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?
Nov 4, 2019, 6:34 am
#241
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 129
I've used (or attempted to use) a number of GPU Upgrades in the past couple of months. They have all been from paid Premium Plus to Polaris on TATL routes (DUB - EWR, EWR - DUB, SFO - FRA).
What I've noticed is that if the upgrade has not cleared by check-in then once I've checked in I appear in the App as having cleared for Premium Plus (shows my seat assignment in the Upgraded tab) and am waitlisted for Polaris upgrade.
This seems strange to me as my ticketed cabin is Premium Plus so why does it appear like I've upgraded into Premium Plus. Contacted the customer service desk but the person I spoke with could not explain why this was the case. I'm not sure if it is some anomaly that only i am experiencing but would guess not.
What I've noticed is that if the upgrade has not cleared by check-in then once I've checked in I appear in the App as having cleared for Premium Plus (shows my seat assignment in the Upgraded tab) and am waitlisted for Polaris upgrade.
This seems strange to me as my ticketed cabin is Premium Plus so why does it appear like I've upgraded into Premium Plus. Contacted the customer service desk but the person I spoke with could not explain why this was the case. I'm not sure if it is some anomaly that only i am experiencing but would guess not.
I have cleared, and not cleared, to Polaris, within 24 hours once I am showing as "upgraded" on the PP list despite being originally ticketed there.
Your upgrades aren't clearing because others have higher priority and United is selling upgrades out from under you for cash.
Nov 5, 2019, 7:46 pm
#243
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,933
I called today to apply GPUs for two family members.
The tl;dr is that two agents insisted that it would require two GPUs to go from Y to PE to J, despite what the web site says.
The first agent was very nice but also extremely inexperienced -- kept referring to Polaris as "first" (I clarified Polaris and said "business") and asked if I wanted to put them in Premium Plus ("that's sort of like business"
) which I had forgotten was possible. But then when I said I remembered now you could use a single GPU to go from Y -> PE -> J they said they wanted to check with a supervisor to be sure about the process and admitted they were doing on-the-job training was already planning to HUCA by this point but curious what the answer would be. The inexperienced agent came back to say that it would require one GPU per segment. I asked to clarify whether they meant one per *cabin* and they admitted they weren't sure. They were willing to go back and ask again but I gracefully exited at this point 
The second agent was extremely competent and had both upgrades (separate PNRs) waitlisted promptly but also said it would require one GPU per class upgrade. The J cabin looks pretty empty one week out so I just waitlisted them for Polaris (the back of Y has enough room to spread out too...)
The tl;dr is that two agents insisted that it would require two GPUs to go from Y to PE to J, despite what the web site says.
The first agent was very nice but also extremely inexperienced -- kept referring to Polaris as "first" (I clarified Polaris and said "business") and asked if I wanted to put them in Premium Plus ("that's sort of like business"
) which I had forgotten was possible. But then when I said I remembered now you could use a single GPU to go from Y -> PE -> J they said they wanted to check with a supervisor to be sure about the process and admitted they were doing on-the-job training was already planning to HUCA by this point but curious what the answer would be. The inexperienced agent came back to say that it would require one GPU per segment. I asked to clarify whether they meant one per *cabin* and they admitted they weren't sure. They were willing to go back and ask again but I gracefully exited at this point The second agent was extremely competent and had both upgrades (separate PNRs) waitlisted promptly but also said it would require one GPU per class upgrade. The J cabin looks pretty empty one week out so I just waitlisted them for Polaris (the back of Y has enough room to spread out too...)
Nov 5, 2019, 8:21 pm
#244
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,464
I called today to apply GPUs for two family members.
The tl;dr is that two agents insisted that it would require two GPUs to go from Y to PE to J, despite what the web site says.
