Another year of disappointing Platinum status
Dec 7, 2018, 12:26 pm
#76
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
But, I don't think you can judge your upgrade rate by looking at what is (or usually is) the ONLY lie flat service between IAD and SFO. My guess is you are booking the 777 because it has lie flats and is a wide body, but then so is everyone else. Lots of GS book that flight hoping to get upgraded, and lots of other elites just buy F on the flight. (or as a 1K pray for an upgrade).
Dec 7, 2018, 12:54 pm
#77
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 77
my 1k experience this year was quite pleasant. I am EWR based 1k.
85% of my flights EWR <-> DTW were upgraded (over 5 month span)
EWR to CUN was upgraded. The impressive part was that I was among plenty of frequent travelers
EWR <-> IAH no upgrades
a bunch of trips to IND were upgraded
im barely going to make platinum this year. I will surely miss 1k, the pre-boarding and snacks
85% of my flights EWR <-> DTW were upgraded (over 5 month span)
EWR to CUN was upgraded. The impressive part was that I was among plenty of frequent travelers
EWR <-> IAH no upgrades
a bunch of trips to IND were upgraded
im barely going to make platinum this year. I will surely miss 1k, the pre-boarding and snacks
Dec 7, 2018, 5:13 pm
#78
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,620
I was on the Tuesday PM 772 ER IAD-SFO earlier this week. I was something like 40/60 on the upgrade list with a totally full F cabin (no upgrades post T-24). 12 GS, approximately 9 1K (first time i'd see GS > 1K). Meanwhile, the flight was so lightly loaded overall that virtually everyone in E+ had a block of 3 seats to themselves. Group 1 was much bigger than group 2. Rough calculation then is something like 1/2 to 2/3 of plane was elite travelers of some type.
Dec 7, 2018, 5:57 pm
#79
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Reno NV/San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 1,168
It really depends on the route that you fly.
I'm just Gold and got upgraded LIH-SFO B752 Lie Flat on a Saver (XY) ticket. (My husband would've been upgraded if they still did it for the companion too...but they didn't)
I also got upgraded once from IAH-FLL on the morning flight and once from EWR-RDU on my connection to SF.
Well I guess that's not saying much for a years worth of traveling...lol
I'm just Gold and got upgraded LIH-SFO B752 Lie Flat on a Saver (XY) ticket. (My husband would've been upgraded if they still did it for the companion too...but they didn't)
I also got upgraded once from IAH-FLL on the morning flight and once from EWR-RDU on my connection to SF.
Well I guess that's not saying much for a years worth of traveling...lol
Last edited by SFnFlaGuy; Dec 14, 2018 at 3:11 pm Reason: KOA corrected to SFO
Dec 7, 2018, 6:22 pm
#80
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I can echo a lot of sentiments in this thread. I have split my travel between OW and *A in recent years, which has worked out to UA Platinum for the last five or so years. I typically fly into EWR and then on to southern Florida, and would always be upgrade on the latter leg. Not so much now. Also, now that 1Ks get to board ahead and Golds are in 1, the whole boarding situation has deteriorated. Next year, less OW.
Edit: the cruel joke is that, under pressure from Mrs LE, I just booked six J flights to our place in Florida after Christmas, taking me to something like PQM 98,700k
Edit: the cruel joke is that, under pressure from Mrs LE, I just booked six J flights to our place in Florida after Christmas, taking me to something like PQM 98,700k
Dec 7, 2018, 9:18 pm
#81
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: IAD, DEL, IXC, BWI, DCA, YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Amex Plat, UA Club Card, National EE, Global Entry, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 275
I was on the Tuesday PM 772 ER IAD-SFO earlier this week. I was something like 40/60 on the upgrade list with a totally full F cabin (no upgrades post T-24). 12 GS, approximately 9 1K (first time i'd see GS > 1K). Meanwhile, the flight was so lightly loaded overall that virtually everyone in E+ had a block of 3 seats to themselves. Group 1 was much bigger than group 2. Rough calculation then is something like 1/2 to 2/3 of plane was elite travelers of some type.
Dec 7, 2018, 9:49 pm
#82
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: Million Miler, 1K - Basically spend a lot of time on planes
Posts: 2,202
I’ll finished this year with close to 250,000 butt in seat miles for 2018, and a not a single RPU/GPU cleared never mind complimentary upgrades. With some that rolled over from last year, I will finish the year with over 30 expiring unused.
As someone who flies different destinations daily as opposed to a specific routing, I laugh at the lack of clearances. I couldn’t clear Houston to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio on multiple attempts despite using instruments. Couldn’t clear a single flight out of IAD. EWR. ORD or DEN. No transcons cleared, no mid cons cleared, and none of the above type sub 90 minutes cleared. Not a single time. As I book travel for now 12 people who are all traveling most days, I see more or less the same on their travel patterns. Certainly less than 5% upgrades across the board for the 12 of them. We are not locked into any elite heavy routes, and are not all on the same reservations etc.
