mfirst

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough because there are there aspects to this -
1. If F is sold out then there is nothing to buy up to
2. If F is not sold out then the cost to buy up is silly - as others have commented- for what you get
3. If F is wide open, then it becomes a game of chance with regard to using the options that we have to see what pans out. Many, I sense, here are tired of the games of chance where the odds are too much on the favor of the house?

for example - I friend who is financially struggling needed to get to LAX and I purchased her ticket nonstop xxx-LAX. I think the RT flight from the Midwest was about $250. As a potential surprise I also used PP to try and get her an UG. She has zero status and not even a MP member but she is #3 on the list with 6 open in F at t-48. As a 1k who bought the same ticket, using pp or cpu or buy up, what are my F ug chances?

also, maybe #4 is that a lot my OPM work travel is short notice and by the time my travel agents at work actually purchase tickets (which can be 1-2 weeks after a contract is signed for me to commit to travel) not only is F gone, but all the good E+ seats are taken.

CMK10

Well I called that one. At T24 there were only 3 seats left and they upgraded one person. I got the upgrade at the gate along with just one other person. So they managed to sell 5 more F seats on EWR-RDU by holding back upgrades. Meanwhile, I have a 90% upgrade clearance rate as an EXP and of those 75% are at the T-100 mark.

Oh and to my earlier mentioned SFO-EWR flight I was #15 for Business and #4 for PP. A grand total of 4 people got the Business Class upgrade and zero the PP one.

RobOnLI

Sorry, but you called what? You GOT the upgrade per your post. You quoted yourself as saying I would be wrong and they'd manage to sell all those seats and leave you hanging. Congrats on the upgrade.

-RM

CMK10

I called that I wouldn't clear right away but you're right they only sold 5 seats, not 8, I didn't call it 100%. I also only got the upgrade because I applied PP and managed to jump ahead of people.

zombietooth

So you didn't get SFO-EWR but you got EWR-RDU?

CMK10

Yep, I think they call that a consolation prize

zombietooth

I can handle short-haul in Y, but I'm too old for 5-6 hours back there. That is why I'm primarily a WFBF flyer. I haven't gotten a transcon PP UG in over 3 years.

slappychasez

For an upcoming SFO-EWR route, I thought I had good upgrade chances. Last week, there were 28 seats open, now as of today, only 16 left. Of course, I see now I'm 22 on the list. And of course, I paid to upgrade since I can't fathom a domestic red-eye without a lie flat seat. I guess UA is still winning. These PP are hard to use.

Aussienarelle

UA is a business looking to maximize returns to shareholders.

When I first started flying regularly for busines on Ansett (Australia) there was no such thing as an upgrade instrument. If there were empty seats in first the concierge of the lounge would give seats to regulars of the lounge. I was one of the fortunate recipients many times.

Upgrades are for the seats that no one will buy. We have all been learning how to game that system, and United also games the system. The house always wins.

Repooc17

I had one transcon flight with 23 Polaris seats available at check-in. I sat in the back still.

West to east is quick, on days of favorable winds, 4 hours, (4.5-5 hours otherwise), can manage w/o a lie-flat seat, even red-eyes. I have flown a lot of red-eye flights on AS, and there are no lie-flat seats, period.

slappychasez

And this is precisely why I do not fly Alaska, nor have I taken a domestic red-eye in 10+ years.

uastarflyer

Did either of you buy PremPlus?

slappychasez

No. For this route it was comical. Either an upgrade to PremPlus for $324 or buy up to Business for $424.

zombietooth

That's a genuinely good deal for J. P+, not so much.

Repooc17

Wouldn't have helped anyway. Only 2 or 3 people got upgraded at the end. I would have wasted my money for buying a slightly fancier seat for 4 hrs.