MagMile

My understanding is that if you are on the same PNR, you can only be upgraded prior to the 100 hr or whatever window if there is room for your entire party. My understanding is also that you can get a waiver of the copays for domestic travel only if your companiions are on the same PNR.

Is that right? Is this just a conundrum? Can avoid copay only by greatly decreasing chance of being upgraded? I'm traveling with a party of 4-5 total and I am only one with status.

Also, what happens if you are on same PNR and you only request upgrade for some but not all of the travelers? I assume you can do this?

jhayes_1780

Please don't take this as gospel.... but IIRC, UDU is for only one companion.

To confirm an upgrade in advance (miles/co-pay) would require the PNR's to be split.

I do not believe they need to be split if trying to upgrade with miles on the day of travel.

MagMile

Yes, I'm looking to use miles/CR1s for my companions.

One thing I was wondering is suppose there are 4 of us, and there is upgrade room for 2 available, could I ask them to split the reservation and upgrade 2 of the people, where the 2 being upgraded do not include me, and still avoid the copay?

SEA1K4EVR

If you're all on the same PNR you have to upgrade everyone using the same kind of instrument..and you can't upgrade only select people..it's all or nothing. UDU is only for 1 companion so if there are 4 people on the PNR then no one will be eligible for UDU (at least not in advance.. you could probably get you and one other person in your party on the UDU list at the airport though on the day of the flight).

If you want to use miles/CR1's for 2 of the people you definitely have to split the record.. if you're using miles for 1 party and CR1's for another then those people will have to be on separate records as well (if there are 2 people on a PNR you can't upgrade one with miles and the other with a CR1).

As far as avoiding the mileage upgrade copay, I'm not sure about that as it's very new. It's possible that if the miles come from a 1K's account the copay will be waived (as change fees are waived on award travel if the miles came from a 1K account even if the 1K isn't the traveler). Or, the copay could be based on the status of the traveler and since you won't be on the same PNR then there may be a co-pay. I'm guessing it'll be the latter, but again I'm not sure.

Dodoldurian

+1, you could only upgrade using the same instrument for the whole group in PNR.

MagMile

Thanks. So I think my remaining questions, which maybe no one has experience with, and which I've also emailed United to ask, is whether you can split off part of your PNR and upgrade those people (who do not include the elite passenger) without being subject to the copay. United's reference to the copay waiver for elites for US etc travel is unclear on this:

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,53079,00.html

mahasamatman

It's extremely clear to me:
Same reservation == same PNR.

MagMile

So in the scenario I pose, at the time I call United and ask sponsor the upgrade for 2 of my companions, they are unquestionably traveling on the same reservation as me. The act of upgrading them, but not me, requires putting them on a separate PNR (not that I asked for them to be on a separate reservation, but that is what the system requires). Does the condition for getting the exemption depend on PNR status at the time I am asking to sponsor the upgrade, or the PNR status after it is split?

Perhaps that is crystal clear, but it was not clear to me.

retsef

Travel this Friday, May 28th. Hub to Hub

Two people both 1K on one PNR.

One has CR1 expiring in end of May.

It is currently F5 to be sold.

We are on K fare so most likely no UDU.

Would you go through the hassle of splitting the PNR just so one can apply the expiring CR1 and hopefully jump higher on the list?


The return flight on Monday is worse with currently at F2 so UDU probably ain't gonna happen.

weirdlyndon

well if you use the CR1 at least you know you tried, as opposed to just letting it go to waste.

6rugrats

Yes. Why not try?

JerseyJoe

"A confirmed upgrade in the computer is worth two at the gate."
I know there is much discussion about splitting PNR's but this is what I do
with Mrs JJ (who is a 3P).
First I'll call to see if I can confirm her upgrade with the CR-1. If so, I split the record and get her the F seat, then I take my chances at 100 hours or at the gate with UDU.
Besides, why waste the CR-1?

mahasamatman

Other than the fact that it's really no hassle at all, absolutely, without hesitation. We do this all the time.

Flight = 28 May.
Expiratoin = 31 May.

What waste?

weirdlyndon

Well, it's a relatively short time frame to either use on another one of his itineraries or sponsor someone else.

mahasamatman

Monday is the 31st.

Use it or lose it.