Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability

[chulent613]

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[kingkewl]

Hi, I just booked a trip with (XN) outbound, (X) Excursionist perk, and (I) return. None of my flights are non-stop. 

The only UA metal flights are the (XN) outbound, LAX-SFO-CDG. When I setup Plan B, I asked only to be waitlisted for the long-haul leg (SFO-CDG). I was charged 27,500 more points. Total was 127,500 points. Please see attachment.

1) Does everything look right in the attachment and was this the correct way to book?

2) If I asked to be put on the waitlist for LAX-SFO and this short flight got cleared but the SFO-CDG flight didn't, I wouldn't get the 27,500 points refunded?

3) Since I'm waitlisted on the 2nd half, if I don't get cleared before 24 hours, will I have to wait until I get to the SFO gate to be put on the stand-by list?

[efflpetzel]

Hi, I just booked a trip with (XN) outbound, (X) Excursionist perk, and (I) return. None of my flights are non-stop. 

The only UA metal flights are the (XN) outbound, LAX-SFO-CDG. When I setup Plan B, I asked only to be waitlisted for the long-haul leg (SFO-CDG). I was charged 27,500 more points. Total was 127,500 points. Please see attachment.

1) Does everything look right in the attachment and was this the correct way to book?

2) If I asked to be put on the waitlist for LAX-SFO and this short flight got cleared but the SFO-CDG flight didn't, I wouldn't get the 27,500 points refunded?

3) Since I'm waitlisted on the 2nd half, if I don't get cleared before 24 hours, will I have to wait until I get to the SFO gate to be put on the stand-by list?

1) looks good.
2) you should be able to get the points back but I'm not 100% sure
3) if you get a competent agent that understands what you're asking meaning PR1 (good luck with that)then you should get the stand-by at LAX

[rcraft10]

Does this mean that when using this process you can no longer get PR1 status on the upgrade list?  I'm currently waitlisted (I class) for a flight in two days (March 1). There are 4 first class seats available for purchase (DEN - IAD).

I imagine there will be lots of frequent flyers on this route, so I'm worried with our lack of status, we will be at the bottom of the upgrade priority list.

Can anyone confirm that I will get PR1 status or something lower and end up on the bottom of the priority list due to no status?

Any ways to improve my odds other than calling within 24 hours of our flight and trying the methods described in the original posts? 

Last question - where can I check what # I am on the upgrade priority list? Somewhere on united.com or the mobile app only?
 

Longer post, I'm curious where I went wrong! I tried this for the first time on my red eye on SFO to EWR (family weddings, they never end). I definitely set up everything correctly on the front end--correct number of miles debited, class XN confirmed and class IN requested, etc.

Day of there were 15 seats booked and one seat available. Couldn't get to the airport too early so I tried calling the web call back number, but they informed me the last seat was a revenue seat and that I'd have better luck going to the airport.

Got to the airport about 1.5 hours before my flight. The premier access agent told to try at the gate. (I'd read that the lounge agent might have better luck, but the UA lounge is terminal A and maybe under construction(?) and I was out of Terminal C etc etc) I went to my gate and asked. At this point, all 16 seats were booked but one person hadn't checked in.

The first person I spoke to had no idea what I was talking about, told me I was 6th on the upgrade list. I reiterated that I wasn't an upgrade passenger but had paid for the business class seat with miles and should be waitlisted as PR-1. He called up an agent, talked and typed around for a while, then hung up and said that it was taken care of.

Here is my mistake--tired and hungover as I was, I didn't check that I'd moved to the top of the upgrade list, because I assumed that he'd taken care of it!

When I glanced up with ~15 minutes to go before boarding started, I realized I was still listed at 6/6 on the upgrade list. I went back, and this time both the original gentleman and another lady were there. They were adamant, through and through, that there was no way I could be on the PR-1 list because I had only paid $5 for my ticket. No phrasing I could come up with seemed to shake them of this point--"the other passengers would have paid more in actual money for their ticket and then used an upgrade; because you didn't pay for your ticket you cannot be above them, it's all about the money, the system takes the inputs and generates the list" etc etc

It was really time to board by this point--it was a completely full flight--so I took their names (Yvonne and Cliff, if anyone is interested) and morosely sat in my seat while glaring at the blue check mark next to the person who did get the seat which I thought would be mine. 

SO -- in summary -- has anyone else encountered this? Is this new? Should I have said something else? (the worst) were they right?

[yitrap]

Plan B booking - I want to book to seats in J and waitlist for F, If only one of the two seats clear can I request not to be upgraded?

