FlyerTalk Forums - Upgrade Pricing Shenanigans?

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Upgrade Pricing Shenanigans?

I am booked in G class from FLL to LAX tomorrow. Upgrade received FLL-IAH, but not IAH-LAX.

I just checked in using the PDA site, and was offered an upgrade for $119 - since the M fare (I'm a Plat) on this segment is $619, and I only paid $275 for the entire round trip ticket, there is NO WAY the $119 represents a M fare buy-up.

This can only be a segment-fee upgrade - which are not suppose to be offered unless there are F seats for every Elite, right?

Yet there are only 7 unsold F seats - and I'm already #3 on the list as Plat, so there is no way the number of unsold F seats is equal to or greater than the number of Elites on this flight.

Update: just refreshed the PDA site, and F is sold out...the upgrade cleared and waitlist are the same, so my guess is a bunch of people took the lowball offer and jumped the line.

So what gives here??

EUA is "broken". Or maybe it's just the new IM paradigm and we're just not fully wise to it yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA-NYC (Post 17384476)

EUA is "broken". Or maybe it's just the new IM paradigm and we're just not fully wise to it yet.

Ugh, this actually does look like a true example of CO offering buy-ups at the expense of Elites.

Suggest a PM to CO Insider with the details.

The weird part is, the seat map on the PDA site still shows 5 open seats, so is the seat map wrong or the "Booked Full" tag wrong?

Either way, I'm going to PM our Insider for details...

It unfortunately seems to be systemic:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17342219-post220.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA Insider (Post 17342219)

Hi Everyone,

First, I appreciate all of the specific examples that have been posted here recently. We’ve been watching this thread closely and your examples have been critical to our research. While we don’t yet have resolution for all of the issues that have been reported, I wanted to share what we know so far.

EUA is running, but, upgrade inventory is not being made available in advance. Prior to 24 hours out, EUA processes upgrades based on the specific fare class being available. Whether or not the fare class is available is controlled by our inventory control system which sits outside of EUA. At the moment, we have two inventory systems - one for Continental and one for United. What’s happening is that we’re right in the middle of migrating these to a single system. This process is producing side effects which will be addressed once the combined system is in place.

That said, what remains unanswered is how long this will be happening. Until we know more, you may find upgrades on some flights clearing closer to 24-hours out. The inability to change seats when the cabin is completely full is a sub-optimal side effect of this process. But, we’d still rather have EUA clear as many upgrades as possible before the battlefield process kicks in at the gate.
On specific flights, EUA is not running at all. At this point in time, these are very few and far between, but, we are still seeing some instances where EUA is not running on a flight at 24-hours out. We’re struggling to pinpoint the specific issue here, but, each is being researched with urgency. While not common, if you do run across a flight where you believe this is happening, please feel free to email the example to me directly at [email protected].

Additionally, we’re also looking into the reported scenario where the price offered to upgrade appears to be less than the difference in fare between the ticketed class and the lowest fare that qualifies for first class. We’re researching these as quickly as possible and will share updates with you as we learn more.Shannon

They seem to be struggling with so many different systems, that with their architecture choices, this sort of error kind of makes sense.

They have one system that says offer cheap upgrades if there will be open seats. Then another system that handles upgrades. Well, if that upgrade system is broken, as is currently the case, it makes sense that the upsell system would be basing its decisions off of questionable data, thinking there are seats aplenty to sell.

If you run into a Chicago or Houston Walgreens and they're out of band-aids, at least you'll know why...

Quote:

Originally Posted by bocastephen (Post 17384460)

Flying IAH-LAX tomorrow morning myself, although I doubt you are on the 7:30am flight since you are connecting.

Just as a data point, it looks like EUA is running fine on my flight. A couple of people were upgraded when the status came up at T-3 days and the remainder of the seats were filled at T-24.

This silver is sitting nice and pretty and 9/10 on the waitlist with 0 seats left in first hahaha. I was able to get an exit row aisle, which is all I was really hoping for.

Just had a connection through IAH out of AUS on a cheap ticket. No problem getting the upgrade out of Houston on the long segment, but missed an upgrade out of Austin by a mile. There must have been a lot of high-level elites (can't wait until 1k starts trumping ordinary Plats!) and I didn't much care on such a short flight. What surprised me was that the cabin had only 1 F seat remaining with maybe 40 on the standby list, yet I was offered an upgrade for just $49. Didn't take it myself, but was left wondering how many of the 16 seats were sold at that price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wcalvert (Post 17384644)

I would not exactly call filling the remaining seats at T-24 an example of EUA running just fine. Seems to be feast or famine, when it should really be a smooth transition with the cabin filling steadily from T-7, with PP, down to the last few seats being held until battlefield upgrade time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joel67 (Post 17384788)

What surprised me was that the cabin had only 1 F seat remaining with maybe 40 on the standby list, yet I was offered an upgrade for just $49. Didn't take it myself, but was left wondering how many of the 16 seats were sold at that price.

What was your fare basis? Short flight so $49 may be legit - I don't see an M filed, but a B fare o/w is $373

Good to get more data on the broken EUA process - be sure to PM UA Insider if this is another case of a mysterious price drop.

I am on an ORD-IAH flight this evening and there are 47 elites on the upgrade list. As a Plat I am number 14 on a W fare.

Received this when checking-in:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6109/...9833d733ac.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hartmann (Post 17385292)

They need to get this fixed *immediately*

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA-NYC (Post 17384941)

I was on an L fare, which looks like $39 for that segment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joel67 (Post 17385349)

I was on an L fare, which looks like $39 for that segment.

So instead of a ~$349 true buy-up, you get one for $300 less...wow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hartmann (Post 17385292)

Another one - $121 for a W, $450 for an M. Shady stuff.

Sounds like IM is on a incentive compensation plan to try and squeeze as much cash out of flyers as possible ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA-NYC (Post 17385390)

So instead of a ~$349 true buy-up, you get one for $300 less...wow.

Another one - $121 for a W, $450 for an M. Shady stuff.

Sounds like IM is on a incentive compensation plan to try and squeeze as much cash out of flyers as possible ;)

Supposedly it's a system bug that will be fixed, but I'm starting to see things on UA as well that represent a disturbing trend. Just booked a 400-mile flight on a $112 S fare, where the M fare is $389, and was offered a buy-up to First for a mere $75. Cabin is wide open, so I'll take my chances with UDU instead, but you can be sure that dozens of Premiers will be left on the upgrade waiting list, while the cabin is half-filled with $75 upgrades.