Jan 21, 2017, 10:27 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
UA will generally offer cash upgrades from any non-Basic Economy fare for UA operated flights, these can be offered:
- At the time of purchase
- Before travel in the itinerary view
- At check-in (computer, smartphone, airport)
- You can inquire with an agent anytime (including at the gate)
The price can vary, as it appears multiple processes are used -- occasionally yielding strangely high offers. Always cross-check on what the fare difference (up fare) might be and consider insteadBuy up to higher fare class w/o change fee? {GG BUYUP}
Awards tickets may be offered similar cash upgrade but generally only at check-in (Aug 2022 update, frequent reports of award ticket cash upgrade offers; at booking, after booking and check-in. Unclear under what conditions.
For Check-in offers, these can vary post initial check-in, so check back closer to departure.
Such upgrades will be eligible for all the benefits of a premium cabin ticket, UA makes no distinction on how a passenger premium cabin ticket was obtained.
Generally, fees for upgrades are non-refundable if you voluntarily cancel. If UA cancels or fails to provide the upgrade, the fees will be refunded. On voluntary changes, the agent may transfer to the changes flight but that is not standard policy.
True up-fares (ADD/COLLECT) are transferable if the appropriate inventory space is available.
PCU / Premium Cabin upgrade
Older term UFC / Upgrade First Class
Fees paid for upgrades now {2020) earn PQPs
Will the upgrade earn PQDs or bonus PQMs see the wiki of Some Paid Upgrades Count Towards PQD & mileage bonus and some DON"T!
On how pricing is structured, see A Comprehensive Look at Domestic First Class Monetization (FCM) on United
Previous Threads:
UA Upsell Offers to Business/First at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD) [Archive]
2016 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
2015 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
2014 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
2013 "Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU)" Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
- At the time of purchase
- Before travel in the itinerary view
- At check-in (computer, smartphone, airport)
- You can inquire with an agent anytime (including at the gate)
The price can vary, as it appears multiple processes are used -- occasionally yielding strangely high offers. Always cross-check on what the fare difference (up fare) might be and consider instead
Awards tickets may be offered similar cash upgrade but generally only at check-in (Aug 2022 update, frequent reports of award ticket cash upgrade offers; at booking, after booking and check-in. Unclear under what conditions.
For Check-in offers, these can vary post initial check-in, so check back closer to departure.
Such upgrades will be eligible for all the benefits of a premium cabin ticket, UA makes no distinction on how a passenger premium cabin ticket was obtained.
Generally, fees for upgrades are non-refundable if you voluntarily cancel. If UA cancels or fails to provide the upgrade, the fees will be refunded. On voluntary changes, the agent may transfer to the changes flight but that is not standard policy.
True up-fares (ADD/COLLECT) are transferable if the appropriate inventory space is available.
PCU / Premium Cabin upgrade
Older term UFC / Upgrade First Class
Fees paid for upgrades now {2020) earn PQPs
On how pricing is structured, see A Comprehensive Look at Domestic First Class Monetization (FCM) on United
Previous Threads:
UA Upsell Offers to Business/First at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD) [Archive]
2016 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
2015 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
2014 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
2013 "Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU)" Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase (PCU) to Day of Departure (TOD)
Aug 16, 2024, 5:59 pm
#376
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: United MileagePlus
Posts: 180
In this thread, I found multiple people talked about if one applied MUA on PNR, then no cash/buyup offer available.
In my case, after requesting MUA waitlist for NA-Asia, I can see the buy-up offer everyday since purchase, while those offers are crazy. However, when I check-in, the offer becomes reasonable. My question is that if I accept the E-->PE cash instant upgrade offer, how about the MUA waitlist from E-->J?
In my case, after requesting MUA waitlist for NA-Asia, I can see the buy-up offer everyday since purchase, while those offers are crazy. However, when I check-in, the offer becomes reasonable. My question is that if I accept the E-->PE cash instant upgrade offer, how about the MUA waitlist from E-->J?
Aug 17, 2024, 6:33 am
#377
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,448
Europe->US X to R/RN pricing at $379 now ahead of time. However, during check-in the price reverted to the standard $299. Saw this on LHR-EWR and LHR-IAH.
-RM
-RM
Aug 17, 2024, 4:38 pm
#378
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 966
Right after purchase yesterday, and still the same today, for 8/26:
The short 6am SBA - LAX 22 min flight, $179
LAX - EWR $2379
The short 6am SBA - LAX 22 min flight, $179
LAX - EWR $2379
Last edited by tstauck; Aug 17, 2024 at 4:40 pm Reason: Added timing
Aug 18, 2024, 11:39 am
#379
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Alexandria, Longboat Key
Programs: UA Gold Marriott Gold Choice Gold Wyndham Platinum IHG Platinum Avis President's Club Amtrak Select
Posts: 2,375
Flying HNL-LAX on 9/7 on the 1:20 PM departure on a 777HD. Booked back on 7/17 on a S fare. The upsell offer since booking has been sitting at $1,039 regarding of number of seats available and has briefly spiked to $1,164 a few times. I checked this morning to find the price fell down to $529 with 3A open, i.e. view of the sunset over the Pacific flying back from Hawai'i. I took it despite being $130 more than my inbound LAX-HNL flight. I gather purchasing $928 for LAX-HNL roundtrip on a 777HD, seated in rear-facing 3L/3A is pretty respectable, considering the aircraft, available seat choices, and length of flight. Upsell offers for the IAD-LAX and LAX-IAD segments for my trip, both on 737 MAX 9s, are $599. Find that rather ironic that those are more expensive than the LAX-HNL-LAX segments.
