lax2jfk2lax

I noticed that too. Fares are high even with all the buckets at 9!
Played around with Premier Accelerator and found a route (LAX/FRA/LAX)
that offered a premier accelorator price of $3,000 for 20,000 PQM.

Xyzzy

For some of the routes I was looking at today the fares seemed higher, but not outrageously so. What I'm missing is the ability to use UA customer service e-vouchers. I can see that they system recognizes them (Deals&ffers->Promotional Certificates) but I can't get it to actually accept one as part of a purchase.

exerda

I am hoping (and suspect) it is an integration issue. For whatever reason, some fare codes didn't make the transition properly, perhaps, and should be back within the next day or two.


That's a fairly standard accelerator price. My offer earlier today was 12.5 cents/mile, not including the cost of the RDM you have to buy as well (add in the 3cpm for those RDM, and you're right at the same price you're talking about).

It may drop a bit as the year goes on (before skyrocketing again in December), or it may not.

Photonerd71

I'm glad i was not the only one to notice this. I was playing around on the smart phone app today and was seeing flights on United double in some cases what AA wants for the same route. ($250 from IAH-DFW and back, vs $125 on AA and that is 3 weeks, or so, out for example).

It had not come down since last year. I have a flight on the schedule for the end of the month i bought last fall (before the end of the year eqm rush) and they were offering the double eqms for about 9cpm at the time i bought it. It shout up to 13cpm in dec and has not moved down yet. (It wad still at 13 on Fri afternoon) . Its only a 284 (or so) mile flight and it's around $140+- for the 1000-1100 eqms. (I'm to lazy to look up the exact numbers) . I still may pull the trigger and get them as $140 is not that big of a deal, since the ticket was paid for last year anyway. But it will probably be a last minute impulse buy.

Sorry about the spelling errors, this stupid auto correct on my phone is a pain in the arse.

LilZeppelin

the fare needs to be high enough (exmpl 246 for 200 may not work, due to taxes being included etc), also seems that the system does not recognize one-way travel, but allows to use them for international.

KosherKimchee

Old news, UA fares seem to always go up Friday for the weekend and back down midweek.

thezipper

Yea... same here... IAD-JFK for april flights was coming in at ~$350 r/t where AA, JBLU, DL were ~$160-200... it was ~$190 on UA/CO last week...

jzrandom

After the changeover to the new site this week, I have noticed significant pricing increases for trans-pac flights, particularly if your flights originates from APAC/Japan, or if you are trying to by an upgradable fare. I've checked a few routes and here is what I found:

Example:
May 3 - May 16 SFO-NRT round trip = $1188 (S Fare)
May 3 - May 16 SFO-NRT round trip = $1914 (W fare)
61% premium to buy an upgradable fare

May 3 - May 16 NRT-SFO round trip = $1793 (L Fare)
May 3 - May 16 NRT-SFO round trip = $2198 (W fare)

Example 2:
April 8 - April 22 PEK-SEA round trip = $1177 (S Fare)
April 8 - April 22 PEK-SEA round trip = $1698 (W Fare)
44.5% premium to buy an upgradable fare

April 8 - April 22 SEA-PEK round trip = $1010 (K Fare)
April 8 - April 22 SEA-PEK round trip = $1615 (W Fare)
60% premium to buy an upgradable fare


I've never noticed such pricing differences between a) ex-APAC vs ex-US on united.com for basically the same flights and b) such a premium difference between lowest economy fare vs a W fare. Is United now moving in the way of Delta, pricing upgradable fares out of range of what is reasonable?

The pricing changes seems to have been 'snuck' in there this week with the new site changeover, because the significant price difference did not exist last week when I checked.

Any insight on this is appreciated.

pigx5

It looks very Delta. Maybe it's the future....

bsmnsr

B Fares from KWI/DXB to IAD used to be $2,200-$2,800 depending on the time of year. Now, they're $4,000+ all the time. In most instances they're about 10% less than a fully Y.

I think they know many will pay the difference to get the upgrade.

1k650

This is the future!

jzrandom

Yes but B fares are considered pretty much full Y. What my concern is is regarding specifically W fares, which is the least expensive fare 1Ks can use their systemwides on for a business class upgrade. It seems from the routes I check "United" has done a sudden and significant price hike on the W fares making it extremely unattractive to use my systemwide upgrades on. I see no value in buying a $2200 upgradable W class fare and playing the upgrade roulette at the gate.

bsmnsr

Nearly all the fares have gone up.

It's all about monetization. If UA can get half of us to pay more for an upgradeable fare in order to play upgrade roulette, they'll do it.

What's especially painful are routes like KWI-IAH where there's only one non stop carrier to the US vice Dubai where there are 3+.

An airline is going to take on the personality of it's Management. It appears Mr. $misek's main concern is increasing revenue, not building a better brand (by that I mean product).

If you make a GPU worthless by making upgradeable fares more expensive, you'll eventually lose the loyal customers.

Every "enhancement" has a knock on effect.

Flyinace2000

I recently booked a RT ticket from LHR to PVD(wife) and BVT(me). Booked a K fare to the US and a W fare back to the UK. The extra W fare cost about $200 more each. Wasn't to much of a price hike to use my 2 SWU. Granted, they didn't clear right away, so i just paid $400 to play the upgrade lottery.

raehl311

Delta started this with the NW merger. $1,500 TPAC B fares got pushed to $2,500 and now $4k. Seems like everyone else has followed suit.

My guess is that they are filling the front of the planes, so they are less willing to discount to people wanting to upgrade with instruments (including miles, which is a big pisser for me as that's all I (try) to use them for.)