Jan 13, 2024, 11:09 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is United Silver Status - Experiences/Q&A
Qualification Requirements
PQM: 25,000
PQS: 30
PQD: $3,000*
4 flight segments on UA or United Express
*PQD requirement is waived if either of the two conditions are met:
1. With $25k spend on across Chase UA Visa cards where the MileagePlus member is the primary cardholder
2. MileagePlus member is a current, primary cardholder of United MileagePlus Presidential Plus Card
Marriott Titanium members also receive complimentary Premier Silver Status
Published Benefits
Complimentary Access to Economy Plus: At check-in
Economy Plus companions allowed: 1
Complimentary Premier Upgrades: Yes
Complimentary Premier Upgrades for companion: Yes
Complimentary Premier Upgrades confirmation: Day of departure
Instant upgrades on Y- or B-class full-fare economy tickets
500 PQM minimum accrual: Yes
Award miles on United and United Express and select partner airlines: 7 x fare
Priority check-in: Yes
Priority screening: Yes (where available)
Boarding group: 2
Priority baggage handling: Yes
Dedicated phone line: Yes
Access to most sold-out flights: Yes
Complimentary checked baggage allowance for domestic economy tickets: 1 bag at 50lbs (23 kg)
Unrestricted access to Standard Awards on UA and UX: Yes
Better access to Saver Awards: Yes
Booking a MileagePlus award ticket by phone: $25
Close-in ( T-24)?
A: Yes (it may appear to want to charge you but it should not
Q: What are the odds I will get a CPU?
A: Sadly, much lower than you probably want to believe. There seems to be slightly better odds on typical vacation routes--e.g., CUN, MCO, FLL, etc.
Q: I checked in exactly at T-24, and my name was #1 on the upgrade list. A few hours later, I'm suddenly #10 on the list! What gives?
A: This post gives a good explanation why. Basically, those with higher upgrade priority checked-in after you, and they be placed above you on the upgrade list. The harsh reality is that you only have priority only above non-rev travelers.
Q: I'm Marriott Titanium Elite, how do I get my Premier Silver status?
A: Go to https://mrrewardsplus.com/en_US/
Q: If I requalify as a Marriott Titanium Elite, do I have to renew my complimentary Premier Silver status every year?
A: Yes
Q: How can I get a United MileagePlus Presidential Plus Card?
A: Sorry, it is no longer offered.
Q: I qualified for Premier Silver this year (2016). The expiration date on the app says 1/31/2017. Shouldn't it be 1/31/2018?
A: The expiration date will automatically update to 2018 in 2017.
Qualification Requirements
PQM: 25,000
PQS: 30
PQD: $3,000*
4 flight segments on UA or United Express
*PQD requirement is waived if either of the two conditions are met:
1. With $25k spend on across Chase UA Visa cards where the MileagePlus member is the primary cardholder
2. MileagePlus member is a current, primary cardholder of United MileagePlus Presidential Plus Card
Marriott Titanium members also receive complimentary Premier Silver Status
Published Benefits
Complimentary Access to Economy Plus: At check-in
Economy Plus companions allowed: 1
Complimentary Premier Upgrades: Yes
Complimentary Premier Upgrades for companion: Yes
Complimentary Premier Upgrades confirmation: Day of departure
Instant upgrades on Y- or B-class full-fare economy tickets
500 PQM minimum accrual: Yes
Award miles on United and United Express and select partner airlines: 7 x fare
Priority check-in: Yes
Priority screening: Yes (where available)
Boarding group: 2
Priority baggage handling: Yes
Dedicated phone line: Yes
Access to most sold-out flights: Yes
Complimentary checked baggage allowance for domestic economy tickets: 1 bag at 50lbs (23 kg)
Unrestricted access to Standard Awards on UA and UX: Yes
Better access to Saver Awards: Yes
Booking a MileagePlus award ticket by phone: $25
Close-in ( T-24)?
