Upgrades/Access to Polaris Global First since UA Ended Polaris Global First Sales
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: United Premier 1K 1MM; AA Plat Pro; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Platinum; Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,529
Upgrades/Access to Polaris Global First since UA Ended Polaris Global First Sales
*MODs - please modify or merge as necessary.
Curious what experiences people have had upgrading to Polaris Global First on non-converted pmUA 777s and 767s since UA ended sales of Polaris Global First earlier this month. Sometimes I see ON class available on select flights but I have NOT seen any O class available. Are they doing upgrades based on any set criteria? Would like to see what folks are experiencing since the change.
Curious what experiences people have had upgrading to Polaris Global First on non-converted pmUA 777s and 767s since UA ended sales of Polaris Global First earlier this month. Sometimes I see ON class available on select flights but I have NOT seen any O class available. Are they doing upgrades based on any set criteria? Would like to see what folks are experiencing since the change.
#2
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: DTW and ORD
Posts: 667
Upgrades are being cleared at the gate. You can still request an upgrade to First from Business, but since they're not selling tickets, no upgrades are clearing in advance either in case there is a swap.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SEA, WAS, PEK
Programs: UA 3K UGS 3MM
Posts: 2,176
I think its time to allow GPUs on P and Z fares.
#4
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 484
If no advance upgrades are allowed, do you still need to use GPUs/miles? Have you ever seen them giving "free" upgrades, e.g. based on status?
#5
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,976
I was (and still am) willing to buy an "A" fare for my upcoming ORD-LHR trip. All three flights are not selling F seats.
He told me I could use a GPU. Told him I don't want to use one.
He said if they do use a three-class 767, nobody will be comped an upgrade. So I asked if non-revs will get those seats.
He said most likely yes. Even though I was (and am) willing to buy F? Yes. If the buy-up is still around $800, I would gladly do it. But as you know, the buy-up can change and it could be in the thousands.
I made it very clear that if non-revs go into F and I am stuck in C, I would cancel my ticket at the gate and fly BA or another carrier with an F cabin.
Of course he didn't want to hear that, but he knows me well enough and knows that I would do that.
He said that he would call WHQ and discuss this with people who have decision-making powers with respect to this issue.
I await the answer.
#6
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,162
Waitlisted upgrades would be cleared first
If Business is oversold, people would be op-up'ed from business to first
If Economy is oversold, people would be op-up'ed from economy to business, and (if needed) others from business to first to make way for them
And finally waitlisted non-rev's would be cleared into first if any seats remain.
Depending on the exact aircraft planned for a route, I would expect they would be overselling business, in the knowledge that they will either have first available, or a larger business cabin if a switch is made.
#7
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,362
I had a discussion a few days ago with the GS manager at ORD about this.
I was (and still am) willing to buy an "A" fare for my upcoming ORD-LHR trip. All three flights are not selling F seats.
He told me I could use a GPU. Told him I don't want to use one.
He said if they do use a three-class 767, nobody will be comped an upgrade. So I asked if non-revs will get those seats.
He said most likely yes. Even though I was (and am) willing to buy F? Yes. If the buy-up is still around $800, I would gladly do it. But as you know, the buy-up can change and it could be in the thousands.
I made it very clear that if non-revs go into F and I am stuck in C, I would cancel my ticket at the gate and fly BA or another carrier with an F cabin.
Of course he didn't want to hear that, but he knows me well enough and knows that I would do that.
He said that he would call WHQ and discuss this with people who have decision-making powers with respect to this issue.
I await the answer.
I was (and still am) willing to buy an "A" fare for my upcoming ORD-LHR trip. All three flights are not selling F seats.
He told me I could use a GPU. Told him I don't want to use one.
He said if they do use a three-class 767, nobody will be comped an upgrade. So I asked if non-revs will get those seats.
He said most likely yes. Even though I was (and am) willing to buy F? Yes. If the buy-up is still around $800, I would gladly do it. But as you know, the buy-up can change and it could be in the thousands.
I made it very clear that if non-revs go into F and I am stuck in C, I would cancel my ticket at the gate and fly BA or another carrier with an F cabin.
Of course he didn't want to hear that, but he knows me well enough and knows that I would do that.
He said that he would call WHQ and discuss this with people who have decision-making powers with respect to this issue.
I await the answer.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,008
UA does this kind of brain-dead stuff all the time. I flew EWR-LHR last December and got stranded at #1 on the waitlist because they chose to fill up J with nonrevs at the last minute. They should be clearing GPUs and putting nonrevs in the back (IMO).
#9
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
In another era, I recall how NW addressed this when they did away with First Class (c2000??). They stopped selling it, and they just gave the better/nicer seats to elites. I was PLT on CO at the time, and took a number of J flights on NW, each time they put me in the nicer seats. At the time I thought "classy, nice to be recognized for how much I fly"
How times change...
How times change...
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,227
IIRC when UA dropped First from ps routes, if you got a plane still fitted with F seats, they were comped to those in Business. I think it was done on status.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,424
They were running 3-class 772s for a while in 2016-17, and there was an automatic CPU process for GS only, and the GAs could op-up lower elites at the gate. I made the mistake of ending up on a flight with 22 GS. As a lowly 1K on a P fare, I did not rate
#12
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
123k MQMs on Delta that year.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,424
All I can say is that for the flight I was on, all the GS in J appeared on the upgrade standby list to F. I had a chat with the GA about it. It's possible the advance assignments were done differently.
#14
Join Date: May 1999
Location: JFK, LGA, EWR
Programs: AA Platinum (Lifetime), United GS, HHonors Diamond, Shangri-la Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 549
i'm in purchased C from ORD to HKG later this month, upgraded with GPU at purchase to ON.
#15
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: fwp blood diamond, dykwia uranium
Posts: 7,252
I had a discussion a few days ago with the GS manager at ORD about this.
I was (and still am) willing to buy an "A" fare for my upcoming ORD-LHR trip. All three flights are not selling F seats.
He told me I could use a GPU. Told him I don't want to use one.
He said if they do use a three-class 767, nobody will be comped an upgrade. So I asked if non-revs will get those seats.
He said most likely yes. Even though I was (and am) willing to buy F? Yes. If the buy-up is still around $800, I would gladly do it. But as you know, the buy-up can change and it could be in the thousands.
I made it very clear that if non-revs go into F and I am stuck in C, I would cancel my ticket at the gate and fly BA or another carrier with an F cabin.
Of course he didn't want to hear that, but he knows me well enough and knows that I would do that.
He said that he would call WHQ and discuss this with people who have decision-making powers with respect to this issue.
I await the answer.
I was (and still am) willing to buy an "A" fare for my upcoming ORD-LHR trip. All three flights are not selling F seats.
He told me I could use a GPU. Told him I don't want to use one.
He said if they do use a three-class 767, nobody will be comped an upgrade. So I asked if non-revs will get those seats.
He said most likely yes. Even though I was (and am) willing to buy F? Yes. If the buy-up is still around $800, I would gladly do it. But as you know, the buy-up can change and it could be in the thousands.
I made it very clear that if non-revs go into F and I am stuck in C, I would cancel my ticket at the gate and fly BA or another carrier with an F cabin.
Of course he didn't want to hear that, but he knows me well enough and knows that I would do that.
He said that he would call WHQ and discuss this with people who have decision-making powers with respect to this issue.
I await the answer.
while staff should be treated good by their company and they should fly up front if there's room, this is a bit of a loophole that's gravy for staff but just awful for high yield high revenue pax.
they prob won't reply and you'll just go to ba. or they'll comp it to you this one time as goodwill.