[Platinum]

Plan B booking - I want to book to seats in J and waitlist for F, If only one of the two seats clear can I request not to be upgraded?

Yes.

[moto]

Can i get a agent over the phone within 24hrs of the flight to give me Pr-1 Status or can only be done at the Airport ?

[username]

Can i get a agent over the phone within 24hrs of the flight to give me Pr-1 Status or can only be done at the Airport ?

"Unfortunately the system is not setup to automatically give you that priority, only an airport agent can do that.  So show up at the airport as early as possible for your flight (or if possible you can go to the airport 24 hours before your flight) and explain to the agent that you are not upgrading with miles but you paid for a business class ticket and are only seated in coach.  This is true as you have paid the full business class rate already.  If the agent doesn’t understand this you should ask for a supervisor, it’s crucial they understand that you’re not a coach passenger trying to upgrade with miles but a displaced business class passenger."

[ExGingi]

Sorry for crosspost due to urgency and importance.

I am currently in TLV with DW booked on TK going back to JFK. (Two separate PNRs, booked from different accounts).

Would like to try United Plan B for UA91 (X9, C9 availability).

I have no experience with this, and last time I was on the phone with UA from here, took over an hour and 20 minutes and got disconnected.

Anyone who knows how to do this and is willing to help for a fee, please PM ASAP, so I can try to get on UA91 J using Plan B.

[Matovu]

Call back Number still work ?
the link doesn't. any idea ?

http://as00.estara.com/UI/gui.php?donotcache=1201839075925&accountid=20010417&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.continental.com%2Fweb%2Fen-US%2Fcontent%2FContact%2Ftechnical%2Fdefault.aspx&pagetitle=Continental+Airlines+-+continental.com+Support+Contact+Information&template=1178&log1=www.continental.com%2Fweb%2Fen-US%2Fcontent%2Fcontact%2Ftechnical%2Fdefault.aspx&log2=&log3=&calltype=webvoicepop&guiid=43834a54eac25&timestamp=1201839058

[JamesIV]

Booked X class with I class requested correctly on a plan b flight from OGG-SFO-EWR.
The flight from OGG-SFO opened "I" space the day before and I called to clear it in.
For the 2nd leg I checked the app and we were placed 7th and 8th on the upgrade list for the flight from SFO-EWR. Called a bunch of times to no avail. At the airport in Maui I asked the agent for help in getting the PR-1 status and she said I'd  need to speak to someone in SFO.
Landed in SFO and the gate agent said she can't touch the upgrade list. Tried a supervisor and the customer support desk. No dice. Nobody knew what we were talking about or just didn't want to help. I also tried the gg one standby.
In the end 3 business class seats were available for upgrades and we missed out.
Anything I can do now with regards to recouping miles?
Any recommendations what should I have done differently?

[meir123]

Hi if you book a mixed cabin award on united do you have to book a plan b for the part that is in y or they will automaticly upgrade you?

[cholent]

What are the chances of plan b working ewr-tlv?

[ValueFlyer]

Does PR-1 still exist?.... I was just explained by 2 different united employees that it doesn't work for this type of ticket anymore.... does anyone with recent experience have a tip?

[mochjas]

https://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/08/30/waitlist-for-united-airlines-business-class-award-seat/amp/

Is this guy kidding??

[Aerial Dag]

https://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/08/30/waitlist-for-united-airlines-business-class-award-seat/amp/

Is this guy kidding??

I mean, I hate the exposure as much as the next guy, but how is that any different than Dan putting it up on DDMS?

[mochjas]

I mean, I hate the exposure as much as the next guy, but how is that any different than Dan putting it up on DDMS?

I dont care about the exposure. He is making it as if it is his method

[Aerial Dag]

I dont care about the exposure. He is making it as if it is his method

Ahh yup fair enough, agreed.

[ilherman]

https://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/08/30/waitlist-for-united-airlines-business-class-award-seat/amp/

Is this guy kidding??

This has nothing to do with Dan or plan B. It's the old simple idea about wait listing. Though it's shocking to me that a blogger should write BS that 13 seats on the seat map means 13 seats available. But then again it's MMS..

[oreo]

Does PR-1 still exist?.... I was just explained by 2 different united employees that it doesn't work for this type of ticket anymore.... does anyone with recent experience have a tip?

Flying HNL-EWR, I was told that I had PR-1 but that doesn't put me at the top of the wait-list, the list still goes by status. So I'm number 8 with 0 seats available...