So, being 1K or Continental Platinum for the last 15 years straight, I’d say there has been a rather large decline in upgrades
As someone who flies different destinations daily as opposed to a specific routing, I laugh at the lack of clearances. I couldn’t clear Houston to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio on multiple attempts despite using instruments. Couldn’t clear a single flight out of IAD. EWR. ORD or DEN. No transcons cleared, no mid cons cleared, and none of the above type sub 90 minutes cleared. Not a single time. As I book travel for now 12 people who are all traveling most days, I see more or less the same on their travel patterns. Certainly less than 5% upgrades across the board for the 12 of them. We are not locked into any elite heavy routes, and are not all on the same reservations etc.
So, being 1K or Continental Platinum for the last 15 years straight, I’d say there has been a rather large decline in upgrades
Dec 7, 2018, 11:24 pm
#83
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,700
I’ll finished this year with close to 250,000 butt in seat miles for 2018, and a not a single RPU/GPU cleared never mind complimentary upgrades. With some that rolled over from last year, I will finish the year with over 30 expiring unused.
As someone who flies different destinations daily as opposed to a specific routing, I laugh at the lack of clearances. I couldn’t clear Houston to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio on multiple attempts despite using instruments. Couldn’t clear a single flight out of IAD. EWR. ORD or DEN. No transcons cleared, no mid cons cleared, and none of the above type sub 90 minutes cleared. Not a single time. As I book travel for now 12 people who are all traveling most days, I see more or less the same on their travel patterns. Certainly less than 5% upgrades across the board for the 12 of them. We are not locked into any elite heavy routes, and are not all on the same reservations etc.
So, being 1K or Continental Platinum for the last 15 years straight, I’d say there has been a rather large decline in upgrades
As someone who flies different destinations daily as opposed to a specific routing, I laugh at the lack of clearances. I couldn’t clear Houston to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio on multiple attempts despite using instruments. Couldn’t clear a single flight out of IAD. EWR. ORD or DEN. No transcons cleared, no mid cons cleared, and none of the above type sub 90 minutes cleared. Not a single time. As I book travel for now 12 people who are all traveling most days, I see more or less the same on their travel patterns. Certainly less than 5% upgrades across the board for the 12 of them. We are not locked into any elite heavy routes, and are not all on the same reservations etc.
So, being 1K or Continental Platinum for the last 15 years straight, I’d say there has been a rather large decline in upgrades
A bit confused how you, 1K, have 0% clearance rate, but non-elites that you book for have 5%.
Dec 7, 2018, 11:51 pm
#84
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
If you think a 5% upgrade rate for non-elites on instruments is "pretty good," you must think a 4% CPU rate for a 1K would also be pretty good? A non-status passenger on an instrument is ahead of a 1K CPU, after all.
Dec 8, 2018, 9:18 am
#85
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,700
I'm quite surprised about the 0% rate of a 1K on instruments though? But I guess YMMV depending on routes / time of day.
Still, it's quite surprising to me. Not even @nomad20 is 0%
Dec 8, 2018, 10:51 am
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
I burned my RPU last year on YYZ_ORD-MCI, as there was R when I booked... I can't believe the # of flights, off peak, where as a Plat I'm sitting >6 places on the list, even on 20F short flights (e.g. YYZ-ORD).
I don't even bother for the upgrades, it doesn't happen anymore. Its more useful for the award changes these days but methinks it isn't really worth it at all anymore.
I don't even bother for the upgrades, it doesn't happen anymore. Its more useful for the award changes these days but methinks it isn't really worth it at all anymore.
Dec 9, 2018, 12:40 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,721
As 1K I was recently able to use my GPU on SFO->DCA, but did not clear until just before boarding. I was 1st on list which I attribute to GPU as usually I am about 10-20 deep.
Flying the return DCA-SFO I was 3rd on the gate list and did not clear with GPU. So if you are <1K I would say your chances are poor.
Flying the return DCA-SFO I was 3rd on the gate list and did not clear with GPU. So if you are <1K I would say your chances are poor.
Dec 9, 2018, 1:53 am
#90
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: LAX, BOS, and Seat 1A
Programs: DL Plat, VS Gold, UA Plat, VX Gold (RIP), AS MVP 75K, Starriot Plat, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 387
Let’s not forget that UA’s broken SDC tool this year slowed people in Paid F on routes like LAX-SFO to SDC to (and waste space on) virtually any other hub routes, like LAX-IAH-DEN-LAX-EWR-IAD-SFO like I did once.
Not only does this waste front cabin space but probably also bloated the ranks of elites.
Not only does this waste front cabin space but probably also bloated the ranks of elites.