Mar 29, 2019, 3:12 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
GPU Upgrades for aircraft with United® Premium Plus:
- MileagePlus members seated in United Economy can use a single Global Premier Upgrade request to move to a United® Premium Plus seat or upgrade to the United Polaris® business class cabin.
- If you’d like to be considered for a move to a United® Premium Plus seat or an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin, we’ll move you to the first available seat. If the first available seat is a United® Premium Plus seat, we’ll continue to look for space in the United Polaris business class cabin without requiring an additional Global Premier Upgrade.
- Members who have purchased United® Premium Plus upgrade-eligible fares will also be able to request an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin using one Global Premier Upgrade.
- United Polaris business class upgrade requests for members who have purchased United® Premium Plus seats will be processed in priority order first, followed by upgrade requests for members who have purchased United Economy seats. Learn more about upgrade priority order.
- There will be no fare class restriction, other than for Basic Economy and Economy (first bag charge/no changes allowed) tickets, for members who have purchased a United Economy seat and request to move to a United® Premium Plus seat, and no fare class restriction for members who have purchased a United® Premium Plus seat and request an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin.
- Members requesting to move to a United® Premium Plus seat only and who have domestic portions of their itinerary will not be automatically waitlisted for United First. To be waitlisted for United First on domestic portions of an international itinerary, use your Global Premier Upgrade to request an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin.
Mileage Upgrades For aircraft with United® Premium Plus:
- System-wide, all MileagePlus members seated in United Economy can use a single MileagePlus Upgrade Award request to move to a United® Premium Plus seat or upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin.
- If you'd like to be considered for a move to a United® Premium Plus seat or for an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin, we’ll move you to the first available seat. If the first available seat is a United® Premium Plus seat, we’ll continue to look for space in the United Polaris business class cabin.
- If you requested an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin, and we moved you to a United® Premium Plus seat, we’ll refund the difference in co-pay and miles after departure.
- Members requesting a MileagePlus Upgrade Award to a United® Premium Plus seat only will not be waitlisted for United First on portions of their itinerary that do not contain United® Premium Plus.
- Members who have purchased United® Premium Plus upgrade-eligible fares will also be able to request an upgrade to the United Polaris business class cabin using a MileagePlus Upgrade Award.
- United Polaris business class cabin upgrade requests for members who have purchased United® Premium Plus seats will be processed in priority order first, followed by upgrade requests for members who have purchased United Economy seats. Learn more about upgrade priority order.
How does PlusPoints / Mileage Upgrade waitlist for business work with PremiumPlus?
Aug 6, 2019, 12:30 pm
#196
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: KEWR
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat, National Exec, GE/Nexus
Posts: 501
Question on GPU usage ... example EWR-CDG, if the ticket fare is class K, I can still apply a GPU to try and move from economy to Premium Plus? And it needs R space for successful upgrade? A recent TPG article seems to suggest K fare is upgradeable.
It also appears I can take that class K and buy up to Premium Plus, which makes it R, then I can apply a GPU for waitlist to business - something I can't do with K economy. Do I make sense?
It also appears I can take that class K and buy up to Premium Plus, which makes it R, then I can apply a GPU for waitlist to business - something I can't do with K economy. Do I make sense?
Aug 6, 2019, 12:43 pm
#197
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,379
Yes, if you use cash to change your booking code to R you should be able to use a GPU to waitlist for Polaris.
Aug 6, 2019, 1:13 pm
#199
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
I think that you misunderstood what the Op wanted to do as the OP stated: "....buy up to Premium Plus". This suggests that it's a cash transaction.
Aug 6, 2019, 1:27 pm
#201
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: KEWR
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat, National Exec, GE/Nexus
Posts: 501
Yes I realize that once I go from economy K to Premium Plus RN (thanks for that info) - it won't go any further. Looks like successful cash purchase from economy K to Premium Plus R will then allow GPU usage ... thanks!
Aug 6, 2019, 1:41 pm
#202
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 488
If RN is available, why not upfare to W And apply the GPU? Will confirm you in PE and waitlist for Polaris.
Aug 6, 2019, 6:44 pm
#203
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,930
if the fare difference between R and W is not big, just buy up to R and increase the Polaris chance. If PP is good enough with OP, stay with K and upgrade to PP with a GPU.