Aug 19, 2024, 1:11 am
#381
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA PP, UA Platinum/MM, WoH Globalist, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,637
On paper, $649 sounds high for a ~5 hour flight. But with United down-gauging and using 752/777HD on the EWR-SFO/LAX routes which has jacked up the fares to several thousand dollars, $649 is probably a good deal.
Or you can look at flying AA/B6 and get better service.
Aug 19, 2024, 5:35 pm
#383
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 33,044
Aug 20, 2024, 9:09 am
#385
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Loveland, CO
Programs: MileagePlus Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 157
Fascinating prices differentials--all over the map! 
Flying DEN-LIR-DEN in January (5+ hr flight on a 737-900). Purchased the flight (fare class T) in March.
Been keeping track of the upgrade prices since them:
Outbound:
Flying DEN-LIR-DEN in January (5+ hr flight on a 737-900). Purchased the flight (fare class T) in March.
Been keeping track of the upgrade prices since them:
Outbound:
$629 initially
$319 3/18 -- PURCHASED
Return:$319 3/18 -- PURCHASED
$629 initially through 5/23
$1109 5/23 through 7/18
$1509 7/18 through 7/20
$1109 7/20 through today (with 14 of 16 seats still available!)
I repeat: FASCINATING!
$1109 5/23 through 7/18
$1509 7/18 through 7/20
$1109 7/20 through today (with 14 of 16 seats still available!)
Aug 20, 2024, 11:55 am
#386
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 1,137
Datapoint re: PCU's being non-refundable... Twice in the past couple months, I've cancelled domestic economy itins that had a PCU purchased. Received an email a few minutes after the cancel with a receipt saying my PCU had been refunded, and the refund did indeed hit my credit card a couple days later. Not sure it matters, but I'm UA Gold using the PPMC for payment.
Aug 22, 2024, 9:33 pm
#387
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: DL PM, AA Plat, BAEC Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz President's Circle, Enterprise Silver
Posts: 232
What are our thoughts on $650 for Y -> PP on EWR-JNB in Feb? Worth it? Likely to come down or just snag now? Or is there no rhyme or reason to pricing? sorry for the noob questions here.
Aug 23, 2024, 9:00 am
#388
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 68,336
$50 / hour is considered a decent PremPlus upgrade fee . Could it drop, perhaps but not too much. Could it increase, yeap.
Aug 23, 2024, 7:59 pm
#389
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: SkyTeam Elite Plus lifetime
Posts: 112
Upsell (cash) offers with partner connecting segment?
I am seeing a situation where if I add a connecting Air Dolomiti (EN) segment to a UA transatlantic flight, I do not get any cash upsell offers at the time of booking. Obviously I would prefer not to book an unprotected connection, but I also want the cash upsell offer because it's showing up at a price far more attractive than booking the upgraded cabin outright.
1. Is this always the case?
2. Do the cash upsell offers eventually show up if you wait long enough? I did not want to take the risk of going 24 hours past booking and being unable to get a full refund for the booking, so I did not wait.
3. I presume this is not true of all partner airline connections, since that would cause UA to lose out on a lot of potential revenue. But EN is a Lufthansa company (they use the same Amadeus system, and EN even uses the LH app for their operations), so I would have thought they would be one of the better integrated partner airlines. Is there some resource on which airlines I can connect on that would still give me access to UA upsell offers?
1. Is this always the case?
2. Do the cash upsell offers eventually show up if you wait long enough? I did not want to take the risk of going 24 hours past booking and being unable to get a full refund for the booking, so I did not wait.
3. I presume this is not true of all partner airline connections, since that would cause UA to lose out on a lot of potential revenue. But EN is a Lufthansa company (they use the same Amadeus system, and EN even uses the LH app for their operations), so I would have thought they would be one of the better integrated partner airlines. Is there some resource on which airlines I can connect on that would still give me access to UA upsell offers?
Last edited by Holometer3D; Aug 23, 2024 at 10:34 pm
Aug 24, 2024, 12:34 pm
#390
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: A3 *G
Posts: 82
I'm being offered a $459 upgrade from Y to P on EWR-LAX (upfare would have been a $695 differential). This flight was originally scheduled with the 777HD but has been switched to a 787-10, so looks like it would be proper Polaris. Of course, there is always a chance that it could revert back to the 777HD. Worth it?