The first agent was very nice but also extremely inexperienced -- kept referring to Polaris as "first" (I clarified Polaris and said "business") and asked if I wanted to put them in Premium Plus ("that's sort of like business") which I had forgotten was possible. But then when I said I remembered now you could use a single GPU to go from Y -> PE -> J they said they wanted to check with a supervisor to be sure about the process and admitted they were doing on-the-job training was already planning to HUCA by this point but curious what the answer would be. The inexperienced agent came back to say that it would require one GPU per segment. I asked to clarify whether they meant one per *cabin* and they admitted they weren't sure. They were willing to go back and ask again but I gracefully exited at this point
The second agent was extremely competent and had both upgrades (separate PNRs) waitlisted promptly but also said it would require one GPU per class upgrade. The J cabin looks pretty empty one week out so I just waitlisted them for Polaris (the back of Y has enough room to spread out too...)
The tl;dr is that two agents insisted that it would require two GPUs to go from Y to PE to J, despite what the web site says.
The first agent was very nice but also extremely inexperienced -- kept referring to Polaris as "first" (I clarified Polaris and said "business") and asked if I wanted to put them in Premium Plus ("that's sort of like business"
) which I had forgotten was possible. But then when I said I remembered now you could use a single GPU to go from Y -> PE -> J they said they wanted to check with a supervisor to be sure about the process and admitted they were doing on-the-job training was already planning to HUCA by this point but curious what the answer would be. The inexperienced agent came back to say that it would require one GPU per segment. I asked to clarify whether they meant one per *cabin* and they admitted they weren't sure. They were willing to go back and ask again but I gracefully exited at this point The second agent was extremely competent and had both upgrades (separate PNRs) waitlisted promptly but also said it would require one GPU per class upgrade. The J cabin looks pretty empty one week out so I just waitlisted them for Polaris (the back of Y has enough room to spread out too...)
indeed! Did that agent answer the call as '1K desk'? 
(maybe more germaine to the other 1k 1call experiences thread): I have had to call several times in the past couple of weeks, and they are consistently introducing themselves the 1K desk, and then proceeding to show that they are not that. Sometimes I hear the rest of the call centre nearly as clearly as my own agent. I can't figure out what is a good time to call any more.
Anyway, overall, strange experience. Seems like they want to consume one certificate per waitlist (i.e. one for RN, one for PZ)??
Nov 5, 2019, 8:37 pm
#245
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,933
Yes indeed. I'll give them credit for not wanting to get things wrong and calling for backup, but wow. Dunno if it was the agent, or if newbies are routinely thrown to the wolves with
inadequate training or what.
(catching up to your edit)
Yes, to be clear, I intended to use 2 GPUs to waitlist 2 pax for a single direction of travel. Both agents were saying that if I used one GPU per passenger to move them into PP, that it would then take a second GPU per passenger (4 total) to subsequently go to Polaris.
inadequate training or what.
(catching up to your edit)
Yes, to be clear, I intended to use 2 GPUs to waitlist 2 pax for a single direction of travel. Both agents were saying that if I used one GPU per passenger to move them into PP, that it would then take a second GPU per passenger (4 total) to subsequently go to Polaris.
Nov 6, 2019, 8:07 am
#247
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,933
I couldn't figure it out. I tried before the first call and "Upgrade Cabin" kept taking me to the old-style manage reservation page. When I called in the agent noted that their birthdays were missing* from the record (purchased through a travel agent). He added one of them in before I did the HUCA.
Before calling the 2nd time I wondered if that had been inhibiting the online upgrade so I tried again but still no dice.
This has also happened to me when I ran into a friend at ORD, saw PZ on his onward flight (YVR) and tried to RPU him.
OTOH I was able to waitlist someone else for a US domestic flight online with no problem. :shrug:
*they also have no MP numbers entered on this TPAC and I know they travel internationally at least once a year, usually on UA
#kettlelife
Before calling the 2nd time I wondered if that had been inhibiting the online upgrade so I tried again but still no dice.
This has also happened to me when I ran into a friend at ORD, saw PZ on his onward flight (YVR) and tried to RPU him.
OTOH I was able to waitlist someone else for a US domestic flight online with no problem. :shrug:
*they also have no MP numbers entered on this TPAC and I know they travel internationally at least once a year, usually on UA
#kettlelife
Nov 6, 2019, 7:15 pm
#248
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 695
I couldn't figure it out. I tried before the first call and "Upgrade Cabin" kept taking me to the old-style manage reservation page. When I called in the agent noted that their birthdays were missing* from the record (purchased through a travel agent). He added one of them in before I did the HUCA.
