Upgrade still waitlisted even though R (now PZ) class is available {Archive}
Aug 19, 2015, 10:21 am
#901
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
So, I got a different experience today.
I see that "R" space has opened up on my flight
phoned-in to get an agent to request it manually pushed through..
her: sorry sir, the computer has to do it.
me: well then, can you please cancel the upgrade?
her: haaaaing & humming, okay done.
her: it's not automatically re-depositing, I sent it in to get worked on manually
she didn't even try, and she probably did it to me on purpose.
because she knows what i'm trying to do.
I leave in 3 days, and I don't have time to wait for my GPU to be re-deposited.
HUACA
I phoned the mileage plus department and she redeposited it manually while I was still speaking to her. done in 10 seconds.
went online, reapplied the upgrade and got confirmed immediately.
I see that "R" space has opened up on my flight
phoned-in to get an agent to request it manually pushed through..
her: sorry sir, the computer has to do it.
me: well then, can you please cancel the upgrade?
her: haaaaing & humming, okay done.
her: it's not automatically re-depositing, I sent it in to get worked on manually
she didn't even try, and she probably did it to me on purpose.
because she knows what i'm trying to do.
I leave in 3 days, and I don't have time to wait for my GPU to be re-deposited.
HUACA
I phoned the mileage plus department and she redeposited it manually while I was still speaking to her. done in 10 seconds.
went online, reapplied the upgrade and got confirmed immediately.
Last edited by goalie; Aug 19, 2015 at 10:34 am Reason: edited quoted post to match edited original post
Aug 19, 2015, 5:32 pm
#903
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
So, I got a different experience today.
I see that "R" space has opened up on my flight
phoned-in to get an agent to request it manually pushed through..
her: sorry sir, the computer has to do it.
me: well then, can you please cancel the upgrade?
her: haaaaing & humming, okay done.
her: it's not automatically re-depositing, I sent it in to get worked on manually
she didn't even try, and she probably did it to me on purpose.
because she knows what i'm trying to do.
I leave in 3 days, and I don't have time to wait for my GPU to be re-deposited.
HUACA
I phoned the mileage plus department and she redeposited it manually while I was still speaking to her. done in 10 seconds.
went online, reapplied the upgrade and got confirmed immediately.
I see that "R" space has opened up on my flight
phoned-in to get an agent to request it manually pushed through..
her: sorry sir, the computer has to do it.
me: well then, can you please cancel the upgrade?
her: haaaaing & humming, okay done.
her: it's not automatically re-depositing, I sent it in to get worked on manually
she didn't even try, and she probably did it to me on purpose.
because she knows what i'm trying to do.
I leave in 3 days, and I don't have time to wait for my GPU to be re-deposited.
HUACA
I phoned the mileage plus department and she redeposited it manually while I was still speaking to her. done in 10 seconds.
went online, reapplied the upgrade and got confirmed immediately.
Sep 3, 2015, 6:18 am
#904
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: DCA or IAD (originally DUB)
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM, Hertz PC, Marriott Platinum/Lifetime Gold
Posts: 7,657
Just called in to clear a waitlisted GPU for a TATL in December when I saw the flight had gone to "P8, PN4, R3, RN3 ..."
Agent explained process about "computer sweeps during the day" as I listened patiently. She then saw I was "number 1" on the upgrade list and said she would call to have my upgrade processed.
All-in-all about seven minutes on the phone.
A little frustrating you have to keep watching the system.
The flight now shows "R2, RN2 ..."
Agent explained process about "computer sweeps during the day" as I listened patiently. She then saw I was "number 1" on the upgrade list and said she would call to have my upgrade processed.
All-in-all about seven minutes on the phone.
A little frustrating you have to keep watching the system.
The flight now shows "R2, RN2 ..."
Sep 3, 2015, 3:24 pm
#905
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
Yup... if only they had a command called "force upgrade sweep", things would be easier.... and of course even better if a trigger could be added so that any change to R>0 forces a sweep. But that's so 90's technology.
