Persistent inability to process upgrades online
 

FTers,

I have been having a persistent inability to process upgrade requests online. This is the message I get:

"The passenger name in the reservation and the Mileage Plus number do not match. Please check the number and try again. If you encounter the error again, and the ticket was purchased through a travel agent, contact your agent."

I've been trying to solve this with my company's travel agency for 2 months. Today the 1K rep said it must be part of the larger issue of not being able to request upgrades online that they’re aware of and “working on.” He couldn’t give me a date of when it might be corrected.

Anyone else having this experience? More importantly, anyone found a workaround?

I just upgraded an entire trip on .bomb yesterday...no problems whatsoever. Same thing with a trip two weeks ago. Dunno.

No, my upgrades process fine. A theory: perhaps your M+account name uses a middle initial or middle name, and your travel agency does not.

Do your names actually not match? .bomb upgrade almost always works for me..

The names actually match! That's what is so frustrating about this. It started about 2 months ago after years of working fine.

This was my expierence.

My wife was listed as (not literally) Jane A Doe so if I would enter as Jane Doe it would not work.

It works when I use First Name: Jane A Last Name: Doe

Two hours ago, just did an on-line SWU C-F on an ORD-FRA flight for Monday. Worked just fine.

I have had this problem now for 2 months. Here is what I have found. I did an international leg in July, and somehow my passport actual entire name etc all got into my UA record. I can't remember if I entered it due to international flight or some computer sucked it from the record base. Ever since then...it gives me the exact same error msg. when I try to upgrade. All the names appear to match...I only found one place it doesn't. On .bomb, under the upgrade tab choice the name in that section of the web does not match...it lacks my middle initial etc. How exactly the upgrade section got a different "version" of my name is a puzzle to me. And why it retains this version even though MP has the correct name...

I have spoken to website support, they told me a month ago it was a "known issue" they are trying to debug. In the meantime I have just been calling in any upgrade requests...and not holding my breath that they are gonna debug it.

I've had no problems at all. Not for upgrades for me, by me, or upgrades for me, sponsored by someone else, or upgrades for someone else sponsored by me.

I have multiple variations of my name in "my itineraries". None seem to give a problem.

Maybe your problem is with your Travel Agency? I would check there...

Good luck!

Here's an earlier thread with the same issue.

I have the same problem requesting upgrades online, but I've just been calling the automated 1K line and submitting the requests there. If they're confirmed, I log onto .bomb and update my seat selection.

Good luck!

+1 with problems.

Has been mentioned before on FT.

Started a few months ago and I don't book with a TA.

Way to go .bomb

Thanks for the information about your experience. There may be something in yours that will help mine.

Thanks too to the person that supplied the other thread. I thought it had been addressed before but I couldn't find it.

I have the exact same problem and it started in the Spring/Summer timeframe. I suspect it has something to do with my last name, it has a space on my passport, but on UA it is all one word. I've reported it several times with no response or fix. I continue to call in my upgrades for now. I notice that on my itineraries they have my name listed now as 'FIRST LASTNAMEMRS' - I've pointed this out to them, but it doesn't seem to ring a bell in their minds that this could be the problem. Sigh....

The problem is caused by a difference of your name in your corporate travel department profile.
For example, if your name is Nicholas, it may be stated as Nick with your MP account, and Nicholas with your travel department. The discrepancy causes .bomb to error out.

+2 for me and my partner. In fact, one trip was booked using .bomb, and it still gave us the error message. Ended calling anyways - no problem there.

Calling is a real pain in the a$$, as the automated person doesn't hear stuff correctly. Talk to an agent you say... well I did this recently and the agent messed up the upgrade so even though it looked good on .bomb, when 100 hours rolled by no automatic upgrade with NF9 on my flight. Had to call in and have them manually process the upgrade.

I WOULD RATHER HAVE .bomb ACTUALLY WORK.

Still having this problem
 

I have reported the same error to the 1K desk twice. It would be in UA's best interest to get this fixed because I need to call in each and every time for an upgrade.

My latest attempt is to have the prefix changed on my name to see if it will self correct. the name on my tickets booked online all have my name listed as: FIRSTNAMEMRS LASTNAME. Does anybody else see this problem?

Same thing
 

My reservation books the same way. FIRSTNAMEMR LASTNAME

I am convinced it is a problem with "MR" being added to my first name in the booking.

Some of mine have it, some don't, and I've had no trouble upgrading online. I'm sure it's more subtle than that.

Now I know why you guys call it .bomb
 

I called to see if an upgradable fare SFO to PEK was available. They said, no problem, tons of NC's available. The fare was in the $2000 range. I then went to the internet and put in "upgradable fares", and it was $5600. In addition, it said in big red letters, "The itinerary you've selected is not upgradable." Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. It's better just to call and not even waste time with the internet thing for complex procedures.

My bet is that the $5600 you saw included non-UA metal, or you selected the wrong "upgradeable fares" item - maybe you selected "Y/B"?

What are you upgrading with SWU?? or miles?? Just asking if upgrade space, NCx, is available just means you can use either. But SWU can be used on as low as W fare class but miles requires either H or B as the minimum fare class and the fares will vary.

He was looking for an H fare (see this thread).

What's better
 

Mahasamatman, Wht is the best way to upgrade? I am not 1k, so I do not have SWU. I am going to shoot for 1k next year. Is it easier to upgrade with miles or SWU? That is, which is more of a "sure thing" and which is more of "wait to see if it clears"?

Thanks very much.

For travel outside Region 1:

You can only upgrade C, D, Y, B, M, H with miles. SWU upgrades C, D, Y, B, E, M, U, H, Q, V, W. Both need NC/NF inventory and both can be confirmed at booking or anytime after.

As a 1K, it doesn't make any difference which you use. Though you might consider an SWU easier simply because you can upgrade on a cheaper fare (easier on your wallet).

Wonder if the requirement for middle name on tickets is going to mess things up further.

What requirement?

What if you dont' have a middle name?

Thanks, guys!

For me there was no hickup and I use middle name or not randomly, depending on the TA.

But I have a friend with a first name with a dash in the middle .. and we unsuccessfully tried to up him his weekend.

To make things odder: I can sponsor his ugs but his cannot ug his itins himself :) .

Upgrade problem fixed
 

I can now upgrade my itineraries online again. So what I did below worked, or they fixed their software problem. So if you have had the problem, might want to try to change the prefix or just see if it works again.

Yes, I talked to ua.com support a couple months ago and they acknowledged it was a known software bug that would be fixed soon. I also tried playing around withe my name coming through from the TA but it didnt work. I did see now that its working again....

The problem goes beyond tech issues.
I sponsored a friend on a "B" fare from HNL-LAX with miles and it didn't clear until moments before flight time.
I have at least 3 itns from SEA/PDX-IAD where I'm using miles and only half have been confirmed. UA is obviously, and somewhat understandably, holding back F seats until the last possible moment for sale.
They're selling every sort of Premier incentive ala carte.

They acknowledge that united.com is a known software bug? That's a pretty big admission, but something we've known all along...