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Wow, they're sure selling a lot of upgrades

Wow, they're sure selling a lot of upgrades

Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:32 am
  #1  
gba
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Wow, they're sure selling a lot of upgrades

I'm flying SEA-IAD today on a 757. Checked in at T-24 and noticed that only 13 seats had been booked. Was offered to buy an upgrade for $99. As departure approaches, 21 seats are how booked, 5 people show as cleared (who were never on the waitlist...not sure where they came from) and I'm starting to drop down the waitlist. I don't think I missed an upgrade on a 757 on PMUA (certainly not one is >10 seats available at T-24) as a 1K.

Is this a cutover waitlist problem? Or is the new United really going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the front cabin? If they're selling upgrades to GMs for $99 on a transcon (and for all I know, maybe they're charging them more), I think elite upgrades are going to be few and far between...
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:38 am
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Same thing happening bos to ord today. 5fc seats open 4 hours ago get to airport and all sold out. No upgrades for Anyone. When I checked last night fc offered for 700 extra. This morning it was 200. Reverse auction equals no free upgrades.
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:38 am
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Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Ridiculous....
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:41 am
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Ahhh, gotta love reduced competition!
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:42 am
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This is typical PMCO policy. Money talks, status walks when it comes to CPU/UDU/EUA. I'm researching alternate airlines for my domestic travel needs out of SFO.
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:42 am
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How dare they sell something for $99 when they could have given it to me for free?
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:43 am
  #7  
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Originally Posted by gba
Was offered to buy an upgrade for $99...
Shocker How about $69 ONT-IAH? If a non-elite has to check bags, it's a no brainer

Originally Posted by gba
5 people show as cleared (who were never on the waitlist...not sure where they came from)
$99 upgrade purchasers' names will show up on the cleared list.

Originally Posted by gba
I'm starting to drop down the waitlist. I don't think I missed an upgrade on a 757 on PMUA (certainly not one is >10 seats available at T-24) as a 1K.
...
Welcome to the new Gondinendal Erlines!!

Couldn't be happier about my brand new non-elite status!
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:43 am
  #8  
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Exclamation

I fully expected this.

After 3/3, UDU success rate will go down pretty ugly.

A GM who is supported by upgrade instruments (CR-1, miles) will jump ahead of 1Ks Plats Golds on the T-24 waitlist unless they pay Y/B/M fares. This, actually I can understand.

Instant Y/B/M fares.

Tens of dollars upgrade offered to anyone on the street as SMI/J is trying to squeeze the last cent before the door closes.

The good days of 1Ks, Plats or even 1Ps who got decent UDU are over.
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:49 am
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Originally Posted by gba
I'm flying SEA-IAD today on a 757. Checked in at T-24 and noticed that only 13 seats had been booked. Was offered to buy an upgrade for $99. As departure approaches, 21 seats are how booked, 5 people show as cleared (who were never on the waitlist...not sure where they came from) and I'm starting to drop down the waitlist. I don't think I missed an upgrade on a 757 on PMUA (certainly not one is >10 seats available at T-24) as a 1K.

Is this a cutover waitlist problem? Or is the new United really going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the front cabin? If they're selling upgrades to GMs for $99 on a transcon (and for all I know, maybe they're charging them more), I think elite upgrades are going to be few and far between...
There is a thread (maybe the "tens of dollars" thread) that discusses this. The system is not supposed to offer dirt cheap upgrades like that if there are any elites on the waitlist. The buy up offers are supposed to be based on the difference between the purchased fare and the cheapest first fare available. In the past at CO there were some glitches that were supposedly fixed. Now they are back it would seem. Add this to the list of bugs that need to be repaired immediately.

I've also never not cleared SEA-IAD on a 757! If the $99 upgrade is still available I'd take it.. I doubt this is going to be fixed in time for your flight.
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:53 am
  #10  
 
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ORD-IAH. F9 when I looked ~30 hours before departure. When I got to the gate, there was only one F seat left and I was 11th on the list as a 1K. Ultimately only 1 upgrade clears off list according to flight status and by the time flight checks in full I am down to 12th, so I guess I was really 13th in line competing for that one seat.

This was the first time I missed UDU/EUA on a plane with more than 8 seats and wasn't an equipment swap down. I guess this is the new United I get to look forward to?
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:57 am
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Originally Posted by gba
I'm flying SEA-IAD today on a 757. Checked in at T-24 and noticed that only 13 seats had been booked. Was offered to buy an upgrade for $99. As departure approaches, 21 seats are how booked, 5 people show as cleared (who were never on the waitlist...not sure where they came from) and I'm starting to drop down the waitlist. I don't think I missed an upgrade on a 757 on PMUA (certainly not one is >10 seats available at T-24) as a 1K.

Is this a cutover waitlist problem? Or is the new United really going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the front cabin? If they're selling upgrades to GMs for $99 on a transcon (and for all I know, maybe they're charging them more), I think elite upgrades are going to be few and far between...
If they are selling transcon upgrade for $99.00, I think the era of UDU/CPU for elite is over! They don't care! All they see is just $m...
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:57 am
  #12  
 
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I'm noticing the same thing.
Yesterday i flew LAx-HNL and have had a 98% UDU clearance over 20+ flights in the last 6 months. I sat in the back. My seat mates were two 1K's, a CO Plat and three golds. We were stunned by how we kept dropping on the list even when we were waiting at the gate. Especially since 48 hours prior there were 18 seats open up front.

I'm hoping that this is a glitch as the poster above stated. Otherwise we here will be quickly evaluating the drive to stay brand loyal to the new UA.

Last edited by thehoax; Mar 5, 2012 at 11:49 am Reason: apparently stated wrong info
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 10:59 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by amartin1979
This is typical PMCO policy. Money talks, status walks when it comes to CPU/UDU/EUA. I'm researching alternate airlines for my domestic travel needs out of SFO.
Yeah, typical PMCO policy. There are many lengthy threads about this.

1Ks: you can walk away with your thousands of dollars or tens of thousands of dollars annual spending on UA.

SMI/J doesn't care. He is only happy to collect his TOD upgrade revenue per flight.

That's small company mentality; vision or basic business sense is in extremely short supply here.
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 11:00 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by thehoax

Also, was there any thought to the disadvantage UA Golds are at vs CO Plat? Some flew nearly 90k miles last year but there is no instrument with the merge to account for that effort by giving them Plat.
Please don't state erroneous facts. All Golds who flew above 75K last year are now Premier Plat.
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Old Mar 5, 2012, 11:01 am
  #15  
 
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It is just all sad.
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