Jan 27, 2024, 4:51 pm
The way of the Dodo? - 1K upgrades, PP or CPU
Mar 9, 2023, 3:25 pm
#706
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,220
rcch0 I cannot answer your question, but I did notice on one of my flights a couple of weeks ago there was an upgrade list and a seat available. The seat was not taken but when I looked on the flight status after we landed it showed #1 on the upgrade list had been upgraded and assigned the seat. I can assure you no one sat in the seat. The upgrade was not showing before the door closed and I was curious if the list was going to be run. It was obviously run after the doors closed.
If I were the pax i would have been miffed! CPU or not
If I were the pax i would have been miffed! CPU or not
Mar 9, 2023, 3:25 pm
#707
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,710
I had a weird CPU experience happen yesterday that I wanted to see if anyone on FT could answer...
Me (1K) was 3/7 on the upgrade list, and my partner (Silver, on separate PNR) was 6/7. At T-60 or T-30 (can't remember; whatever the automated upgrade clear time is for YYZ-EWR), everyone on the upgrade list cleared except for me and my partner. There were still 3 seats left in J, so I held out hope.
Unfortunately, the plane departed and we were not upgraded. The 3 seats in J were left empty.
I was refreshing the upgrade list pretty frequently on the day of the flight, and I'm pretty sure the ordering list never changed. Does anyone know why this might've happened, and why we were the only ones left in Y? Obviously not a big deal at all on such a short flight, but mostly for my own curiosity.
Me (1K) was 3/7 on the upgrade list, and my partner (Silver, on separate PNR) was 6/7. At T-60 or T-30 (can't remember; whatever the automated upgrade clear time is for YYZ-EWR), everyone on the upgrade list cleared except for me and my partner. There were still 3 seats left in J, so I held out hope.
Unfortunately, the plane departed and we were not upgraded. The 3 seats in J were left empty.
I was refreshing the upgrade list pretty frequently on the day of the flight, and I'm pretty sure the ordering list never changed. Does anyone know why this might've happened, and why we were the only ones left in Y? Obviously not a big deal at all on such a short flight, but mostly for my own curiosity.
Mar 9, 2023, 10:00 pm
#708
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat, DL Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 41
rcch0 I cannot answer your question, but I did notice on one of my flights a couple of weeks ago there was an upgrade list and a seat available. The seat was not taken but when I looked on the flight status after we landed it showed #1 on the upgrade list had been upgraded and assigned the seat. I can assure you no one sat in the seat. The upgrade was not showing before the door closed and I was curious if the list was going to be run. It was obviously run after the doors closed.
If I were the pax i would have been miffed! CPU or not
If I were the pax i would have been miffed! CPU or not
Mar 10, 2023, 7:14 am
#709
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EP, B6 M4
Posts: 22
Also, in the past when we were on the same confirmation it's upgraded both of us at T-96, so I thought it would respect the higher status of the two?
Mar 10, 2023, 9:45 am
#710
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,710
We were on different itineraries / confirmations though... Which made me even more confused. Even if they somehow lumped us together through computer magic, there were still two adjacent seats (1C and 1D) left empty in J.
Also, in the past when we were on the same confirmation it's upgraded both of us at T-96, so I thought it would respect the higher status of the two?
Also, in the past when we were on the same confirmation it's upgraded both of us at T-96, so I thought it would respect the higher status of the two?
Mar 10, 2023, 1:41 pm
#711
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott lifetime Platinum
Posts: 381
Herd has certainly not thinned. I am 2 of 11 this year on upgrades as a 1K, including some on some very high fares.
ORD-LAX (fail)
LAX-ORD (fail)
ORD-PHX (upgraded with PPs)
PHX-ORD (#48 as a 1K!!!! Granted this was the day after the Super Bowl)
ORD-DEN (upgraded via CPU on a high density 777 at 24 hours... surprise!)
DEN-SLC (fail)
SLC-ORD (fail on a B fare)
ORD-DEN (fail on a Y fare)
DEN-ORD (fail)
ORD-ATL (fail)
ATL-ORD (fail)
ORD-LAX (fail)
LAX-ORD (fail)
ORD-PHX (upgraded with PPs)
PHX-ORD (#48 as a 1K!!!! Granted this was the day after the Super Bowl)
ORD-DEN (upgraded via CPU on a high density 777 at 24 hours... surprise!)
