FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Wow - selling the upgrades at the gate so explicitly.
Old Mar 31, 2018, 10:41 am
  #367  
prestonh
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
Originally Posted by Baze
There was no insult intended. Let me expand on my thinking.

Sure a customer may pay more for a chance at a free upgrade such as your example of having to buy a W for a chance at using your GPU. But this is money UA already has. If you don't get the upgrade you don't get anything back. You are paying to enter the lottery basically. UA wants more money so will sell it over giving it away. They don't take money they already have into consideration. And for CPU's all the RPU's and GPU's do is put you higher on the list, it is still a free upgrade. So no matter how you look at it CPU, RPU, GPU it is a free upgrade in UA's eyes as money already in their pocket doesn't enter the equation. If they can get more, they will. Is that clearer?
For many OAL the W fare premium gets you into premium economy with similar upgrade instruments available versus a 17.x" wide seat . Paying the upgrade lottery premium on UAL is a fools errand.
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