Upgrades and the waitlist
 

What are the chances of actually getting an upgrade if you have been waitlisted? I was surprised to find that I have not been upgrade confirmed for a flight I have this coming Sunday (IAD-SEA). With the plane being a 757 (24 first class seats) and me being a Premier Exec. I thought it would rather easy to upgrade. What's the experience of other Prem Execs been?

There are only 5 seats remaining, but I would still think there's a good chance of getting the upgrade. As the "bigwigs" have taught me, the 757 has the highest ratio of first-class to coach seating of any of United's planes.

The morning flight, on the A320, is wide open though. If you called the PremEx hotline and asked them to switch you, you could probably be confirmed immediately. That was you can enjoy the evening in my beautiful home town of Seattle.

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http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/images/lionl.gif QuietLion http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/images/lionr.gif




[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 03-25-99).]

Thanks for the info QuietLion. I called UA and they told me there were "a few" seats still open in first but they wouldn't give me a number. I have yet to figure out how to see that info on any of the travel web sites. How did you find 5 seats left? (I'm on the 5:20 PM flight out of IAD as I guess you figured out)

Also, they couldn't even tell me where I was on the waitlist. As for switching flights, I'm actually not getting home till late Friday night. Leaving out again on Sunday morning makes for a real short weekend. And my final destination is Vancouver.

Mileking

If you are using upgrade coupons then you as a Prem Exec you may be confirmed 72 hours in advance of the flight time. However, sometimes they have already allocated the seats available for upgrades and wait until 20 min prior to flight time to release the remaining seats. Basically they are trying to sell the seats up to the last minute. A recent example for me (a 1K) was flying to LAX on an A320 where five seats were left in FC the day of the flight. I had been on the upgrade list about a week or so in advance. I checked in at the RCC about one hour before the flight and the upgrade still had not cleared. About 30 min prior to flight time the gate called the RCC and told them to go ahead and upgrade three of us (all 1Ks) who were waiting in the RCC. Two other 1Ks got the other FC seats. There were a lot of PEs in coach.

Most of my upgrades via coupons happened at the gate even though I requested the upgrade at the time of reservation. I can only remember one time where they called me in advance and told me my upgrade cleared.Again, they allocate so many upgrade seats and the rest are revenue seats. Revenue seats are held until the last minute for the obvious reason.

Yes, I agree that the 757 (24 FC seats) gives you a better chance of upgrading than some other planes (737, 727, A320). The A320 is tougher because it has half the FC seats of the 757.

This is scary. We're all here at the same time. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Mileking - You can view the seatmap on the UA web page with Netscape and maybe older versions of IE. Another way (better I think) is to use United Connection software but I am not sure if you can get it anymore.

Jeff

JeffS, thanks for the comments. I did call well in advance of the 72 hour window to request the upgrade - it was actually done when I purchased the ticket about two weeks ago. Apparently, the upgrade seats were given to 1Ks or first class paying customers. I hope I am cleared when I check in. After a number of upgrades out of DCA recently (all confirmed at 72 hours), I thought the waitlists were the exception. I guess I have been lucky.

As for the United Connection seat chart, I have yet to get the thing to work, not once , ever. I have used Netscape and IE Explorer and nothing ever comes back. That thing is useless.

Don't feel lonely about the web site seat map; It never works for me either. I always use the standalone United connection software to check flights and view the seat map.

Both Travelocity and ITN are showing only 3 first class seats available in the fare code listing (not the seat map charts). The thought of 5.5 hours in coach is making me sick.

MileKing,

I use the standalone UA connection software. It's gone from the web site but you can still download it from ftp://unitedconnection.inter.net/pub/unitedconnection if you want it.

And let me be the FIRST to report that the seat picker STILL doesn't work under IE5!

I got my fingers crossed for you buddy! Let me know if you make it!


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http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/images/lionl.gif QuietLion http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/images/lionr.gif


[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 03-26-99).]

