"Request Upgrade" question
 

My husband (1P) has an upcoming trip LAX-JFK, which he wants to upgrade in both directions using 500-mile certs, if possible. He has only 8 certs in his account, however, so at the moment he can only upgrade the outbound without purchasing more. So, a few questions:

1. Someone suggested in a previous thread that although 500-milers are technically non-transferrable, if I went with him to the airport when he checked in and asked nicely, the check-in agent might be willing to take the needed 500-milers out of my account. The problem is that I can only do this on the outbound, when he'll still have enough certs for that day's leg. Any chance they'd do the switch anyway?

2. If for some reason, the UG doesn't clear on the outbound, can he put in a request now for an UG on the inbound? Looking on ual.com under "Request Upgrade", it appears to allow him to request one, even though he wouldn't have enough certs at the present time to do both legs if the first leg clears. I haven't actually tried it, though, since I don't want to blow things up. Can someone tell me what will happen? Can the site be "tricked" into getting him on the WL with paper certs, which he'll then switch to e-certs at check-in on the day of travel, if he has enough?

I hope this isn't too confusing...

1. Not likely.
2. Yes. Although it doesn't really matter. You don't need to have the necessary number of 500s to request an UG. At checkin, you'll typically be asked to confirm how you are supporting your UG. If you don't have enough 500s, you can buy them on the spot, or go back to Y.

You do not need to have enough 500-milers available to support your upgrade to request it, just when you check-in.

So he can put in a request for both legs and if he clears the outbound and the return, you can then ask to see if the agent will let you sponsor his outbound with your certs so he can use his for the return.

If his outbound doesn't clear, then he will have enough for the return.

And worst case, he can buy four for $200 to cover both segments (with spares).

Interesting. I wonder how often people get bumped back into Y for not being able to support the upgrade they requested.

So I guess UA realizes that people aren't going to buy certs without knowing whether they'll get the UG or not. Good on them.

What I've always wondered about is what happens when you cann't support the upgrade, but Y is full. We have heard i the past that a passenger can't downgrade themselves in this scenario, do they force a down grade and IDB the passenger? do they force a downgrade ad then op-up someone else and then you get that person's seat?

Or the scariest scenario: "Hmm...you do have an SWU, we'll just use that for this LAX-SFO flight."

I bet it depends on the timeframe and the agent.

If it is at the gate and boarding is commencing, then I bet they just op-up you.

If it is at check-in, they probably pull you from the DM list which means the next person on the DM list will get your F/C seat and you get their Y seat. If nobody is on the DM list, then I imagine they will op-up you.

Maybe I'm wrong but if you can't support the upgrade, you still have your confirmed economy seat as long as you got a seating assignment prior to getting to the airport.

If you used a paper certificate to support your upgrade, the upgrade process is not finalized until you get to the airport and they lift your paper cert. If you do not have the paper cert, you can always take your assigned coach seat.

If you used e-certs, then you needed to have them in your bank prior to confirming the upgrade prior to travel for CR-1s and SWUs (and be issued your upgraded searing assignement), or at check-in (either online or in person) for 500-milers.

Am I missing something?

With 500 milers, your upgrade is confirmed, your F seat assigned, and your Y seat released into available inventory all before you check-in.

So it is possible to have 8D, be upgraded to 1B, UA sells 8D to someone else, and then you check-in and can't support your upgrade. Since 8D is no longer available, they can't put you back in it (unless they auto-upgrade 8D and if 8D has already checked-in...).

UA might allow agents to make you negative on 500-milers, so if you needed five and had four, you'd go -1 and the next four you earned, one would be applied to the negative leaving you with three deposited.

Is this also true if using paper 500-milers?

Yes. It's true with all upgrade types, electronic or paper.