Originally Posted by
jsloan
Indeed. The most likely result from people frequently requesting additional compensation based upon what others received is for UA to start deceasing the compensation across the board.
UA has never offered compensation (even though we like to call it that). Per Google compensation is defined as:
Something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury.
At no point is UA giving you cold hard cash for the hardships encountered. Instead, they are issuing a type of BOGO coupons which at best takes a bit of the sting off from you. ETC vouchers can only be applied to UA flights so UA is still collecting money from you (albeit they are collecting slightly less money than before). From their perspective, they've switched the situation from a passenger who would avoid flying them again to one who is now forced to fly them to take advantage of the "compensation". A similar argument can be made for the miles offer.
Taken together, I doubt UA is sweating bullets on how many BOGO coupons or points they issue customers. In the grand scheme of things it's a drop in the bucket and if it makes a disgruntled passenger want to fly the airline again, all the better!
Safe Travels,
James