I honestly can't believe there are people arguing that because UA chose to extend the EQS requirements for 1K to 120 that this means UA "crunched the numbers" and found that EQS fliers were bringing in less revenue.
Unless you live on a route with connecting service on UA and nonstop service on a LCC, chances are you pay significantly
more as a EQS qualifier. The sorts of hub-to-UX-market and v-v flights typically cost 1.5x to 2x what a cheap transcon IAD-LAX does.
These are typically the flights of business travelers, too, not Ma and Pa Kettles, when they're flown as O&D traffic.
If you ask me, UA decided they could thin the 1K ranks a bit, and save on SWUs (perhaps collecting more in miles + copay for those 1Ps wanting to upgrade internationally), save on other benefit-related costs, etc. Never mind that the folks they're cutting out probably generate more revenue than those they're keeping, by and large.
Originally Posted by
JT_BOS
I can tell you there are people who claim upsell can happen before all elite upgrades have been processed. I am one of them. I have seen something that convinced me.
I've seen it happen, too, on more than one occasion. And on at least a couple, I was offered upsell at check in (which I declined)
and subsequently didn't clear my instrument-supported upgrade. Yes, this has been rare, and as a 1K, I've cleared nearly every upgrade... but the "no, they always clear all elites before offering upsell" folks aren't correct IME, either.