understanding E-upgrade summary
 

I have waitlisted myself for an upcoming OW using e500s and for an upcoming RT using 2 CR1s. My E-upgrade summary shows the CR1s debited but not the e-500s. Is there some reason why the accounting for CR1s and e-500s should be different, with them leaving, and coming back if never confirmed, the same way? What I am seeing, that is the difference between the way e-500s and CR1s have been handled, is the way it normally works? (IIRC, SWUs have come out of my account as soon as the upgrade has been requested, not waiting until it is confirmed, if it ever is.)

Always been that way for me as well.

I just assumed it was because I could actually purchase the 500's for upgrade where I could not purchase CR-1's or SWU's.

Yes there is a difference. Both CR-1s and SWU's go into "reserve" status as soon as you request the upgrade even if you are waitlisted for all segments. When they are in reserve you cannot use them to upgrade other flights. With e500's there is no reserve status and they are only deducted from your account after you checkin and pay for the upgrade.

There is no need for e500's to go in reserve because, unlike CR1's and SWU's, e500's can be purchased. So if you overextend yourself and upgrade more flights than you have e500's to cover you can just purchase more at the airport if needed.

Do I understand this correctly?
 

I am relatively new to the upgrade 'game', so please let me know if I am misinformed.

When you submit for an upgrade as a 1k using cr-1 or SWU, you go on the PA list if NC=0. When you do the same as a 1p, 2p, or 3p, you go on the PB list. Somewhere, sometime, in cyberspace, IM will clear the PA list first, then the PB list second, and these lists are based upon first-on, first off. If a 1k sponsors a 2p with a SWU, that 2p will still go on the PA list, no the PB list because of the 1k sponsor.

After this is done, they then turn the list from IM to DM and go to the e500s and upgrade according to the status.

Is this a correct understanding of the way upgrades priorities work?

Are you sure?

I've got SWU's showing as reserved as I'm waitlisted on LAX-HNL, but the return flight does not have the CR1 in reserved, yet is still waitlisted.

Yes I'm sure. However it is possible for an agent to put you on the waitlist and not put the CR1 in reserve. If you do it online (or if the agent does it properly) the CR1 will go into reserve.

So one can't a place in the queue by committing CR1s or SWUs not already in one's account, but they can do so with e500s that aren't in their account as soon as the window of opportunity opens for them at 120, 100, 96, or 72 hours (GS, 1K, 1P, 2P)? Makes some sense I suppose because there is that opportunity to buy e500s, where there is no such opportunity to buy CR1s or SWUs. Can e500s be purchased at the gate if the upgrade possibility materializes, provided the GA is not too harried to deal with it? (I have let most of my e500s roll into RDM rather than use them for upgrades before now, and I have never bought e500s.)

No. All CR-1 and SWU requests, regardless of who makes them or where the certs come from, go on PA. The only requests that ever go on PB are mileage upgrade requests where the miles come from somewhere other than a 1K's account.

The DM list doesn't even start until 24 hours out, after all e-500 requests have been moved to the waitlist, and doesn't get used until approximately 4 hours out.

They should be able to process it at the gate.

They can be purchased after the upgrade clears so there is no risk... during OLCI, at a kiosk, or with an agent at the airport at the ticket counter or at the gate.

Pretty much. But the list is not turned over from IM to DM "after this [clearing the PA and PB lists] is done." It's done at some point within 24 hr prior to the flight; there could well be people still on the PA/PB lists at that point, so they would then become part of the DM list. Furthermore, IM "dribbles out" NC/NF space over days, weeks and months prior to the flight, and if there is anyone on the waiting list(s), their upgrades clear on seemingly random dates prior to the flight. Finally, I think (correct me if I'm wrong!) people who have requested upgrades with e500s are put on the PA/PB waitlist at the appropriate window (e.g., 72 hr for a 1P); if NC space is available, the upgrade clears immediately. If not, NC space might become available before the list goes to DM (this often seems to happen to me the night before the flight) and the upgrade clears at that point.

thanks! So where do e500's fit in the PA/PB/IM/DM scheme? Are they put on IM after PA & PB lists are cleared (implying that these two lists must clear by 120hrs, before the first GS gets to the e500)?

The FT gold standard for understanding upgrade waitlist is lucky's post
Understanding the upgrade waitlist priority order

As far as we've been able to determine, at 120 hours the GSs go on the end of PA. At 100, the 1Ks go to the end of PA. 1Ps, 2Ps, 3Ps, GMs, and non-members follow at their windows. Evidence from the short period where you could find out which waitlist you were on online indicates all e-500 requests eventually end up on PA.

Or maybe the bronze standard - it doesn't say what happens to e-500 upgrades.

What I didn't understand from lucky9876coins's post was what happens to the queue order when it goes from IM to DM. At that point, the prioritizing of those still waiting in hopes of an upgrade changes?

When going to DM, the remaining PA, PB requests are resorted to a single list by status, fare and check-in time.