A: Yes (it may appear to want to charge you but it should not
Q: What are the odds I will get a CPU?
A: Sadly, much lower than you probably want to believe. There seems to be slightly better odds on typical vacation routes--e.g., CUN, MCO, FLL, etc.
Q: I checked in exactly at T-24, and my name was #1 on the upgrade list. A few hours later, I'm suddenly #10 on the list! What gives?
A: This post gives a good explanation why. Basically, those with higher upgrade priority checked-in after you, and they be placed above you on the upgrade list. The harsh reality is that you only have priority only above non-rev travelers.
Q: I'm Marriott Titanium Elite, how do I get my Premier Silver status?
A: Go to https://mrrewardsplus.com/en_US/
Q: If I requalify as a Marriott Titanium Elite, do I have to renew my complimentary Premier Silver status every year?
A: Yes
Q: How can I get a United MileagePlus Presidential Plus Card?
A: Sorry, it is no longer offered.
Q: I qualified for Premier Silver this year (2016). The expiration date on the app says 1/31/2017. Shouldn't it be 1/31/2018?
A: The expiration date will automatically update to 2018 in 2017.
United Silver Status - Experiences/Q&A {Archive}
Aug 12, 2018, 10:53 pm
#1306
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
Silver's best opportunities for upgrades would be to/from smaller outside.
Upgrades for Silver should not be expect as a regular occurrence on mainline flights.
Aug 13, 2018, 4:09 am
#1307
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 519
It's all timing. I got upgrade BOS-DEN on a Saturday 5:50am flight and ORD-BOS Sunday 9pm flight.
Last edited by PATRLR; Aug 13, 2018 at 9:26 am
Aug 13, 2018, 8:53 am
#1308
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 78
I'm based at MCO and am in my second year as a Silver. My upgrades are few and far between for a few reasons. I will address your question first.
1) As a city, I would not consider MCO to be elite heavy. Most colleagues in my business fly Delta.
2) As a destination, MCO draws in a lot of elites for business conferences. Also, families will use their award miles to book an entire row in F for their vacation to Disney. So, this starts to minimize your upgrade chances.
3) Remember your upgrades are based on (in no particular order) fare class, date of booking and current status. My clients book my travel and usually get T-W tickets. That will put me at the bottom of the upgrade list. If you are buying your own tickets, a B ticket would yield a higher spot on the upgrade list.
4) Time of day is also a consideration. There will be more available F seats on the 6AM flights out of MCO. I have no interest in getting up that early, so, I fly out during rush-hour, again, reducing my chances of an upgrade.
Fly safe.
1) As a city, I would not consider MCO to be elite heavy. Most colleagues in my business fly Delta.
2) As a destination, MCO draws in a lot of elites for business conferences. Also, families will use their award miles to book an entire row in F for their vacation to Disney. So, this starts to minimize your upgrade chances.
3) Remember your upgrades are based on (in no particular order) fare class, date of booking and current status. My clients book my travel and usually get T-W tickets. That will put me at the bottom of the upgrade list. If you are buying your own tickets, a B ticket would yield a higher spot on the upgrade list.
4) Time of day is also a consideration. There will be more available F seats on the 6AM flights out of MCO. I have no interest in getting up that early, so, I fly out during rush-hour, again, reducing my chances of an upgrade.
Fly safe.
Aug 13, 2018, 9:04 am
#1309
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,422
3) Remember your upgrades are based on (in no particular order) fare class, date of booking and current status. My clients book my travel and usually get T-W tickets. That will put me at the bottom of the upgrade list. If you are buying your own tickets, a B ticket would yield a higher spot on the upgrade list.
Purchasing a B fare class just to get an upgrade is generally an awful idea. If you have a travel policy that requires unrestricted tickets (no change or cancellation fee), you might end up with a B or a Y fare; there's rarely any other reason to buy one domestically. They're generally much more expensive than a discount first class ticket would be, so just buy the first class ticket and forget upgrading.
