bocastephen

I thought I saw a couple discussions around UA people calling their 1K desk and getting upgrades processed manually - here is a thread that confirms one datapoint.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...rading-co.html

Why is the 1K Desk (or CO agents when called by the 1K desk) manually processing upgrades for UA people and enabling them to jump the EUA queue?

Lurker1999

Preserving integrity of the EUA process, etc. etc.

Now.. who do we call at CO to make this happen for us when flying UA?

channa

I won't comment on your attempt to circumvent moderation by starting a new thread on a closed thread, albeit with a slightly different angle.

But since it's been done, it's worth pointing out that he said Y fare. 1Ks are allowed to get Y/B/M-Ups, so the supervisor the agent asked was probably top of his or her game and noticed the Y fare and instant upped the 1K immediately per policy.

golfingboy

And why can't UA do the same for CO elites... I think UA elites should not be allowed to YBM-UP on CO if they [UA] does not offer the same for us...

For instance, in the AS/DL reciprocal agreement... DL does not upgrade their own elites on flights to Hawaii, but AS does... So, AS excluded complimentary Hawaii upgrades for DL elites...

CO should do the same since this alienates CO elites in some ways, just my opinion...

channa

Because we're supposed to be a happy family. UA does not have a Y/B/M-Up policy on UA metal. CO does. Had UA had such a policy, then CO Elites would be able to use it.

Besides, if we want to get into the tit-for-tat mode, then CO Elites should not be allowed into E+ because CO has no such similar E+ offering. UA should make CO Elites flight for the exit rows, and when they're gone, pay up or sit in E-.

Clearly they don't want to do that, so they're treating each others' Elites as their Elites until the differences in the two companies hash out.

The AS/DL comparison is a bit different, as AS/DL are just partners, not merging, and DL probably did not want Hawaii business going to AS because of a favorable upgrade policy. I would not be surprised if DL even requested of AS that they not upgrade Medallions on those flights.

bocastephen

I'm not circumventing moderation, nor is this thread "slightly different" than the closed one. It's topic is totally different. That thread was closed because that OP was asking about CO upgrades in general. I'll ignore your attempt to censor another criticism of the UA relationship.

I am opening this thread because there appears to be an issue (the quoted thread was a specific datapoint, but it was brought up in a couple others) with United people jumping our upgrade queue by calling their 1K desk. I'm not sure if 1K desk agents are forcing the upgrades or calling their CO counterparts who are forcing them, but either way it should not be happening.

If this is truly happening, it needs to be stopped.

channa

Why should it not be happening? The CO agent followed policy based on the description of what happened. Customer was a 1K on a Y fare. CO Y, B, and M fares for 1Ks can be upgraded at any time manually by an agent (or online for that matter) if the appropriate bucket is available.

bocastephen

I wasn't aware that United people could receive instant upgrade on CO flights when booking YBM fares. I thought that was an unconfirmed rumor.

Why don't CO people have an equivalent upgrade path on UA flights?

gawhite411

[QUOTE=channa;15270478]I won't comment on your attempt to circumvent moderation by starting a new thread on a closed thread, albeit with a slightly different angle.

QUOTE]

I think you just did.

channa

UA metal flights don't offer Y/B/M-Ups. CO metal flights do.

Just like CO metal flights don't offer E+. UA metal flights do.

If you want a more legroom Y product, Elites from both carriers should pick UA. If you want instant upgradeability in all domestic (and non-BF int'l) markets, Elites from both carriers should pick CO.

Of course this is until they figure out what they'll all be doing going forward.

AAExPlat

I hate to say it this bluntly, but this whole merger of the two loyalty programs has been an EPIC sh*tshow to date.

How UA and CO with the amount of time that has elapsed since the merger announcement have not been able to integrate the most important parts of the two programs, specifically pertaining to the use of upgrade and E+ benefits, (and not to forget elite qualification rules) is beyond me.

It's an age-old problem. They have to merge two different programs and their respective benefits and have to choose between doing it as quickly as possible and as profitably/effectively as possible. Seems UA/CO decided to take their time and to slowly merge the two programs into a "super-program" that is in essence a completely new program with some of the vestiges of the old MP and OP.

The problem with this approach is that it takes a long time, and from a ff point of view, it introduces a fair amount of uncertainty and disenfranchisement.

I know I'll be declared crazy but believe that it would have been better to scrap OP or to do a quick "common sense" merge between the programs preserving the majority of UAs program with the caveat that a one-time adjustment is to be expected in the next 12-24 month. Here's what this could have looked like:

- Announce in October that in 2011, OP is scrapped and MP becomes the temporary program name.
- Create program with 4 integrated tiers to accommodate ffs from both programs
- Create a single upgrade priority good on both airlines
- Create common and integrated benefits
- Be on the generous side in the interim period

I know this sounds impossible, but I don't think it is. It's better than to drag this out into 2012 and to disenfranchise groups one by one for another 1-2 years. Better to get it over with and allow folks to adjust to the new reality rather than deliver an ever changing reality with tons of uncertainty.

Right now you have UA1Ks po'd, CO Plats po'd, PPlats po'd etc and everyone feels disenfranchised and many are paranoid about their benefits and upgrades. That can't be good for business.

YMMV.

golfingboy

Agree, but with an already unfavorable upgrade policy both on CO and UA, this just makes it all worse for CO elites. For all I care, UA elites are having it better on CO - favorable position on upgrade queue plus YBM UPs - so I just hope they would be more appreciative about it and not go on those "GS/1K should get upgraded ahead of Plats" in 2011 argument or complain how they get nothing in Y on CO...

E+ is nice though... Never flew in E+... This guy here has been spoiled by DL with WIFI and free AVOD in Y as well...

I know there are some comments in the CO forum [mine is probably one], but some of the comments over at the UA board just turns my tummy upside-down...

bocastephen

I think most rank-and-file members would be prefer to see the airlines and their programs remain separate and distinct for as long as possible until a complete, market-tested integration plan is developed and scheduled for implementation Jan 1 2012.

As long as my access to benefits is not diluted, I don't see any issues - I've been served notice that I must fly 100K in 2011 to preserve my access in 2012, and that's fine.

I agree that this hodgepodge of mixed benefits is a problem - so the company should retreat to a plan of 'separate and distinct' until customer integration day.

mnmag

I agree with you! I'm just waiting until everything shakes out & we are given the definitive information about what the prospective merged program will look like. In any case, as you pointed out, the goal is to earn 100K EQMs in 2011 -- to be of 'relevant' status going forward.

Lurker1999

No data sharing pre-legal merger on 10/1/2010. Expecting two enormous loyalty programs to be merged within 2 months isn't really feasible.

Changing the "rules of the game" so to speak with 2 months left for the upcoming program year is the most unfair of all choices. There are likely plenty of individuals who saw little value in going beyond 75K on CO and moved their travel to perhaps AA for the rest of the year. Had they known that they needed to achieve 100K they could have done so. It's not in CO/UA's interest to irritate those flyers by promising them top-tier status at the beginning of the year and then pulling the rug out from under them.

Currently you know that come 1/1/2012, if you want top tier status going forward, you must fly 100K/120EQP in 2011. That's fair notification.

Being generous in the "interim" will result in a lot of screaming when the "interim" period expires. Just one look at the UA forum should be enough to tell you that at least half the elite base doesn't take kindly to change of any type.