Originally Posted by
spin88
I just have to laugh given the back and forth on upsells and UAs strategy. Two data points, all from the last 15 minutes.
(1) booking SFO-PHL-SFO for 5/15-5/17. Got offered "special only now" buy up offer at ticketing. $399 SFO-PHL, $379 PHL-SFO. 20 minutes later (after it actually tickets) I click though seats and faster than you can say "blue light special" the "special, buy it now "only one seat left" offers are $380 SFO-PHL, and $280 PHL-SFO.
(2) booked SFO-SEA for 5/6 (so am in the upgrade window, no R though). Offered upsell at purchase for $279. Then 10 minutes later (this one ticketed fast) it was $166 when I clicked though seat selection.
It just makes me wonder how dumb the folks who invented this scheme all think we are...
Sounds a lot like during the booking process it does not factor in your status and whether PN inventory is available. Just the fare you are about to purchase and the lowest F fare. Then after ticketing, a different system kicks in and sees your status, sees if PN is available, then offers you to buy up to Y/B/M to snag the instant upgrade space.
I am not a "buy up to F" type of customer, so I always disregarded those annoying messages. It is not as bad as the check-in kiosk machine asking me want to pay for the privilege of earning 2x or 3x miles?!? That is a total waste of time and annoys the heck out of me. I have to suffer that when checking in a bag [usually my golf clubs]. How I would love for a bag drop to be a simple 2-3 step process:
1. Scan Card
2. See "Travel Options" with Checking Bags as one of them among re-print BP/Change Flights/Change Seats or whatever and I can press the Checking Bags option
3. Confirm/Change # of bags I am checking in
Done! All of that should take less than 20 seconds.
Way OT sorry.