How many e-500 certificates?
 

Assume I fly from X to Y (720 miles) and connect onto Flight #2 from Y to Z (190 miles). I earn 720 + 500 EQMs. If I want to upgrade with e-500s, do I give up two or three? United.com tells me I need three. Is this right?

If your upgrades clear in your status window, you'll only be charged two. If one or both upgrades don't clear until the day of departure, you'll be charged three. Do you really need to upgrade a flight of 190 miles?

Hey, if it costs nothing additional, why not? Just a slight clarification: Both flights have to clear before you check-in, which is the time that the upgrade instruments are pulled, in order to cost only two. Your upgrade can clear anytime upto that point.

Thanks for your responses. So even tho United shows online that I need three, they will pull only two if everything clears?

If only the longer segment clears, I can cancel the upgrade request for the shorter segment and save an e-500, right?

IF everything clears BEFORE you check-in.

Yes, as long as you are not confirmed in F you can cancel the request.

This is one of the things that CONTINUALLY burns my bacon about united.com! :mad: Two examples:
I would fly MKE-ORD-SFO, with the MKE-ORD on an exPlus CR7. I would select "Upgrade All Legs MKE-SFO" on .bomb, and it would say "You need 5 e500s to upgrade this itinerary."
No, I don't!
Example II: I got a cool routing of MKE-ORD-SEA-SFO one time, and again, tried to upgrade. Long story short, I spent 15+ minutes on hold while someone went to get a supervisor. The phone agent did not believe me when I told him that e500 upgrade mileage goes from start to finish, not a-b-c-d.
To his credit, he apologized, said I was right after all, and thanked me.

It's giving you the worst-case scenario. Would you rather have it say you need 4, then pull 5 if both legs don't clear by check-in? I didn't think so.

Well, I never said I would.
Anyway, that wouldn't be a problem if I had 5 in my account at the time, but I only had the 4 I actually needed.

They don't prevent you from requesting the upgrade based on your current inventory because they know you can purchase additional certs at checkin. You don't need to have any e-500s in your account at the time of the request (unlike all other upgrade instruments).