PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2022
Dec 11, 22, 10:09 pm
#152
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 51
1. Route: LAX-ORD
2. Date: 11/17
3. Class - Unsure? ZW?
4. Upgrade: Y-J
5. Points: 20
6. When booked: ~3 weeks?
7. When cleared: 10 minutes after boarding
1. Route: ZRH-ORD
2. Date: 12/6
3. Class: H
4. Upgrade: Y-J
5. Points: 80
6. How far in advanced booked: 3 weeks
7. When did it clear: me: 3 weeks prior to flight, for the no-status coworker I upgraded: T-8 days
1. Route: MUC-ORD
2. Date: 12/20
3. Fare Class: Q
4. Upgrade: Y-J
5. # Points: 40
6. Purchased: 4 weeks
7. Upgrade Cleared: Overnight after ticketing
Still waiting on one last flight (unlikely) (maybe if the family of 4 ahead of me declines the two seats left in J to stay together in O instead?)
(That last Y-J upgrade did not clear, and what with delays, I had a rough go of it on my stay in Germany)
2. Date: 11/17
3. Class - Unsure? ZW?
4. Upgrade: Y-J
5. Points: 20
6. When booked: ~3 weeks?
7. When cleared: 10 minutes after boarding
1. Route: ZRH-ORD
2. Date: 12/6
3. Class: H
4. Upgrade: Y-J
5. Points: 80
6. How far in advanced booked: 3 weeks
7. When did it clear: me: 3 weeks prior to flight, for the no-status coworker I upgraded: T-8 days
1. Route: MUC-ORD
2. Date: 12/20
3. Fare Class: Q
4. Upgrade: Y-J
5. # Points: 40
6. Purchased: 4 weeks
7. Upgrade Cleared: Overnight after ticketing
Still waiting on one last flight (unlikely) (maybe if the family of 4 ahead of me declines the two seats left in J to stay together in O instead?)
(That last Y-J upgrade did not clear, and what with delays, I had a rough go of it on my stay in Germany)
Last edited by Ophelia; Dec 24, 22 at 12:50 am
Dec 12, 22, 7:30 am
#153
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAH/EWR-LGA/MIA
Programs: UA Global Services 3.0 MM, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, AA Platinum
Posts: 2,337
I batted 1.000 in 2022 using PPs to upgrade from Y to C (and a few instances from O to C). Just this week I had friends clear IAH-FRA-IAH, IAH-NRT and the usually impossible SFO-SIN. I imagine if I was 1K most of these would have died on the PZ vine. PN is the best thing about GS, bar none, IMO.
Last edited by st530; Dec 16, 22 at 11:02 am
Dec 12, 22, 9:01 am
#154
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,330
12/08/2022
IAD-GVA
B767-300ER
Gold on an L fare with a cash upgrade to R after booking.
Added to the u/g list about an hour and a half before departure and cleared twenty minutes before boarding.
IAD-GVA
B767-300ER
Gold on an L fare with a cash upgrade to R after booking.
Added to the u/g list about an hour and a half before departure and cleared twenty minutes before boarding.
Dec 17, 22, 2:59 am
#156
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 5,772
PVG-SFO
SFO-EWR
Purchased premium economy as price was about the same as E.
Booked a few days ago.
PVG-SFO cleared sometime before flight. For some reason, they just print a new boarding pass at check-in, without anything (app, web) showing as 'upgraded' until afterwards. They have it all figured out beforehand, they just make it a surprise wgen you check in.
Even got an odd numbered window seat...score.
SFO-EWR (on 777-300) cleared while still in PVG. Also an odd-numbered window.
And an E ticket EWR-AVP upgraded to First a few hours after booking.
That's it for me for the year...everything I applied PlusPoints to cleared throughout the year. Great segments too; EWR-LAX, SFO-AKL, SYD-SFO, EWR-BRU, LHR-EWR, and more.
SFO-EWR
Purchased premium economy as price was about the same as E.
Booked a few days ago.
PVG-SFO cleared sometime before flight. For some reason, they just print a new boarding pass at check-in, without anything (app, web) showing as 'upgraded' until afterwards. They have it all figured out beforehand, they just make it a surprise wgen you check in.
Even got an odd numbered window seat...score.
SFO-EWR (on 777-300) cleared while still in PVG. Also an odd-numbered window.
And an E ticket EWR-AVP upgraded to First a few hours after booking.
