"Expert Mode" Changes
Sep 7, 2012, 3:34 pm
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Another way this information was really helpful was on complex itineraries, especially those with stopovers, being able to look up availability on individual legs made it much easier to piece together an itinerary. I could legitimately see not having this available leading me to not book a ticket because it's too difficult to find something that I want.
Of course it is pretty much fraud how United handles the situation and like all decent thieves they will attempt to clean up the tracks. An airline who is afraid of transparancy is not an airline I want to fly anymore. Several times this year did I use multi-segment after first confirming segment availability to come up with the best price. No more.
Sep 7, 2012, 3:36 pm
#47
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, BA Silver, Marriott Plat., Hertz Pres. Circle, Avis First
Posts: 917
Your rationale for this doesn't even make sense. This information could easily be made available only through expert mode, as it was before the merger, thereby ensuring no 'confusion' on the part of general customers. It is particularly ludicrous to situate this announcement in an argument that United is committed to transparency. Now the only way for us to find flights where we can use our confirmed upgrades is by calling...which costs you more money and only serves to irritate us. Honestly, have you learned nothing from the AA status match and the siphoning off some of your top customers by competitors? Are you trying to drive us away?
Sep 7, 2012, 3:38 pm
#48
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
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I guess there's no need to repeat what everyone else is saying. But I will...
This is a HORRIBLE change. United's transparency is a flippin' joke. I too use this information for EVERY flight I book.
What's the use anymore? Is there going to be ANYTHING left to this airline that resembles the United we knew and loved? This is yet another move straight back to the way CO did things...If people thought the COdbaUA moniker was a joke, this firmly cements that it isn't.
Absolutely LOVE the timing of this. United makes public 'bad-for-customer' decisions at 5PM on a Friday, and 'good-for-customer' decisions during on Mondays. Can't remember the last time we had an announcement on a Monday. This is hilarious.
(Waiting until the usual suspects come to defend this decision...In three, two, one...)
This is a HORRIBLE change. United's transparency is a flippin' joke. I too use this information for EVERY flight I book.
What's the use anymore? Is there going to be ANYTHING left to this airline that resembles the United we knew and loved? This is yet another move straight back to the way CO did things...If people thought the COdbaUA moniker was a joke, this firmly cements that it isn't.
Absolutely LOVE the timing of this. United makes public 'bad-for-customer' decisions at 5PM on a Friday, and 'good-for-customer' decisions during on Mondays. Can't remember the last time we had an announcement on a Monday. This is hilarious.
(Waiting until the usual suspects come to defend this decision...In three, two, one...)
Sep 7, 2012, 3:38 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SJC, SFO
Programs: UA, AA, SPG
Posts: 439
my god, this is such a stupid decision that I thought it was a joke at first
Sep 7, 2012, 3:39 pm
#50
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: 1K MMiler, Hertz 5*
Posts: 589
Paging EXPERTFLYER VOICE,
Can you shed any light on this latest UA screw over? Will EF still have access to UA booking classes?
Can you shed any light on this latest UA screw over? Will EF still have access to UA booking classes?
Sep 7, 2012, 3:39 pm
#51
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: IAH
Programs: UA/CO-GS/PPlat,AA-Gold,SPG-Plat,Hilton-Diamond,Marriott-Plat,Hertz-Pres_Circe
Posts: 824
That or the VP of Customer Experience is a sadist.
I am literally on the phone now canceling refundable tickets and booking on other airlines.
This is perhaps the single most customer unfriendly move I have seen from United. Other downgrades have at least made business sense, but this is pathetic.
I am literally on the phone now canceling refundable tickets and booking on other airlines.
This is perhaps the single most customer unfriendly move I have seen from United. Other downgrades have at least made business sense, but this is pathetic.
Sep 7, 2012, 3:39 pm
#52
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Sep 7, 2012, 3:41 pm
#53
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, AS GM, AA Gold, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 102
"Expert Mode" Changes
I may as well just settle for Premium Economy on other airlines since the ability to book upgrades/rewards just took a nosedive. Now it'll take longer to research a trip than the trip itself.
Sep 7, 2012, 3:41 pm
#54
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SIN, PIE
Programs: AA-EXP, SQ-PPS, Marriott PP
Posts: 210
A logical move would be to provide an expert mode for each profile and allow the user to toggle between I know what I'm doing and I don't. By default, don't show this data to the average John Doe.
I matched to EXP and am looking forward to EK starting up in IAD this month. This has minimal impact on me but I wish the rest of you good luck.
I matched to EXP and am looking forward to EK starting up in IAD this month. This has minimal impact on me but I wish the rest of you good luck.
Sep 7, 2012, 3:42 pm
#55
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 522
Thanks United.
I will now spend hours every week on the phone asking agents to search for flights and connections with R/RN space to use my GPU's and miles to upgrade.
And I won't let them hang up till they've found exactly what I want.
A waste of $ for you guys - phone agents searching through weeeks of RN space when I could do it myself for free on .com
This is enough to push for to AA for sure.
I will now spend hours every week on the phone asking agents to search for flights and connections with R/RN space to use my GPU's and miles to upgrade.
And I won't let them hang up till they've found exactly what I want.
A waste of $ for you guys - phone agents searching through weeeks of RN space when I could do it myself for free on .com
This is enough to push for to AA for sure.
Sep 7, 2012, 3:45 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
So please tell us how we are supposed to see when R space is available??? Many of us have very little trust in UA now. Your kidding yourselves if you think ANYONE will now buy a W fare blindly
Sep 7, 2012, 3:48 pm
#57
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oregon
Programs: AA EXP, AS 75K, UA 1MM Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Plat, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 4,001
Wow. This is an incredibly poor decision. Please rethink this.
Sep 7, 2012, 3:48 pm
#58
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Boulder, CO and Waimea, HI
Programs: UAL 1K MM
Posts: 748
You do realize you are alienating your best customers, don't you?
Maybe not.......very sad.
EXACTLY!!
Maybe not.......very sad.
EXACTLY!!
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Sep 7, 2012 at 4:09 pm Reason: multi-quote
Sep 7, 2012, 3:52 pm
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
Will expertflyer still be available to those of us who want to be confused?
Sep 7, 2012, 3:53 pm
#60
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 252
After further consideration, this is still breathtakingly stupid. Making the announcement on Friday afternoon (PR 101!) is also pretty sneaky. If this were a Monday early afternoon, the thread would be 25 pages long already, and there would be dozens of companion threads titled some variant of "why this is the last straw" or "Smiszek=[insert historical tyrant here]"