What's Up With Limited "U" Availability?
Oct 26, 2018, 11:23 am
#121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Is telling your elites to go pound sand about their upgrade instruments (that again, can't be used on Saver or cheapest Main Cabin fares) expiring useless really a good path to incremental revenue? I don't think DL, UA or AA do that.
Oct 26, 2018, 11:29 am
#122
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,030
Many airlines are evolving to the mindset that getting some $ for every F seat is better than giving it away for free as a "thanks for flying with us" gift to elites. You may see them "adjust" their policy about not selling discounted upgrades prior to clearing the upgrade list. That could be a good target of incremental revenue, in line with the upsells out of basic economy approach.
Oct 26, 2018, 2:43 pm
#123
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Programs: UA GS; Former Alaska MVPG75/DL Diamond/NW Platinum/BA Gold
Posts: 943
First off if you are upgrading , it cost money to upgrade to U space. Second off the only reason I have a GGU in the first place is I spent a bunch of money with AS already. I am just an MVPG and I probably got an upgrade about 30% of the time at most, almost none of which were no cost upgrades at the upgrade window. AS is making money off all those F seats one way or the other, its just the way they are doing it now is alienating all of their elites.
This reminds me of Delta's devaluation of miles, done with the cynical veneer of adding lower priced awards while making the cost of pretty much anything much higher than before. Maybe that worked with most elites, but it soured me on the airline and I moved my business elsewhere. The games with U availability and transcon upgrades are making me contemplate the same thing with Alaska -- a transparent downgrade would be easier to digest than this charade.
Oct 26, 2018, 3:42 pm
#124
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferably waiting for takeoff
Programs: AA EXP, MVPG, DL Silver, United Silver, Accor Platinum, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 458
Completely agree. The games get old, and unannounced changes catch everyone off guard. The games Delta played with RUC/GUC and expertflyer were one of the main reasons I moved my business over to Alaska. Now I feel as if Alaska is playing games with their upgrade instruments.
Oct 26, 2018, 4:18 pm
#125
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA PLT/5MM; AS MVP GLD 75K; DL DM; EK SLV; HHonors DIAM; Marriott GLD
Posts: 4,092
I sent a text to AS asking them if I could trade in my GGU's for something else, since they are now practically worthless given the elimination of U inventory.
They haven't responded.
They haven't responded.
Oct 26, 2018, 4:21 pm
#126
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
I am thinking a clearer buy-up process is coming soon and would kick in a couple days before the elite upgrade windows start. You can use your GGU then, and buy-up to make it usable. They want to hold U back until they get into the window and then dribble it out. United started this game a long time ago. The concept of getting a confirmed upgrade at booking pretty much disappeared. Non-elites were offered buy-ups in the app while elites weren't even given an offer but would never clear. Still works like that in most cases.
Oct 26, 2018, 5:15 pm
#127
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
Programs: AA ExPlat, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 909
I am thinking a clearer buy-up process is coming soon and would kick in a couple days before the elite upgrade windows start. You can use your GGU then, and buy-up to make it usable. They want to hold U back until they get into the window and then dribble it out. United started this game a long time ago. The concept of getting a confirmed upgrade at booking pretty much disappeared. Non-elites were offered buy-ups in the app while elites weren't even given an offer but would never clear. Still works like that in most cases.
Oct 27, 2018, 9:22 am
#128
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
Not trying to give AS ideas, but the optimal way to do it is to auction them off. Entirely possible to set up in the online access channels. One overseas airline has already started doing this. I would suggest giving elites a certain $ credit towards their bid varying depending on status.
Oct 27, 2018, 10:05 am
#129
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Not trying to give AS ideas, but the optimal way to do it is to auction them off. Entirely possible to set up in the online access channels. One overseas airline has already started doing this. I would suggest giving elites a certain $ credit towards their bid varying depending on status.
Fiji Airways sent me out an invitation to bid on a J seat. I was flying SYD-NAN-LAX return. You have to bid on each leg separately. The suggested upgrade bid for 1 segment NAN-LAX was more than I paid for the entire return itinerary. I don't think auctioning them off is at all optimal or efficient especially if you have connections.
James
Oct 27, 2018, 10:20 am
#130
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
First off if you are upgrading , it cost money to upgrade to U space. Second off the only reason I have a GGU in the first place is I spent a bunch of money with AS already. I am just an MVPG and I probably got an upgrade about 30% of the time at most, almost none of which were no cost upgrades at the upgrade window. AS is making money off all those F seats one way or the other, its just the way they are doing it now is alienating all of their elites.
Oct 27, 2018, 12:56 pm
#131
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Seattle WA, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, AS Lounge
Posts: 3,478
I like that idea. Let us trade unexpired GGUs for miles.
Last edited by Westcoaster; Oct 28, 2018 at 7:14 am Reason: removed comments that I didn't explain well
Oct 28, 2018, 12:48 pm
#132
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: AS 100K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 876
Meanwhile on my flight in the morning...There was 5 U space open at checkin. No upgrades processing, so I checked in and processed it that way. There is still a wait list to be upgraded and 3 U space still available. Man is this whole system jacked up.
Oct 28, 2018, 1:00 pm
#133
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,301
It sure is. Traveling with a friend yesterday (separate PNR) and at check-in (right after t-2 mark) 4 U pop as available, he's offered the paid upgrade, takes it, and I re-checked in and scored the 3rd U seat. Ridiculous.
Oct 28, 2018, 3:05 pm
#134
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
I think I mentioned this on the declared upgrades thread but we had 8 F seats clear at T-10 hrs (however was F3 the day before so no U). Yet the same flight (DAL-SEA) the next week I just cleared at T-119 hrs so that still is happening, rarely.
Oct 28, 2018, 9:43 pm
#135
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
Actually, AA's policy is still NOT to sell TOD upgrades unless all passengers on the complimentary/mileage/SWU upgrade lists will clear... and there's much more integrity in AA's upgrade list IT than AS's upgrade processor.