Originally Posted by
CaptainSush
I have no issues with UA attempting to sell upgrades - even last minute at the gate. My beef is elite status already provides embedded benefits (baggage allowance, priority boarding, complementary food/drink for 1k in coach ...) and as such the UA offer to elites should be priced adjusted accordingly. My experience is a non-elite will get the exact same $$ offer to upgrade as 1Ks resulting in elite flyers effectively getting hosed with a benefit adjusted higher price point.
A lot of anecdotal reports over at DL have non-status passengers getting low-ball FCM offers while elites get fare difference, or none at all. DL has some pretty complex algorithms working behind the scenes to maximize revenue, that's for sure.
They know that I'm willing to buy FC outright in many circumstances, for example, so I've gotten maybe one good FCM offer in two years. It sucks, but I hardly blame them.
As others have echoed, I do take issue with providing certificates, and then not allowing elites to use them. How many top-tier elites have been forced to beg agents for cert extensions due to an inability to use them, or have been forced to burn them on short-hauls?