StuckinITH

That's good news. I have to say that I was worried for you as I never saw such a long list to move to the front of the plane (meaning the old First Class) but I also don't fly out of SFO.

That's the first time that I hear about redepositing the GPUs in that case. I'm sure it will be useful information for others. Unfortunately, not for me, as I can never buy a ticket above the P fare.

The butterflies are even worse when passengers are waitlisted for the upgrade to Business and the waitlist only clears when they are already seated in their Economy + seat. Happened to me....... Or even worse, never clears. Happened to me too.

findark

The counter-factual here is that you upgrade someone to F in advance, and then a plane swap happens and you have to explain that they are no longer upgraded.

kateem

If they're worried about disappointing with a downgrade, they should just put up a bunch of specific warnings when we apply the GPU, clear that GPU, and let us take our chances. It seems to me that most people capable of applying a GPU for a flight in Polaris First know the system well enough to "get it".

This whole thing really bugs me, and will potentially have me change my travel plans. In many, many flights ORD-NRT over the decades, I have never failed to upgrade in advance into Global/Polaris First. I would be fine with the 1-2-1 Polaris business. But I am 100% not OK with the abomination that is the 8-across "business" class on the 777. The day they try to put me in there, I cancel that ticket and fly ANA first. I would prefer not to spend the extra $$, though.

cesco.g

I am looking at a seat map for a flight showing 1 middle seat in the J-cabin and F-cabin totally open with 8 F seats.
If there is a chance to get one of those F-seats, or an aisle/window J-seat from somebody moving up, I'd go for it.
Otherwise, if all F seats are being scooped up by NRSAs I will book on another carrier.

StuckinITH

It all depends on what fare you are willing to pay for a Polaris Business seat on an international flight. You can use GPUs to waitlist a seat in the F-cabin if you pay a fare higher than P and Z. If nobody in Business waitlists a GPU the seats in the F cabin will go to Non-Revs. But they have a lower priority than the waitlisted GPUs.

porciuscato

Unless you are paying a REALLY high fare -- like as much as it would cost to fly real First Class on Lufthansa -- you can count on every one of those seats being filled by a NRSA.

Remember, at United, our slogan is "Employees First; Customers last"

glbltvlr

I don't have a problem with employees getting preference for the F seats. You can make the argument for brand consistency that those seats shouldn't be available to the public. It is annoying that NRSAs get a higher priority than paid upgrades. They shouldn't be offering those if the odds are that low.

cesco.g

GPU is not an option in my case. Looking at the prospect of getting a 4-across middle seat on a $5K+ fare forces me to take my business elsewhere.
At least the NRSAs will be happy in their F-seats and their believe that UA could not (actually did not want to!) sell that seat.

BullishGS

IMO, UA should allow restricted business fares GPU to F. 3-class is coming to an end with UA and might as well accept the GPUs pax are willing to redeem for them. With Non-rev going to J or Y, UA looses nothing.

bluedemon211

Don't forget that they will try to sell that seat as a TOD (more like thousands of dollars) at T-24. If it were me, any $'s UA gets for that seat beat giving it away for nothing. I would start at a desired price and keep lowering it until I filled the cabin. But that's just me, I'm a capitalist

coltonatx

wxguy

Global Services members can using a GPU I/IN->ON

coltonatx

kevanyalowitz

Benebene

Just returned from the other leg of my Polaris Global First journey (CDG-SFO). Once again the wait list to First appeared after online check-in. Nothing at all showed up before then.

At CDG, different from SFO, the boarding pass at the United Desk (to check luggage, etc) is where I got my upgraded seat in the First Cabin. As a reminder, at SFO, the upgraded seat was only provided at the actual gate.

It was a small but well received surprise that at CDG Terminal 1, I was able to go into the First *Alliance lounge due to the boarding pass. As the flight was 1 hour delayed due to late aircraft arrival, it was a welcome respite to be totally alone in the lounge. I wonder what happened to the other 6 people who got upgraded into this cabin? Maybe for them, they got the upgrade notice at the gate? A small mystery but I am not complaining.

In the cabin itself, as many of you know, the service is exactly the same in the First Cabin as it is in Business. It is just the seating that is different (1-2-1). The amenity kit (the metal tin) was suspiciously different. It had like 1-2 less tubes of the Cowshed and no mouthwash.

Interestingly enough, on this return flight, when checking the seat map, the First Cabin had 1A already occupied, 24 hours before the flight. I guess it is what people are saying, an NRSA. When I got into the cabin, I noticed it was a middle aged lady and probably related to one of the crew (pilots, etc.).

(On the original outbound SFO-CDG, there were 2 occupied seats, 2A and 2C, but it was clear the two bearded men, taking no alcohol, not watching any movies and just "reading a book" were probably Air Marshals).

As it was exactly 3 days after arrival into Paris, I had the exact same flight crew on the return leg. Otherwise great service, great flight.