Things don't look good! The travel web sites are now reporting only 1 first class seat available on the Sunday flight from IAD-SEA. It was 3 (or 5 per QuietLion) last night. Could UA really have sold 2-4 first class seats since then? I'd be surprised.

Also, I logged on to UA Connection to check my status again. I started in seat 11F earlier in the day. Last night I was in seat 9F and still on the first class upgrade waitlist. Now I'm still listed on the waitlist but seat says "n/a". Wish I knew what was going on.

Most likely they are changing aircraft type or you have cleared the waitlist (even though Connection says your still on it) but have not been assigned a First Class seat. Call United Reservations at once to get re-assigned. Don't use Connection.

The great FF mileage god has smiled and graced me with a confirmed upgrade on my IAD-SEA flight!! I took your advice, PremEx, and called UA. Sure enough, I had been confirmed and the "n/a" was showing because UA didn't have my preferred window seat available. I happily confirmed an aisle. Thanks PremEx.

Don't panic yet. Many business travellers book First Class seats on mulitple flights throughout the day just to "cover". UA only requires these be ticketed 20 minuted before flight, but the seat will show taken. Also, the reservations computer will not show the wait list in the order of priority. It will just give the total number and date requested. Also, many times when I check in at the RCC I am given my upgraded borading pass even though 1 hour before reservations said it had not cleared yet.

Pssssssssst, Mileking, next time on a 757 just take 9C!!!! (Just don't tell anyone I told you...)

[This message has been edited by Matt Wald (edited 03-26-99).]

9C? That ain't no first class seat! Matt, I thought surely you would be a regular in the first class cabin. What gives?

Glad to hear you got the upgrade. We all know they are a privilege but are definitely must haves for those long flights.
Matt is right; if you can't get in first on a 757, 9C is a little slice of heaven.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I had kind of the opposite thing happen a couple of weeks ago ORD-TPA. CO rebooked me onto the UA 530p nonstop-it was sold out but CO asked me "do you have certificates to upgrade?" Mystified, I replied "sure do" then walked over to UA. They said that at the beginning of the day the 1c seats which are unsold become available for upgrading (they don't sell much 1c into/out of Florida)and I lucked into one of the seats that was an upgrade seat. This was at the PE/1k desk at ORD...

PE/1K desk at ORD? What is this desk and where is it located? Now that I'm flying UA on a fairly regular basis I need to get up to speed with these things.

MK:

The 1K/PremEx checkin is to the right of the First Class/Premier checkin over by door #1. It's only open during "normal hours" (i.e., weekdays, opens about 5:30am and closed around 7pm, not as sure about weekends) It's kind of out of the way, but once you know it's there, you never go back! There is usually a UA person standing there to make sure your 1K/PremEx also. Now, if I could only use the 1K line at BOS...

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Regards,
- Anna

Thanks AnnaS. I assume then, that this means the desk is outside the security area. Is this correct?

it is a ticket counter rather than anything inside of security. If you go into ORD from the very first door in T1 you will run right into it (trivia--it was the British Airways ticket counter before T5 was completed)

Beyond security there are two 1K Service Centers. One each in B and C concourses. They have receptionists to handle check-in, upgrades, etc and workstations for phone calls and laptop connections. They are not RCCs and do not offer food or drink of any kind...mainly there for service and a quick bit of work away from the RCC crowds. The one on the C side is fairly small. I prefer the B side one.

By the way, at the gate there were three (3) first class seats still available on my flight. Those 3 seats went to others who were on the waitlist. This brings up an interesting thought which I remember reading somewhere in the CO forum. Could people be putting in bogus 1st class reservations in order to improve their chances of getting an upgrade? Any thoughts or experiences?

My wife's boss makes bogus first class reservations on USAir all the time. He's convinced this tactic works. His upgrade success rate is over 75%.

I'm not sure this is really effective, as he is already the equivalent of a 1K, on that airline.

I'm willing to bet UA has factured this possibility into their (no doubt) very complicated algorithms for load managing.