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?
May 30, 2019, 2:56 pm
#121
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,958
UA 867 (May 31) upgrade lists
I am puzzled by the PP and Polaris upgrade standby lists for UA867 of May 31.
PP list: PIE, C cleared to 20 A and #1 is TRA, K.
These same two persons lead the Polaris list.
I can assume that both purchased W fares and applied GPUs for two-step upgrades. If someone purchased PP fare and applied a GPU for Polaris upgrade, this person should be ahead of PIE and TRA. It appeared that there is no such person in the nearly full PP cabin.
PP list: PIE, C cleared to 20 A and #1 is TRA, K.
These same two persons lead the Polaris list.
I can assume that both purchased W fares and applied GPUs for two-step upgrades. If someone purchased PP fare and applied a GPU for Polaris upgrade, this person should be ahead of PIE and TRA. It appeared that there is no such person in the nearly full PP cabin.
May 30, 2019, 3:02 pm
#122
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: UA1K | *A Gold
Posts: 767
I am puzzled by the PP and Polaris upgrade standby lists for UA867 of May 31.
PP list: PIE, C cleared to 20 A and #1 is TRA, K.
These same two persons lead the Polaris list.
I can assume that both purchased W fares and applied GPUs for two-step upgrades. If someone purchased PP fare and applied a GPU for Polaris upgrade, this person should be ahead of PIE and TRA. It appeared that there is no such person in the nearly full PP cabin.
PP list: PIE, C cleared to 20 A and #1 is TRA, K.
These same two persons lead the Polaris list.
I can assume that both purchased W fares and applied GPUs for two-step upgrades. If someone purchased PP fare and applied a GPU for Polaris upgrade, this person should be ahead of PIE and TRA. It appeared that there is no such person in the nearly full PP cabin.
May 30, 2019, 3:09 pm
#123
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
It's likely that the two people at the top of the list are on P+ R fares with instruments applied. Those people have erroneously been showing as "cleared" from day 1, as UA has yet to go back into their upgrade display system and mark "R" as a regular inventory class instead of an upgrade class.
May 30, 2019, 11:05 pm
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Again, it's far more likely that nobody has been upgraded to P+; those are simply four passengers who purchased R fares and applied upgrade instruments.
May 30, 2019, 11:16 pm
#126
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,916
got it. Didn’t know that was what was happening because those seats that they were upgraded to in PP were not available when I bought my R class.
May 30, 2019, 11:18 pm
#127
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
It's likely that the two people at the top of the list are on P+ R fares with instruments applied. Those people have erroneously been showing as "cleared" from day 1, as UA has yet to go back into their upgrade display system and mark "R" as a regular inventory class instead of an upgrade class.
Jun 1, 2019, 11:40 pm
#128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
Jun 10, 2019, 12:39 pm
#129
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 118
Hi, I'm still a little confused on how this works for a GS on purchasing a international saver award (30k miles) flight into economy, and using a GPU to upgrade. PP upgrade can be confirmed now, but Polaris is waitlist. If I am willing to burn a GPU for PP, can I confirm that now and remain on the waitlist for polaris? GS agent says no...but should I HUCA?
Jun 10, 2019, 4:02 pm
#130
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,381
Hi, I'm still a little confused on how this works for a GS on purchasing a international saver award (30k miles) flight into economy, and using a GPU to upgrade. PP upgrade can be confirmed now, but Polaris is waitlist. If I am willing to burn a GPU for PP, can I confirm that now and remain on the waitlist for polaris? GS agent says no...but should I HUCA?
You can do this online and it will ask what you want to do.
Jun 10, 2019, 4:40 pm
#131
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
Jun 12, 2019, 11:14 pm
#132
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NZ
Programs: UA1k 2.5mm NZ Elite IHG
Posts: 12
GPU Value
I am currently making a booking AKL--SFO--LHR W class fare with a GPU. I asked to waitlist for PE.I am told that if my upgrade to PE is successful I will no longer be on the Polaris waitlist..I will then need another GPU to go back on the Polaris waitlist..So in effect the value of a GPU has now halved. Is this correct?
Jun 12, 2019, 11:26 pm
#133
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,161
No. If your upgrade to PE clears, you'll remain on the Polaris upgrade list using the same GPU.
The AKL-SFO part of that has been a trivial upgrade in recent weeks - I've flown it 3 times in the past month and every time there's been 15+ seats in business went to non-upgrade standby passengers (ie, NRSA's), and on one flight PE went out with 2 people in it (and on the other, at most about half full).
The AKL-SFO part of that has been a trivial upgrade in recent weeks - I've flown it 3 times in the past month and every time there's been 15+ seats in business went to non-upgrade standby passengers (ie, NRSA's), and on one flight PE went out with 2 people in it (and on the other, at most about half full).
Jun 13, 2019, 7:44 am
#134
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,422
The AKL-SFO part of that has been a trivial upgrade in recent weeks - I've flown it 3 times in the past month and every time there's been 15+ seats in business went to non-upgrade standby passengers (ie, NRSA's), and on one flight PE went out with 2 people in it (and on the other, at most about half full).
Jun 13, 2019, 8:00 am
#135
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: UA 1K, Marriot Platinum, LH FTl, Hertz PC
Posts: 28
No. If your upgrade to PE clears, you'll remain on the Polaris upgrade list using the same GPU.
The AKL-SFO part of that has been a trivial upgrade in recent weeks - I've flown it 3 times in the past month and every time there's been 15+ seats in business went to non-upgrade standby passengers (ie, NRSA's), and on one flight PE went out with 2 people in it (and on the other, at most about half full).
The AKL-SFO part of that has been a trivial upgrade in recent weeks - I've flown it 3 times in the past month and every time there's been 15+ seats in business went to non-upgrade standby passengers (ie, NRSA's), and on one flight PE went out with 2 people in it (and on the other, at most about half full).