United employee puts friends on top of upgrade llst
Jul 6, 2014, 12:53 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,685
I surely have the ability to bypass a name or even delete it (for real reasons) but in no way could I manipulate your position on the displayed list.
100:1 says it's another one of the countless legit thing that gets reported as "shenanigans" by someone.
Last edited by fastair; Jul 6, 2014 at 4:03 pm Reason: Forgot the word "wouldn't" which was critical to meaning
Jul 6, 2014, 1:11 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,990
Upgrade waitlist.
Sorry the sentence wasn't clear.
The "United friend" put in a request for an upgrade for these 2 (no status, no upgrade instrument). I requested an upgrade using miles and my position on the upgrade list is controlled by my status, as it should be. I played the game.
Regarding United's ability to upgrade anyone at will, as I am sure some top executives can do that, why wouldn't they just sit them in F?
Sorry the sentence wasn't clear.
The "United friend" put in a request for an upgrade for these 2 (no status, no upgrade instrument). I requested an upgrade using miles and my position on the upgrade list is controlled by my status, as it should be. I played the game.
Regarding United's ability to upgrade anyone at will, as I am sure some top executives can do that, why wouldn't they just sit them in F?
If you need to be in F, you should buy F.
Ratting-out your traveling companions won't get you anything, and may cause their friend problems. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Jul 6, 2014, 1:20 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: Million Miler, 1K - Basically spend a lot of time on planes
Posts: 2,202
Jul 6, 2014, 1:22 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
It's United's airline and they can do whatever they want with their seats.
Chill out, and btw a complaint to c/s about a person of high authority in sales taking care of a client, a gifted RPU or GPU from a friend, or whatever UA wants to do with their seats is their own business.
Chill out, and btw a complaint to c/s about a person of high authority in sales taking care of a client, a gifted RPU or GPU from a friend, or whatever UA wants to do with their seats is their own business.
Jul 6, 2014, 1:23 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: Million Miler, 1K - Basically spend a lot of time on planes
Posts: 2,202
The worse a company treats its employees, the worse the employee treats the company.
Jul 6, 2014, 1:30 pm
#21
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,520
Bad for business, but hey, so what if customers seek transportation elsewhere?
Jul 6, 2014, 2:01 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
Programs: BA Gold, B6 Mosiac, VS, AA, DL (and a legacy UA 2MM)
Posts: 2,274
I think maybe you meant "wouldn't have the ability"?
Jul 6, 2014, 2:03 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
You are absolutely correct. If they want to set up an upgrade program as an incentive to get people to fly their airline, and then undercut that program by visibly allowing it to be subverted, that is indeed their choice.
Bad for business, but hey, so what if customers seek transportation elsewhere?
Bad for business, but hey, so what if customers seek transportation elsewhere?
For me it's not high on my "Livid List" where others get to sit, but I usually don't get secret inside poop either!
Jul 6, 2014, 3:00 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: ROA/SHD/LWB/CHO
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold, AA, DL
Posts: 234
This strikes me as a bit over the top, given that I don't think we've established that the OP's friends were put atop the list by way of some unilateral "put these passengers on the top" move as opposed to the use of some valid method described above. I think it's possible that the United employee in this case did use some valid method, possibly an instrument of his own or similar, but the OP's friends understand it and conveyed it to the OP as "he put us on the top."
Even if we had established that, I think it's a bit much to associate "the way our country is going" with the dispensing of two flight upgrades in one circumstance when here are legitimately disturbing instances of corruption in the world.
Even if we had established that, I think it's a bit much to associate "the way our country is going" with the dispensing of two flight upgrades in one circumstance when here are legitimately disturbing instances of corruption in the world.
Last edited by J.Edward; Jul 6, 2014 at 5:03 pm Reason: VBB Update
Jul 6, 2014, 3:04 pm
#25
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,520
Back when UA still flew BKK-NRT, I witnessed the same thing - a GA making sure her NRSA friends were seated up front, while several GS and 1K with instruments were left in the back. Needless to say, that didn't reflect well on UA that day.
Jul 6, 2014, 4:21 pm
#26
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, UA Mileage Plus 1K, AA Executive Plat, Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 2,342
do we know what flight this alledgedly happened on?
Jul 6, 2014, 4:23 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wichita
Posts: 628
In SAN last year, I was called to the podium because my upgrade cleared. I saw the printed boarding pass. As he was getting ready to hand it to me another employee tapped him on the shoulder and my upgrade evaporated. I was told -- but cannot confirm -- a UA employee got my seat.
This incident, along with 5 unplanned overnights last year due to missed connects (4 ORD, 1 BNA) and cancelled flights, was a factor in "firing" UA and going over to AA. Very happy with my choice.
Jul 6, 2014, 4:41 pm
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
OP needs to get over it. There are, of course, people at UA more than senior enough to move specific people into F or move them up the UG list, depending on what they choose to do. Sam thing at AA and DL too.
The internal UA question is whether the senior UA person was using their authority in violation of company policy. If OP wants to report the details to UA, UA can look at it and make that determination.
But, UA -- just like others -- markets. One way to do that is to give someone in authority a "taste of the good life" (if that's what domestic F is).
The internal UA question is whether the senior UA person was using their authority in violation of company policy. If OP wants to report the details to UA, UA can look at it and make that determination.
But, UA -- just like others -- markets. One way to do that is to give someone in authority a "taste of the good life" (if that's what domestic F is).
Jul 6, 2014, 4:50 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Everywhere you wanna be
Programs: AA EP | UA 1K
Posts: 1,657
technically speaking employees on official airline business travel can bump a revenue pax from a seat if necessary. In no way are upgrades guaranteed so no laws/rules were broken.
Jul 6, 2014, 5:02 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, UA Mileage Plus 1K, AA Executive Plat, Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 2,342
There's 4 of us traveling, on separate bookings.
Yesterday, I am told that two of us have a friend "who works for United" who put in a request for an upgrade for them
Sure enough, I check in and I find both of them not just on the upgrade list, but right there on top of the upgrade list. And ahead of me lowly 1KMM who put in 20K for the upgrade and 27 years of loyalty to United. No status, no upgrade instrument- just "a friend who works for united"
1- how is this possible?
2-How do I resolve this without all manner of hell breaking loose in our party? If I call United the guy may lose his job ( right now I think he should).
3-Why does United let this happen?
I. am. livid and would appreciate input.
I would like to add that I always suspected that shenanigans of the sort where possible. Now I know they happen.
Yesterday, I am told that two of us have a friend "who works for United" who put in a request for an upgrade for them
Sure enough, I check in and I find both of them not just on the upgrade list, but right there on top of the upgrade list. And ahead of me lowly 1KMM who put in 20K for the upgrade and 27 years of loyalty to United. No status, no upgrade instrument- just "a friend who works for united"
1- how is this possible?
2-How do I resolve this without all manner of hell breaking loose in our party? If I call United the guy may lose his job ( right now I think he should).
3-Why does United let this happen?
I. am. livid and would appreciate input.
I would like to add that I always suspected that shenanigans of the sort where possible. Now I know they happen.