Apr 25, 21, 3:48 pm
Last edit by: Lux Flyer
Yes it's a limited time promo in many CPU markets to help people use PlusPoints before they expire at the end of July. For flights through July 31st it should be offering StW when requested at least 2 weeks in advance (as opposed to typical 30 days for international).
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...questions.html
Edit: here's the promo details they will email to you if you ask
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...questions.html
Edit: here's the promo details they will email to you if you ask
Skip Waitlist
From time to time, our 1K members are able to use additional PlusPoints to receive a confirmed upgrade when traveling on select international long-haul flights.
When Skip Waitlist is available, youre able to either request an upgrade on our standard waitlist using fewer PlusPoints, or use additional PlusPoints to skip the waitlist and confirm your upgrade right then and there, even if upgrade inventory is closed.
Skip Waitlist availability on international long-haul flights will vary; to be eligible, you must be traveling on an eligible fare*, and request your upgrade at least 30 days from departure
*Eligible fare classes include O, A, and R (for United Premium Plus to United Polaris business); Fare classes Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W (for Economy to United Polaris business); Fare classes Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W, S, T, L, K, (for Economy to United Premium Plus).
From time to time, our 1K members are able to use additional PlusPoints to receive a confirmed upgrade when traveling on select international long-haul flights.
When Skip Waitlist is available, youre able to either request an upgrade on our standard waitlist using fewer PlusPoints, or use additional PlusPoints to skip the waitlist and confirm your upgrade right then and there, even if upgrade inventory is closed.
Skip Waitlist availability on international long-haul flights will vary; to be eligible, you must be traveling on an eligible fare*, and request your upgrade at least 30 days from departure
*Eligible fare classes include O, A, and R (for United Premium Plus to United Polaris business); Fare classes Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W (for Economy to United Polaris business); Fare classes Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W, S, T, L, K, (for Economy to United Premium Plus).
- The earning Premier member may use PlusPoints for upgrade requests for themselves or to sponsor others with the exception of Skip Waitlist upgrade requests, for which the earning Premier member must be traveling. Although the earning Premier member may use PlusPoints to request upgrades for others, PlusPoints are not transferable to other members.
- PlusPoints used for Skip Waitlist upgrades are not refundable or transferable to other flights in the event of itinerary changes. A PlusPoints upgrade on a changed itinerary will require additional PlusPoints.
- Skip Waitlist upgrades wont be available for corporate and agency account travelers who are using upgrades from a Corporate Upgrade Bank account.
When is STW available?
First UA needs to decide the route is eligible and then ZN seems to be the key inventory requirement.
PN or PZ is not required (if they were the regular amount would be sufficient)
Appears to be no special/separate GS STW inventory
STW has generally been limited to deep South America except for a short period in late summer 2021 when some TATL STW was offered, never to be seen again.
New Promo 20 June 2023 till 31 July 2023 (to use expiring PlusPoints?)
So thanks to this promo and playing around with various flights the past day. I think there's enough data for how StW works, with the major deciding factor if it's offered being if UA has "enabled" StW for the market in question.
For StW it needs these 6 things:
Inventory (ZN for business/first; /ON for PremEcon), advance purchase met (30 days international, 14 days CPU market [promo]), eligible fare (W+ to Polaris, non-BE for PP/first), eligible market, and redeeming account is 1k/GS, redeeming account travelling on the PNR.
The StW segment(s) will confirm into PZ/RN, if there are other non-StW eligible segments in the line-of-flight they are considered "paid for" by the StW pricing and will waitlist as part of the request/process as any other waitlisted upgrade.
To summarize the different scenarios:
To find StW
-Redeeming account must be GS/1K and must be travelling on the PNR
-PlusPoints being used to StW must not expire prior to the flight (oldest, eligible PlusPoints taken first)
-Cannot have pending upgrade WL request
To Polaris
-Voluntary: forfeits the upgrade and PlusPoints
-Involuntary: PlusPoints can be redeposited if not able to be accommodated in upgraded cabin
For StW it needs these 6 things:
Inventory (ZN for business/first; /ON for PremEcon), advance purchase met (30 days international, 14 days CPU market [promo]), eligible fare (W+ to Polaris, non-BE for PP/first), eligible market, and redeeming account is 1k/GS, redeeming account travelling on the PNR.
The StW segment(s) will confirm into PZ/RN, if there are other non-StW eligible segments in the line-of-flight they are considered "paid for" by the StW pricing and will waitlist as part of the request/process as any other waitlisted upgrade.
