Curious if anyone has recent experience with how the CPU process works. Do you have to arrive at the boarding gate by a certain time to retain eligibility? Do GA page each person to come up individually to ask?

Sorry for the delay in getting back...

Per goalie-mom: The E175 PBI-IAD was full in F and even tho goalie-parents’ upgrade didn’t clear on the second leg of their trip (IAD-SFO), F was full on that flight as well (319)

may be Omni territory but you will get it or you won’t. My wife and kids are coming via UA this weekend. I’m sure they will wear a mask though.

Like before you dont have to do anything.
The pre-airport CPU process isnt happening anymore, it is just done at the gate as usual.
They are leaving seats open to try to distance. Row 1 also is left open. It is confusing because after they finish upgrading, some screens show as full (accurate) and some still show open seats (ie 6(+3blocked)/12 seats).
Also, on my last flight, they didnt upgrade based on the order of the list, I was #1 yet they upgraded 3 people that were below me, but ofcourse there could be alot of reasons for this. On my relatively short route, I didnt feel like trying to get to the bottom of it. Besides, the only difference is that you get water and a bigger seat.
The distancing is kind of random too, on my last flight, they sat two people next to eachother eventhough they were strangers. One of them tried to move up to row 1 but was denied.
I'm pretty sure it is just left up to the GA to handle so it's going to be very YMMV for the time being

What’s up with this seat assignment after CPU cleared?
 

I’ve never seen something like this before...https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9c704aa04.jpeg

I don't know what it means, but I understand it to be a consequence of the alternate seat blocking.

Took 4 flights last week on award tickets (economy) and got upgraded on all. Passed on 1 as they booked first full and had the option of empty row 7, which I took.

Did you have Plus Points applied to your reservation? I had a situation last week where I was #7 on the UG list with only 4 seats left as a 1K on a G fare. I applied 20 PP the day before and moved up to #2 . I imagine that many pax with PP are using them on their reservations if it looks like they may not clear. What else are you going to do with them? No international travel for most 1K's in the near term & limited domestic travel likely. Once I reach the 1k threshold for this year in a month or so, I will be sitting on 600 PP!!!!

In the end it did not matter, as I SDC'd off the flight, my PP were automatically redeposited and I got the CPU on the new flight. I think the system is mostly working as it should. All my recent CPU's have been @ the gate. One or 2 happened automatically while I was walking to the gate after security. Once FC is half full, they definitely call the upgradeable pax up to the counter and give them the option of staying in Economy with a full row (usually) vs. sitting next to someone in FC. Some take the upgrade and some don't . It usually depends on what the density in the back of the bus looks like...

Do you have a UA MP credit card?

I booked several award tickets for later this year. They all say they are CPU eligible. I had a UA card earlier this year but cancelled and did not pay using the card obviously. I assume it was a system glitch.

As for booking first full, it seems to be up to the GA. Sometimes, they leave the aisle clear, sometimes they alternate seats, sometimes they just book full. On my last flight, it was booked full but the FA actually called up everyone that was CPUed and told them that he was holding their original Y seat assignment incase they wanted to decline the upgrade. No one declined. This calling up thing is either something new or more inconsistencies among GAs.

I believe that if you request the upgrades when you have a credit card they won’t take away the request. Unless there is a plane swap causing the system to update.

The card was cancelled months before I made the bookings. and I thought one of the requirements was that you had to use the card to pay for the booking

Purchased a new trip today (Tuesday) LAX-DEN-RAP for Thursday. Purchased econ lowest selected seats and directly after my confirmation E-mail I was notified I qualified for a CPU on both legs.

Qualified or were you actually upgraded?

2A out of LAX 4A out of DEN.

Now out to try my luck on Saturday

Only Y/B/M upgrades are being processed in advance (along with any points/miles). Regular CPU are processed at the gate only. Were you on a Y/B/M fare (as a 1K)?

-RM