Skipped on upgrade list
 

Flying SEA to EWR, with 36min to departure time first shows full with 15 out of 16 passengers checked-in.

I'm essentially waiting for the last F pax to no show so I can clear the UG. ​​​I'm #1 on the UG list and I board the plane.

One min after at 35min to departure #2 pax on UG list clears. I'm still #1, but now F is full.

​​​The only reason I notice is because I took screenshots of the UG list the day before, about 36 min before departure and right after #2 pax cleared.

Could #2 have bought up the upgrade? Most likely not as F was full and there was still 5min prior to check in ending 30min prior to departure.

There was no seat to be bought until either the gate agente dropped the last F pax due to now show or the system did. Either way #2 pax would have had to immediately paid for the upgrade within<1min of one seat freeing up. (Why? Because I was refreshing that list every 30sec in the last 5min hoping the last F pax would no show.

My hypothesis is that the gate agente skipped me and jumped #2 to F ahead of me. Pax could not have been an F sitting in Y as there were 6 seats open at one point the day before. Useless PP with 1k on B fare not enough to clear the UG list.

Any thoughts? Other possible hypothesis?

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Ouch don't do that, self-inflicted wound. The YBM-Up would have had higher priority.

Regardless, sounds like you got hosed. It's possible this was a buy-up, but unlikely for the reasons you describe.

To be clear, you're talking about the upgrade list on the app, right?

I've recently noticed some (thankfully, infrequent) discrepancies between the ordering on the app and the ordering on the web. In the one case I was able to track, the app list seemed to be correct, but I wonder if it's something like the upgrade list used depends upon the manner in which the upgrades are processed. (This used to be the case with the visible vs. invisible list of days gone by, but I thought they'd sorted all of that out when they started making lists visible in advance of check-in).

As pointed out above, YBM-up would have been waiting on PN, which is higher than the PZ wait you pushed yourself down to by applying PPs. May not have helped in this situation, anyway.

This. I have applied PP to YBM and watched myself drop down the list. I then to moved back up the list once the PP were removed.

Similar observation.

I now no longer apply PP on domestic flights. In most cases, I cannot clear within the 72 hour window anyway, and just on rely on CPU. I am 95% of time on top of the CPU list versus a couple of slots down when applying PP. I have cleared upgrades more often from CPU list versus applying PP (this may vary based on routes and other factors, and just my own experience).

Just to be clear, this only applies to 1Ks & on Y, B and M fares. Does not apply to any other situation.

Yeah, the OP would have gotten the UG w/o applying +Ps. Tough lesson.

OP is a 1K on a B fare who waitlisted for PZ with PP on a CPU-eligible route.

My guess is that the #2 on the waitlist might have been a Platinum on a Y or B fare who opened the app and saw the Premier Instant Upgrade Button.

Which the OP 1K wouldn't have gotten w/ PPs applied...

Yes, because a mileage upgrade would have also waitlisted for PZ. Important for a 1K to never request a mileage upgrade or PlusPoints upgrade if on a YBM fare on a CPU-eligible route

More likely a 1K ( on Y/B or M) as Plats are not waitlist eligible in this circumstances. Note the 1K may have been lower priority due to fare (M?) or one of the other priority factors.

But if the 2nd 1K did not use PlusPoints / miles, there should have been on the PN waitlist -- maybe they realize their error and removed PlusPoints?

Except anyone actually on the PN list should have been ahead of OP on the app list..

If the second 1K did not use PlusPoints/miles, they would have been number one on the waitlist, as they would have been waiting for PN.

Waitlisting with PlusPoints/miles for a 1K cues the system to add a waitlist segment for PZ class.

Am I reading the documentation wrong? all premiers are eligible for instant upgrade on Y/B, 1K's on M. https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...des-types.html