How to improve upgrade rates on United - buy higher rate class?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: SPG Platinum, United 100k, HGVC, Hyatt VC
Posts: 21
How to improve upgrade rates on United - buy higher rate class?
embarrassed to say I still don’t understand upgrade strategies - I must be doing something wrong. I buy cheapest economy fare and hope for an upgrade. I usually end up first on the upgrade list - checked in full.
I am 1K with almost 2 million miles. In 2018 I had 115 PQS and 165k PQMs. I fly out of San Francisco.
would it help to buy one or two rate classes above cheapest? Any other strategies you recommend?
thanks!
steve
I am 1K with almost 2 million miles. In 2018 I had 115 PQS and 165k PQMs. I fly out of San Francisco.
would it help to buy one or two rate classes above cheapest? Any other strategies you recommend?
thanks!
steve
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,023
You're flying out of one of UA's busiest hubs with a lot of GS customers and 1Ks flying on last-minute fares. UA is right-sizing F cabins to paying customers, offering decent P fares, and monetizing remaining seats with buy-up offers. Upgrades aren't easily available anymore. 1K out of SFO? - you ought to be buying F fares (or YBM-up) or buying-up. I find the claim that you usually end up "first on the waitlist" statistically shaky.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 9, 2019 at 4:13 pm Reason: unremoved snark
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
Not in an expected value sense. If you are willing to invest additional funds in your travel experience, the money would be better spent purchasing selected trips in First outright. If you fly from a United hub on peak days and routes, you will not get CPUs pretty much regardless of what you do.
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
Not in an expected value sense. If you are willing to invest additional funds in your travel experience, the money would be better spent purchasing selected trips in First outright. If you fly from a United hub on peak days and routes, you will not get CPUs pretty much regardless of what you do.
#7
Join Date: May 2003
Location: RDU, NC, USA
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton something
Posts: 841
I think this might be a LITTLE oversimplified, although certainly the only way to reliably fly up front. If you fly out of a non-hub (or even a less vital hub) you'll have better chances, and certainly flying at off-peak times on off-peak days you also get much better success with upgrades. But the reality is that for many (possibly 'almost all') 1K-type frequent flyers, our schedules don't align well with taking flights at noon on Tuesdays.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
And peak times are only getting busier. I counted inventory on my upcoming SFO-DCA, and nobody in the front cabin is on lower than a C fare. 15/16 so far, and maybe 11-12 C fares and the rest in full J. (nb. I guess it's possible they offered better married inventory for inbound long-haul connections, but those are already more revenue than a domestic C fare anyway.)
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
A 1K out of SFO on cheap fares is chicken feed. Resign yourself to the back of the bus. Lots of GS sit in the back out of SFO and probably on higher fares (else they probably wouldn't be GS).
#10
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: United Platinum
Posts: 43
I have seen this statement a lot here--if you fly out of a non-hub you have better chances of an upgrade. But due to UA's hub-spoke model, you're always either flying to a hub or from a hub, so this non-hub idea is non-existent, except perhaps for a few leftover flights from previous era hubs like CLE or maybe some of the Pacific flights that don't connect to domestic hubs. Obviously hub-hub flights are the worst from an upgrade perspective. But the "less-vital" hub is an interesting idea . . . which are the hubs with less elites and higher upgrade chances? Seems like SFO, ORD and IAH would be the first tier UA hubs so the worst for upgrades. So maybe IAD and LAX are better? I have had good success out of IAD with Gold and Platinum, or at least better than some people complain about here, with maybe 25-50% of my CPU opportunities being successful.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
I have seen this statement a lot here--if you fly out of a non-hub you have better chances of an upgrade. But due to UA's hub-spoke model, you're always either flying to a hub or from a hub, so this non-hub idea is non-existent, except perhaps for a few leftover flights from previous era hubs like CLE or maybe some of the Pacific flights that don't connect to domestic hubs
Two reasons: 1 - non-hub residents are much less likely to be flying hub-hub than hub residents, and hub-hub are the most difficult upgrades. 2 - non-hub residents are often traveling the exact opposite schedule of hub residents, so they're taking flights that are relatively less loaded.
#12
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,134
I have seen this statement a lot here--if you fly out of a non-hub you have better chances of an upgrade. But due to UA's hub-spoke model, you're always either flying to a hub or from a hub, so this non-hub idea is non-existent, except perhaps for a few leftover flights from previous era hubs like CLE or maybe some of the Pacific flights that don't connect to domestic hubs. Obviously hub-hub flights are the worst from an upgrade perspective. But the "less-vital" hub is an interesting idea . . . which are the hubs with less elites and higher upgrade chances? Seems like SFO, ORD and IAH would be the first tier UA hubs so the worst for upgrades. So maybe IAD and LAX are better? I have had good success out of IAD with Gold and Platinum, or at least better than some people complain about here, with maybe 25-50% of my CPU opportunities being successful.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
I think this might be a LITTLE oversimplified, although certainly the only way to reliably fly up front. If you fly out of a non-hub (or even a less vital hub) you'll have better chances, and certainly flying at off-peak times on off-peak days you also get much better success with upgrades. But the reality is that for many (possibly 'almost all') 1K-type frequent flyers, our schedules don't align well with taking flights at noon on Tuesdays.
I think I have heard that one before ....
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
For all of the reasons given, the simple fact is that SFO (and surrounding) are packed with people who fly paid F either because they personally fund it or because it is part of their deal or contract. Just look to the premium TCON services offered by AA & DL as well and you can see that even plain old domestic F does not cut it.
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
No, it's definitely extant.
Two reasons: 1 - non-hub residents are much less likely to be flying hub-hub than hub residents, and hub-hub are the most difficult upgrades. 2 - non-hub residents are often traveling the exact opposite schedule of hub residents, so they're taking flights that are relatively less loaded.
Two reasons: 1 - non-hub residents are much less likely to be flying hub-hub than hub residents, and hub-hub are the most difficult upgrades. 2 - non-hub residents are often traveling the exact opposite schedule of hub residents, so they're taking flights that are relatively less loaded.
And they sold the last seat for full fare. Economy is also just strong - not looking forward to the new Amazon HQ.