To summarize the different scenarios:
To find StW
-Redeeming account must be GS/1K and must be travelling on the PNR
-PlusPoints being used to StW must not expire prior to the flight (oldest, eligible PlusPoints taken first)
-Cannot have pending upgrade WL request
To Polaris
- ZN inventory
- 30+ days in advance
- Fare class: non-award, published W or higher
- Eligible market (only appears to be GRU, GIG, EZE, SCL, and LIM as of June 2023)
- Cost per person; 140 PlusPoints from economy/110 PlusPoints from premium economy
- Confirms into PZ
- ON inventory (yes, it appears when StW is offered to PremiumPlus, it is effectively allowing last seat inventory)
- 30+ days in advance
- Fare class: any non-BE published revenue fare
- Eligible market (only appears to be GRU, GIG, EZE, SCL, and LIM as of June 2023)
- Cost per person; 70 PlusPoints
- Confirms into RN
- ZN inventory
- 14+ days in advance/flight prior to or on July 31st (effectively July 17th is last day to book)
- Fare class: any non-BE published revenue fare
- Eligible market (basically CPU markets, see promo announcement)
- Cost per person; 70 PlusPoints
- Confirms into PZ
-Voluntary: forfeits the upgrade and PlusPoints
-Involuntary: PlusPoints can be redeposited if not able to be accommodated in upgraded cabin
Skip the waitlist (STW) questions. (New Promo thru 31 July 2023?)
Dec 10, 19, 10:03 am
#151
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: Delta Plat, UA Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 258
I dont see the StW option on flights in the future for the searches I've done. Is it just not updated or is it random availability for StW? Or is it because I don't have 140pts?
I wonder because i am 2k spend away from 1k and have had huge doubts of the worth. Put most of my business class TATL this year on swiss or LH due to price
I wonder because i am 2k spend away from 1k and have had huge doubts of the worth. Put most of my business class TATL this year on swiss or LH due to price
Dec 10, 19, 10:09 am
#152
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 481
I dont see the StW option on flights in the future for the searches I've done. Is it just not updated or is it random availability for StW? Or is it because I don't have 140pts?
I wonder because i am 2k spend away from 1k and have had huge doubts of the worth. Put most of my business class TATL this year on swiss or LH due to price
I wonder because i am 2k spend away from 1k and have had huge doubts of the worth. Put most of my business class TATL this year on swiss or LH due to price
Dec 10, 19, 10:11 am
#153
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,275
- by passengers with sufficient points (140 or more, valid as of the search date)
- for flights after February 1
- On Polaris routes to South America
- On flights where ZN>0
Dec 10, 19, 12:43 pm
#154
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: Delta Plat, UA Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 258
Gotcha thanks! I searched the exact same south american route/day as TPG but it may be gone too, not sure. Must be the lack of points. Really wish I could tell how the system works, but right now I guess I'll continue with my plans to be more of a free agent next year than to try for 1k.
Dec 10, 19, 2:21 pm
#155
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1K 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Ti, LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 55,220
If the further rollout follows the current model (big if), then availability will be decent, even on relatively challenging routes. The biggest issue I have is the "no changes, no refunds" part of the deal.
Dec 10, 19, 2:43 pm
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 13,888
I doubt availability will change much for the worse; if they want to start tightening the screws it will be by increasing the price.
Dec 10, 19, 2:59 pm
#157
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1K 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Ti, LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 55,220
Dec 12, 19, 11:45 pm
#158
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1K 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Ti, LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 55,220
Here's another crappy little detail that's not mentioned in the marketing fluff: UA won't let you skip the waitlist on domestic connectors. Example:
So 140 PP for a one-way upgrade, and you fly Y domestic.
So 140 PP for a one-way upgrade, and you fly Y domestic.
Dec 13, 19, 12:11 am
#159
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.96MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 65,123
Sort of clear UA just offering a very limited version of StW at the moment and what you see today may or may not be what becomes the norm. Extrapolating on very limited data.
Dec 13, 19, 12:28 am
#160
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1K 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Ti, LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 55,220
Dec 13, 19, 6:54 am
#161
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Australia
Programs: UA 1K 2MMF, QF Gold
Posts: 73
So I think I have this right, StW tracks to ZN bucket, not available 1 Feb IAH-EZE but available 2 Feb IAH-EZE for 140 PP. So the option to ask for StW not available as there is no option to select on any TPAC AUS-USA, select flight availability in action
Dec 21, 19, 3:54 pm
#164
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM. UA 1k 1MM
Posts: 29
This is exactly going to be my strategy.
TOD's are the best thing to ever happen on the HNL-SFO route. Instead of very rarely sitting up front on a CPU or very rarely clearing a RPU or GPU the buyup's to sit up front a lie flat generally run $310, which is modest in my opinion and cheaper than buying F outright. Instead of having my 6 GPU's and 2 RPU's expire since I can't ever get them to clear on the route I fly - I'll save them for my occasional HNL-EWR flights to skip the waitlist.
Just having an opportunity to use these points where they would otherwise expire is good, at least for me.
TOD's are the best thing to ever happen on the HNL-SFO route. Instead of very rarely sitting up front on a CPU or very rarely clearing a RPU or GPU the buyup's to sit up front a lie flat generally run $310, which is modest in my opinion and cheaper than buying F outright. Instead of having my 6 GPU's and 2 RPU's expire since I can't ever get them to clear on the route I fly - I'll save them for my occasional HNL-EWR flights to skip the waitlist.
Just having an opportunity to use these points where they would otherwise expire is good, at least for me.
