You keep saying this, but it doesn't make sense. The fact that there have been more failures as of late than successes underscores this. The fact that UAInsider or anyone else with front end knowledge hasn't chimed in once also attests to this - the club changes and even the coffee cup threads got a drop in, but not a single clarification here.

If it is a permanent and actual benefit, it should be published under the list of 1K benefits. Then there would be no question.

If it's not being published on the list of benefits, the only reasons would be that it's not a rule or hard benefit, or it's temporary.

Either way, the communication from whoever is in charge of these things to the FAs AND customers is the problem. Not that they're lazy and don't check their phones. And not that we should have to second-guess at Flyertalk. Employees are lazy when they feel something is optional, or that bypassing the policy won't get them in trouble. It's sounding to me like it is truly optional, and FAs can do it as a gesture if they feel like it OR if a passenger insists.

It looks like it's an employee empowerment, not a customer entitlement. Otherwise, the answer would be simple in that they simply make sure to have this mentioned and reminded at every pre-flight briefing with the FAs. But that's not happening.

Thus, it's either A) a management problem, or B) the program is not what we think it is. Not lazy FAs.

Zero out of 8 flights (my own experience - another tonight and I am sure I'll know how it'll go) is not due to lazy FAs. Half the folks here not having luck is not due to lazy FAs. It's due to bad communication by management or another one of United's stupid "secret" programs that they use when they feel like it.

As I said in the thread about Y food in FC, I'm tired of having to learn how to play the UA game to get the best experience. The experience should be consistent, and the onus shouldn't be on the customer. Loyalty programs shouldn't be full of "soft" benefits that you have to game to use. UA seems to have them in spades.

Furthermore, a consistent experience requires both the right type and content of any communication to employees, as well as enforcing adherence to those policies. If that doesn't happen, the blame lies at the feet of nobody but management. If employees still don't do it, you hired the wrong people, so back to management. So, typical UA.