Aug 7, 2019, 5:18 am
#204
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA Gold/1MM, AS MVP 100K, AA Gold
Posts: 1,424
I originally had a RT ticket from IAH-SFO-HKG where my changes for PZ upgrade were dwindling by the day. Luckily, coworkers from another country did not want to meet in HKG due to “unsafe conditions due to riots” (which I thought was completely overblown but whatever). We switched to TPE and surprisingly, I was able to book the RT in W outbound and R return (all for $1500 a week before trip) and I was able to confirm PZ on all but SFO-IAH segment immediately. I guess this was a blessing in disguise.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:02 pm
#205
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
I have been reluctant to waitlist to PP using a GPU with the secondary waitlist to Polaris mainly because I was not convinced the United IT system would cope with the "double" upgrade.
My first attempt at using a GPU from economy to Polaris, albeit there was PP on the flights, I ended up upfaring to PP and then there was an automatic upgrade to Polaris at the time of the upfare (albeit PZ was displaying as 0 - surprised the CS agent and me).
My first attempt at using a GPU from PP to Polaris was a no go. SFO-FRA which I understand is a hard route to get PZ and PP was a comfortable ride.
However, I have booked a PQD run to HKG and the coach fare is ridiculously cheap (I suspect due to the current political environment) but covered the missing PQD to make 1K for 2020. PP was quite a hefty price tag (unlike other instances where W is often more than R). So I have done the double GPU waitlist as PP for 15 hours is much better than 10 across in coach, and same for the return.
I am looking for reports that people have been successful with the double upgrade using their GPUs.
My first attempt at using a GPU from economy to Polaris, albeit there was PP on the flights, I ended up upfaring to PP and then there was an automatic upgrade to Polaris at the time of the upfare (albeit PZ was displaying as 0 - surprised the CS agent and me).
My first attempt at using a GPU from PP to Polaris was a no go. SFO-FRA which I understand is a hard route to get PZ and PP was a comfortable ride.
However, I have booked a PQD run to HKG and the coach fare is ridiculously cheap (I suspect due to the current political environment) but covered the missing PQD to make 1K for 2020. PP was quite a hefty price tag (unlike other instances where W is often more than R). So I have done the double GPU waitlist as PP for 15 hours is much better than 10 across in coach, and same for the return.
I am looking for reports that people have been successful with the double upgrade using their GPUs.
A thread on successful double upgrades using GPUs would be good.
I still would not have booked the K fare in this instance as I need the PQD but going forward it will be good to know little opportunity for the double upgrade. K fares with GPU will likely be my choice.
At least on the reservation it is showing blank seats twice (presumably for PP and Polaris) vs the usual one set of blank seats for a waitlisted upgrade to Polaris.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:34 pm
#206
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,380
So no one on FT has been successful for the double upgrade?
A thread on successful double upgrades using GPUs would be good.
I still would not have booked the K fare in this instance as I need the PQD but going forward it will be good to know little opportunity for the double upgrade. K fares with GPU will likely be my choice.
At least on the reservation it is showing blank seats twice (presumably for PP and Polaris) vs the usual one set of blank seats for a waitlisted upgrade to Polaris.
A thread on successful double upgrades using GPUs would be good.
I still would not have booked the K fare in this instance as I need the PQD but going forward it will be good to know little opportunity for the double upgrade. K fares with GPU will likely be my choice.
At least on the reservation it is showing blank seats twice (presumably for PP and Polaris) vs the usual one set of blank seats for a waitlisted upgrade to Polaris.
However, I have seen such double upgrades happen with a co-worker, and anecdotally seen them happen on the app in the battlefield, although that is less often since usually only two seats are available to be upgraded on the app by T-60 on the routes I fly..
In this case, I am confident that the IT works. In practice, unless you are clearing way before the battlefield, those UG are going to those in the P+ cabin who purchased P+, not those that upgraded from Y.
Aug 7, 2019, 6:40 pm
#208
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,951
Aug 23, 2019, 12:35 pm
#209
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: US
Programs: United
Posts: 52
Upgrade from UA Economy Premium Plus to Polaris
What can I (silver tier) do to get upgraded from a paid fare R on an international 777-300ER Economy Premium Plus to the Polaris?
I do not see an option to even request a complementary upgrade, and the only two options that are available to me are with cash or miles+cash, both are no bargain to say the least.
I do not see an option to even request a complementary upgrade, and the only two options that are available to me are with cash or miles+cash, both are no bargain to say the least.
Aug 23, 2019, 12:44 pm
#210
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,937
What can I (silver tier) do to get upgraded from a paid fare R on an international 777-300ER Economy Premium Plus to the Polaris?
I do not see an option to even request a complementary upgrade, and the only two options that are available to me are with cash or miles+cash, both are no bargain to say the least.
I do not see an option to even request a complementary upgrade, and the only two options that are available to me are with cash or miles+cash, both are no bargain to say the least.
