Difference between 'pending' and 'waitlisted' UG
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: UA Gold; Million Miler
Posts: 78
Difference between 'pending' and 'waitlisted' UG
I know what 'waitlisted' means when one requests an upgrade but I have just requested a domestic upgrade (using 500 miles upgrade paper) and dotBomb tells me that the upgrade is 'pending' (whereas a request for the outgoing flight on the same journey just notes 'waitlisted'. Does 'pending' simply mean 'about to be waitlisted' or what...?
#2




Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA EXP, HH Gold,MR Gold, Avis CHM
Posts: 2,300
Pending shows when you request the upgrade. Waitlisted shows when you are within your window for upgrade.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA 1K MM, SPG Plat For Life, Marriott Plat, Nexus/GlobalEntry
Posts: 9,198
Pending=outside your clearance window for an e500 upgrade. As a 1p, your window opens 72 hours before the flight. A that time you'll either be confirmed or waitlisted.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: UA Gold; Million Miler
Posts: 78
Thanks for that clarification!
Thanks for the clarification!
#5
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA: Platinum
Posts: 115
And I have yet to figure out the waitlist thing. This is strange to me but maybe not to you who know better. My wife and I are both Premier Exec with United. We both booked round trip tickets at the same time on the same flight. We both requested upgrade at the exact same time on two different computers.
The flight departs tomorrow and I have been upgraded. She was waitlisted at the exact same time and still is.
Yes, I'll be a good husband and cancel my upgrade to sit with her if she isn't upgraded. But it is still a mystery to me why I was upgraded before she was.
The flight departs tomorrow and I have been upgraded. She was waitlisted at the exact same time and still is.
Yes, I'll be a good husband and cancel my upgrade to sit with her if she isn't upgraded. But it is still a mystery to me why I was upgraded before she was.
#6
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA 1K MM, SPG Plat For Life, Marriott Plat, Nexus/GlobalEntry
Posts: 9,198
There is no such thing as "the exact same time" when making multiple transactions. You made the request before she did.. it may have been 1 second apart (or less than a second)..but that's more than enough time for a computer to be able to distinguish. You were in before her and 1 seat was available so you got it.
#7
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 72,612
And I have yet to figure out the waitlist thing. This is strange to me but maybe not to you who know better. My wife and I are both Premier Exec with United. We both booked round trip tickets at the same time on the same flight. We both requested upgrade at the exact same time on two different computers.
#8
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA: Platinum
Posts: 115
Of course that is the reason. Thanks for the replies.
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
The really good husband would give his upgraded seat to the wife and sit in Y himself. At least that way, one of you gets to sit in C/F. And if only one will be there, experience says it had better be the wife.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold, SPG Gold,NW GE
Posts: 59
I had just checked an upcoming itinerary MR to TPA: outgoing upgrade request with e500's(PENDING). CR-1 home(WAITLISTED).
Confused, I knew enough to do a search. Now I know.
Thank you flyertalkers!

Confused, I knew enough to do a search. Now I know.
Thank you flyertalkers!

