Jan 27, 2024, 4:51 pm
The way of the Dodo? - 1K upgrades, PP or CPU
Apr 28, 2022, 7:13 am
#46
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAH/EWR-LGA/MIA
Programs: UA Global Services 3.2 MM, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, AA Exec Plat, BA Gold
Posts: 2,576
Small data point for the cheap-buy-up-to-F-instead-of-play-the-UG lottery theory. I'm on UA 1794 tomorrow (MIA-IAH at 6:30 am). Booked a one-way last week for $100. Applied PP. On Tuesday, at T-72, it was J7 so I forced through an upgrade, but noticed on the app that I could upgrade for $180. The next morning, at T-48, F showed as booked full with no UGs. Presumably either lots of buy-ups, or other GS forcing through PPs? (F later dropped to 14/16; just checked now and it's 15/16 with one UG shown.)
Apr 28, 2022, 7:26 am
#47
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium, LTP; IHG Platinum
Posts: 7,180
I applied PP for 1 hour IAH-MSY flight last December. Without PP, I would sit in the back. Wife was upgraded earlier with PP for ORF-IAH-MSY. I used miles for her ticket initially, but switched to cash due to its last-minute cheap fare.
Apr 28, 2022, 7:29 am
#48
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: United 1k, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Ambassador and LT-Gold
Posts: 1,779
I think another aspect of this is that there are more opportunities to get up front for a flight - PP, CPU, purchasing, miles, variable pricing (and tools to help track the prices with easier ability to change) - and especially since tons of miles/points have flooded the market recently (with CC offers, for example), people like me are more likely to burn >100k miles for a ticket up front
Apr 28, 2022, 7:45 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 27,015
Small data point for the cheap-buy-up-to-F-instead-of-play-the-UG lottery theory. I'm on UA 1794 tomorrow (MIA-IAH at 6:30 am). Booked a one-way last week for $100. Applied PP. On Tuesday, at T-72, it was J7 so I forced through an upgrade, but noticed on the app that I could upgrade for $180. The next morning, at T-48, F showed as booked full with no UGs. Presumably either lots of buy-ups, or other GS forcing through PPs? (F later dropped to 14/16; just checked now and it's 15/16 with one UG shown.)
Apr 28, 2022, 7:53 am
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 22,116
Small data point for the cheap-buy-up-to-F-instead-of-play-the-UG lottery theory. I'm on UA 1794 tomorrow (MIA-IAH at 6:30 am). Booked a one-way last week for $100. Applied PP. On Tuesday, at T-72, it was J7 so I forced through an upgrade, but noticed on the app that I could upgrade for $180. The next morning, at T-48, F showed as booked full with no UGs. Presumably either lots of buy-ups, or other GS forcing through PPs? (F later dropped to 14/16; just checked now and it's 15/16 with one UG shown.)
Whether it’s general UA IT incompetence, or a designed campaign to make upgrades look less common than they are in order to spur buy-ups, I have no idea.
Apr 28, 2022, 8:54 am
#52
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,055
I wonder since there is a huge group of people who have PP expiration date of 7/31/22, that maybe upgrades will loosen up in 2nd half of the year? Maybe all those people are burning them now before they expire causing a surge in PP usage? I guess it depends on how many of those same people gain status again this year and have their points replenished in Fall. But I agree on the FC monetization. When I look at my flight in 3 weeks from ORD-CHS, over half of FC has already been bought...and I presume mostly leisure
Apr 28, 2022, 10:00 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United Global Services and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,002
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).
Go figure.
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.
I am flying EWR-SFO this Saturday. As usual I can't see any PN for next few days or next week.
My 5:30 pm flight is full in J. I will need to do SDC to move to a different flight, and hope more than 2 J seats are open. This way I'll try to call GS to force the upgrade.
Life would be really hard for 1Ks or below.
Apr 28, 2022, 10:48 am
#54
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 67,768
Apr 28, 2022, 12:11 pm
#56
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Central Florida
Programs: MP 1K/Onepass Plat 1MM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 562
Life Time customer value should be a major part of upgrade priority.