As there are two upgrade lists -- a hidden one used for upgrades in advance and a visible one used at the gate -- you should check in at T-24 for the best upgrade odds. However, understand that UA is very good at selling first class seats, all the way up until 30 minutes prior to departure. Upgrades for a Silver should be treated as a welcome surprise.
Aug 14, 2018, 7:05 am
#1310
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 78
And, I also agree that an upgrade as a Silver shouldn't be expected, but, appreciated when recieved. The primary benefit that I receive is the E+ seat.
Thanks
Aug 14, 2018, 7:35 am
#1311
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 14
I didn't know this. So just to clarify, if I'm traveling with a non-status companion on the same reservation and check us in at T-24, we're both no longer CPU eligible if I don't split the reservation? And if I do split at check-in, does that mean that my companion is no longer CPU eligible?
Aug 14, 2018, 7:51 am
#1312
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,422
I didn't know this. So just to clarify, if I'm traveling with a non-status companion on the same reservation and check us in at T-24, we're both no longer CPU eligible if I don't split the reservation? And if I do split at check-in, does that mean that my companion is no longer CPU eligible?
Your companion will be CPU-eligible, at least on the outbound. If it's a round-trip ticket and you split on the outbound, the companion may not appear on the CPU list on the return flight -- reports vary.
Aug 14, 2018, 9:28 am
#1313
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SLC
Programs: United Gold, Hilton Silver, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 768
During check-in, it'l ask you if you want to be added to the upgrade list. Saying yes will split the reservation. So, your first statement is effectively correct, but the cause-and-effect is backward from your point of view.
Your companion will be CPU-eligible, at least on the outbound. If it's a round-trip ticket and you split on the outbound, the companion may not appear on the CPU list on the return flight -- reports vary.
Your companion will be CPU-eligible, at least on the outbound. If it's a round-trip ticket and you split on the outbound, the companion may not appear on the CPU list on the return flight -- reports vary.
A few weeks ago, we were upgraded both directions to MCO. We conntected through IAH on the way out, and our IAH-MCO portion was upgraded. Coming back, we were both upgraded MCO-DEN at T-24. This was after our reservation was split on the outbound. So if the system is running as it should be, the upgrade eligibility will remain for a return after a split on the outbound.
Aug 14, 2018, 12:22 pm
#1314
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
I got my second upgrade of 2018 yesterday. I cleared at T-24 for the 9:30 PM ORD-RDU 737-800. This year:
- First Class: 2/16
- E+ 14/14
I've been pretty happy.
- First Class: 2/16
- E+ 14/14
I've been pretty happy.
Aug 14, 2018, 7:19 pm
#1315
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 78
Anyone with experiences on upgrades for international flights? Have two flights originating from ORD to HKG and another one from ORD to HND next year. Wondering if I should put my segments to my AC account or try my luck with the E+ upgrade on the long haul flights.
Aug 14, 2018, 7:33 pm
#1316
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
That being said, I have flown many times from ORD to HKG and usually E+ is rather empty until passengers start checking in (and some don't check-in until 1 or 2 hours before the flight) which means that if you are United Silver you should easily get a seat in E+ at T-24.
If you are not UA Silver, you can only get E+ seats if you don't select a seat and if E is all fully occupied the last passengers to check in get seats in E+ (but they may be middle seats). But if you are starting in Canada maybe you have to check-in before E is fully occupied.
Last edited by StuckinITH; Aug 14, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Aug 14, 2018, 7:37 pm
#1317
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,044
How important is it to you to sit in E+? I flew ORD-HKG-SIN when Silver and paid for E+. Didn't want to take the chance of being stuck in E-.
Aug 14, 2018, 9:05 pm
#1318
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 78
First, you should not say that getting an E+ seat is an upgrade. It's not considered an upgrade since you remain in the same fare class. But E+ has more space between rows.
That being said, I have flown many times from ORD to HKG and usually E+ is rather empty until passengers start checking in (and some don't check-in until 1 or 2 hours before the flight) which means that if you are United Silver you should easily get a seat in E+ at T-24.
