I've always kept a close watch on my upgrade balance in the past, but since United's unlimited domestic upgrade (UDU) program started earlier this year, I have not had the need to use any of my banked upgrade instruments.

I was thinking about that this morning and decided to check my balance. To my dismay, one of my systemwide upgrades expired last month. And I had no idea...

I've got loads of systemwide and regional upgrades and my next systemwide upgrade expires next month. I have no use for it, so I plan to gift it to someone at IAD next week on the way back from my trip to Montreal ^{_{(unless one of you can suggest a better use)}}.

Learn from my mistake: keep track of your upgrade balance. I'm not feeling too bad because my only travel last month was on Continental, but I could have given it to someone else.

After going 8/8 with United’s new UDU program and not missing a requested upgrade in over two years (going back to my days a Premier Executive) I failed to clear on a SFO-PHL flight this afternoon. The transcon was operated by an A320 with 12 seats in First Class and I was on a L-fare, so it was not big shocker. In fact, I was rather surprised that I was #2 on the waitlist.

Still, it’s a humbling experience to be denied an upgrade, especially on a route ...

It still may be too early to authoritatively evaluate UA's new upgrade program, but I'm 7/7 and a happy camper right now.

Let's review:

ROUTE > FARE CLASS > EQUIPMENT > # OF FC SEATS > TIME CLEARED BEFORE DEPARTURE

IAD-MSY > M-Class > A319 > 8 > 48 hours

MSY-LAX > M-Class > A319 > 8 > at gate

LAX-LAS > M-Class > A320 > 12 > 48 hours

SFO-IAD > T-Class > 757 (yeah, Flight 142) > 24 > 100 ...

Yesterday, I flew from PHL-LAX via IAD and MSY. I purchased the ticket a week ago and was on an M-fare (a relatively pricey Economy fare). IAD-MSY-LAX was operated by an A319 with only eight First Class seats, making my chance of an upgrade more tenuous.

My IAD-MSY upgrade cleared about 48 hours prior to departure, but my MSY-LAX upgrade remained waitlisted.

As usual, I left my home in PHL with just enough time to walk to 30th St Station and catch a train to the airport. I've ...

I won't get to witness UA's new UDU program first-hand until Friday (my upgrades are waitlisted, BTW), but my brother traveled from FRA-IAD-LAX on United yesterday. He is a Premier and was traveling on an H-fare--an upper-end Economy ticket.

Sunday is generally not a good day to travel from Europe to the U.S. if you want to upgrade, especially during the spring break period, so it came as no surprise when his SWU-sponsored upgrade did not clear for the transatlantic ...