UA mistake award redemption rates for China travel [UA says will void tickets]
Jul 16, 2012, 7:08 pm
#646
Company Representative, United Airlines
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chicago, Houston, or somewhere in between
Posts: 2,176
Information regarding award pricing error
Hi Everyone, over the weekend, we discovered a united.com programming error that allowed customers to obtain Mileage Plus travel awards to and from Hong Kong for as little as four miles roundtrip per person, substantially below published levels, which we disclose to customers. We have since corrected the error and will be in contact with customers who have tickets issued at the incorrect award amounts. Customers will be given the choice to redeem at the correct mileage amount or re-deposit their award with all fees waived. We regret any inconvenience this has caused you, and appreciate your understanding.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Jul 16, 2012, 8:29 pm
#647
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Folks, We're just in the process of splitting the thread into two. There will be this thread and a second thread with the UA announcement and the related comments to that. It will be back and this will be reopened. Soon. - l'etoile
...and here it is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...redeposit.html
...and here it is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...redeposit.html
Last edited by J.Edward; Jul 16, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Jul 16, 2012, 10:11 pm
#648
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
And the Survey Says....
120 responses so far... I deleted the surveys reporting 800 and 1000 tickets issued; you guys are just too awesome. 
Number of Tickets
It looks like somewhere between 512 (using lowest figures and excluding suspicious outliers) and 748 (using highest figures and including outliers) tickets were issued to the respondents. The highest category included responses of 18, 18, 18, 20, 22, 26, 26, 44, 45, and 75 tickets issued.
UA Metal versus Partner Metal
Where did you learn about the deal?
Other Questions
*Approximately 2/3 of the flights were booked in F, 1/3 in J, and a few in Economy.
*83% of you have had no miles deducted, 7.5% claim a small number of miles (e.g. 4 per ticket) have been deducted and 10% had large amounts of miles deducted.
*The vast majority of you (80%) declined to provide an e-mail contact.
The part that really surprises me is in bold above. We haven't had any reports that someone has had the correct number of miles deducted from their accounts, yet several aurvey respondents (9 total) report such deductions. Unless some people chime in to the contrary, I'm going to assume that my survey question was unclear.
I will keep the survey open and update you if there are significant numbers of new responses.
Number of Tickets
It looks like somewhere between 512 (using lowest figures and excluding suspicious outliers) and 748 (using highest figures and including outliers) tickets were issued to the respondents. The highest category included responses of 18, 18, 18, 20, 22, 26, 26, 44, 45, and 75 tickets issued.
UA Metal versus Partner Metal
Where did you learn about the deal?
Other Questions
*Approximately 2/3 of the flights were booked in F, 1/3 in J, and a few in Economy.
*83% of you have had no miles deducted, 7.5% claim a small number of miles (e.g. 4 per ticket) have been deducted and 10% had large amounts of miles deducted.
*The vast majority of you (80%) declined to provide an e-mail contact.
The part that really surprises me is in bold above. We haven't had any reports that someone has had the correct number of miles deducted from their accounts, yet several aurvey respondents (9 total) report such deductions. Unless some people chime in to the contrary, I'm going to assume that my survey question was unclear.
I will keep the survey open and update you if there are significant numbers of new responses.
Jul 16, 2012, 10:14 pm
#649
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,992
No Surprise Here.
Hate to say I was right, but there were very unreasonable expectations here of getting something for nothing. Hope springs eternal it seems.
Jul 17, 2012, 7:16 am
#650
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
Moderator Note.
We encourage the discussion of United's response to the 4/8 RDM award tickets to take place in the dedicated thread we've set up for this phase of the matter:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eposit-21.html
We've moved the recent, relevant threads from this thread to the above-linked one.
Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Co-Moderator.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eposit-21.html
We've moved the recent, relevant threads from this thread to the above-linked one.
Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Co-Moderator.
Jul 17, 2012, 10:41 am
#651
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Bonvoy Gold, UA G
Posts: 596
Disappointing news.
Jul 19, 2012, 12:56 pm
#652
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
This story made a segment on the BBC Radio 4 news (that's our J class news programme 
) in the UK this evening, which is unusual for a consumer story. Maybe they were stringing from bigger attention in the US?
) in the UK this evening, which is unusual for a consumer story. Maybe they were stringing from bigger attention in the US?
Jul 19, 2012, 1:22 pm
#653
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
Was it on PM or the 6 O'Clock news? Also do you remember how far in? I'll iPlayer it tonight.
Jul 19, 2012, 3:57 pm
#654
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
Quite light hearted in an 'and finally' style, and taking the UA side more than the flyer one.
Jul 19, 2012, 5:04 pm
#655
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372