If you are not UA Silver, you can only get E+ seats if you don't select a seat and if E is all fully occupied the last passengers to check in get seats in E+ (but they may be middle seats). But if you are starting in Canada maybe you have to check-in before E is fully occupied.
That being said, I have flown many times from ORD to HKG and usually E+ is rather empty until passengers start checking in (and some don't check-in until 1 or 2 hours before the flight) which means that if you are United Silver you should easily get a seat in E+ at T-24.
If you are not UA Silver, you can only get E+ seats if you don't select a seat and if E is all fully occupied the last passengers to check in get seats in E+ (but they may be middle seats). But if you are starting in Canada maybe you have to check-in before E is fully occupied.
If E- fills up, would the people buying the E- fares not just get free dibs on E+? Or do they just have unassigned seats until check-in? I would originating from Canada as ORD is just the hub/connection to HKG and HND so I would check in earlier than the connection time (which I read allows me to procure seats for the connecting flight as well at T-24 for the first segment.
Aug 15, 2018, 5:07 am
#1319
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Ah, my flight terminology is not the greatest. Thanks for clarifying that. I am UA Silver and yes, to me an "upgrade" would be just getting E+ (if not an upgrade, it is something that is available for complimentary choosing, pending availability at T-24 given I already picked seats in E-)?
If E- fills up, would the people buying the E- fares not just get free dibs on E+? Or do they just have unassigned seats until check-in? I would originating from Canada as ORD is just the hub/connection to HKG and HND so I would check in earlier than the connection time (which I read allows me to procure seats for the connecting flight as well at T-24 for the first segment.
The extra leg space would be nice given I am 6'0, however as I would not be travelling alone, just upgrading that segment for 2 people would be about 400 USD and being Canadian, even more painful! It really is just the long haul there that I want the E+ as I want to arrive slightly more freshened up and relaxed than I would have been if I were in E-.
If E- fills up, would the people buying the E- fares not just get free dibs on E+? Or do they just have unassigned seats until check-in? I would originating from Canada as ORD is just the hub/connection to HKG and HND so I would check in earlier than the connection time (which I read allows me to procure seats for the connecting flight as well at T-24 for the first segment.
The extra leg space would be nice given I am 6'0, however as I would not be travelling alone, just upgrading that segment for 2 people would be about 400 USD and being Canadian, even more painful! It really is just the long haul there that I want the E+ as I want to arrive slightly more freshened up and relaxed than I would have been if I were in E-.
My experience on flights to Asia is that a lot of passengers don't choose their seats or get assigned one until check-in. Maybe they buy their tickets through a travel agency or a consolidator?
Yes, $400 is a lot of money and even worse is that usually there's a return flight that is another $400.
I forgot to add that once you have secured your E+ seats, if these are not your preferred seats, keep checking the seat map as there may be some passengers that are waitlisted for upgrade to Polaris Business. And those upgrades may clear. You can even get a bulkhead like that.
Last edited by StuckinITH; Aug 15, 2018 at 6:15 am Reason: Added information about keep checking the seat map
Aug 15, 2018, 8:14 am
#1320
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 14
During check-in, it'l ask you if you want to be added to the upgrade list. Saying yes will split the reservation. So, your first statement is effectively correct, but the cause-and-effect is backward from your point of view.
Your companion will be CPU-eligible, at least on the outbound. If it's a round-trip ticket and you split on the outbound, the companion may not appear on the CPU list on the return flight -- reports vary.
Your companion will be CPU-eligible, at least on the outbound. If it's a round-trip ticket and you split on the outbound, the companion may not appear on the CPU list on the return flight -- reports vary.
As a Silver, I've always tried to check-in right at T-24 to snag decent E+ seats. Ironically, in all the instances I've traveled with my wife (non-status companion), we've been on non-CPU eligible flights, so this issue never popped up