Why pester Randy about this? I am sure he has a lot more important things to do than police every single post that has UAL SWU's in it. After all UA is not the one and only airline that has SWU's (AA has VIPOW's for example) and should not be singled out for special treatment.

If you want to look at the 'problem' then check out some web auction sites. Here's one: http://search.ebay.com/search/search...united+upgrade

Spider, I don't mean to pester.
I know what's going on on Ebay- FT is turning into Ebay.
In addition, Randy did say it was a fair question to ask, and one he did not mind answering. Since he replied to other threads since his original reply, I did not want this thread to fall off the radar screen. I know he's busy.

Again, not pestering. Genuinely interested. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Would you indulge me?

Why UA? Because I know UA rules and I can talk about them. The "problem" might very well be the same for SWUs from other airlines, but I have not seen anyone asking questions.

[This message has been edited by Droneklax (edited 01-23-2002).]

Dr1kLAX, You are more FT veteran than I am, so I am hardly in a position to remind you of FT courtesy rules. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif But IMHO, if Randy has not answered a query then chances are that he is pre-occupied with more important things like running his $$ making side of business.

In any case, how do you propose to carry out this filtering of all SWU exchange/sale postings? The only reason I am asking is that Randy might want to have things more "chewed" up before he starts wasting his time on them. (And I did not mean this in any bad way).

As a final note, as long as there is a market/demand then there will always be a supplier whether you like it or not. No rules or regulations will ever be able to control this.

Dronelax,

It sounds like your basic problem is you don't like SWU's falling into the hands of people who didn't earn them. Fair enough, but you're fighting the wrong war.

I suggest you contact UAL directly and ask THEM to change their rules which allow the legal transfer of SWU's. They're not transferable on Delta hence you NEVER see them bartered.

Take your fight to United and please don't continue wasting our time here.

That's throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

Flashes1, I respectfully suggest you ignore my posts if you think they are a waste of your time. No one 's putting an Uzi to your head.

I'll post what I darn well please, and perhaps you could get some manners.

I'm not in a particularly good mood today,
so it's easy for me to understand your point of view given the illegal bartering job you attempted there:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/004787.html

If you didn't mind tiring your neurones a bit, you might also realize that I am bringing up the issue of whether we on FT should follow airline rules regarding SWUs, which are clearly against bartering of transferable certificates which are also a 1K benefit .

Or is that an excessively hard concept to grasp?

The UA rules are very generous in allowing transferability, and that should stay.

And yes, I'd be peeved if YOU'd bought those benefits on FT when you were not entitled to them.

[This message has been edited by Droneklax (edited 01-27-2002).]

Flashes1: As I understand it, this "fight" involves FlyerTalk first, UA second. Droneklax has legitimately asked what the official FT policy is on UA SWUs found at the Coupon Connection that are being bartered or sold. Again, as I understand it, this type of activity is prohibited on FlyerTalk.

Sorry, I'm not a 1K, just a 1P. So I don't have SWUs. But I understand the concern. The SWUs are one of the very few benefits that distinguish UA's 1K flyers from the 1Ps. If UA considers that this benefit is being bartered or sold on a site such as FT without any regard as to the status of the flyer, then I understand their concern and I wouldn't blame them from reducing or withdrawing these benefits accordingly.

I, too, am interested in Randy's position on this (for that grand day when I become 1K).

I don't consider this a "waste of our time".

Not meaning to pull a "Doc" with the cross-referencing of threads http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif, but I think this is important:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum.../010273-2.html

According to my inquiry by phone with a Customer service rep @ Mileage Plus who sometimes can be misinformed the trading of systemwides are ok.Selling these outright is not allowed and against the rules.


[This message has been edited by 777 global mile hound (edited 01-29-2002).]

Droneklax: If you think SWUs are being sold on eBay for $350-$500, think you'd better take another look.

Also, is there a difference, considering what you are objecting to, between an immediate exchange, versus an initial no exchange "gifting" of a SWU to a person, but with hopes that some sort of "gift" will be provided for your SWU in the future in return?

Finally, I would think that the "majority" of SWU exchanges are between 1Ks, wouldn't you?

Hey, as long as UA doesn't question how you got it, why not use it? :P

-nate

Colobill: Are you referring to the drop in price of systemwides on E-Bay? I think they currently sell for about $300 because we are getting close to their expiration date. Wait until we receive the 2002 SWUs, they’ll easily reach $600 again.

The issue is the quid pro quo in the scenario you are presenting. I might be wrong, but I assume that UA wanted to give 1Ks the flexibility to upgrade companions or giving away their SWUs. That’s great.

By forbidding bartering or quid pro quo transactions, I would guess that they hoped to limit the development of a cottage industry in SWU trade. In fact, I am pretty sure that few people will give away SWUs if they cannot get something in exchange, and I think that was the way UA wanted it.

But whatever the rules are, the question is: why allow selling or bartering of 1K benefits on FT if it is against UA rules?

One last comment: the same people who support the illegal use of SWUs will be the first ones to scream bloody murder or throw a "restriction of benefits" tantrum if the rules on their use are sharply restricted, when UA finally must crack down on this little cottage industry. You just wait until UA decides to take care of the problem by making SWUs non-transferable! And I would hate for FT to have played a role in it, but that's just my opinion.

I have made my question very clear, many times. I don't particularly enjoy looking like a stick in the mud.


[This message has been edited by Droneklax (edited 01-30-2002).]

Bump.

and now we have baseball tickets for sale in coupon connection, for cash, full price...

this is community spirit? Sounds a like the classified section to me.

Coupon connection is in large part a farce if viewed through the lens of the purported rules. What really kills me is that the supposedly generous often brazenly advertise their generosity by making an offer so clearly skewed to themselves.

I do realize there are folks, though rarely, that really drop something nice with nothing in return, and this is what coupon connection was intended for. That's great. But perhaps a new topic 'hard bargaining' should be started for those who are really in it for themselves. Charge a fee (see how can I help FT topic this forum) or require positive ID in order to 'sell' there(that should slow the market in UA goodies!).

But it's an insult to call coupon connection a 'community spirit' place for sharing when it is functionally a sales forum that violates program rules in most transactions (and now becoming a general classified sheet).

But I must go, I've got some Franklin Mint to sell that I'm sure that FT would rather have than the public...