Oct 30, 2013, 3:36 pm
Last edit by: Ocn Vw 1K
UA Insider's reply in posts 247 and 254 of this thread:
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
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
UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.
Oct 30, 2013, 1:41 pm
#211
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,433
How does EF get their data?
Do they screen scrape, or have a GDS link?
Do they screen scrape, or have a GDS link?
Oct 30, 2013, 1:45 pm
#212
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
No inside info at all. Just going by the eff. date given by United to, e.g., ExpertFlyer. That cutoff date is found in post 1 in this thread. I don't know what upgrade/award availability data will continue on united.com after 31 Oct.
Oct 30, 2013, 1:57 pm
#213
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicago
Programs: Hyatt Glob; UA 1K; BonVoyage LTT (RIP SPG); HH Dia; JX Insighter
Posts: 1,643
This is rather odd. I emailed EF in response to their email regarding UA upgrade visibility. I asked them, "which fare buckets, specifically, does this affect? I presume it includes the normal upgrade inventory (R, etc.), but does it also include saver award space (O, I, X)?"
Their response:
Obviously, this doesn't answer much of anything. In fact, I followed up to ask explicitly, "does this mean that you don't know what data, if any, you will have access to after tomorrow?"
To which they replied:
Any ideas from the peanut gallery? 
Their response:
We are trying to retain as much UA information as possible in the next couple days, so we would please ask that you login to ExpertFlyer on Friday and check to see what information is available at that time. Thank you for your understanding.
To which they replied:
We do not want to prematurely say what we will or won’t have, please take a look at ExpertFlyer on Friday
Oct 30, 2013, 2:03 pm
#214
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: AA EXP MM/UA MM/Marriott PLT Premier-LT PLT
Posts: 383
UA Blocking Access to R and Award Searches as of 31-Oct-2013? (per ExpertFlyer.com)
If I understand this correctly, this is much worse than what Delta did. Delta only removed showing upgrade space for premier members but still showed upgrade space for some upgrades such as using miles. It sounds like united is removing all access to upgrade space which gives them a jump in the race to the bottom.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:04 pm
#215
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
This may well be the problem - you have to pay someone else $100 to have better access to awards than someone who doesn't pay $100 to EF.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:08 pm
#216
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
If I understand this correctly, this is much worse than what Delta did. Delta only removed showing upgrade space for premier members but still showed upgrade space for some upgrades such as using miles. It sounds like united is removing all access to upgrade space which gives them a jump in the race to the bottom.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:10 pm
#217
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: msp
Programs: AA PLT 3MM, DL PM 2MM
Posts: 1,142
Yep agree. I'm working on travel for next year. A month ago I booked an UG using EF from SEA to NRT on UA. That's why I often use UA when I can spot an early UG availablity across the pacific or atlantic. If that ability is gone I'll not bother and concentrate on other carriers either using miles to UG or just grab a free ticket. It just seems to me that UA has become hostile to their customers. I cannot write in English what I'd like to say for fear of being throw off FT for profanity.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:14 pm
#218
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,117
Nope. The system is broken. Anyone who notices R inventory on expert mode can book the upgrade instantly when it appears. EF simply notifies subscribers when this happens to give fair notice to those seeking a fair shake. Please realize that while I pay a higher fare to waitlist an upgrade, the same inventory is sold to those who did not waitlist and who pay cash. United gets my higher fare class cash, then sells the seat to someone else and they get the upgrade. United gets my cash and the cash from the cash upgraded. I get nothing.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:14 pm
#219
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: AA EXP MM/UA MM/Marriott PLT Premier-LT PLT
Posts: 383
If I understand this correctly, this is much worse than what Delta did. Delta only removed showing upgrade space for premier members but still showed upgrade space for some upgrades such as using miles. It sounds like united is removing all access to upgrade space which gives them a jump in the race to the bottom.
http://boardingarea.com/pointsmilesandmartinis/2013/10/delta-medallion-upgrade-space-pulled-from-expertflyer/
Last edited by unhappyflyer; Oct 30, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Oct 30, 2013, 2:16 pm
#220
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,752
While I certainly wish things were not changing, UA will hardly see a dent from reaction to this.
And let's keep life in perspective: A lump in your oatmeal is an inconvenience. A lump in your breast is a serious problem.
This is a lump in my oatmeal. So it will take extra time to find the upgrade space. I'm really not all that annoyed. And those who say they are leaving because of this are being kind of petty.
And let's keep life in perspective: A lump in your oatmeal is an inconvenience. A lump in your breast is a serious problem.
This is a lump in my oatmeal. So it will take extra time to find the upgrade space. I'm really not all that annoyed. And those who say they are leaving because of this are being kind of petty.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:27 pm
#221
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: EWR
Programs: UA Gold, UA MM, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,329
How did you arrive at the conclusion that this is "most likely" EF not wanting to pay UA's fee's theory? because there are about 50 other posters in this thread that disagree with your "most likely" scenario. Do you have anything you would like to share? or is this pure speculation?
Oct 30, 2013, 2:28 pm
#222
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,138
Nope. The system is broken. Anyone who notices R inventory on expert mode can book the upgrade instantly when it appears. EF simply notifies subscribers when this happens to give fair notice to those seeking a fair shake. Please realize that while I pay a higher fare to waitlist an upgrade, the same inventory is sold to those who did not waitlist and who pay cash. United gets my higher fare class cash, then sells the seat to someone else and they get the upgrade. United gets my cash and the cash from the cash upgraded. I get nothing.
This change may make that outcome slightly more probable.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:30 pm
#223
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CRP
Programs: UA 1K and 1MM, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 300
From the verbiage in the ExpertFlyer e-mail, it sounds like award inventory will not be shown either. Can anyone confirm this either way?
Oct 30, 2013, 2:31 pm
#224
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
How did you arrive at the conclusion that this is "most likely" EF not wanting to pay UA's fee's theory? because there are about 50 other posters in this thread that disagree with your "most likely" scenario. Do you have anything you would like to share? or is this pure speculation?
UA has clearly no issue with making this data available - it's there in its Expert mode for anyone who wants it, but limited to individual access. EF collects $10 / month from people who want automated searches and it seems very likely that UA wants to keep some of that for themselves (or maybe more than they were getting previously - I'm not aware of the details of the arrangement that's in place today)
It doesn't say that - it specifically says "elite award inventory", which equates to the xN buckets that are only visible through UA. The regular award buckets (X, I, O) are not mentioned.
Oct 30, 2013, 2:37 pm
#225
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC/SFO
Programs: AA/AS/UA; Bonvoy
Posts: 282
Awful news.