MileagePlus tips on how to make the most of your upgrade benefits

Hi Everyone, earlier today we updated our MileagePlus and OnePass merger pages with tips on how to make the most of your upgrade benefits while Continental and United operate separately. For many of you, these are details of which you are already aware. Others will be introduced to this information for the first time when they receive an email announcement we’ll begin sending later today. If you don’t receive an email today, don’t worry. We’re staggering the distribution of the email over the course of the next few days.

Here’s a summary of what you’ll find:

• Learn how to combine your elite qualifying activity between MileagePlus and OnePass. Earlier this year, we offered you a sneak peek at our self-service tool that allow you to combine your elite qualifying activity and request matching elite status. If you haven’t already done so, having matching elite status in both MileagePlus and OnePass will help you make the most of your Elite benefits, including upgrades, when you fly on United and Continental. It’s important to note that this process does not “officially” link your accounts.
  
  
• Learn how to use Systemwide or Regional upgrades on both United and Continental-operated flights. Earlier this month we enabled the ability for Systemwide Upgrades and Regional upgrades to be redeemed between carriers. A helpful chart with details on how to use these upgrades on United and Continental can be found here.
  
  
• Learn how to get the most out of complimentary and mileage upgrades. Here you’ll find a useful side-by-side comparison charts for complimentary upgrades that offers information on the differences between carriers, such as which flights are eligible for complimentary upgrades and the order in which upgrades are confirmed. Similarly, you can also view information on how to use your mileage to upgrade between carriers.

We know how important upgrades are to you and we hope that you find the information on these new pages helpful. As always, please let us know what other question you have.

Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights and Metrics
United Airlines

 

Shannon:
Thanks.

Now if my Regional Upgrade Certs would just show up (crossed 75k CO+UA EQMs on July 29th).

 

Very helpful, thank you. It's nice having all the information on one page, so is it possible to keep a table like this around after the merger is complete? I think it would still be useful for easy comparison of all the upgrade options within the same airline, not just comparison between two airlines.

 

In reading the fine print I noticed this bit:

Historically CO has not cared where the ticket was plated or how it was coded for permitting upgrades. This footnote suggests the policy has changed. Can you please confirm this is the case one way or the other?

I sure hope it isn't; that would be an unfortunate downgrade to the upgrade policy.

 

Thank you for sharing and I can say that it is rather painless to apply CR1's to "mixed metal" itineraries as I did it to both mine and for goalie-parents but a word of warning-your reservations with upgrades applied and cleared on mixed metal will probably go out of sync* and that's where I'm having difficulty getting it fixed as both UA and CO say "everything is fine" (tho where the fligths are not until april, I figure there will be at least one schedule change so that should be when it finally gets re-synched)

*for me it was booked on UA (016) but then with the CR1's applied, CO had to re-issue the tickets on CO stock (005) and the ticket numbers do not match and that's what is causing the problem

 

The chart implies this is the case only if the itinerary is mixed UA/CO. I would suspect this is because of some IT integration limitation, as combined itins cannot be waitlisted as well. Hopefully UA insider can confirm?

 

The chart is very useful. Could the Continental rules be what carries over for what was described for upgrades in the Rumored Revenue Based Qual thread?

 

Hi Shannon - The chart does clarify what has been a changing part of the program. The part missing is where things stand in terms of offers to pay for an upgrade and how they figure in.

And are there any shoot-for dates when an upgrade across the 2 carriers for one itinerary is in place?

 

I've tried to redeem CR1 for UA flights on Continental's website. (Mixed itinerary CO metal outbound and UA metal inbound).
It always says "Not available" (Doesn't even offer to Waitlist).

Will calling in fix this issue?

 

For that matter, in the past UA has cared about UA coded, but not necessarily needing tickets to be UA plated for regionals/systemwides.

 

Why annual spent is not one of the tips?

 

Personally, I've always found that maximizing upgrades means being an elite and flying on routes with plenty of inventory in FC/BC without any other elites flying, people that bought premium classes straight out and/or folks that "bought up". Seems to work every time.

 

Sounds like PBI/EWR...oh wait...people actually buy First Class on this route...

 

Is it possible to find CO upgrade space online, or do you have to call in?

 

You can find CO upgrade space online looking for the R bucket.

 

I think the largest downside to the CO system is that your status is tied to the lowest status on your reservation. I could see this being good if you really didn't want to not sit with your companion though I would rather have 1 upgrade than 0. You can always turn it down or go find someone sitting in the back and trade.

 

Thanks, but where is that bucket shown? It doesn't appear to be included on either the CO (fare classes) or UA (expert mode) sites.

 

Shows up for me on continental.com.

 

And the other thread: http://milepoint.com/forums/threads/expert-mode-comes-to-co-com.14288/