Nope. In fact, UAs rules are more like COs now. But they still aren't exactly the same.

Am I to understand OP is a 1k with UAL
 

and some lesser form of life on CAL and that he had a hard time rehabilitating himself on the res?

Yes are you just letting it ride or calling in to put diff. #'s on diff. segments??

I have a YVR-DEN (UA) then DEN-EWR (CO) booked all through CO that I hope to get upgraded for.

I tried a search and can't find the answer. On the UA site, you are invited to put in two FF numbers. But neither is labelled. I believe that one is for upgrades and the other is for mileage accumulation. Which is which?

Based on my experiences just a couple of days ago with a very knowledgeable GA as well as the SDC description on .bomb, I wouldn't say they've changed the rules much or that they're that much more like CO's.

Still a 3 hour limit (vs. CO's 24). Still requires the flight be booked to capacity-1 or less and that H inventory be available.

Only improvement is that elites down to 1P/CO Gold and their companions on the same PNR are exempt from the $75 fee (for a while, it was only 1Ks who were exempt).

May change in the future to be more aligned with PMCO's.

OK I'm not seeing a clear answer on best procedure for this just a lot of confusion in various threads.. Who has had great success and wants to share my best bet!

This itin is over a month away but I'm curious what my best bet is:

Flights were booked on CO site and I'm Co-Plat
I'm 1P on UA

first leg is Co metal but an rj so who cares.
seg 2: CLE-LAX is CO metal
seg 3: LAX-LAS is UA Metal

Return:

LAS-DEN - codeshare on UA metal
(last time I did this leg on return and similar situation - I tried to switch it to UA at check-in and was successful but it never put me on the UG list and no one was interested or willing to help at gate or on either UA or CO when I called in to elite desks - just got a lot of "well we don't know, you should've been on ug list but first is full now anyway")
DEN-CLE - CO metal
final leg also an erj on CO

So... I'd like the upgrade possibility for the LAX-LAS and LAS-DEN but they're both shorter legs and I don't want to screw up any possible upgrades on the CO metal.

What is best procedure for getting upgraded on the UA metal and my 1P status without screwing up the CO metal segments?

My wife and I are on LAX-HNL UA codeshare on CO metal. I put in for a CR-1 for her since she's only a 2P (or whatever it's called now) and it didn't clear. That said, I got a UDU a few days ago. I thought that an upgrade instrument always trumped a UDU.

This use of UA upgrade instruments on CO flights is not as seamless as one would want especially if it's a mixed metal itin which I have a few coming up. It's almost impossible to book a clean UA itin nowadays.