Sep 4, 2015, 12:48 pm
#906
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,092
Sep 25, 2015, 2:17 pm
#907
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Midcon just went R1 for me, and RPU waitlist did not clear. Quick call got it done.
Sep 25, 2015, 3:16 pm
#908
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K, Alaska 75K Gold, AVIS Presidents Club
Posts: 52
I'm flying EWR to HKG in two weeks and watching the R inventory like a hawk. They still have 14 BF seats open so let's see how low they go before letting me redeem my GPU 
Oct 13, 2015, 6:12 am
#909
Join Date: May 2000
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K 2.7MM, Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, IHG Spire
Posts: 3,317
a data point
Just had a lovely agent who answered the phone "1K Premier Desk" clear me ORD-HKG. :-) R=1 but I was still on the waitlist.
Nov 14, 2015, 11:04 am
#910
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SFO, OAK
Programs: UA GS 0.9MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 173
Is the open R failed sweep issue still going on for folks waitlisted on upgrades? If yes, is it as common as it was about a year ago when pretty much all flights with open R had uncleared waitlists?
Nov 14, 2015, 11:23 am
#911
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
That is a serious overstatement. It was never like that. I personally have never not cleared automatically when R was available.
Nov 14, 2015, 11:46 am
#912
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SFO, OAK
Programs: UA GS 0.9MM, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 173
I have a waitlisted RPU for a PS flight and I just wanted to know if the system is still broken. From your response, I gather that the system is largely fixed but not entirely. Thanks
Nov 14, 2015, 12:27 pm
#913
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NorCal - 1K 2MM
Posts: 2,089
But don't we have the right to expect that, if United owns a computer, when R>0, the upgrade list should clear not just automatically, but also rapidly? Although it may be the case that most people in the R queue do clear eventually, or even soon after R>0, if there is any significant delay at all, this still gives others who notice R availability the ability to jump the queue, which surely has been happening frequently, simply by counting reports in this thread. So it's perhaps not enough to demand that the R queue clear automatically, but rather that it clear automatically and immediately, to agree with the advertised benefit.
Last edited by goalie; Nov 14, 2015 at 1:58 pm Reason: corrected the name of the airline
Nov 14, 2015, 4:59 pm
#914
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
The instrument upgrade waitlist seems to work most of the time now. I've cleared my last two waitlisted GPUs in the very early morning hours without ever seeing R open - before or after.
There are still reports of open R with waitlisted instrument, though not nearly so many as there used to be. So it does bear watching, particularly if you're the obsessive type (I am).
Nov 14, 2015, 5:22 pm
#915
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1k, SPG Plat 100
Posts: 619
It still happens to me from time to time, and it's made more annoying by the fact that UA doesn't allow EF access to R inventory. When I see it, I just ask that the agent either clear or cancel my request. They generally get what I'm up to and just clear it.
Currently UA's upgrade system runs on intervals (say, every 15 minutes) while their inventory system (and every travel inventory system, since that's the nature of the beast) is real-time. So when any of the myraid systems that UA uses to manipulate inventory changes the R value for a flight from 0 to > 0, it will take between 0 and 15 (in this example) minutes before a sweep runs. For that up to 15 minutes, it's open season on that upgrade space.
The fix for this is, of course, to trigger the upgrade sweep whenever an R value changes, but good luck with that. It will not happen before the inventory system is swapped out.
But don't we have the right to expect that, if United owns a computer, when R>0, the upgrade list should clear not just automatically, but also rapidly? Although it may be the case that most people in the R queue do clear eventually, or even soon after R>0, if there is any significant delay at all, this still gives others who notice R availability the ability to jump the queue, which surely has been happening frequently, simply by counting reports in this thread. So it's perhaps not enough to demand that the R queue clear automatically, but rather that it clear automatically and immediately, to agree with the advertised benefit.
The fix for this is, of course, to trigger the upgrade sweep whenever an R value changes, but good luck with that. It will not happen before the inventory system is swapped out.