Apr 25, 2021, 2:48 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, you’re 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, you’re 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 won’t 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 4, 2019, 9:22 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
Dec 4, 2019, 9:30 am
#18
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272
Just learned GS can't use Skip the Waitlist on award tickets - we can only apply points for standard waitlist. 
Too bad - I was hoping to STW on upcoming travel to Aruba and NRT-EWR next March. I have 760 Plus Points that will expire end of January...
Too bad - I was hoping to STW on upcoming travel to Aruba and NRT-EWR next March. I have 760 Plus Points that will expire end of January...
Dec 4, 2019, 9:30 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
Dec 4, 2019, 9:32 am
#20
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,381
https://mileageplusupdates.com/milea...ordion-faq-15]
So you must request at least 30 days in advance. Rumour has it StW starts on Jan 1. So, you can do it for your Jan 31 flight, I guess!
"These requests must be placed at least 30 days from departure and cannot be changed or refunded."
So, if you can't StW until Jan 1, even though those points are there on Jan 2, you can't use them to StW since the point will expire before you fly.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 4, 2019 at 10:17 am Reason: repaired quote
Dec 4, 2019, 9:38 am
#21
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: Million Miler, 1K - Basically spend a lot of time on planes
Posts: 2,202
The ones that expire 1/31/2020 *will* expire on Jan 31. It's *those* points which folks predicted would cause a rush due to the a) uncapped RPU earning form 2019 and b) unforseen conversion to PlusPoints creating a period of time where there are a lot of expiring points that wouldn't otherwise have been useful and were only available today.
So, if you can't StW until Jan 1, even though those points are there on Jan 2, you can't use them to StW since the point will expire before you fly.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 4, 2019 at 10:18 am Reason: repaired quote
Dec 4, 2019, 9:44 am
#22
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The wording suggests that it is "select" flights. I presume that once the number of passengers using STW exceeds some preset number, the option will end for that flight. Given that it is 30 days out, there may well be very limited number STW space on flights where RM indicates strong paid demand.
Dec 4, 2019, 9:47 am
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Gringolandia y LatinoAmerica a veces EU y Asia
Programs: AV, AA, BA, CM, UA, Hertz, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 153
As said before, this is another mean spirited decision by United. 600 of my 960 points expire in January, so the logical decision would be to use them to skip the waitlists before they expire. United knows this will be an issue for a lot of people, so rather than being forced to give up a lot of guaranteed upgrades, they will not activate skip the waitlist until people’s points expire in January.
Now I make no effort at all to spend money on UA or Chase. Probably more paid J on OALs. So like many the effect will be UA will lose 15k or more of revenue that I directed in preference to them. Now I will use TK or CA or BR and pay for their J.
Dec 4, 2019, 9:51 am
#24
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Somewhere in EWR
Programs: UA GS, HH Diamond
Posts: 858
The ones that expire 1/31/2020 *will* expire on Jan 31. It's *those* points which folks predicted would cause a rush due to the a) uncapped RPU earning form 2019 and b) unforseen conversion to PlusPoints creating a period of time where there are a lot of expiring points that wouldn't otherwise have been useful and were only available today.
So, if you can't StW until Jan 1, even though those points are there on Jan 2, you can't use them to StW since the point will expire before you fly.
So, if you can't StW until Jan 1, even though those points are there on Jan 2, you can't use them to StW since the point will expire before you fly.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 4, 2019 at 10:21 am Reason: repaired quote
Dec 4, 2019, 9:53 am
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
An entirely sensible move. Free yourself from being captive to any one carrier and fly the carrier which presents the best value for the specific ticket in question in terms of price, convenience, hard & soft product. On the other hand, do understand that if you do not have status on a carrier and are flying in Y that the grass may not be greener.
Dec 4, 2019, 9:55 am
#26
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: Million Miler, 1K - Basically spend a lot of time on planes
Posts: 2,202
I’m already well booked into next year, but the point I’m making is that United is blocking the use of expiring pluspoints for “skip the waitlist” until after they expire at end of January
Dec 4, 2019, 10:00 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,346
PlusPoints all calculated correctly for me. Just applied 20 for a domestic upgrade and the status on the home page shows my total PlusPoints and "(20 requested)".
Question...has it been confirmed that PlusPoints are returned if you SDC and the upgrade is no longer confirmed? I know this does not apply to Skip The Waitlist upgrades but the FAQ does not cover whether standard upgrades are returned.
Thanks,
RM
Question...has it been confirmed that PlusPoints are returned if you SDC and the upgrade is no longer confirmed? I know this does not apply to Skip The Waitlist upgrades but the FAQ does not cover whether standard upgrades are returned.
Thanks,
RM
Dec 4, 2019, 10:20 am
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,485
Many were hoping to use this benefit with expiring points. If the agent was correct (always an "if"), it appears none will be able to do that.
Nice way for UA to delay the benefit a month and thus remove the liability for expiring instruments from its books at zero cost. Fits perfectly with current management's overall approach to MP.
Dec 4, 2019, 10:25 am
#29
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Somewhere in EWR
Programs: UA GS, HH Diamond
Posts: 858
I'm not following how. If they are allowing them to become active on Jan 1/2 and you have flights booked after Feb1/2 you can use them if I am understanding how this works.
Dec 4, 2019, 10:29 am
#30
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,485
An instrument cannot be applied to a flight departing after the instrument's expiration date. If skip the waitlist is not available until January 2, it cannot be used for instruments that expire January 31.