Originally Posted by Shareholder
Such belly-aching...you guys are real pussies! UA can give its own elites any perks it wants and there is no requirement to offer these to STAR members too. STAR benefits are a set of proscribed ones, and this was not one of them. It was a marketing courtesy, but as I posted a few days ago, it is also likely that UA is now receiving lots of passengers from STAR partners that are paying for real Premium Economy and connecting onto or from UA flights. These are the STAR members who deserve this seating, not those paying rock bottom fares and expecting more than anyone else in the back. Also from the standpoint of UA's own elites, it means there is more likelihood to be able to keep those centre seats free...too many STARGolds filling the E+ section means those seats get filled and so UA's elites are losing another benefit (when loads permit). So I'll enjoy E+ for the final time next week, while I am using some of those inflight free drink coupons UA also gives its elites.
Yes UA can give its elites any perks it wants but you miss the point. What is the incentive for me as an AC *G to fly on UA now? It's certainly not the RCC or the pleasure of connecting through ORD or DEN. In the past I would fly UA over AC specifically because of E+. If I have to sit in E- (at 31" seat pitch!) then I will purposefully avoid UA.
If there are a significant number of non-MP elites taking up the E+ seats then UA has effectively alienated them and will loose revenue. Why not a policy that gives MPs priority over *G but still allows us to select E+ at checkin?