Mid June YVR-EWR flight cancelled at around T-10h (which would not have cleared) and got placed on YVR-IAH, which cleared CPU almost immediately. Pleasantly surprised.

Has something changed with the CPU system recently? I'm actually getting upgrades and I'm just shocked they're happening since the 4 day CPU has been non-existent for me.

Last week IAD-BOS got upgraded at exactly 4 days in advance.
Return BOS-EWR-DCA...EWR-DCA upgraded at 3.5 days (the usual overnight CPU I've been seeing). BOS-EWR cleared 1.5 days in advance.

Coming up I have DCA-ORD-xxx and ORD-xxx was J3. I cleared overnight, just about 3.5 days in advance. I've never seen CPU process with few seats up front available. Flight is mostly empty in the back, too. Guess they aren't expecting buyups. It's only a 1:15 flight so it's not like it's a huge deal.

I've had so many flights this year with the front booked 0/12 and I still don't get the upgrade until T-24h. That reminds me...I should update my signature because I'm way past 21 flights for the year.

Maybe my luck is finally changing :)

-RM

I got IAH-NAS at 72 hours earlier this month. My second CPU as a Platinum and fourth(maybe fifth) since hitting Silver in 2019.

While there are probably a lot of anecdote for each individual flight, on the whole, i would say mostly due to summer peak travel days coming to an end, or people are finally getting tired of United's aging hard product on CPU routes and miserable soft product.

For my shorter flights, it looks like front cabin loads are coming down. I haven't seen many 0/12 cabins much this summer except on maybe DCA-EWR, but they are starting to appear again on other routes.

I got a T-96h upgrade this week right on the dot, not even a minute after. Longer flights or rush hour times (Mon morning, Thu/Fri afternoon) still pretty tough.

Perhaps, UA realized that the unhappiness of Premier members is brewing. So, abandoning the buy-up train is the necessary step to keep UA going.

I see absolutely no evidence of that.

Exactly, UA doesn’t even clear CPU at T12 on this flight, at least two days in a row, they wait for the gate agent to clear if any left by that time!


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b6a8c0da4.jpeg

I'm amazed that IAD - SFO flight today is only booked 14/20 !

I'm not surprised considering the FC prices I've been seeing lately.

I think what’s brewing are people finding little value in the domestic first class product for the prices being charged. Before the virus, I had no problem paying $480 for a one way LA-YYZ flight in first over the same in coach for $245, but no way am I going to spend $725 for a lesser product now.

Agreed on both points. There's still seems to a fair bit of pent up travel demand, but people seem less willing to pay crazy prices. And I suspect that those who bit once on UA F, expecting a "first class" experience for their premium fare, are unwilling to make that mistake again.

I would chalk it up to luck. I have had zero upgrades even with instruments in place. In addition to those already posted on the Failed PP upgrades thread I just was Fifteen on the list on last Tuesday SFO-ORD flight. Some rediculously low number on a DEN-SFO flight which of course didn't clear. Not optimistic about any of multiple upcoming flights (ORD-PHL, PHL-IAH, IAH-SFO, SFO-KOA) ALL with PPs in play but should a miracle occur I'll post back to be fair.

AUS - LAX 10/23 flight 1286 is already sold out up front, 16 seats, 2 months in advance. Strange one, conference? Seems unique to that day.

That's the Formula 1 weekend, although I don't know that you could make it from the track to the plane if you actually wanted to watch the race. Maybe there are a bunch of people who really want to go to the Green Day / Ed Sheeran show the night before :)

As an Austinite, if you're not coming in specifically for the race -- that's not the best time to visit. Way too many people for our infrastructure.