Originally Posted by
star_world
Wow. Would you like to re-state that in a form that is at least slightly accurate? Since when do "paid premium upgrades" equate to "TODs"? Talk about willfully misleading. The two simply aren't the same thing at all. I've purchased a $900 upgrade to BF in the past on flights to / from Europe - that would go into this 40% increase bucket. Do you think I stole an upgrade away from people as a "TOD"? Come on. You don't have the facts regarding the price that upgrades are sold for, I don't have them either. But only one of us is claiming to know that they have increased "TODs" by 40%
Tell that to all the people who get 80-90% CPU success rate on UA. This comment is
incredibly misleading, not to mention completely removed from reality.
ROFL, given the large number of posts from you that have no factual support whatsoever.
TOD is understood by every single person on this thread - yourself included - to mean "paid upgrades" from Y to F/J. So a long semantic post is not getting you far...
Every single person on this thread also knows by now that UA runs a reverse auction. price keeps dropping until it gets very cheap when R is substantial at less than T=24. Its cheapest an hour before the flight. Go to easy-chicken, most of the real TODs ("tens of dollars") come there.
I posted what UA said on the call. Its a QUOTE, you may not like that (truth kinda hurts, what sounds good to Wall Street, does not sound so good to 1Ks, Plats, gold, etc, with upgrade rates in the toilet) but its what UA told the markets.
And if your upgrade rate is really that high, bully to you.
It does not reflect the reality for most folks.
As I have noted before, as a GS flying higher fare categories,
I usually get upgraded, but even my stats (on the little flying of mine UA gets) are not the 99% they used to be. I am 7 out of 10 on upgrades (70%) this year, with one additional paid F, and two additional flights on planes with no F. So been up front 8 of 13 times.
But a combination of large numbers of people flying on heavily discounted Y (30-40% off rack rate) and TODs, I am finding I clear later or not at all.
The result is that I fly AS or DL, and am loving it. I love UA, love its people, and its sad for me, I know if I am bailing, lots of people who had far less attachment to UA are long gone.
All I can say is good luck with the current business model. People are only suckers for so long...
Originally Posted by
SFO 1K
I'm at the point where TOD = paid upgrade. I have no delusion they are cheap upgrades. In 2013 my UG rate is decimated compared to prior years. Something has changed. That is impacting my loyalty. I would fly on W fares to Europe to maintain 1K. This year there's no chance I'll do that with my current upgrade percentage. If I end up a Gold riding on my MM status so be it. I will give another airline a chance to impress me in 2H 2013. The money I spent in prior years gave me assurance of most upgrades. Maybe that was payment on account in lieu of TOD per ticket. But now that F Meals are McMuffins and "beef" wraps why bother. If I can't get a more comfy seat I have nothing to be loyal for. I can get E+ as a Gold. And this is after 13 years as a 1K. Sucks.
Yup, and good to see you got the point that Star seemed to miss in your first sentence.
Originally Posted by
anc-ord772
All the people who currently get 80-90% CPU success is a sliver of what it was prior to 3/3 if the board, colleagues, friends, etc. is an indicator. I wouldn't guess you get many people having that kind of success these days.
I doubt anyone not flying mostly on Y/B/M, or flying from a leasure destination (HNL e.g.) is getting that upgrade rate at this point.
Originally Posted by
LarkSFO
star: The good thing about a community like this, at least the regulars, is that we know exactly where spin is coming from and what points he is attempting to substantiate.
Any half intelligent reader of his statement recognizes the exaggeration.
So, you take his posts with the appropriate sized grain of salt, and move on. I don't think it is worth your 'virtual breath' anymore to keep trying to counterbalance spin. Assume the community is smart, assume the community can make their own judgements.
And, I do appreciate (at times!) the information and analysis spin brings to the rest of us.
(spin - I am not singling you out... I think regular members recognize where I am coming from, where starworld is coming from, etc. We all come in here with our own perspective. We should all just recognize that and move on...)
Yup, and good to see you recognized what I meant by using TOD, its at this point a FT "term of art"
But the bragging from the call by UA management about the rate of upsells to F (up over 40%) was very real. That they don't appear to recognize in this internet age that people would get their statement and equate it to their personal loss of upgrades is what surprises me.
DL, US, and most of all AA appear to get it.