This can easily be done by using:
Current Premier Status Level + Million Miler Achievement Level + Fare Class to determine upgrade priority.
This can easily be done by using:
Current Premier Status Level + Million Miler Achievement Level + Fare Class to determine upgrade priority.
Apr 28, 2022, 12:16 pm
#57
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: IAH & CMH
Programs: UA GS, UA MM, Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Uber Platinum :)
Posts: 802
I wonder since there is a huge group of people who have PP expiration date of 7/31/22, that maybe upgrades will loosen up in 2nd half of the year? Maybe all those people are burning them now before they expire causing a surge in PP usage? I guess it depends on how many of those same people gain status again this year and have their points replenished in Fall. But I agree on the FC monetization. When I look at my flight in 3 weeks from ORD-CHS, over half of FC has already been bought...and I presume mostly leisure
I started booking other airlines when it made financial, or schedule sense for me last fall, and I've not once sat on a competitor's plane thinking 'I wish I was on United'. Once you stop being a slave to the individual programs flying becomes a better experience. For example, never again will I choose a 2 stop trip to Taipei in business class on United for work when I can fly direct on EVA.
I've spent $30K on other airlines to date this year... will probably end up around $50K on United for the year with approx another $30K on other airlines. I'm guessing that I'll still get GS, but losing it doesn't concern me at all. 90+% of my travel is international business anyhow, and I'm willing to pay for F for the 10% of my travel that's personal. There's simply nothing persuasive to fly United at the moment.
Apr 28, 2022, 12:22 pm
#58
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAH/EWR-LGA/MIA
Programs: UA Global Services 3.2 MM, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, AA Exec Plat, BA Gold
Posts: 2,576
I just booked a ticket to LHR in early September. Only one seat is taken on the High J 767-300 in Polaris - yet my GS PP is yup... waitlisted. One hour flight CMH-ORD on Monday - 8 open F seats yet my GS PP is... yup... waitlisted.
I started booking other airlines when it made financial, or schedule sense for me last fall, and I've not once sat on a competitor's plane thinking 'I wish I was on United'. Once you stop being a slave to the individual programs flying becomes a better experience. For example, never again will I choose a 2 stop trip to Taipei in business class on United for work when I can fly direct on EVA.
I've spent $30K on other airlines to date this year... will probably end up around $50K on United for the year with approx another $30K on other airlines. I'm guessing that I'll still get GS, but losing it doesn't concern me at all. 90+% of my travel is international business anyhow, and I'm willing to pay for F for the 10% of my travel that's personal. There's simply nothing persuasive to fly United at the moment.
I started booking other airlines when it made financial, or schedule sense for me last fall, and I've not once sat on a competitor's plane thinking 'I wish I was on United'. Once you stop being a slave to the individual programs flying becomes a better experience. For example, never again will I choose a 2 stop trip to Taipei in business class on United for work when I can fly direct on EVA.
I've spent $30K on other airlines to date this year... will probably end up around $50K on United for the year with approx another $30K on other airlines. I'm guessing that I'll still get GS, but losing it doesn't concern me at all. 90+% of my travel is international business anyhow, and I'm willing to pay for F for the 10% of my travel that's personal. There's simply nothing persuasive to fly United at the moment.
Apr 28, 2022, 12:34 pm
#59
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: IAH & CMH
Programs: UA GS, UA MM, Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Uber Platinum :)
Posts: 802
Do you get the annual PPs through the lifetime MM program? I thought you only got them if you actually qualified for status levels that specific year? I know my MM companion doesn't get any...
Apr 28, 2022, 12:45 pm
#60
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: PHL, EWR
Programs: UA Gold; DL Silver; Amtrak Select Plus;Hilton Diamond;Hyatt Disc;Hertz PC; Total Wine Grand Reserve!
Posts: 2,410
Yea it is crazy out there. I just checked the status of the PHL-ORD flight departing at today at 5:07PM and first class is booked full and there are 63 people on the upgrade list! Back at the beginning of the year during the surge of Omicron, these flights were going out mostly empty.