Extremely surprised to clear a CPU (as a Silver, no less!) on an award ticket tomorrow UA460 SFO-YVR. This is the same route where I flew on an early morning SFO-YVR in paid J and had around 10 GS board before me.

Cleared at the window on an L fare, and now 3-for-3 on the year :)

Running total of 1 paid, 1 instrument, 3 GS, and 5 1Ks so far (unsure if all 1Ks are cleared), down to F6 PN4 R2 I2 on a 738.

Unfortunately they're learning and downgauging to Airbus in the future. I think I may despise the 319 even more than the 77G..

Cleared the return as well. 8am Tuesday MCI-ORD UAX on a ERJ-175, Gold on a V fare, about 30 seconds before boarding began. 3rd CPU for the year!

Cleared the earliest BOS-EWR flight on Friday at T-96. Didn't get an upgrade email, though.

E- helps CPU clearance?
 

Wondering what others think of this theory: with E- being forced upon some elites, accidentally purchased, or purchased to save $, elites who buy regular E fares are having a better chance to get upgraded via CPUs. I don't have a large sample size to go off of myself, but I was surprised to see my CPU go through with a non-elite companion T-48 hrs as a UA Gold on IAD-MSP for a Thursday afternoon flight. Half of Business/First cabin still vacant.

Gold cleared SLC-ORD x2...
 

first CPU in years, with both Ms. Portolan (also Gold as a MM partner) and I getting upgraded at T-48. Yes, non-hub to hub, but since the connecting ORD-IAD flight was short and in the evening, it was WAY better to get the SLC-ORD with lunch. There were empty seats in F (739 with 20 F seats).

I sure miss the 500 mile "coupons" since I never failed to be able to use them.

OTOH, we have an average of about 1 international OPUP per year (on *A partners), so not doing too badly.

Twice ever
 

Gold, Normally fly 28-30 ORD-EWR M-F full of GS and 1k so never sniff an upgrade BUT have rec'd 2 lifetime:

#1 . SXM-ORD, thanks to Chicago Bears coach John Fox passing to stay with wife in economy plus I scored the upgrade of a lifetime! &#1 28514;&#1 28514;&#1 28514;&#1 28514;. And also got a chat and a pic with Coach Fox and Giants ex-coach Tom Coughlin. Best day of my life!!!

#2 . MIA-ORD....got the epic fabled email, but got called to work and had to skip to fly to EWR instead. Worst day of my life. &#1 28560;&#1 28560;&#1 28560;

I've noticed an interesting pattern (n=2) this week.

For two flights which had R space at the 1K window, a number of 1Ks were CPUed (I would baselessly speculate all of them), and the flights had liberal inventory:

F6 P6 PN4 R2 IN2 I2
F7 P7 PN7 R2 IN1 I1

Then, overnight before the Plat window, they changed to

F6 P6 PN4 R0 IN0 I0
F7 P7 PN7 R0 IN0 I0

and zero people cleared at the Plat window. The next sweep for the first flight cleared 4 more people at T-36; second flight isn't that close in yet. Possible "extra CPU space for 1Ks" benefit? Or I could be reading patterns into random noise :)

Last person to clear EWR-BOS today...upgraded as boarding started.

Extra CPU space for late-booking 1K's? If the next sweep cleared people at T-36, the open/close wouldn't have done much to limit upgrades for Platinums unless additional bookings were made.

'Extra CPU space' for GS seems to be the point of PN9 R0 until T-96/72/48, so it's an interesting theory about RM finding a way to add stratification.

This pattern would help both advance booked 1Ks (confirmed at the window right away) along with waitlisted instruments, as well as 1Ks who book between T-72 and T-36. Specifically, it seemed like they were really making an effort to push through 1K CPUs at the window, and then rescinding the effort and trying to sell the rest of F.


But again, n=2 is not a real pattern - so *shrug*. But it was definitely related to time to departure since it was different days.

I am hoping your speculation is right. I feel like this year I have cleared more CPU's at the 1k window than in any other year.

I'm seeing this too. Generally inventory goes from too tight to too loose and back again between T-5d and T-2d. Seeing it on many offpeak ex-EWR currently.

It's probably a pattern, but just one of a number of potential scenarios.

The scenario I'm seeing most is "no sweeps, sell all the upgrades at check-in."

Yeah.. of course I am selecting from a route where 1K CPUs are commonplace (SFO-MSP). Entirely possible that the "very stingy about upgrades after the 1K window" is what surfaces on a more difficult route.