That's it for me for the year...everything I applied PlusPoints to cleared throughout the year. Great segments too; EWR-LAX, SFO-AKL, SYD-SFO, EWR-BRU, LHR-EWR, and more.
Dec 17, 22, 8:12 am
#157
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, Avis President's Circle
Posts: 387
ORD—LHR
12-22-2022
A
PP —> J
120 PP (4 Pax)
Cleared today, 5 days ahead of departure.
Ticket was purchased 6 months in advance in Premium Plus. I originally applied a miles+cash upgrade, and then switched to Plus Points when I hit 1K in December.
We are on the waitlist for CDG—EWR on Jan 4 2023. Same circumstances.
12-22-2022
A
PP —> J
120 PP (4 Pax)
Cleared today, 5 days ahead of departure.
Ticket was purchased 6 months in advance in Premium Plus. I originally applied a miles+cash upgrade, and then switched to Plus Points when I hit 1K in December.
We are on the waitlist for CDG—EWR on Jan 4 2023. Same circumstances.
Dec 17, 22, 11:35 am
#158
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: UA
Posts: 67
IAH-MUC
2022-12-25
S
Y-J
80 PP
Not my flight but was watching for someone else (non-status), saw PZ2 space appear and applied my PP to clear them, surprised it opened with only J7 at the time on a low-J 763. Christmas treat perhaps.
EWR-FRA
2022-12-30
V
Y-J
Cleared at booking back in October
80PP (2 pax)
Still PZ9 for both EWR-FRA flights that day and adjacent days, fyi (along with almost any EWR-Europe I checked on that day, wide open). Guess not a popular day/time to fly that direction.
2022-12-25
S
Y-J
80 PP
Not my flight but was watching for someone else (non-status), saw PZ2 space appear and applied my PP to clear them, surprised it opened with only J7 at the time on a low-J 763. Christmas treat perhaps.
EWR-FRA
2022-12-30
V
Y-J
Cleared at booking back in October
80PP (2 pax)
Still PZ9 for both EWR-FRA flights that day and adjacent days, fyi (along with almost any EWR-Europe I checked on that day, wide open). Guess not a popular day/time to fly that direction.
Last edited by Jkrun03; Dec 17, 22 at 12:09 pm
Dec 18, 22, 3:52 pm
#159
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Newport Beach, CA
Programs: United 1K 1MM, Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 71
1. Route: SFO to TPE
2. Date: 12/30/2022
3. Fare class: W
4. Y-J
5. # of PlusPoints: 40
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased/ How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: at booking on 12/17/22
2. Date: 12/30/2022
3. Fare class: W
4. Y-J
5. # of PlusPoints: 40
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased/ How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: at booking on 12/17/22
Dec 28, 22, 3:24 pm
#160
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAH/EWR-LGA/MIA
Programs: UA Global Services 3.0 MM, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, AA Platinum
Posts: 2,337
1. IAH-LIM-IAH
2. 29-30 Dec
3. Booked 27 Dec
4. U/H class
5. Y>C
6. Cleared at booking (80 PPs total)
Maintained 100% Polaris PPs upgrade success in 2022 -- 1,290 PPs redeemed
2. 29-30 Dec
3. Booked 27 Dec
4. U/H class
5. Y>C
6. Cleared at booking (80 PPs total)
Maintained 100% Polaris PPs upgrade success in 2022 -- 1,290 PPs redeemed
Dec 30, 22, 1:13 am
#162
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RNO, NV, USA.
Programs: UA 1K 2MM
Posts: 4,954
1. NRT-LAX
2. Feb.13,2023
3. S
4. Y-J
5. 80
6. Booked 3 weeks ago
7. Today.
Flight was P9PN5PZ0 yesterday and P9PN9PZ0 today. I was surprised this cleared 6 weeks out. It illustrates that this route can clear in advance. I am 1K. 😊
2. Feb.13,2023
3. S
4. Y-J
5. 80
6. Booked 3 weeks ago
7. Today.
Flight was P9PN5PZ0 yesterday and P9PN9PZ0 today. I was surprised this cleared 6 weeks out. It illustrates that this route can clear in advance. I am 1K. 😊
Last edited by restlessinRNO; Dec 30, 22 at 2:20 am
Jan 6, 23, 9:25 am
#163
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Bronze
Posts: 6,078
1K used SkipTheWaitlist in Nov to clear GRU-IAH traveling on Jan 4, 2023. IAH-LGA morning of Jan 5 was pending the entire time. Cleared 5 mins before boarding, last seat; was top of upgrade list. B fare. 