Before calling the 2nd time I wondered if that had been inhibiting the online upgrade so I tried again but still no dice.
This has also happened to me when I ran into a friend at ORD, saw PZ on his onward flight (YVR) and tried to RPU him.
OTOH I was able to waitlist someone else for a US domestic flight online with no problem. :shrug:
*they also have no MP numbers entered on this TPAC and I know they travel internationally at least once a year, usually on UA #kettlelife
Before calling the 2nd time I wondered if that had been inhibiting the online upgrade so I tried again but still no dice.
This has also happened to me when I ran into a friend at ORD, saw PZ on his onward flight (YVR) and tried to RPU him.
OTOH I was able to waitlist someone else for a US domestic flight online with no problem. :shrug:
*they also have no MP numbers entered on this TPAC and I know they travel internationally at least once a year, usually on UA
#kettlelife
Nov 6, 2019, 8:38 pm
#249
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: 1MM, UA 1k
Posts: 529
I am having the same mind-numbing issue trying to apply a GPU out of PP into Polaris. I HUCA'd twice and got all sort of non-answers that could all be summed up as "this is business as usual". Another nice treat was dialing the 1k line and ending up in different call centers (Milegae Plus, 1k) different times. Trying really hard to keep any business w/ UA, but flying LH, CX, B6 alongside these UA experiences is making it really hard to do.
Nov 6, 2019, 8:59 pm
#250
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,138
I was just told by a 1K agent that I cannot book a domestic segment in B with an international connection into R (which I have done several times this year!). LH strike tomorrow has screwed up my itin, and the website won't let me rebook (it just keeps checking me in, and if I choose "Change Flight," it brings me back to checkin and offers no alternatives). I gave the specific flights, and they said the computer shows them fully booked. The domestic flight is B9 right now, and the international one is R2. 
I asked if my waitlisted upgrade to Polaris was messing with it, and the guy said no.
God, UA, you are making it hard to fly with you. "Well, we have a flight in economy available if you take the nonstop..." LOL, an international E- seat (the flight is almost full) when I paid for PP and should have upgraded to J by now?
Time to HUACA.
I asked if my waitlisted upgrade to Polaris was messing with it, and the guy said no.
God, UA, you are making it hard to fly with you. "Well, we have a flight in economy available if you take the nonstop..." LOL, an international E- seat (the flight is almost full) when I paid for PP and should have upgraded to J by now?
Time to HUACA.
Nov 6, 2019, 11:54 pm
#251
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
If it's IRROPS, the actual fare classes shouldn't matter; they should be able to rebook you into positive space, even if that's O and Y.
Nov 8, 2019, 10:31 pm
#252
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: UA 1K (effective 11/18/16), Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 42
3-cabin 787 (Polaris, Prem+. Econ on LAX-EWR
HI - I'm sure this has been discussed, but I just had my first totally irritating experience failing to upgrade as a 1K on a flight tomorrow. Naively I assumed that once I applied a regional upgrade certificate to my E+ booking, I presumed I would be on the list for both Prem+ and Polaris. I noticed at check in that I was only on the Polaris list (and wasn't going to get it).
So I called and thought, "Hey, I'll just get on the Prem+ list - plenty of seats." So I askedd for confirmation only to learn that you need to list for both. If you list for Polaris, you don't go on the other list, and you can't do it on the website -- you have to call the 1K desk to get on both lists. And since it was within 24 hours, "There's nothing we can do."
I'll never cease to be amazed at the ability of this company to *always* choose the non-customer-friendly option. Any reasonable person would assume he was submitting for an upgrade for everything above the ticket purchased.
So I'll sit 5 hours in the back when I easily could have made it into Prem+ if I had only known.
So I called and thought, "Hey, I'll just get on the Prem+ list - plenty of seats." So I askedd for confirmation only to learn that you need to list for both. If you list for Polaris, you don't go on the other list, and you can't do it on the website -- you have to call the 1K desk to get on both lists. And since it was within 24 hours, "There's nothing we can do."
