Feb 9, 2019, 8:39 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight
Related thread - Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight
Related thread - Understanding the United Upgrade List Comprehensively
[Consolidated] Chance of upgrade clearing on my flight {Archive}
Oct 30, 2018, 2:52 pm
#3271
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: United
Posts: 35
Sure enough, I saw that had I taken the flight, the return from EWR>IAD was so late that it didn't take off until after it was supposed to have landed in IAD.
Customs didn't give a crap, they actually assisted me in getting it tagged correctly to the main terminal carousel.
EDIT: I will say the Polaris lounge is amazing at EWR and am looking forward to using it on an upcoming paid-F OCONUS trip. Just tired of the incessant flight delays and the no-good-reason for not being able to just stop in IAD.
Oct 30, 2018, 2:58 pm
#3272
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,357
Oct 30, 2018, 3:12 pm
#3274
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,974
Well, this is exactly what I ended up doing. Gather round and hear the story, kids.
I had two separate reservations - roundtrips from IAD-EWR and EWR-ZRH.
Return flight ZRH>EWR had two first class seats at 24h in, so pretty much not gonna happen. Was offered new itinerary of ZRH>IAD>EWR when I checked in and ZRH>IAD had 8 available seats with inventory for immediate upgrade on a shiny new 787 to boot. I called United, who helpfully told me if I wanted to just stop in IAD rather than taking ZRH>IAD>EWR>IAD that I would have to pay a change fee. I thanked them for their oh-so-helpful customer service, shifted to the new flight online, got my upgrade, and when I landed in IAD, ripped off my bag tags before clearing customs and asked them to re-check my bags to the non-international baggage claim after clearing customs. Luggage ops guy gave me a little guff but issued me a white tag and it ended up (30 minutes later) on the regular luggage carousel.
No nastygram from United yet, but I'm not going to take it from them as a newly-minted 1K with 90+ PQS (most being paid CONUS first).
I had two separate reservations - roundtrips from IAD-EWR and EWR-ZRH.
Return flight ZRH>EWR had two first class seats at 24h in, so pretty much not gonna happen. Was offered new itinerary of ZRH>IAD>EWR when I checked in and ZRH>IAD had 8 available seats with inventory for immediate upgrade on a shiny new 787 to boot. I called United, who helpfully told me if I wanted to just stop in IAD rather than taking ZRH>IAD>EWR>IAD that I would have to pay a change fee. I thanked them for their oh-so-helpful customer service, shifted to the new flight online, got my upgrade, and when I landed in IAD, ripped off my bag tags before clearing customs and asked them to re-check my bags to the non-international baggage claim after clearing customs. Luggage ops guy gave me a little guff but issued me a white tag and it ended up (30 minutes later) on the regular luggage carousel.
No nastygram from United yet, but I'm not going to take it from them as a newly-minted 1K with 90+ PQS (most being paid CONUS first).
Oct 30, 2018, 3:22 pm
#3275
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: United
Posts: 35
It is bold and risky. Of course United does not offer any First TATL, so I am not sure how you are claiming to be flying that on UA all the time. 1K w/ 90 PQS is nothing in their books; they are known to show GS the door when they are caught violating rules. You will probably get away with this, but if you make it a habit ... they will come after you. Trust me ... and your shiny new 1K status will be gone faster than you can refresh your screen
I have no doubt if I made it a habit they'd boot me. Hopefully they don't for this one case.
EDIT: Sorry just caught this
Almost all of my travel this year (so far) is grinding miles in CONUS first. Q4 ended up being where all of my international travel got stuck.
Last edited by AirborneCattleCar; Oct 30, 2018 at 3:31 pm
Oct 30, 2018, 4:41 pm
#3276
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: WAS
Programs: UA Platinum, AA Gold
Posts: 93
OP: Assuming none of those flights have I space, there’s really no difference between IAH-AMS and IAD-ZRH. They both have about the same number of available seats, so I don’t think you’re being foolish to select one over the other. It seems UA doesn’t really think they can sell all of the seats on either; hence, the PZ space.
Oct 30, 2018, 10:30 pm
#3277
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Programs: *A "Top 1000 2015", FB Lifetime Plat.; BA Silver; Ma; Hilton Diamond.rriott Gold
Posts: 497
strangeness in expert mode: direct vs indirect flights
I'm guaging my chances of upgrading to the UK this Friday with a GPU. At present no PZ availability on any routing that I can spot. But I have noted what I think are inconsistencies whilst searching. If I search with expert mode for SFO-LHR then it just shows J1 on UA930. But if I search PHX-LHR and look at the option that goes via SFO and the UA930 then it shows J3. I really don't understand why the direct flight shows fewer biz seats available. I would have thought the same, or at least more. - Either way my chances aren't great of course, so I'm gettting ready for a SDC to a gateway with better chances. Any explanation greatefullly accepted (along with advice as to which figure to believe! At present there are 4 seats free in the seat map, which of course doesn't really mean anything. Thanks.
