exerda

Bingo; at this point, I don't care about CPUs. I just want my instruments to clear once in a while!

mkr

Hi all,

I've been away from this forum for many months, but noticed this (subtle) change announced on the MP website. I searched this forum and could not find this announced anywhere, so Mods, please forgive me if it was already announced. I received no email from MP about this change.

The change in Complimentary Upgrades priority order is found in the "Upgrades Overview" for Mileage Plus on the website. ( I am unable to add link, Mods, please feel free to do so.)

After Feb.1, 2016, only 1K (and GS) who are waitlisted for upgrades will be included in the first priority level for CPUs within the 5 day upgrade window on eligible Y, B, (& M) fares.
All other Premier members are no longer included in this first priority level for CPUs.

Does anyone have a realistic explanation for this change?
Happy Holidays.

mherdeg

There is another thread about this. One speculation is that people buying government YCA fares will no longer clear if they don't book in advance and if they're elite but not 1K.

SEA1K4EVR

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eb-2016-a.html

Here you go... there was no announcement from UA... an eagle eyed FTer noticed it and posted it here a few days ago... we don't know for sure precisely how it's going to work (ie, what booking code the YB instant upgrades will even clear into after Feb 1). But as a 1K this will be better for you..

emcampbe

You're confusing two different things.

Elite upgrades on Y & B fares are completely different from CPUs - don't even come from the same bucket. And Plats and below don't get CPU eligibility until 3 days at most. Using the term 'CPU' in reference to a change on upgrades on Y & B fares just going to confuse things. Which also makes the thread title misleading.

Kacee

Agree at the margins there's some uncertainty. But the primary impact of this change is pretty clear, namely that lower tier elites (Silver, Gold, Plats) on Y/B fares will no longer have priority over instruments.

mkr

It all depends on the definition of CPU. If one will read the MileagePlus section on the UA website, it categorizes the YBM upgrades under the general heading of Complimentary Premier Upgrades.

The YBM instant upgrades are capacity controlled. Not all M fares are eligible for these upgrades. One must be a Premier Member in order to receive a YB or M upgrade. It does not matter what fare bucket from which the upgrades come. They are not completely automatic. These are therefore "Complimentary " upgrades.

Regardless of how you want to call them, the main point is that after Feb.1, as has been pointed out, Platinum and below Premier members waitlisted on Y &B fares will no longer be in the first priority level for upgrades within the 5 day window.

Is United attempting here to coax Platinum members and below to purchase Y & B fares even further in advance?

Often1

I don't think so. I also don't think that the YCA thing is an issue. As to the date of purchase, it really doesn't matter to UA. The only real issue here is likely that certs will come ahead of Y/B UG's for <1K's. There is nothing in the announcement which suggests to me that UA will toss the Y/B's into the general pool of what is often thought of as CPU's, e.g., any elite on a published coach fare.

As to YCA, if UA wanted to bounce those folks, all it needs to do is make YCA fares ineligible either for UG's at all or for Y-UP.

Kacee

Yeah, and if we're going to speculate about the purpose of this change, it seems to me most likely that UA is responding to complaints by 1K and Plats about difficulty clearing RPUs on domestic routes.

It's always seemed to me an anomaly that a Silver on a B fare had priority over a 1K or Plat on an RPU, and this fixes that.

Often1

But, I don't read anything I've seen as suggesting that a 1K on some discounted coach fare will beat out a Silver on a B fare as some seem to hope for. That would make zero economic sense for UA.

SEA1K4EVR

Well that is exactly what is going to happen...seems pretty clear to me..and it doesn't necessarily make zero economic sense either based on any single flight. If the silver buys their ticket well in advance, and whatever bucket is available to clear into instantly for the upgrade then they will get it. But, if it's purchased a few days in advance and there are no upgrade seats available then they will go on the list. Their B fare will put them at the top of the list of all of the silvers (behind only the Y's). Even a Gold on an N fare will be ahead of them. That's the new reality after Feb 1.

Kacee

That's exactly what the new language says will happen within 5 days of departure.

Hipplewm

This really blows if you buy 90% of your tickets within 5 days of departure

/waves goodbye to upgrades, at least until I hit 1K

cmculp

The YCA issue is non-sense.

First, United effectively exited the government contract market this year...they really have no transcon contracts at all in 2016. Even if that was the issue, YCA could have been exempted....

Second, the YCA fares typically are more expensive than the discounted premium fares (which government employees can't buy). Not always..there are examples of pretty aggressive contract bids, but frequently. THe overwhelming majority of government travel is via the capacity controlled fares (which are VCA or lower).An example - From Honolulu, my home, the only United contract to the east coast is ATL. $316 VCA / $636 YCA. $618 P fare available to the general public. Most travelers will be in VCA, the few in YCA would gladly pay less for first. But they can't.

The YCA fliers are significantly affected by this change....the vast majority are not high level elites, and the government ticketing policy is 3 days prior to travel. But there are very few that this applies to.

The idea, frequently but erroneously depicted on FT, is of a $109 silver YCA out of IAD trumping a "real" fare 1K. Utter nonsense. As one data point, my 50/50 government and personal travel in 2015 yielded 160K PQMs and 20K PQDs.

PIT_Flyer

Maybe I am mistaken (and apologies if this has been asked earlier), but isn't PN only for GS? Or is that only for international upgrades (using GPUs or miles)? I'm a 1K and was looking for international upgrades using my GPU, but saw a bunch of flights with R=0 and PN>0. Are these PNs limited to GS or do 1K upgrades come out of PN as well?

Thanks...