/help me get that into my hot little hands??? Or would I have to beg the gate agent?
#179
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,352
Upgrades are processed sometime after check-in ends -- after every passenger has turned down UA's offer to pay cash for it.
#180
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,993
Earliest will probably be just after the podium at the gate is staffed for that flight. Latest, just before door is closed. And no, the Polaris lounge agent will not help you. #1 - you don't have access at this point. #2 - clearing the waitlist is not their job. The gate agent is your friend - you might let him/her know of your position and ask when they might clear it. Don't demand to be cleared - you never know when an agent might take offence and to decide to hold onto the upgrade until just before door closes. If you do clear at the gate early enough, do not feel obligated to board right away - Polaris has plenty of overhead storage, so you can make use of lounge until last boarding.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Nov 30, 2023 at 4:21 pm