Quick upgrade question
 

If I have a flight (mileage run) booked as a round trip, where the stop in the "destination" is a whopping 34 minutes before the return leg commences, isn't there a way to burn only 1x CR-1 to upgrade the entire trip? Unfortunately, they show up as taking two separate upgrade instruments on .bomb. Would the 1K line be able to take care of this for me, or am I dreaming? Thanks!

You're dreaming. Round trips take two CR-1's, I'm afraid.

if the trip is A-B-A, it will require 2 upgrade instruments, you can not use one instrument from the origin back to the same airport. or passing throught the same airport in both directions.

If A-B-C-A, it would work A-B-C but not to A
If A-B-C-B-A, again oK to A-B-C but not B or A again.

Can not pass thur the same airport twice on the same upgrade instrument.

What can work on the origin is to return to a near by city instead of the departure city. LGA instead of EWR, SJC instead of SFO, ....

Got it! Thanks for the replies.

That was only possible for a very short while. These days, return swallow at least two instruments.

I have to disagree, though on a fine point. I've upgraded:

LAX-IAD-BOS (stopover) -IAD-LHR on a 15K mile award.

That's probably something specific to mileage upgrades, as they allow stopovers which none of the other upgrade instruments allow.

Trivially - as with miles you can upgrade through a stopover!

With certs that would be doable as well a CR1 to BOS and then an SWU to LHR - straightforward.

Wow, didnt knew about the stopover rule for mileage upgrades. I did once applied a CR1 over a SFO - PHL - LAX though, but required a positioning flight from LAX to SFO to complete the "round trip".

That is pretty manly, I have to concede.

United's upgrades are much more flexible than UA often wishes, I reckon.

Haha, that is awesome. I'm going to do that for my tcon runs from now on. :)