Napa

Lacking a search capability, I'll have to ask here.

I'm going SFO-OGG this fall with two family members. I'm 1K, one of the others is 1P, and one has no status at all. My plan is to buy coach tickets and upgrade everyone. If I book on separate PNRs, I assume that everyone gets their own status, so one of our party might not get upgraded

So the questions are:

1. If I book all 3 tickets on the same PNR, will UA wait for 3 upgrades to be available before I get any, or will they give upgrades to individuals on one PNR as they become available?
2. If (as I suspect) they wait for 3 upgrades to be available, does anyone know how many typically get released at a time? I could see where they might dribble out 1 or 2 upgrades at a time, so that there would never be 3 available.

SEA_Tigger

It is my understanding that three NF seats will need to become available.

Once the upgrade list goes to the DM at the airport, everyone clears seperately based on status, so even if it is you and the non-status on your PNR, you will (likely) clear and they (most likely) will not.


Depends on the equipment, but I'd imagine 757s would release no more then two at a time and 767/777 might release 2-4. Hawaii seems to do a somewhat decent revenue First business, so they probably are a little more stingy with the upgrades until real close in.

l etoile

Yes, prior to day of departure if one seat becomes available your group will be bypassed for an individual.

I'm often in a similar situation - family of three with a 1K, 1P and 2P. I usually book us on one PNR because we then have the benefit of possibly all clearing with the 1K status. Flying between the Bay Area and Hawaii we generally all clear, except on flights between SFO and HNL at peak times (spring break, for instance). If you're traveling in the fall when school is back in I suspect you'll have a good chance of clearing all together. You might also try using CR1s and seeing if there are flights where you can confirm the upgrades when you book.

FWIW, I used to book us on two PNRs - one with 1K and 2P and one with the 1P - thinking I was improving our chances by doing it that way. I asked someone in reservations management about it and, while it's kind of a crap shoot, he thought I was better off doing one PNR. That's what I've been doing since and our upgrade rate certainly hasn't decreased.