Oct 30, 2018, 11:19 pm
#3278
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,392
Could have been an expiring hold or a cancel - I think you just saw different inventory between your searches. I see J3 Y8 for 02-Nov-18 SFOLHR UA930, and the same if searched from Phoenix. Yes, you're not likely to clear of course.
Ed. to add flight status shows 44 (+3 blocked)/50 and the equipment is currently a Polaris/PE 772 with one (middle) seat left in the PE cabin. I think that's just over by 3 in Y on the basis of the Y8, but it's hard to tell.
Ed. to add flight status shows 44 (+3 blocked)/50 and the equipment is currently a Polaris/PE 772 with one (middle) seat left in the PE cabin. I think that's just over by 3 in Y on the basis of the Y8, but it's hard to tell.
Last edited by findark; Oct 30, 2018 at 11:26 pm
Oct 31, 2018, 5:13 am
#3279
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
I'm guaging my chances of upgrading to the UK this Friday with a GPU. At present no PZ availability on any routing that I can spot. But I have noted what I think are inconsistencies whilst searching. If I search with expert mode for SFO-LHR then it just shows J1 on UA930. But if I search PHX-LHR and look at the option that goes via SFO and the UA930 then it shows J3. I really don't understand why the direct flight shows fewer biz seats available. I would have thought the same, or at least more. - Either way my chances aren't great of course, so I'm gettting ready for a SDC to a gateway with better chances. Any explanation greatefullly accepted (along with advice as to which figure to believe! At present there are 4 seats free in the seat map, which of course doesn't really mean anything. Thanks.
Oct 31, 2018, 8:01 am
#3280
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Programs: *A "Top 1000 2015", FB Lifetime Plat.; BA Silver; Ma; Hilton Diamond.rriott Gold
Posts: 497
thanks for the replies. I'm in H, so quite a bit better chance than W. I did flip back and forth several times between searching direct and indirect and got discrepancies each time, but today it's showing J3 however I search. Switching to ORD on the UA938 now looks like my best bet now as there is J9 PZ6 -- but I'll have to pay change fee to grab that now or hope it's still there on thursday pm when I can SDC. But it only shows J9 PZ7 when I search direct; if I search from PHX, it shows J7 PZ0 if connecting with UA523 at 1120 and J2 PZ0 if connecting on the UA2000 at 1440. These last two are in the same search, so how come it shows J7 with one connection and J2 with the other, let alone J9 PZ6 on a separate direct search???
Oct 31, 2018, 9:32 am
#3281
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,392
thanks for the replies. I'm in H, so quite a bit better chance than W. I did flip back and forth several times between searching direct and indirect and got discrepancies each time, but today it's showing J3 however I search. Switching to ORD on the UA938 now looks like my best bet now as there is J9 PZ6 -- but I'll have to pay change fee to grab that now or hope it's still there on thursday pm when I can SDC. But it only shows J9 PZ7 when I search direct; if I search from PHX, it shows J7 PZ0 if connecting with UA523 at 1120 and J2 PZ0 if connecting on the UA2000 at 1440. These last two are in the same search, so how come it shows J7 with one connection and J2 with the other, let alone J9 PZ6 on a separate direct search???
Also worth noting that because UA930 is over by 3, there are actually 6 seats in J left are some are "protected" from TODs by the oversell. I think the fluctuation you saw from J1 to J3 is because loading the Polaris 772 added 2 premium seats.
Oct 31, 2018, 10:45 am
#3282
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Programs: *A "Top 1000 2015", FB Lifetime Plat.; BA Silver; Ma; Hilton Diamond.rriott Gold
Posts: 497
thanks for the reply and explanation. It'll cost me ~Ł210 to change now, so I'll hang in there until I can SDC tomorrow afternoon, and hope the ORD-LHR is still available. It would be nice if ua.com supported a search which allowed multiple start points (as kayak does).
Oct 31, 2018, 2:08 pm
#3283
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: 1K
Posts: 220
Did the list showing upgrades to Polaris on long haul change?
In the past I was able to pull up recent flights and check to see if anyone got upgrades, but now it seems that only the flight currently available for checkin shows a list of any sort. Looking at past flights show nothing and looking at future flights there is no list with checkmarks either.
Trying to gauge my chances for HKG-ORD on 11/15.
In the past I was able to pull up recent flights and check to see if anyone got upgrades, but now it seems that only the flight currently available for checkin shows a list of any sort. Looking at past flights show nothing and looking at future flights there is no list with checkmarks either.
Trying to gauge my chances for HKG-ORD on 11/15.
Oct 31, 2018, 3:36 pm
#3284
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
In the past I was able to pull up recent flights and check to see if anyone got upgrades, but now it seems that only the flight currently available for checkin shows a list of any sort. Looking at past flights show nothing and looking at future flights there is no list with checkmarks either.
It doesn't tell you much anyway, since only those pax who upgraded after checking in are shown as "upgraded."
Nov 1, 2018, 3:48 pm
#3285
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: United MP 1K, Marriott Gold
Posts: 24
Been keeping an eye on it, and this is the first time I've seen PN space. As a Gold (getting to Plat next week) I'm waiting for PZ space, right?