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Using SWUs
Are UAs SWUs transferrable, if so, what are the rules??
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They are bearer instruments. You can give them to anyone you want; however, they cannot be bartered or sold.
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I typed this up for someone else a while ago. This is the T & C from the 2001 SWUs which is exactly the same as the current ones except the non-upgradeable part which I updated below.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> Confirmed Upgrade - Systemwide Use this certificate to receive a one-way, one-class upgrade (two-class upgrades are not permitted), based on availability, for most fare types on any scheduled flight or connecting flights operated by United Airlines. Stopovers are not permitted. This upgrade certificate must be presented upon check-in on the day of departure. Terms and Conditions: 1. Valid Carrier: This upgrade certificate may be used on United Airlines-Operated flights, but not on flights operated by other airlines (such as United-marketed code share or Star Alliance flights). 2. Valid Routing: You may use this upgrade anywhere United flies. Stopovers are not permitted. 3. Upgradeable fares: This upgrade may be used on United Business (C,D) or United Economy (Y,M,B,H,Q,V,W) booking classes. 4. Non-Upgradable Fares: This upgrade may not be used on the following fare types: Mileage Plus XY, XC, NY, NC booking classes, United Economy G, S, K, L, T booking classes, bulk, companion, tour conductor, children, family plan, tour basing, group, senior citizen, student, youth, infant, Round-the-World, Circle the Pacific, Visit USA, Internet-only fares or any non-published fare. 5. Mileage Plus Accural: The Mileage Plus miles you earn are based on the class of service you purchase, not your upgraded class of service. 6. Ticketing: You may purchase your ticket using United's Electronic Ticketing, where applicable, by calling United Airlines or your travel professional. You may also ticket via United's Web site at united.com, through the mail, a City Ticket Office or airport location. Ticket must be issued in the purchased United Economy or United Business Class fare. Your ticket will not be reissued using this upgrade certificates. Present this upgrade certificate upon check-in on the day of departure. 7. Request Upgrade: The upgraded United First (NF) or United Business (NC) booking class of service may be requested after ticket is issued in the purchased United Economy or United Business Class fare. If available, the upgraded class will be confirmed and you may request a seat assignment. The upgraded NF/NC booking class may be confiemd up to 20 minutes prior to departure for flights within the 50 United States; 30 minutes prior for flights to/from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Carribbean, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The upgraded NF/NC booking class may not always be available on all flights or on all days of the week when you travel. 8. Upgrade Rules: Only one upgraded class of service is allowed using this certificate. Two class upgrades on a three class cabin are not permitted. For flights that stop en route, the upgrade is only permitted when the upgraded seating is available on all portions of the flight. 9. Changes/Refunds: The rules of the fare you purchase determine what changes or refunds are allowed. Check with United Airlines or your travel professional. 10. Other Important Notes: This upgrade certificate may only be used to upgrade one person. Certificate has no cash value and may not be altered or duplicated. Lost, stolen, expired or destroyed upgrade certificates will not be replaced. This upgrade certificate is transferable, but is void if sold or bartered. Other restrictions may apply. </font> [This message has been edited by Empress (edited 06-22-2002).] |
Thanks a million Empress! And this clearly does not state one has to be a UA Miles+ member.
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Nope. Anyone can use it. You don't even need to have a mileage plus account to use it. Your Star Gold status will provide you the priority necessary to clear the list most of the time.
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Anyone can use your SWUs provided there are no restrictions on the fare rules the other person tries to use them, eg. Using on consolidator fares, or web-savers where expressly there's the info that SWU won't be accepted, etc
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Side-bar. A NON elite using a SWU does NOT of course get afforded the usual courtesy of a highest priority PA waitlist for flights not yet confirmed - and with C that is hapaneing more and more these days real close to flight date.
And of course the DM list sorts strictly by tier as one of its criteria so if a non Elite's upgrade has NOT cleared by flight day, even holding a SWU they have VERY little if any chance of the upgrade clearing unless on a very high paid coach fare basis. Even a 2P wanting to use miles on same fare basis ticket will trump every time. ------------------ ~ Glen ~ |
Uh Ozstamps - not always correct. A friend of mine with UA non status flew SYD-LAX recently on one of my SWU's on a V fare. He was #7 on the NC waitlist, but cleared about 2 weeks before flight date. Said C was full in the end.
------------------ RichardMEL, UA 1K A Star Alliance Member. |
Richard - I was not saying a non Elite will never get an upgrade confirmed. I was simply saying they will NOT get the highest priority WL. That was answering thw question of the thread starter. These days that is the major issue - getting the WL cleared.
They may have shaken out 10-20 NC seats 2 weeks out on the 747, which is the usual window now for oz flights to get cleared. Your buddy was lucky: (a) that it was a 747 and not a 737 or A319 he was 6th in line for in which case he was in deep doo doo being on a waitlist and (b) that there were only 6 higher waitlist folks above him. On the day he would have been in even deeper doo doo as he was without status AND travelling on a dirt cheap "V" fare which do not allow anything to upgrade them except SWU. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif ------------------ ~ Glen ~ |
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