I'm waitlisted for flight 334 from ORD to PHL on August 3rd (~36 hrs away). When can I expect the waitlist to clear? At the gate? At 24 hrs pre-departure? Venue F availability shows F1, and a dummy booking reveals two seats in FC.

I would imagine at the gate, as UA is probably holding that seat for revenue sale if they can.

Of course, your status and time added to the WL will determine whether you get that seat or someone with higher status / earlier time on the WL does.

With the new "buy an upgrade" at kiosk check-in, the WL has not been clearing until 20 minutes before departure. I've gotten a few on 757s - but they are holding out the hope someone will give them a $100 or so for the UG.

Well that explains one mystery. On several recent flights I've been waitlisted for the second leg. Just prior to departure of the first leg I'd check the second leg and it would show availability of F6 or F5. Two times they'd even deducted the 500 milers from my account while I was still on the waitlist (they were returned when I didn't clear, guess this was for the convenience of the GA at the second airport). Two hours later I'd arrive in Denver only to discover that FC had checked in full. This happened several times, and I always wondered where these FC passengers showed up from. I guess they were purchasing the upgrades in Denver at the kiosk.

Does anyone know if there is anyway to purchase the upgrade at your departure airport on the day of departure if the departure airport isn't using kiosks (or even if they are for that matter).

Danville 1K

I was on the waitlist for SFO-CDG (#926), which had quite a few open seats in F (I had a saver award F ticket, which had me flying SFO-ORD-CDG). I called every other day during the final week, and was always told that things looked good, but there was no way of knowing when seats would be released. The night before my flight, it was the same... in fact, she said it likely wouldn't clear until after my original flight left, and that it would be risky, but I could always skip it and cross my fingers...

The morning of the flight I called again... still nothing. So we're on the way to the airport, literally coming up to the junction where you have to choose between the International & Domestic terminals (relevant because the SFO-ORD-CDG routing would begin domestic, while SFO-CDG would depart from International).

I have no idea if it was the simple desperation of explaining that I was at such a veritable crossroads or what, but she cleared me within seconds of the offramp. Seriously.

This meant that I was at the airport a good three hours earlier than need be, but I had a fair amount of work I could get done and the F lounge at SFO is quite nice!

I suppose you can ask the ticket agent at check-in, but the system might be automated.

As for selling upgrades before clearing wait-lists, I'm pretty sure we've had this discussion before and it was clear that this was a way to generate revenue for empty seats, not deny upgraders on the WL access. Afterall, this is UA, not CO.

I'm WL on UA 956 which shows many seats on C.

I have a confirmed on UA 904 about 3 hours later.

What gives?
There's lots of room on 956 but I've been WL for more than a week. Connecting flight are a real consideration.

Any advice??

Thanks,
Shofar

Best advice (if you can't find flights you can confirm on at time of ticketing) is to just wait it out.

UA's international ops are the one bright spot right now, so they're holding back as much F and C inventory as they can to try and sell it.

That being said, the upgrade percentages are still quite good (especially for 1Ks, but even 1Ps seem to be doing alright) and UA continues to release 1 or 2 seats as the Day of Flight approaches.

Since quite a few people viewed the original post, I thought I'd update people on the outcome. The morning of travel, revenue F showed F0 and my upgrade still not cleared. I accepted I'd probably have to work from E+. MSN gave me a departure management card along with my boarding pass for the ORD-PHL segment. I arrived at the gate in ORD 1 hr before my flight and decided to use the advice I had read on flyertalk. This was my first WL experience. I approached the GA (I had dressed in my best threads), and asked her how her day was going. I enquired if I had to wait in the gate area in case the upgrade WL cleared or if I could go to the RCC. She said I could go and asked my name. I gave it and offered to show my BP. She said she didn't need it: "I'll remember you". Off I went to the RCC. Back at the gate, FC was boarded and I figured I had been unlucky so started to board. She took my BP and looked up and instantly recognized me and asked if I still wanted to wait? I hadn't reaslized these things clear so late into boarding so mumbled apologetically "yes". After everyone was on board she handed me my FC boarding pass.

Overall, wonderful personalized service.

On a "dicey" flight (where F is technically full, but some are connecting and don't make it or others are a little too long in security or in traffic), I have sometimes been the last person on the plane, the GA handing me my upgrade BP as she closed the door behind me.

Does anyone know what happens to your seat assignment if you do not clear the U/G waitlist?

The situation I have is a flight tomorrow on which I had confirmed E+ seating with a pretty good seat both ways, LAX-MIA-LAX. I requested e-U/G using 500 milers and am now within 48 hours, when I have, on previous occasions, gotten an "Upgrade confirmed" message (I'm 2P.) Instead, I am now seeing my itinerary showing "Waitlisted for upgrade." In the seating, my previously confirmed E+ seat and booking class are now changed to B/C = NF and seat = N/A.

If my U/G does not clear, am I likely to find myself back in E-? If so, I may never use e-upgrades again. I'd rather be sure of a decent E+ seat.

JR

Until your upgrade clears and a seat in the upgrade cabin is assigned to your PNR, your existing seat remains yours.

Thanks for the reply. That's what I was hoping to hear.

JR