Forgot to pull E-SWUs?
 

I recently flew JFK-LHR-JFK and used E-SWUs (or so I thought) to upgrade both ways. I returned about a week ago. Agents at both ends had some difficulty pulling the upgrade, but seemed to be successful.

I called today to check my upgrade balance...and nothing had been pulled.

I'm assuming the system is updated in real time when they are pulled. Am I correct to assume that the agents didn't pull the E-SWUs and I got a free bump each way? If so, I'm not complaining.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

There's always the chance for an audit. And with the e-SWU being so new--I'm sure the possibility is greater than, say, regular mileage deductions which have been standard practice for quite some time.

Therefore, you know what happens when you ...-u-me--so don't do that. However, I think there's a good chance you got a freebee--given that other electronic upgrades (HKs and 500s) are deductedly instantly.

Best thing to do is to keep this one on the DL.

Your secret is safe with me! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Sounds like it. Usually electronic certs should be deducted immediately at time of upgrade.

How do you see your E SWU's? I can only see hk 49's and 500 miler upgrades.

Call 1-800-421-4655 and check via the automated system. It tells you your miles and your upgrade balance. We are supposed to have online capability to see them by the end of February.


[This message has been edited by SanDiego1K (edited Jan 28, 2004).]

Just one more hypothesis to check on: Were you a BIS (butt in seat) 100K flyer last year? If so, you were given 2 additional e-SWUs for a total of 8, rather than 6. If you weren't aware of that, and thought you had 6 to begin with, and are now seeing 6 in your account, that could explain it. However, I hope that is NOT what happened and that you did indeed manage to get a couple of freebies. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Same thing happened to me on my AMS-IAD-SFO a couple of weeks ago.. Lots of confusion around the new E-swu... In my case they deducted 11 500 milers out of my account... I'm okay wih that... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

It is also possible that the agents actually pulled miles to support your upgrades. I've had it happen before.

I'll say! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

No...really...as others have recommended, carefully check your miles and your other E-upgrade types. You may find they deducted the wrong type.

If you got to 1K under one of the Great or Double EQM offers, you should have 6 Systemwides left in your account if they didn't deduct any.

If you got to 1K with 100,000 true ...-in-the-can miles, then you should have 8 Systemwides if they didn't deduct any.

Yup, happened to me in December to AMS. On a "W" fare to boot. Thought that wasn't eligible for an upgrade with miles...

Checked this morning.

All miles, SWUs, 500 milers, and HK-49s accounted for.

Looks like they didn't pull the wrong thing, rather just didn't pull anything at all http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

In a rare occasions in the past, I got my 500 milers taken off in lieu of paper SWU.

As GA have not asked about it, I forgot to give it to them. I do not know how they do that but they give me upgraded tickets all the way to the final distinations (of upto 10,000 mi away).

When I check my account, some 500 milers are gone. So, I always guessed that they take 500 mi(s) for first segment but I do not know how they can get upgrades for other segments.

Any clue?

[This message has been edited by Atuchan (edited Jan 28, 2004).]

It must be some system glitch that allows this: this is the only time I've not had SWUs requested. I've flown PHL-ORD-Asia for example and they've just pulled two 500-milers for the itinerary. Unless something in the system tells them that they're op-upgrading the int'l flight perhaps?

Has anyone else had experience with e-SWUs or are we all still using paper? Anybody have e-SWUs pulled from account as planned? ...or have we discovered a wrinkle in the system? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

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The black art of how to gift UA North America Upgrades is revealed here.

This has happened to me once. I laid out all my documents upon check in, including the paper SWU. The agent checked me in and pushed all the paper back at me. An angelic moment when that kind of thing happens.

Later I discovered that five 500s had been used to get me to Asia. Good deal as far as I was concerned.