Problem with the new e-SWU
 

Made 1K. Yey for me http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I bought one of those S fares when UA was matching BA's SFO-LHR $100 each way sale a month ago. Total fare paid: $336 USD. The outbound flight departs on January 28. There is (currently) confirmed upgrade inventory for NC available on both of my nonstop segments. Another yey http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I'm supposed to get 6 electronic SWUs deposited into my Mileage Plus Account in 2004. Yet another yey http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The question is when.

I've asked Mileage Plus a couple of times. They understand the dilema, but no one (including a Service Director) knows when the electronic SWUs are supposed to appear in our accounts.

If I want to upgrade, I have to buy up to a V fare. Currently it's only $218 more than my super cheapie S fare. This is a leisure trip. I'm willing to pay the money, but if I don't have a way to support the upgrade at check-in, I get thrown into an E- middle seat and don't get any money back.

Mileage Plus suggested waiting until mid-January to see if the electronic SWUs post first, so that I do not waste any money. They mean well, but the confirmable upgrade spaces and the lowest V fares will be long gone by then! And you know the SFO-LHR nonstop market is particularly expensive when you get into the higher fares (when compared proportionally to lengthier flights in the UA system).

1. If the agent at Mileage Plus said she got the (lack of) info from a Service Director, is there a Supervisor or some other type of employee I should have been talking to?

2. Can Customer Relations Help on this issue?

3. If you pay up for a higher fare, can UA issue a travel certificate for the difference back down to the lowest available fare that you qualify for (at the time of such a request), on the exact same itinerary?

I suppose Coupon Connection is an option, but I feel more comfortable knowing how I can solve this using United Airlines.

I would like to add that all of the agents at Mileage Plus and Int'l Reservations have been very helpul and courteous. They all completely understood what my dilema is and they were careful to not make any promises that they cannot fulfill.

FWIW, I would also add that one of the Int'l Reservations agents made it a point to congratulate me for making 1K. She said it should be particularly enjoyable next year because they will have a lot more 1Ps but not that many 1Ks.

[This message has been edited by John26 (edited Dec 12, 2003).]

Fewer 1k's next year? With all of the EQM promos, how can someone not make 1K?

Phone and book the upgrade now on the 'S' fare and say you are going to use a paper SWU to upgrade. If pressed (unlikely) say it will be a 'Sweet Spot'. Select your favourite seats.

When agent asks you at desk how you are supporting the UG - ask her to deduct 2 x SWU.

If they are not posted there yet, 99% certain they'll let it slide based on your real situation. OR take miles. Not YOUR fault they are not posted by end Janaury. You are a new 1K and can't except to know all this stuff. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Print out and take this along:

www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,50622,00.html?code=&jumpLink=%2Fplusismore

If UA can't be precise on thier own website about SWU deposit date what fault of YOURS is that? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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~ Glen ~ sipping bubbly from a UA 747-400 exit row 15 near you SOON!

Um, they're gonna ask for the profile code.

Making 1P and 2P was twice as easy on the double EQM offer as opposed to 1K...that might help explain the swelling of the mid-tier. I just hope UA won't have to go the path of DL or CO and cut benefits to reduce the number of elites the program can't realistically support.

Creative, but miles require an H fare and there won't be a V fare to buy up to at check in (most V fares require at least 7 days advance purchase). Probably will only be M, B or Y at that point.

The web site clearly excludes S and T fares from the new e-SWUs. I wonder if I'd have better luck paying up to V first and then trying to get miles deducted at check in if needed.

FWIW, same time last year on LAX-LHR I got delayed due to mechanical and was on an S ticket as well, but protected in the B booking class on the next morning's flight. The Gate Agent on that flight let me upgrade at the 15,000 mile price, knowing full well I was ticketed in S. He said he was allowing it as a favor and to help apologize for the delays (right after the UA bankruptcy was declared, too).

Very interesting strategy, ozstamps.

Any other ideas on how to resolve this "officially?"

Officially...then here's what I would do.

Pay up to V, secure the upgrade, and if flight date approaches and you still don't have E-SWUs posted, call United Customer Relations and explain things. They'll likely authorize the upgrade in your PNR. Then they may or may not follow up and deduct them from your 6. You might get very lucky. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Good Luck!

for what it is worth, i called 2 days ago and was able to get a confirmed upgrade, using eSWU, even though nothing is in my account. i was told during this particular phone call that they plan on posting the upgrades on 1 Jan. under that assumption she upgraded me for my travel plans on jan 5.

And oh, btw, if you were 1K in all of '03 and requalify @ 100,000 paid miles or 100 segments, you get 8 E-swu's in January/February.

Confirmed this with M+ for re-qualifiers. I made sure of the agents name and that she noted it in my account that she was certain.

IMPORTANT: With which "device" will you upgrade from a "V" fare? Clearly a SweetSpot or new E-SWU will work, but you seem to not have either. The only other option that comes to mind is an H fare, with miles. Perhaps you were misinformed?

He expects to have his new V-fare eSWU by his departure date (01.28/04), UNITED959.

He would just like to secure his upgrade before he gets the SWU, while seats are currently available, rather than wait till he has the cert and there might not be any seats available anymore.

I ditto Glen's advice here.


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True, but I just called Rez last night to price out an ORD-CGN for March. They would not confirm the upgrade using a new e-SWU w/o them being in my account; she'd only price out an H fare. Maybe my CSR was just a stickler. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Amen. With no difficulty at all, anyone could have made 1K this year by sending in three competing frequent flier statements, flying a mere 45,500 miles, and paying $100.00.

Or uninformed. I know of dozens of folks that have upgraded using the new Systemwides without them being issued yet. All they way back to a few days after they were announced, too.

It's just like any other E-Cert (CR1s or 500 milers)...you don't have to have them in your E-Bank to confirmed under them. You just have to have them by the time you fly.

A United system profile exists for the new Systemwides (was loaded I believe the day after they were announced) and someone even posted that new profile code in another thread here on FlyerTalk. So the agent can get all the booking codes they need from that.

Just call back and get another agent.

I have successfully secured upgrades, for Int'l V fare flights in April 2004, using my earned e-SWU's. ( I have ~ 130k flight miles credited to my M+ account in 2003.) The CSR was somewhat hestitant to do this but when I explained the details, quoting from the email I received from UA about these new SWU's, she went ahead and confirmed my upgrades. (A Mileage Plus CSR previously mentioned to me that this was acceptable, and that Reservations Supervisors are both aware of these new e-SWU's and can approve their use in advance of having them deposited based upon your YTD mileage accrual activity being greater than 100,000 EQM's.)

One can of course purchase an H fare, confirm upgrades with miles, then refare to a V, take the difference, and substitute e-SWU's anytime through check-in.

The original poster might just consider sticking with the S fare, and locate someone who might swap Sweet Spot SWU's for his 2004 e-SWU's?

[This message has been edited by transpac (edited Dec 13, 2003).]