I'll never cease to be amazed at the ability of this company to *always* choose the non-customer-friendly option. Any reasonable person would assume he was submitting for an upgrade for everything above the ticket purchased.
So I'll sit 5 hours in the back when I easily could have made it into Prem+ if I had only known.
Nov 9, 2019, 11:38 am
#253
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
I disagree. I consider myself a reasonable person, and while I might waitlist an RPU for P+, I'd certainly never waitlist a GPU for P+. I would be furious if I had to accept "any better class of service" when I submitted an upgrade request, potentially wasting an instrument on a fairly minor upgrade.
Nov 9, 2019, 12:57 pm
#254
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,466
I disagree. I consider myself a reasonable person, and while I might waitlist an RPU for P+, I'd certainly never waitlist a GPU for P+. I would be furious if I had to accept "any better class of service" when I submitted an upgrade request, potentially wasting an instrument on a fairly minor upgrade.
Nov 9, 2019, 3:06 pm
#255
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
I've used (or attempted to use) a number of GPU Upgrades in the past couple of months. They have all been from paid Premium Plus to Polaris on TATL routes (DUB - EWR, EWR - DUB, SFO - FRA).
What I've noticed is that if the upgrade has not cleared by check-in then once I've checked in I appear in the App as having cleared for Premium Plus (shows my seat assignment in the Upgraded tab) and am waitlisted for Polaris upgrade.
This seems strange to me as my ticketed cabin is Premium Plus so why does it appear like I've upgraded into Premium Plus. Contacted the customer service desk but the person I spoke with could not explain why this was the case. I'm not sure if it is some anomaly that only i am experiencing but would guess not.
One of the reasons I'm asking is whether I am possibly missing out on Polaris upgrades as a result of this. On most recent EWR - DUB flight (UA 23) on Nov 1st, there were 36 of 44 Polaris seats showing as booked 72 hours in advance of the departure. By check-in, 24 hours in advance, that number had increased to 38, so still 6 seats open. However during the next 18 hours booked seats increased to the full 44, so my upgrade did not clear. None of the seats showed as upgrades. Not sure if they were award bookings or GS re-routes.
I also notice that when my upgrade clears more than 24 hours in advance of check-in it never shows me in the App as having been upgraded.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has seen anything similar and could shed any light on what's happening.
What I've noticed is that if the upgrade has not cleared by check-in then once I've checked in I appear in the App as having cleared for Premium Plus (shows my seat assignment in the Upgraded tab) and am waitlisted for Polaris upgrade.
This seems strange to me as my ticketed cabin is Premium Plus so why does it appear like I've upgraded into Premium Plus. Contacted the customer service desk but the person I spoke with could not explain why this was the case. I'm not sure if it is some anomaly that only i am experiencing but would guess not.
One of the reasons I'm asking is whether I am possibly missing out on Polaris upgrades as a result of this. On most recent EWR - DUB flight (UA 23) on Nov 1st, there were 36 of 44 Polaris seats showing as booked 72 hours in advance of the departure. By check-in, 24 hours in advance, that number had increased to 38, so still 6 seats open. However during the next 18 hours booked seats increased to the full 44, so my upgrade did not clear. None of the seats showed as upgrades. Not sure if they were award bookings or GS re-routes.
I also notice that when my upgrade clears more than 24 hours in advance of check-in it never shows me in the App as having been upgraded.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has seen anything similar and could shed any light on what's happening.
I asked about this same thing.....
What I was told was the computer system can't handle a PP->J upgrade. So, they make it think you get a Y->PP upgrade because it can handle a Y->PP->J upgrade, so anyone on the upgrade list that is listed as having a PP upgradehas either bought a seat in PP and upgraded or got half their upgrade.
This was confirmed (best I can do) by the fact I was #1 on the list and was in R class. I was listed as a PP upgrade, and #3 and #4 on the list were GS with no PP upgrade listed and they were in economy and I was ahead of them.
Hopefully on 5 Dec, this will all go away and we can try and sort out a whole different mess
