westcoastman

Sure it sounds like a good idea to get matched elite status with another airline or hotel and try them out. Nothing really to lose. Have you ever tried out a company and dumped them right away when you realized it was not for you even with elite status.
My experience was with United when I was matched status because of my Gold status with Alaska Airlines several years ago. I needed a flight between HKG and SGN which is a fairly short flight of just of two hours. There are better quality options out there such as CX but I choose UA because of my status. The flight was extremely empty as they were trying to pick up loads on that route. With Alaska Air, of course if space is available on a flight and if you are elite they will upgrade you on any flight, domestic or international as long as there is a seat. When I asked being upgraded into a nearly empty J in the 3 class airplane they thought I was crazy. Was I going to use miles, etc.? The whole attitude made sick and the attitude in the UAL forum made me even sicker as they felt that the airlines behavior was justified. I have not flown UAL ever since then and I mean never so naturally I lost my elite status.

BearX220

I was comped by UA to Premier Executive a couple of years ago -- I never booked UA or used the benefits and let it lapse. I do not like UA operationally or culturally. I don't like the way they try to make elites feel better by visibly mistreating non-elites, and I don't like the limitless rationalizations offered by UA elite-apologists for the airline's failings. There is something really weird about such fierce affection for such a warped company.

slawecki

i do not know of a single airline that upgrades elites on true international if they have real international seating. I have mainly flown transatlantic IAD/BWI to europe. never gotten and never heard of anyone i believed getting an UG that i believed, just because the front part of the plane was empty.

UA flys empty F (excluding employees) translantic all the time.


i'm talking transatlantic and transpacific. i don't even know about usa-south america.

i have flown UA and it's attitude sister LH as an elite many times, and they are not nice airlines.

Rambuster

KLM sent me their Gold card for a 6 month period (Elite+ level) to try to convince me to switch to them.

Tried them out two or three times and have never set foot on one of their planes ever again...

kkjay77

I abandoned NW after status match in min-November.
I was given 1.5 month to requalify without any help.
Abandoned NW right away when they rejected my request to extend the status for another year.
I've been happy, mostly, with CO so far.

Do you expect CX to offer free upgrade for its diamond members if cabin's empty?
Or, SQ offering free upgrade for its PPS members?
I don't think so.

Maybe I'm one of those in the UAL forum, but I don't understand why you expected to be upgraded.
That being said, UA isn't the best of the airlines, and my $ goes to them only when I fly Y. (And I upgrade w/ SWUs)
For my C/J travel, my money goes to SQ, NH, OZ, etc.

stevenshev

The OP makes me laugh.

I'm far from a UA apologist, but, with no offense intended, his post is exactly why those affiliated with premium international carriers ridicule Americans and their expectations while flying.

You come from Alaska, so no real international product. UA is IMHO the single most generous airline IN THE WORLD when it comes to upgading international flights. But not without some sort of consideration.

You set your expectations too high, you will be disappointed.

Oh, there are many things to blast UA on - it's upgrade policy is not one of them (unless you're a 100% full fare prem pax).

asnovici

Czech Airlines CSA offers its Elites free space available upgrades on all flights (including transatlantic flights).

flyingbroom

at least ua gives you e+ when you are elite.

westcoastman

I fly international (Canada/Mexico) complimentary all the time and never see an open seat. HKG - SGN is hardly a caviar and Champagne flight. It is like flying to SEA - SoCal. I think what bothered me is that UAL was treating their 2.5 hour flight like CX or BA longhauls or something. On transpacific flights on CX I see elites in both J and F that appear to me upgraded at the last minute. I know in one case CX offered a transpacific F upgrade for $1,500 (from J) which seemed like a steal but I declined but I also had not status with them so no expectations.
One more thing that turned me off from UAL was when I purchased a qualifying fare LAX-MEL back in 2003 and not one person would offer me a SWU (reasonably) and space was available for upgrade. Many would rather let their SWU expire and than let someone put them to good use. It is the new Ebay generation. I would never sell or ask for money for any of my certificates. I have since gained a friend who has SWUs expire each year but I no longer fly UAL so it is of no use.

Personally I cannot even tell a difference in E+ and my mother-in-law switched out of E+ to Australia with another PAX because she could not tell a difference either.

woojink

I have been upgraded on CX several times on "real" international seating. I have several colleagues in HK that also get upgraded regularly on CX due to status - not all are Diamond on CX either.

Generally, but by no means ALL the time, it is because Y is full or close to full. Also, it is interesting to note that I am an AA EXP and have no status with CX other than through it's OneWorld affiliation and they've still upgraded me. I've had this happen on DragonAir (J to F) before as well.

Therefore I don't think as another poster said, that it is an unrealistic expectation for an elite level flyer to get upgraded when there is ample space available. Of course I never EXPECT it, but it's not that much of a surprise either.

westcoastman

Thanks for that affirmation. I thought that was the case having flown in CX J & F several times but didn't know for sure. I think what turned me off was how UAL and people in the UAL forum thought I was completely looney for thinking an upgrade might be in the cards with my new status. I was flying SEA - LAX almost weekly at the time but I never even gave UAL on that route. I am pretty sure NWA at one time would also upgrade elites if space in F is available.

Wilbur

NW - Earned the top level over a year BIS, didn't like the experience at all, stopped flying it. I was very pleased to escape NW.

SPG + Earned the top level, but SPG didn't have hotels in the locations I was going to the next year, so only stayed there a little bit the following year. I was very sad to not use SPG that following year.

HomerJ

...was given status,as i was at corporate 6-7 times a year and Hilton was closest to our office, but then my company laid of about 60% of the company...me included...and when I found my new job ...I just went back to *wood.

sbm12

I made a status match to HP for an upgrade JFK-LAS. I had no need to continue flying HP and then they got bought out. I got my money's worth.

scrh1

I had earned Chairman's on US....got the status...and had a horrible experience that was handled poorly. I can say I have gone out of my way to never fly them again...been sans US for 3 years now even if it meant taking a longer route.