16 and 17 can travel alone, so no issue with needing to be in same cabin as her.

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...s/default.aspx

Split her off and bundle with son. If she gets upgrade early then you can split son and if only one upgrade comes through he sits with her.

How do you split a PNR before check in?
 

We're flying LIH-HNL-SFO Party of two

First leg on Hawaiian, and I have a seat reservation for both of us on that flight.

Looking at the United upgrade space, it seems we have a chance to clear w CPUs, and so I'd like to split the PNR to maximize the chances, but now instead of at check in.

Do I have to call it in? Will the Hawaiian reservation (booked on United) be messed up?

Thanks

You can do it online using "Separate Travelers" or call it in.

If all UA, it should work fine BUT best not to do online if there are partner flights. So in this case you should call it in.

A few months after the merger, Dec. 2012, IIRC, I checked in at the airport for a combo UA/NH itinerary - UA domestic feeder to NH TPAC back to UA to BKK. I asked the agent not to split us - possible upgrade for an hour flight to ORD, even though was likely, wasn't worth messing up the NH segment. Of course, the agent checking us in split us anyway, and spent my time at the gate calling NH to confirm they still had both of our reservations properly. Also confirmed at ORD, and everything went just fine. In fact, the only issue was not getting a BP NRT-BKK until arriving in NRT - apparently had to do with the BKK flight being the same number as the UA flight from ORD-NRT, but is not bring on it.

So for us, worked out ok. However, I didn't want the stress of potentially having to fix a split record with ANA. The system handled it, but I wouldn't assume it works that flawlessly all the time - which is why I asked the agent to keep us on one reservation in the first place.

Honestly, I would say that if you are ok with the risk of the HA segment becoming an issue, go ahead, but potentially dealing with this on the day of travel isn't worth it to me. If you have a long time before travel, that may make it a bit easier to split as there is time to get any split on the HA side going wrong fixed. I definitely wouldn't do it on day-of intentionally, but that's me.

Whatever you choose, good luck.

Splitting off from a group reservation?
 

I'm on a group PNR next week and I'm the only elite in the group of around 12 people and I figured I had better split off on my own PNR in order to get E+ seating, added to upgrade list, etc. but when I asked about it via UA Twitter, they said it's impossible to split off on a group reservation. I asked about the upgrade list and they said I could only be added by an agent at the airport...huh? Is this correct or is this a case where I need to hang up and call (or Twitter) again??

Call in.

Ok, I called yesterday and was told that since it was a group reservation, it cannot be spit, but they said the group desk may be able to do it and since they were already closed, I called back today thinking I would get transferred to the group desk. Thankfully, the agent was able to split it for me and we didn't involve the group travel desk so it does take multiple Twitters and phone calls, but YES, a group reservation CAN be split.

Awesome. I don't count Twitter as a real interaction, but good to hear that it worked, despite the hurdles. I do remember an older thread on here about someone's daughter being split. Do you now have the arrow and the benefits outlined? Actually, two of you being split would have been better (for the 2nd pax) in terms of allowance, E+ and possibility of companion CPU.

Yep...in E+ now and on the upgrade list automatically after OLCI.

Question:

I asked this a few months ago, but kind of forgot the answer (and want some reassurance). I'm a Premier Silver and my mother is a general member. Usually, we never split on the outbound, and only split on the return when we aren't flying international or have segments with any codeshare/Star partners.

Going there, I will be able to put us both in Economy Plus (baggage waiver isn't important as we don't check luggage), and unlike most flights where I have a good sense that there aren't going to be any FC seats for Platinums let alone Silvers, this flight has a completely empty FC Cabin, and only four seats are taken in Economy Plus.

Considering that Check-IN starts in about two hours, I have reason to believe we would have a fair shot at the CPU.

Anyway, my question concerns the return when we've already been split up. How will I be able to move us both into Economy Plus on the return? If I can't get my mother in Plus on the return due to two separate reservations, I might not split us on the outbound. With her leg problems, I'd prefer to sit Economy Plus (especially in row 7 of the E-175) both ways, then have a nice seat going there, and giving her no room to stretch out on the return.

Thanks!

I am a United Gold traveling on a reservation with one non-elite (my mother) for a flight in 36 hours. If there is one seat left in 1st, do I need to split my reservation before the check in at 24 hours to have a chance at an upgrade? Thanks!

(With 50 hours to go, there were 11 open 1st class seats and only 6 other people traveling in E+ -- yet somehow, I wasn't upgraded at 48 hours. Incidently, 5 of the 6 people in E+ are all co-workers with United Gold traveling on their own reservations, 4 with the same fare class as me and 1 with an award ticket, and all were upgraded to 1st at the 48 hour mark. In the past, traveling solo, I've always been upgraded before most of these co-workers, presumably because I have a Mileageplus credit card and book early whereas most of them book at the last minute and do not have a United CC. Adding a non-elite to my reservation changed the formula somehow.)

Yes, you do. With two pax on the reservation, the upgrade will only clear if there are two seats open for upgrade.

Thanks!

You'll need to call and have reservations assign E+ seats (if available) at T-24 as you won't be able to do it if she's in a separate PNR.

If you can't select an E+ seat for her online at check-in, either call at t-24 or explain the situation at the gate desk. They should upgrade her if there are seats available.