United Airlines is taking its upgrade list transparency to the next level. Is this just a customer friendly change in line with United’s big tech focus, or what’s the carrier’s motivation for such a move?
In this post:
United app now shows upgrade list one month out
The “big three” US carriers all publish their upgrade lists in the hours (or even couple of days) leading up to a flight, whether you’re hoping for an upgrade with miles, or are an elite member eligible for a complimentary upgrade. However, further out than that, it has historically been a guessing game as to how far down the upgrade list you’ll be.
As flagged by Zach Griff, United has recently introduced a new feature through its mobile app in beta, and it’ll roll out on a more widespread basis in the coming weeks. With this, starting 30 days before departure, those who are waitlisted for an upgrade will be able to see their place on the upgrade waitlist.
To see this, you’ll need to visit the portion of the app with your trips, and you’ll need to go to the section for managing reservations. If you’re eligible for this feature, you’ll see the “upgrade waitlist” button on that page, underneath the seat assignment section.
Unlike the upgrade list within two days of departure, travelers won’t be able to see the exact list with abbreviated names, but instead, they’ll see what number position they are on the list, and roughly how many seats are remaining (if there are nine or more seats available, it’ll simply show “9 or more,” rather than a specific number).
This feature is available across routes and across upgrade types, whether waitlisted for a complimentary upgrade elite, or using MileagePlus miles or PlusPoints for an upgrade.
This is customer friendly and will maximize revenue
United claims that this new upgrade waitlist feature is designed based on customer feedback, as a way to be more transparent. I think that’s fantastic, and this is unarguably a positive change for customers.
Previously, savvy travelers would find other ways to try to determine their odds of an upgrade, none of which were 100% accurate. We’re talking things like seeing how many premium seats are still for sale, how many extra legroom economy seats are occupied (people you’re potentially competing with for upgrades), etc.
Now, while I think this is absolutely a positive change, I can’t help but wonder if people incorrectly interpreting the results may lead to increased disappointment. It goes without saying that peoples’ position on the upgrade list will largely decrease as the departure date approaches, and more people book.
Especially in business markets, it’s common for a large percentage of bookings to be within 30 days of departure. That should be pretty obvious, but I can already hear people saying “I don’t understand, I was number one on the list, and now I’m number nine, what happened?”
I suppose at least the implementation of this is more logical than American’s upgrade list, where it only displays customers who have already checked in for a flight. I can’t count how many times I’ve overheard customers complaining to a gate agent or Admirals Club agent about how their place on the upgrade waitlist decreased.
While I do think this improved upgrade waitlist is in line with United’s strategy of offering great tech, I suspect there’s also an ulterior motive. As we know, airlines also try to constantly monetize upgrades, by selling discounted upgrades as the departure date approaches.
When it becomes apparent to customers that their upgrade won’t clear, I have to imagine the goal is that people will increasingly buy upgrades, realizing it’s their only way to get into a premium cabin.
Bottom line
United is rolling out a new feature through its mobile app, whereby upgrade waitlists will be published 30 days in advance. This is a level of transparency with upgrade waitlists that we haven’t seen before from a US airline, so I commend United for that.
I suspect an additional motive here is to increasingly monetize upgrades, and make people realize sooner that their upgrade is unlikely to clear.
What do you make of United publishing upgrade lists 30 days before departure?
I'm flying solo (it only works for single flyers in beta) and it doesn't show in my app -- I have a trans-atlantic flight in 2 weeks and I applied for a miles+co-pay upgrade months ago, to both Premium Plus and Polaris. I don't have status with United. It just shows "Upgrade Requested" in the app like usual.
It is good information to have. I'm on a sort of high fare economy flight (M booking...
I'm flying solo (it only works for single flyers in beta) and it doesn't show in my app -- I have a trans-atlantic flight in 2 weeks and I applied for a miles+co-pay upgrade months ago, to both Premium Plus and Polaris. I don't have status with United. It just shows "Upgrade Requested" in the app like usual.
