lsquare

Hey guys, I'm just wondering what are the chances I'll be upgraded to PY with my PlusPoints? I just talked to a UA rep and she told me it's applied to both UA869 (January 24, 2024) and UA862 (January 27, 2024). I only have 40 PPs and 20 are applied to each segment. All 40 PPs are expiring next year. Really want to use them before they expire! She told me there were no RN spaces in each direction. If I do get upgraded, what are the chances that I'll be put into a PY window seat?

PSA Forever

UA advises us: "On flights equipped with United Premium Plus, we will process requests to upgrade to business class for customers ticketed in United Premium Plus (fare classes O, A, R) before processing requests for customers ticketed in economy."

On November flights SFO CDG and CDG to SFO, it seemed 4 or 5 passengers appeared on the PP upgrade wait list, then jumped to the top of the BC wait list, then cleared into BC. Meanwhile 3 of us 1Ks paid PP cleared at the gate and 1 did not clear into BC. I asked the gate agent if there were any cancellations or unusual interruptions, and he said no. Thanks for any explanation folks can offer.

Repooc17

GS PlusPoints is ranked #1 on the priority list. Someone can wait-list from economy and still rank above those in PE.

PSA Forever

Thanks for the explanation.

As 1Ks, we have hundreds of unused Points Plus so I assume the average GS has many hundreds of unused Points Plus. So a GS can wait list scores of passengers with cheapo G tickets, and jump over those of us who paid for Premium Plus? Seems this is not consistent with the UA written guidance I quoted above. At least, the rule should be written somewhere (perhaps I missed it) and it would seem there should be some type of limit on cheapo economy fare passengers jumping into BC when others are following the written rules of UA.

Repooc17

See here: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...-priority.html

PSA Forever

I understand the interpretation. Thank you.

By "requests" in the UA statement, it does not include "requests" from GS subject to any conditions. I had understood GS are the top of "requests" for customers ticketed in Premium Plus but that apparently is not the operative rule.

With GS, I suppose they do not even need to be on the flight, just "request" Points Plus for any passenger including award ticket and G fare ticket passengers. As a consequence, GS get to use their Points Plus and us lowly 1Ks often do not clear even when we are traveling on the flight. That is why we have so many unused Point Plus. That did not seem to be a problem a few years back, but I guess circumstances and rules change.

Thanks again for the guidance.

Repooc17

The GS request line was not on the website until recently (added last year?). As with most GS benefits, it's not usually publicly published, but likely United added the GS requests line in hoping to minimize confusion.

To be fair, even GS requests are, at times, difficult to clear. United has aggressively advertised paid upgrade offers, which reduces upgrade probabilities for everyone on the wait-list. More and more comp/instrument upgrades are processed at gate because United believes it can sell seats upfront, either by way of new tickets or paid upgrades.

exerda

I've had several flights this year (most recently on Saturday CHS-IAD) where there was a GS traveling with a large group of family. 2-3 of them were in F, the rest on the waitlist.

Presumably the flight Saturday was short enough they didn't care about using PP and were just waitlisted for CPU--they were the top 4 or so on the list--because I snagged one I'd the last F seats with PP. But earlier this year on a flight ex-TUS, the GS family was using PP as I was behind 5 of them on the list, then saw I could refare into Z for an acceptable price and took the last F seat. UA got what they wanted: I paid for F, and neither I nor the GS family members redeemed PP to get it for "free."

WineCountryUA

No rule changes
GS and GS supported passenger are waitlisted for PN (for Polaris), all other elites including 1K in PremPlus are waitlisted for PZ, PN is higher priority than PZ. That has "always" been true, no change. Even after the PremPlus waitlist priority benefits for PZ were added

The issue for 1Ks is fewer upgrades / PZ because of UA's efforts to upsell / price F

Repooc17

R9 (outbound) and R8 (return), so looking good as of now! See my PM. Most people like aisle for (ultra) long hauls, so windows may be a possibility. I am also pro window.

Good luck!

lsquare

I'm not an expert, but what's the difference between RN and R? At this point, I'm less than a month from departure. When does UA typically decide to clear the upgrade list. I hope they won't be able to sell the PY seats even with cheap cash upgrades. I did tell the UA rep I wanted to be upgraded to a window seat, but can she do something on her end to facilitate that? What else can I do other than to pay?

Thank you!

jsloan

RN is upgrade inventory and R is cash inventory.

When they’ve determined that they can’t sell the seats.

That would be a surprise.

Of course not. (Unless you were suggesting that you only want to be upgraded if a window seat is available, which is still ‘no’ but less of an ‘of course’).

You’ve hit the nail on the head.

lsquare

I'm seeing tons of seats in the PY middle section. While it's not the end of the world if I end up there, especially if WiFi is working, I'm a window seat guy. Plus, these are daytime departures. I love looking out the window when the plane takes off and land.

Repooc17

I had listed out R inventory because that is the lowest PE fare bucket for UA (R, A, O - lowest to highest). You can view this info by activating expert mode in your account settings.

Inventory provides a hight level gauge of where things stand at the moment. R9 means United is willing to sell 9 or more seats at this inventory bucket. R8 = 8 seats, and so forth. It is usually a good sign when there are still plenty of inventory at the lowest bucket available with a month to go for long haul flights.

For J cabin, P is a good inventory gauge (lowest business fare bucket).

Keep in mind inventory is dynamic, and things can change quickly - e.g. multiple pax on the same PNR. However, there are advance purchase windows, so the closer to departure date, some of the lowest fare buckets will not be available (by default). From an upgrade standpoint, this can work in your favor, as higher fares closer to departure may disincentive buying upgrades, with the undelying fare already at a higher amount - just my theory, speaking nothing about the amount or range of paid upgrade offers.

At this point, I would just sit tight and not over think this. I would say your chances of getting upgraded are good.

Scotttyd

Question if I purchase a miles upgrade (and waitlisted) for my wife and I and our daughter - but we would only want it to be an "all or nothing" meaning I don't want 1 or 2 of us to be upgraded and not the third for a transatlantic flight. Is that possible? Or do we risk one of us getting upgraded and the other not?

additional question - trying to determine the likelihood of getting an upgrade from IAD to FRA and MUC to EWR if I purchase regular economy - Flights are Friday night and return on a saturday- so I am guessing popular for vacationers, but not business travel.

Any tools to be able to gauge the possibility?

thanks all