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UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.

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Old Oct 30, 2013, 3:36 pm
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UA Insider's reply in posts 247 and 254 of this thread:
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Hi everyone,

We recognize the importance and value to you of accessible and transparent information about United flights. It’s a meaningful part of your travel planning, and we are committed to providing useful information that is both accurate and preserves the integrity of United’s data and systems.

While we are committed to data transparency, Expert Flyer has been accessing united.com in an unauthorized fashion to retrieve UA availability. In addition, these activities have consumed significant united.com bandwidth that could otherwise be used by regular consumers. As a result, we had to take this action to protect the security and integrity of United’s systems.

Thank you for your understanding as to why we had to take this action. We continue to look at ways in which we can provide you with timely and useful information (some of which you will see in new releases of our own digital channels) as well as with partners that have authorized access to our data.

Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager - Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Expert mode/visibility in UA channels is unaffected by this.
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UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.

Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:22 am
  #61  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Originally Posted by dkc715
Kiss R and RN goodbye on Expert Mode. I bet phone agents won't be able to see it either.
They better be able to, because without ExpertFlyer, I intend to call every day at least once a day when I really want an RPU/GPU to clear on a transcon/TPAC/TATL flight. I'm not sitting around hoping SHARES will properly process my GPU request on EWR-HKG. I'll just have to call in incessantly.
fjfv19 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:23 am
  #62  
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My predicted response from UA Insider: "We are working on addressing several issues with the award and upgrade booking system on United.com. Unfortunately, this means that we have had to temporarily remove the visibility for these fare classes."

We all know what "temporary" means when it comes to UA.
exerda is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:26 am
  #63  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NJ
Programs: UA Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott Plat,
Posts: 284
Glad I took the AA fast track challenge, I'll be EXP in a couple weeks and have a bunch of unrestricted SWUs to use. Even as an EWR based flyer, I've started to book a decent amount of next year's travel on AA.
Blootch is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:29 am
  #64  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SLC
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Originally Posted by LAXOGG
I suspect that this policy was implemented to limit the opportunity to 'jump the queue" in the upgade list. Obviously it still could be done, but you now have to find your own availability with your own search.
Exactly. This is their "fix" for this problem. Forget making the system actually process the UGs correctly.
eflyte is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:30 am
  #65  
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to UA and Expertflyer. I wonder if it's just about EF not paying UA for this data or if UA doesn't want us to have this information? Either way this is terrible news and it WILL affect not just EF subscriptions but also UA's business. Knowing and being to efficiently search R&O inventory bring business to United since I am much more likely to buy a ticket when I know I can upgrade straight away.
Time to write to 1KVoice about this change.
cfischer is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:31 am
  #66  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Horrible news
GrizNation is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:31 am
  #67  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Bummer. I really doubt "temporary" is really the case. Guess I better set my account to not renew and send an email to 1KVoice.
RockinRon is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:33 am
  #68  
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Originally Posted by exerda
UA tried to do this before and caused a massive uproar.
No, they didn't. The last time around they moved "Expert Mode" behind the login process with a span of a few weeks during the migration where it wasn't available. And at that time it disappeared from EF, too.

I highly doubt that the data is being pulled from view on the UA website, just from the 3rd party.
Originally Posted by fjfv19
They better be able to, because without ExpertFlyer, I intend to call every day at least once a day when I really want an RPU/GPU to clear on a transcon/TPAC/TATL flight. I'm not sitting around hoping SHARES will properly process my GPU request on EWR-HKG. I'll just have to call in incessantly.
You could also just check the website, saving yourself a lot of time and energy versus calling in.
sbm12 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:34 am
  #69  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Originally Posted by dkc715
This change suggests expert mode will lose R/RN visibility in coming days. I am certain United doesn't like people intentionally booking coach knowing they can immediately upgrade on ticketing. I'm sure management thinks they are leaving revenue on the table since some customers will now book premium cabins who would otherwise pay coach/upgrade. Unfortunately, after 2 1/2 years, upgrade processing still doesn't work properly. So, now, they just hide the fact that upgrades are not happening according to their published order.

Kiss R and RN goodbye on Expert Mode. I bet phone agents won't be able to see it either.
The wording of the EF announcement certainly seems to imply that this will happen.
eflyte is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:35 am
  #70  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 923
Originally Posted by lhrsfo:21693825
At its heart, this is essentially a further devaluation of GPUs. There's very limited availability of R space at the best of times. So, to make GPUs useable, we had to pay our $50 to ExpertFlyer in order to have a reasonable shot at finding that elusive availability
Prior to UAs new 'customer friendly' policy would have been interested to know how you got 50% off the subscription....
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Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:38 am
  #71  
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Originally Posted by sbm12
No, they didn't. The last time around they moved "Expert Mode" behind the login process with a span of a few weeks during the migration where it wasn't available. And at that time it disappeared from EF, too.
IIRC, they pulled "expert mode" entirely at the time and broke EF. It was only after significant outcry that UA developed and presented the option of bringing back "expert mode," behind the login or otherwise.
exerda is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:39 am
  #72  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,877
Originally Posted by star_world
Maybe EF couldn't / wouldn't pay an amount of money that UA deemed acceptable for access to this data.

Surprised this hasn't been suggested once in 48 angry posts.
My explanation on the DL forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21694128-post248.html

Same scenario for UA. UA's data is supplied by PARS/SHARES by EDS (Electronic Data Systems now owned by Hewlett-Packard).

If you want to blame someone, blame UA, not ExpertFlyer.
DelrayChris is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:41 am
  #73  
 
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My guess is they have some systemic issue that they seem unable to fix with R space opening up at T-24. And it is ruining their upsell program because people are calling in and using their miles/instruments to take those upgrade seats instead of UA being up to ToD/upsell them to others out from under the elites.

So rather than fix the problem (keep R space from opening up) they are restricting access to the information.

In any case, it will be interesting to see if the "KVS custom browser" path still works, or how long it is until they remove access to expert mode completely.

Such customer and elite-unfriendly policies continue to be propagated. Things will definitely not improve until there's a management change.
bmr12 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:42 am
  #74  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Washington, DC
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Posts: 257
Originally Posted by pduck01
Yes, and the elite award inventory being cut off is awful as well. It's a vital service. Yet another change I don't like. A big one, too.

I guess I can just call every day and waste 45 minutes of an agent's time going over every permutation of every upgrade I am looking for. Fun!
+1
geofflaredo is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 7:44 am
  #75  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
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Originally Posted by golfingboy
This sucks, but I use expert mode on UA.com to obtain such information. Often I would manually find the space before I even receive an EF alert.

Less transparency sucks though
Info available in expert mode, so claims of lack of transparency are moot. We don't know the business arrangement between UA and EF so our comments here are speculative.
LaserSailor is offline  

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