"Upgrade Waitlisted" to "Upgrade Denied" - What Does This Mean?
Jan 4, 2009, 6:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 34
"Upgrade Waitlisted" to "Upgrade Denied" - What Does This Mean?
So I'm flying SFO to OGG UAL 0035 Jan 6.
Booked a few days ago and requested an upgrade right away and was put on the waitlist as shown online.
Now today I take a look at it and it says "Upgrade Denied"
I looked and there are about 14 seats available for purchase in First Class, so I called MP Customer service and they said I'm still on the waitlist ???
I've seen the other threads about this issue but there doesn't seem to be any answer yet... Anyone have any insight?
The woman at UAL customer service actually told me that "Upgrade Denied" and "Waitlisted" means the same thing. I asked do you see how that does not make ANY sense at all and she said yes. I said ok thank you very much for your help, goodbye.
Booked a few days ago and requested an upgrade right away and was put on the waitlist as shown online.
Now today I take a look at it and it says "Upgrade Denied"
I looked and there are about 14 seats available for purchase in First Class, so I called MP Customer service and they said I'm still on the waitlist ???
I've seen the other threads about this issue but there doesn't seem to be any answer yet... Anyone have any insight?
The woman at UAL customer service actually told me that "Upgrade Denied" and "Waitlisted" means the same thing. I asked do you see how that does not make ANY sense at all and she said yes. I said ok thank you very much for your help, goodbye.
Jan 4, 2009, 6:08 pm
#2
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14 seats for sale means nothing. There could be 60 people on the waitlist for all you know. I've actually had good luck asking and getting exact numbers on the waitlist recently, too.
Jan 4, 2009, 6:12 pm
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 34
Can't be 60 people on the list, don't dash my hopes & dreams of actually being able to use UAL miles from something useful !!! 
Jan 4, 2009, 6:13 pm
#4
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Jan 4, 2009, 6:19 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2006
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"Upgrade Denied" has been mentioned here before. Speculation was that the waitlist was full (past UA's ability to append to it, or a certain number past the available seats?). But that seems odd if you were already on the waitlist.
Jan 4, 2009, 6:48 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
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Posts: 8,156
What instrument were you using to upgrade?
Just guessing here, but is it possible that it changed to "Upgrade Denied" when your upgrade window passed? (72 hours for P1)
Just guessing here, but is it possible that it changed to "Upgrade Denied" when your upgrade window passed? (72 hours for P1)
Jan 4, 2009, 6:48 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2004
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"Upgrade denied" can also be found as follows:
1. You buy a C class international fare for a trip such as ORD-SFO-NRT, and are booked in C on the international leg SFO-NRT and A (first) on the connecting domestic ORD-SFO leg.
2. You apply an SWU to the entire trip, and succeed in getting NF on the international leg. The domestic leg comes back "upgrade denied," since you cannot upgrade an A fare -- it's already in confirmed F.
1. You buy a C class international fare for a trip such as ORD-SFO-NRT, and are booked in C on the international leg SFO-NRT and A (first) on the connecting domestic ORD-SFO leg.
2. You apply an SWU to the entire trip, and succeed in getting NF on the international leg. The domestic leg comes back "upgrade denied," since you cannot upgrade an A fare -- it's already in confirmed F.
Jan 4, 2009, 6:51 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, Colorado
Programs: DEN: WN or UA, AA LT Gold, VIA Preference Preferred
Posts: 1,550
There is a limit to how many can be on the wait list, and within the upgrade windows it is possible that 1Ks could have moved onto the list ahead of the OP (who is 1P) reaching that number and pushing the OP to "denied".
Jan 4, 2009, 6:57 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 34
I could see that but why would there still be 15 seats available for sale in First Class if they're confirming people with higher status into First ? Can't 1K's etc confirm and pick upgraded seats within 2 days? The flight is Tuesday, today is Sunday....
Jan 4, 2009, 6:59 pm
#10
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
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Posts: 34
I printed the original itinerary that shows me on the wait list, called twice and they said I'm still on the wait list, and I've been a P1 for a while and have never had that issue happen before... Of course I've been denied AT the airport
but never 2 days before the flight with so many seats still for sale...
Jan 4, 2009, 7:00 pm
#11
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How do you know there are 15 seats for sale? By looking online, you can only tell if there are 9 or more (F9). Seat maps cannot be used because there are always people with no seat assignment.
"Confirmable" upgrades (a very loose term these days) can clear at any time. 1K e-500 upgrades move from pending to either waitlisted or cleared at 100 hours. 1P e-500 upgrades move at 72 hours.
Then you shouldn't worry about what united.com says. It's often wrong.
"Confirmable" upgrades (a very loose term these days) can clear at any time. 1K e-500 upgrades move from pending to either waitlisted or cleared at 100 hours. 1P e-500 upgrades move at 72 hours.
Then you shouldn't worry about what united.com says. It's often wrong.
Jan 4, 2009, 7:05 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 34
Yea I guess the whole thing is pretty much a crap shoot huh...
How do you know there are 15 seats for sale? By looking online, you can only tell if there are 9 or more (F9). Seat maps cannot be used because there are always people with no seat assignment.
"Confirmable" upgrades (a very loose term these days) can clear at any time. 1K e-500 upgrades move from pending to either waitlisted or cleared at 100 hours. 1P e-500 upgrades move at 72 hours.
Then you shouldn't worry about what united.com says. It's often wrong.
"Confirmable" upgrades (a very loose term these days) can clear at any time. 1K e-500 upgrades move from pending to either waitlisted or cleared at 100 hours. 1P e-500 upgrades move at 72 hours.
Then you shouldn't worry about what united.com says. It's often wrong.
Jan 4, 2009, 7:12 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
It is cold, if not freezing, at many parts of the world and the U.S. now. Many are heading to somewhere warmer.
Jan 5, 2009, 9:59 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 34
So after all that I get an email from Expedia of all people saying there's been a change to my itinerary and I'm now in first class. So I go to UAL and pick out two new first class seats !
Aloha !
EDIT:
ALSO - Status still says "Upgrade: Denied" But now I have seats in row 4 on a 777 !
Aloha !
EDIT:
ALSO - Status still says "Upgrade: Denied" But now I have seats in row 4 on a 777 !
Jan 5, 2009, 10:05 am
#15
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