Five, if your ultimate concern is upgrades.

Maybe a few less if you have lots of baggage on the outbound. (When you split, companions lose the allowance - which the agents may "give you back".).

I haven't been in this situation, but what about splitting the PNRs, but not applying the GPU just to the 1K's reservation for now. If 3-4 clear, then apply the GPU. That way, OP is the last to clear into C and can preserve the E+ and luggage benefit for as long as possible. If anyone clears into C, then baggage is not an issue.

Only downside is if all 5 GPUs would have cleared at same time, but someone else pops in front of him after 4 clear.

As long as all the reservations have the same fare class, this shouldn't be necessary — should only need to apply the GPU for the 1K *last*. The order in advance is supposed to be (1) status of instrument holder, (2) fare class, (3) time of request.

Kudos to UA for working on PNR splitting
 

Did OLCI for flight tomorrow with family. Got to screen which asked if I wanted to be on UG list. Checked no. Finally. After finishing OLCI I checked list & I do not appear. Hopefully this will work! I say that since I've called in previously to request to be removed only to to get UG & PNR split. Nice job, UA, as this was always a problem when traveling with family.

Should I split my reservation?
 

I'm a Premier Platinum member on United and am flying with 4 other family members on a trip to Europe this coming March. We're all booked in economy "K" and have connecting flights in the U.S. both ways.

Here is what I read on United's website:

If I'm understanding this correctly I need to split my reservation to still be eligible for the complimentary upgrades for at least two of us flying. My question is do I really need to call or could I just use the "Separate Travelers" function on the United website?

Also, if I split the reservation it will leave two passengers with absolutely no status and therefore likely not be eligible for priority boarding / screening. Is this also the case?

What do you suggest I do? I want to maximize my upgrade opportunities but I also don't want to leave my family members behind.

Yes you can use that function.

Complimentary upgrades are only available on your domestic flights and if they don't clear prior to check in you will have to (again) split the reservation into single person PNR.

not an issue, you are allowed to bring family members with you even if on different PNR.

behind at security or boarding will not be an issue. On the plane will be a different story if upgraded.

Unless the domestic flights are long and you think there is a high chance of upgrading, I would not do it because of the added complexity it introduces. separate Online checkins, extra effort in the case of irrops, ...

more in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...split-pnr.html

Don't worry about maximizing your CPU opportunities, as free upgrades on international flights isn't happening anyway!!!

If you split your res your family members that are seated in the back on the domestic portion will be subject to riding in E- if a sweep occurs.

When to Split?
 

1K here, usually travel on my own but traveling in about a week or so from SFO-BOS with a (non-elite) companion on the same reservation (no bags to check); both have seats in E+ now. Showing 2 F available. If I'm reading this thread correctly I'm assuming:

1) If I leave the res as is, if only 1 upgrade is available at the 96 hour mark and I'm at the top of the list, it will pass over me and go to the next "single" reservation
2) If I split the res now, my companion should still be able to keep the E+ seat unless a sweep (not very likely) or equipment swap occurs.
3) If I don't split the res now there is a very small chance that my companion will get upgraded with me sometime between T-96 and T-24 if I'm first on the list AND both of those seats become available for upgrades
4) If I do split the res now I can still add my companion to the standby upgrade list at the airport and they will be prioritized as if they were a 1K.

So I'm leaning towards splitting now (or at least before 4 days out) given the circumstances. Any reason why I shouldn't besides #3 above? Thanks.

2 key questions:

1) How willing are you to be separated? Split if totally willing.
2) What's showing in terms of R space? I opted recently to keep paired because R was showing 7. Of course, 6 seats got filled and R went to 1 at T-96. Guess 6 other GS or 1K had priority ahead of me. But I still think I made the right gamble because I wanted to keep companion (child) with me. (FWIW, flight got cancelled anyway)

1) Totally willing, companion isn't a child or significant other
2) Showing F2 R0 right now. So prob not looking good even just for my upgrade.

Just a data point:

I'm traveling ORD-LAS tonight with a companion. T-24 came, and I saw that First Class was full (actually it kept going back between Full and 15 booked (+5 blocked), for whatever reason.

I chose NOT to check-in at all, because I knew I'd have to split. Overnight, we were upgraded. Had I checked in yesterday, I probably would have been upgraded, but my companion would not have, because in my experience once you split, your companion is no longer on the EUA list (they can only be upgraded at the airport). I've been burned by getting upgraded and seeing a bunch of people below my companion on the list get upgraded when this process runs.

Now, it's different if you have an instrument, because instruments will upgrade based on your status. But not for CPUs.

My general strategy is while waiting for a CPU w/companion that hasn't cleared on the outbound is to wait to check-in until T-3, when they traditionally release the remaining inventory into all buckets. Then I know the EUA process won't run anymore, and I'll split if it looks like there's a chance of being upgraded on the outbound. If it's an elite-heavy route where I know I'm not going to clear, I decline the split, so I can possibly get EUA on the return.

I think that typically occurs in an oversold situation where they may have to op-up people. Odd that it would go from 5 blocked to zero and back - I could see it moving one or two more easily.

Yeah it did this over and over again, and given all the cancellations and such it makes sense. However, point remains, that if there are multiple first class seats available, and I think there's a chance my companion and I will be upgraded prior to T-3, I wait to check-in until T-3.

I have a couple of trips coming up to Mexico and will be traveling with wife and child. I am Silver they have no status. We are all on the same PNR. Wife and I have no issues sitting apart if one of us can get the chance to sit in E+ or even first (don't laugh). I was thinking of splitting off my wife and keeping my child on my PNR to see if just the two us can get upgraded. I have never done a split before and have no idea how splitting a PNR works. Does it stay linked to the original PNR?

The split PNR linkage is weak but enough to maintain E+ access and checked bag benefit.

As for upgrading if you don't get upgrade by checkin, you will need to split the 2-person PNR to get a chance of a gate upgrade. If you don't want to chance getting only 1 person upgraded, then decline waitlisting for upgrades after checkin.

also see
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eeds-stop.html