UA upgrade process is confusing!
 

This morning I showed #3 on the UG list for SFO-MCO today. Expert flyer showed 5 open seats. All of the sudden I am still number 3 but expert flyer shows F0. On the UAupgrade list it shows first class as available and there are 4 open seats on the map....just weird and hard to figure out! Anyone think that someone just bought 5 seats in F??? I am Exec Premiere

Seeing five open seats means nothing. People often have confirmed seats without a seat assignment. And a flight at F0 doesn't mean there aren't any F seats available, just that they're not selling any more F. There may have been a cancellation and they have to deal with moving people from a different flight, or the Coach cabin could be oversold and they may have decided to leave those seats available for upgrades only to avoid IDBs, or a number of other reasons. If you've already checked in, you could have been upgraded on your PNR, which doesn't show on the upgrade list (that's the bug where you need to be offloaded and check back in).

You should look at the Y seat map and see if 3-5 new E+ seats became available. In that case it means that 3-5 people got upgraded into F.

It could also be (as previous poster said) that Y is oversold and they've stopped selling F.

All you can really know is the F cabin is somewhere between full (F0) and the number of seats empty on the seat map. Even then a few confirmed F's may no show.

UAupgrade? Just curious we you see the position that you are on the UG list. I only know that you can see that on the screens in the Boarding Area. Am I missing something? Thanks and Safe Travels

The Android and iPhone apps allow you to see this.

Nice Feature, I have a Blackberry though. Didnt know that was a feature ( nice one to have ) Do the agents when you call up, still tell you they dont know where you are on the list?

Upgrade lists both on the app and at the gate count any seat not checked in as open. So if F on say, a 319, is booked full, but none have checked in, it will still show F as available on the app, and 8 seats seats available on the screen at the airport. That number will drop as F passengers check in, and will only be marked as "full" on the app when all F pax have checked in.

The mixed codeshare/metal ones are a bear. Went to the LA RCC and the agent said to call the 1K line.

What happens to those who aren't 1K?

didn't know this was avail on UA. i've used pda.continental.com - is there a way to do it for UA if you don't have IOS or android?

Nope. As stated, only available on Android and iOS.

-RM

If you think it's confusing now, just wait til 2012 ;)

Just had same experience as OP. Lots of F seats suddenly disappeared, no upgrade list showing in iPhone app, me still in Y. Hoping for offload bug hiding actual upgrade, went to gate early and saw myself at top of cleared list. All well in the end, but nonetheless annoying.

As an amusing aside, the RCC matron apologized that it took quite awhile to offload me to get my FC boarding pass because she was now forced to use the prehistoric Shares system until Fast Shares becomes a reality next year.

PMUA is using shares now? Does anyone know when this happened?

I just had an issue. YVR to SFO. 1P. showed three seats in F, about 8-1 hours prior to flght. Get the airport, I'm #2 on the list, must be another 1K or 1P with more flights this year on the flight. Still, checkin agent says, "there are THREE seats available, so you're #2"

Get to gate, check with gate agent "nope, first has checked in full" So, my #1 1K GF has 1B, so we decide to board and see what happens. We get on the flight, and the FA says, yep, F checked in full. So, I say let's get you back with me in the exit row, why don't you turn in your F seat so someone ELSE can be upgraded. So, that takes a LONG time, she has to be off loaded, re-loaded, checked back in, etc. Here, we could have just said to heck with it, keep the seat, come back to sit next to me (in the seat which was empty to begin with)

So, someone DOES take her seat in 1B, I can see that. But, then the GA comes back and says "we have your F seat for you sir" Well, uh you told me 'no way', checked in full, I'm back here and so is my SO. So, sorry give it to the next person on the list please"

And, of course the seat remains empty for the flight.

get the system working people

I learned awhile ago that sometimes it shows FC full and me still in E when I've already been upgraded, but am in need of offloading and recheck-in. The GAs don't always catch this unless they look carefully, I guess because you've got your coach boarding pass, while the guy with the same name in first has not yet checked. Sounds like that's what happened here.

By the way, this is one of few things that I'll admit Shares seems to handle better.