DEN-SLC (fail)
SLC-ORD (fail on a B fare)
ORD-DEN (fail on a Y fare)
DEN-ORD (fail)
ORD-ATL (fail)
ATL-ORD (fail)
Mar 10, 2023, 1:43 pm
#712
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,498
Mar 10, 2023, 2:20 pm
#713
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA/NYC/IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,936
Isn't next year the real cliff? i.e. most people either (re)qualified at the lower 2022 number or were outright extended from what I recall. So, I'd expect no real improvement until January 2024.
Mar 10, 2023, 3:46 pm
#715
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Herd has certainly not thinned. I am 2 of 11 this year on upgrades as a 1K, including some on some very high fares.
ORD-LAX (fail)
LAX-ORD (fail)
ORD-PHX (upgraded with PPs)
PHX-ORD (#48 as a 1K!!!! Granted this was the day after the Super Bowl)
ORD-DEN (upgraded via CPU on a high density 777 at 24 hours... surprise!)
DEN-SLC (fail)
SLC-ORD (fail on a B fare)
ORD-DEN (fail on a Y fare)
DEN-ORD (fail)
ORD-ATL (fail)
ATL-ORD (fail)
ORD-LAX (fail)
LAX-ORD (fail)
ORD-PHX (upgraded with PPs)
PHX-ORD (#48 as a 1K!!!! Granted this was the day after the Super Bowl)
ORD-DEN (upgraded via CPU on a high density 777 at 24 hours... surprise!)
DEN-SLC (fail)
SLC-ORD (fail on a B fare)
ORD-DEN (fail on a Y fare)
DEN-ORD (fail)
ORD-ATL (fail)
ATL-ORD (fail)
Mar 10, 2023, 7:12 pm
#716
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Alexandria, Longboat Key
Programs: UA Gold Marriott Gold AA Gold Choice Gold Wyndham PLAT IHG PLAT Avis President's Club Amtrak Select
Posts: 2,263
Herd has certainly not thinned. I am 2 of 11 this year on upgrades as a 1K, including some on some very high fares.
ORD-LAX (fail)
LAX-ORD (fail)
ORD-PHX (upgraded with PPs)
PHX-ORD (#48 as a 1K!!!! Granted this was the day after the Super Bowl)
ORD-DEN (upgraded via CPU on a high density 777 at 24 hours... surprise!)
DEN-SLC (fail)
SLC-ORD (fail on a B fare)
ORD-DEN (fail on a Y fare)
DEN-ORD (fail)
ORD-ATL (fail)
ATL-ORD (fail)
ORD-LAX (fail)
LAX-ORD (fail)
ORD-PHX (upgraded with PPs)
PHX-ORD (#48 as a 1K!!!! Granted this was the day after the Super Bowl)
ORD-DEN (upgraded via CPU on a high density 777 at 24 hours... surprise!)
DEN-SLC (fail)
SLC-ORD (fail on a B fare)
ORD-DEN (fail on a Y fare)
DEN-ORD (fail)
ORD-ATL (fail)
ATL-ORD (fail)
Mar 10, 2023, 7:17 pm
#717
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Alexandria, Longboat Key
Programs: UA Gold Marriott Gold AA Gold Choice Gold Wyndham PLAT IHG PLAT Avis President's Club Amtrak Select
Posts: 2,263
Correct. Next year, I am going to drop down to Gold. With the previous qualification, I would only be dropping down to Platinum. Under the new qualification for 2023, I would only have made Platinum last year and that is based on PQP only rather than the PQF + PQP.
Mar 10, 2023, 7:25 pm
#718
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL GM/MM, HH Dia, PC Plat, MR Gold, ALL Sil,
Posts: 4,554
My wife on a YN (award) fare ORD-SFO on Saturday is >#30 on the upgrade waitlist. And here I thought Saturday would be a good day for upgrades. Tough route.
Mar 13, 2023, 2:38 pm
#719
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
There is no real cliff. I've been in this game for 20 years. Every year people say this is the January/February where we finally get rid of all those lite 1Ks who can't requalify. It never happens. There are always new elites to take their places.
Mar 13, 2023, 2:53 pm
#720
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 64
and there are plenty of lower status flyers who willingly pay to sit up front. I won’t play the status loyalty game because in the end it’s just not worth the return on your loyalty investment. Whichever airline if I want to sit up front I will pay to do so and not leave it to chance. United will take my money first before they place a GS/1K in a free upgrade.