UAL's Investor Day (Highlights: Route, Gauge Changes; $ Cuts)
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:31 am
#91
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: Dunkin' Rewards Boosted
Posts: 5,914
Anyone willing to speculate on the "near-term: further differentiate earnings, rewards and benefits by customer value" enhancements that I think you're going to like?
I had a series of predictions in September 2012 which were almost completely wrong (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19318399-post8.html).
The one prediction I still think may come is "discounted, instead of free, access to international E+ for Gold and lower elites (like DL)."
I had a series of predictions in September 2012 which were almost completely wrong (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19318399-post8.html).
The one prediction I still think may come is "discounted, instead of free, access to international E+ for Gold and lower elites (like DL)."
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:33 am
#92
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA MileagePlus (Premier Gold); Hilton HHonors (Gold); Chase Ultimate Rewards; Amex Plat
Posts: 7,286
http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayi...45/?csp=travel
I have assumed the position...bent over with hands on ankles.
I have assumed the position...bent over with hands on ankles.
The carrier also plans a big boost in amount of the so-called "ancillary revenue" it collects from add-on fees. United says it aims to up its take from such fees by about $700 million, "with a goal of generating more than $3.5 billion in ancillary revenue by 2017."
- UA will sell more TOD upgrades out from under elites
- Free checked bags for elite members only. Discounted fees for others on same PNR as the elite.
- Platinum will have number of pax they can bring into E+ reduced to 2 others, 1K to 4 others, and then...all elites will have to pay for E+ seats by 2017. The fees will go down as you get higher status, but there will still be fees.
- Gold and above will lose free SDC. UA will start charging $25 SDC fees for for Platinum, $50 for Gold, $75 for Silver, and $100 for everyone else.
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:33 am
#93
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: ANP
Programs: UA 1k, Marriott Titanium, HH gold, Avis/Hertz Pres
Posts: 1,425
so all these new Asia flights are IF government approves....and who knows how bad the timings may be.
(Eliminating or down-gauging
beyond-Tokyo service to
Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei and
Seoul)
this is just insane. giving up NRT slots is just assinine no matter how you look at them. These are valuable spots
(Eliminating or down-gauging
beyond-Tokyo service to
Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei and
Seoul)
this is just insane. giving up NRT slots is just assinine no matter how you look at them. These are valuable spots
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:34 am
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,977
Yup, they are going to set more fees for more ancillary income and they say 2 Billion in cuts. More and More like Spirit.
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:36 am
#95
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I doubt they are giving them all up.
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:37 am
#96
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 72,957
multiple threads on this have been merged into http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...nges-cuts.html
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:39 am
#97
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Laguna Beach CA
Programs: AA EXP/4MM UA 1MM, HY Global, Bon Lft Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 724
Maybe they should also change the name to Ryanair
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:44 am
#98
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Mileage Plus, AAdvantage, TAP Victoria
Posts: 39
You are missing the point. United is cutting routes that aren't making money is fine. However, they aren't making money on these routes because they are allowing the competition to own markets (SEA) where UA was once strong. SEA-NRT has been around longer than any other United international route - why did it go from being profitable over the long term to unprofitable?
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:51 am
#99
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 269
You are missing the point. United is cutting routes that aren't making money is fine. However, they aren't making money on these routes because they are allowing the competition to own markets (SEA) where UA was once strong. SEA-NRT has been around longer than any other United international route - why did it go from being profitable over the long term to unprofitable?
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:51 am
#100
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 16,141
The only I can think of is not UA - when AC planned to fly YUL-BEY and it got cancelled (I think pretty much a few days before it was supposed to start).
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:56 am
#101
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SEA, WAS, PEK
Programs: UA 3K UGS 3MM
Posts: 2,176
SEA-NRT was never really strong. It was the last TPAC PMUA route to get IPTE (remember the dreaded recliner C 772s? Yeah, those were on SEA-NRT to the bitter end) and NH limped in with a 787.
It's a weak route that only barely makes sense with a 787 and it just happens that NH is the one to provide it.
It's a weak route that only barely makes sense with a 787 and it just happens that NH is the one to provide it.
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:57 am
#102
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 269
Nov 19, 2013 | 11:59 am
#103
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 417
Is United going to sell the rights to those slots for one-time profits?
Nov 19, 2013 | 12:02 pm
#104
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,012
I read this as:
- UA will sell more TOD upgrades out from under elites
- Free checked bags for elite members only. Discounted fees for others on same PNR as the elite.
- Platinum will have number of pax they can bring into E+ reduced to 2 others, 1K to 4 others, and then...all elites will have to pay for E+ seats by 2017. The fees will go down as you get higher status, but there will still be fees.
- Gold and above will lose free SDC. UA will start charging $25 SDC fees for for Platinum, $50 for Gold, $75 for Silver, and $100 for everyone else.
- UA will sell more TOD upgrades out from under elites
- Free checked bags for elite members only. Discounted fees for others on same PNR as the elite.
- Platinum will have number of pax they can bring into E+ reduced to 2 others, 1K to 4 others, and then...all elites will have to pay for E+ seats by 2017. The fees will go down as you get higher status, but there will still be fees.
- Gold and above will lose free SDC. UA will start charging $25 SDC fees for for Platinum, $50 for Gold, $75 for Silver, and $100 for everyone else.
Nov 19, 2013 | 12:06 pm
#105
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Chicago: ORD, MDW
Programs: United Million Mile Flyer, Hilton Silver, Marriott Gold, DL, AA WN
Posts: 516
...and all added flights on the list are from USA.
With the de facto de-hubbing of NRT, intra-Asia flyers will have hard time staying with United. They may be able to get to their other destinations in Asia on *A or JV partner flights, but there are still significant downsides (as I mentioned in NRT-HKG thread):
1. There are no E+ seats.
2. Nothing counts toward MM lifetime status.
3. Can't use GPU on partners' routes.
4. UA has had technical difficulties from time to time selling UA and NH flights on the same ticket -- bad for USA-based MileagePlus members seeking 016 tickets.
5. A greatly inflated intra-Asia award chart now that all flights to those cities must involve *A partners.
With the de facto de-hubbing of NRT, intra-Asia flyers will have hard time staying with United. They may be able to get to their other destinations in Asia on *A or JV partner flights, but there are still significant downsides (as I mentioned in NRT-HKG thread):
1. There are no E+ seats.
2. Nothing counts toward MM lifetime status.
3. Can't use GPU on partners' routes.
4. UA has had technical difficulties from time to time selling UA and NH flights on the same ticket -- bad for USA-based MileagePlus members seeking 016 tickets.
5. A greatly inflated intra-Asia award chart now that all flights to those cities must involve *A partners.
With the emphasis on getting people to fly on United metal and its seeming withdrawal (LHR got clobbered pmUA) of its fifth freedom hubs to its US international hubs, as far fetched as it sounds, could UA be deciding to be the first *A founding member to go on its own?