It is good information to have. I'm on a sort of high fare economy flight (M booking code) and considering taking the refund and rebooking on another carrier who has a sale on that same route in premium eco for the same price, but with not as good flight times. Knowing my situation upgrade-wise would help in that decision.
While it's useful to know your position on the list. Don't be mistaken, this has NOTHING to do with transparency if they don't publish the names or initials of people on the list.
This is a honest question: why would that increase transparency?
This is definitely aimed at increasing revenue. (Unlike twisted Timmy’s logic)
It’ll lead to more rebookings at higher fare classes to increase odds of upgrades or more outright upgrade purchases.
for some people, yes, they will book higher if they know they are too far down the list but no one knows UA's first class revenue management algorithm and whether they will monetize first class seats at any point in the process.
If anything, people who book first class at 30 days or beyond are not likely to be the people that pay the highest fares.
But, yes, for some people, there will be...
for some people, yes, they will book higher if they know they are too far down the list but no one knows UA's first class revenue management algorithm and whether they will monetize first class seats at any point in the process.
If anything, people who book first class at 30 days or beyond are not likely to be the people that pay the highest fares.
But, yes, for some people, there will be much less of an incentive to pay for a higher class of seat if you know that you fall fairly high on the list.
really feels like UA is seizing the industry mantle within the US lately, moving aggressively to separate itself from the pack as a preferred airline for frequent travelers
Of course they’re doing it to (attempt to) increase revenue (and profits), why would that even be a question?
So is everything else they do! As they should!
UNITED rising
Like puff pastry
Headline is misleading; they are not publishing the upgrade list (ie for all to see) at 30 days; they are showing individual BOOKED passengers their own position on the list. Not an entire list published until 2 days before.
anyone that thinks that knowing your position on a waitlist weeks, let alone a month in advance is meaningful is beyond naive.
and, no, it will not maximize revenue. The opposite, in fact, will happen.
In other words, Delta doesn't do it that way, so you don't approve. And United, your most hated airline, doing it just amplifies the disapproval.
It's getting increasingly difficult for Tim to justify how far behind Delta's app is compared to United's
Lol what is the reasoning to think this will reduce revenue?
Geez thanks for that great insight Captain Obvious! Knowing your position 2-days out is pretty much meaningless too.
Lil Timmy just admit the Delta app is mediocre, upgrades suck, and United is superior in many ways. You don’t always have to be pleasing yourself for hours on end looking at DL 10-Qs.
app functionality comes down to what the app can do as part of self-service tools and also what information an airline chooses to release.
UA might or might not provide more self-service functionality but there is nothing ground-breaking about providing more information.
No other US airline - and very few in the world - provide public access to the standby list and seat map AFTER departure.
In fact, DL blocks the seat map...
app functionality comes down to what the app can do as part of self-service tools and also what information an airline chooses to release.
UA might or might not provide more self-service functionality but there is nothing ground-breaking about providing more information.
No other US airline - and very few in the world - provide public access to the standby list and seat map AFTER departure.
In fact, DL blocks the seat map after boarding starts. That isn't a question of whether DL could provide the information or not because they used to show the seat map and open seats until departure time.
They have chosen to not show open seats once boarding starts as a clear policy decision - and there are many examples of things like that where DL and UA differ. It has nothing to do with what one airline can do but what they choose to do.
and when UA can pay its people the same as DL people or better and post superior earnings, then we will be impressed. The chances of both happening are slim to nil.
and we'll not even get started about UA's dramatic share giveaway to DL in NYC.
aren't you glad you threw in your snide comment?
It's absolutely meaningful if there are fewer spots available than your position on the list. Especially if there are a lot fewer...
but you have no idea how many seats will sell and will be available for upgrade, esp. 30 days out.
The only people that would know are people in United's revenue mgmt dept. that have access to forecasts for each booking class and the cabin as a whole.