quikj

This has been my experience as well, even though I'm just a Silver. I've had multiple flights clear both into and ex-FL. MCO-IAD and TPA-LAX.

Kacee

Dunno, I applied PPs on SFO-PHX last week and it moved me up . . . . one place on the upgrade list. Did turn out to be significant though, since it moved me into the top two, which meant I cleared during the T-24 sweep rather than having to sweat to the gate (which is usually a fail IME).

MatthewLAX

Bought up to P fare tonight instead of hoping PP would clear.

UA is winning.

Starbase 1K

Sure, there are many extended 1K & GS. But I think what are affecting upgrades most are cheap FCM offers. Don’t forget that UA has started to hold out more than usual giving up too many seats at upgrade window.

Last month, waiting for UA to open PN space for an “Instant Upgrade” fare one time on SLC-ORD, I caved and bought the bloody upfare when such was close to their TOD upgrade offer.

zombietooth

Give in to the Dark Side, Matthew.

Kacee

Right, it's not just the (relatively) cheap F fares, it's that UA has learned to provoke panic upgrade buying by not clearing upgrades until inside T-24, and pax have correspondingly learned to recognize the signs of a doomed-to-fail upgrade, and to buy up before the cabin books full.

PTahCha

Definitely route and time specific. I was IAD-BNA on a Monday evening, and there was 15 out of 16 seats available. UA did not clear anyone until 22 hours from the flight departure time, and as a Platinum I was cleared with the group of 12 (I was #10), with rest of the seats cleared at the gate.

Air Houston

CPUs don’t clear often for GS’s either. I think I am 1/20 over the past two years on CPU opportunities. In 2013/2014 I was 98/100 on CPU opportunities as a GS, for comparison. PP upgrades almost never clear when waitlisted either. Fortunately I often have enough flexibility to book flights where they can be cleared at booking, but when I can’t do that I don’t expect to be sitting in F unless I pay for it. Whether I pay depends on the cost. I will pay $200 extra for a four hour flight, but I won’t pay $400 for a two hour flight. I will fly coach or take Southwest for those.

sexykitten7

I cleared as a fake silver on an XN ticket 3 weeks ago :P Granted the flight was 6 hours delayed and left at 3 AM!

bluedemon211

Fewer flights + fewer seats + minimal clearing before t-24 (panic buying) + TPAC still virtually closed + focus on domestic travel as business and leisure travel sees pent up demand = WFBF. UA wins across the board. I'm sitting on 1,000 + PP's and haven't cleared a WL all year.

uastarflyer

Getting the ragu polenta would make it a clean sweep victory

VegasGambler

Wait, really? I'm a lowly plat and I'm 2/2 this year. BNA-IAH-PHX.

There's no reason to put yourself through that.

cricketer

This is the bottom line, in every sense of the phrase (ebitda, the crux of the matter, butts in seats).

Aussienarelle

The really issue for me is not the domestic CPUs not clearing, it is the fact that if I apply the PlusPoonts, and please note I have always used my Plus Points (and before that GPUs) every year that I am not given the option to pay for the pointy end once I have applied the Plus Points.

But as others have said WFBF.

And like others i am happy to fly Southwest for many domestic flights.

Artpen100

One factor for domestic upgrades may be found in an article I saw (I think in the WSJ) that during the pandemic, people who were traveling a little less were using the extra money they had to buy F. I think that was definitely true in my case, and I continue to buy a lot of my domestic travel in F. And sometimes a last minute paid upgrade (sorry).

But I am not interested in paying more than $3K or so for a TATL business class RT, especially on UA. If I can't use PP to upgrade on international, they are really not worth very much to me, and I am not likely to buy on UA. They are just too expensive and not high quality. Not when I can buy PE on BA and upgrade to business for miles at booking for $2700 or so, or even get an AF Affaires award for 55K miles one way. I'd even appreciate a STW opportunity to use up my PPs, but I never see one.

It will be interesting to see if, on some of the direct UA flights the same day as my next award flights on OAL, UA releases PZ a few days or so before. Especially since those flights are currently showing only about 1/3 full in Polaris 4 weeks out.