Wow, they're sure selling a lot of upgrades
Mar 5, 2012, 12:01 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: United GS, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, AMEX PLAT
Posts: 65
Well, personally, I think this is a move in the right direction.
UDUs were, in the scheme of things, a dumb idea. All it did was to create a class of 1Ks who, instead of being pleasantly surprised to get the occasional upgrade, got so many upgrades that they rapidly started to think of upgrades as their right and instead to be disappointed when they didn't get "their" upgrades. How dare the airline *not* give me something which sells for three times what I paid for it?
UDUs were, in the scheme of things, a dumb idea. All it did was to create a class of 1Ks who, instead of being pleasantly surprised to get the occasional upgrade, got so many upgrades that they rapidly started to think of upgrades as their right and instead to be disappointed when they didn't get "their" upgrades. How dare the airline *not* give me something which sells for three times what I paid for it?
I liked things better when I had a set number of e500 upgrades that could be used, basically limiting the number of upgrade instruments in the system. I suspect now, it will be the same-- I can use my RPU or SWU as I see fit on flights I really need the upgrade to clear-- you know the ones at the end of 15 days on the road.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:03 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2004
Location: OAK
Programs: UA Gold MM / AS MVP Gold
Posts: 2,504
Except there are a lot less CR-1 upgrade instruments now. Also, e500 doesn't exist. You can't just use your e500s to jump the queue of TOD
+1 on this.
I liked things better when I had a set number of e500 upgrades that could be used, basically limiting the number of upgrade instruments in the system. I suspect now, it will be the same-- I can use my RPU or SWU as I see fit on flights I really need the upgrade to clear-- you know the ones at the end of 15 days on the road.
I liked things better when I had a set number of e500 upgrades that could be used, basically limiting the number of upgrade instruments in the system. I suspect now, it will be the same-- I can use my RPU or SWU as I see fit on flights I really need the upgrade to clear-- you know the ones at the end of 15 days on the road.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:06 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SFO and OAK
Programs: FAF, Hyatt <>, SPG PLT
Posts: 2,240
They need to bring back the good old days where if you bought a full fare ticket you got a full sized bottle of booze to take home 
PMUA didn't have UDUs they had the 500-mile cert system which actually helped limit expectations on upgrades.
I think the way the industry seems to be going with decreased benefits for loyalty means you will see a lot more free agent flyers who just fly whichever airline is cheapest (and I'm not talking just about cheapest possible fare I mean cheapest full fare or premium fare also) or most convenient.
One segment of travelers that UA has to be quite concerned about not enticing enough to remain loyal are the folks who buy the higher fare (FJYBM) all year long for their job and then if they get to take a vacation want to pay for a cheaper fare and have a chance to be upgraded. The new system may well take care of this with the miles, GPUs and RPUs. Time will tell.
PMUA didn't have UDUs they had the 500-mile cert system which actually helped limit expectations on upgrades.
I think the way the industry seems to be going with decreased benefits for loyalty means you will see a lot more free agent flyers who just fly whichever airline is cheapest (and I'm not talking just about cheapest possible fare I mean cheapest full fare or premium fare also) or most convenient.
One segment of travelers that UA has to be quite concerned about not enticing enough to remain loyal are the folks who buy the higher fare (FJYBM) all year long for their job and then if they get to take a vacation want to pay for a cheaper fare and have a chance to be upgraded. The new system may well take care of this with the miles, GPUs and RPUs. Time will tell.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:11 pm
#34
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
Your logic is also not sound because you dismiss that many elites pay significant premiums to reach their elite thresholds, so the cost of elite benefits is already built in. For many elites, UDU does not represent a "free" upgrade. Additionally, many elites are miffed not because of having to pay for upgrades, but because they are not given the same option to buy-up that non-elites are.
Nothing is "FREE" and it's a promised benefit that is being trumped for less than a hundred bucks to every Tom, Dick, & Harry that hasn't paid the BIGGER price to get status!
Mar 5, 2012, 12:19 pm
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
I guess thats why they KOed the 2 CR1s per 10k per Q, in order to have alot more seats that they can sell for whatever amount of $$ they can bring in
Mar 5, 2012, 12:19 pm
#36
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,982
Worth noting UDU was introduced as a competitive benefit - UA did not start it in the industry. Looks like they are less competitive in this regard by making it meaningless.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:21 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: ORD, HKG
Programs: UA*G, AA Emerald, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt globalist
Posts: 10,279
I'm flying SEA-IAD today on a 757. Checked in at T-24 and noticed that only 13 seats had been booked. Was offered to buy an upgrade for $99. As departure approaches, 21 seats are how booked, 5 people show as cleared (who were never on the waitlist...not sure where they came from) and I'm starting to drop down the waitlist. I don't think I missed an upgrade on a 757 on PMUA (certainly not one is >10 seats available at T-24) as a 1K.
Is this a cutover waitlist problem? Or is the new United really going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the front cabin? If they're selling upgrades to GMs for $99 on a transcon (and for all I know, maybe they're charging them more), I think elite upgrades are going to be few and far between...
Is this a cutover waitlist problem? Or is the new United really going to try to squeeze every last drop out of the front cabin? If they're selling upgrades to GMs for $99 on a transcon (and for all I know, maybe they're charging them more), I think elite upgrades are going to be few and far between...
What is your fare class ? Unless you said yours is K, I wouldn't believe they sell it to others for $99 as well.
Unless you get PPS with SQ, otherwise they don't acknowleage your existence even you are paying full fare for their F and C.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Mar 5, 2012 at 12:37 pm Reason: merge
Mar 5, 2012, 12:27 pm
#38
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
Mar 5, 2012, 12:33 pm
#39
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,732
I'm flying sfo to iad. Never been this low on the upgrade list before. Guessing this is the new normal. If this persists it's going to make me reconsider my annual 1k goal.
Usually this is a tough flight to clear, but not usually on a wide body. I'm in the middle of the list. Nothing unusual about the fare class.
Usually this is a tough flight to clear, but not usually on a wide body. I'm in the middle of the list. Nothing unusual about the fare class.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:34 pm
#40
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,616
+1 on this.
I liked things better when I had a set number of e500 upgrades that could be used, basically limiting the number of upgrade instruments in the system. I suspect now, it will be the same-- I can use my RPU or SWU as I see fit on flights I really need the upgrade to clear-- you know the ones at the end of 15 days on the road.
I liked things better when I had a set number of e500 upgrades that could be used, basically limiting the number of upgrade instruments in the system. I suspect now, it will be the same-- I can use my RPU or SWU as I see fit on flights I really need the upgrade to clear-- you know the ones at the end of 15 days on the road.
I don't have a problem with United wanting to make money. I just want the same opportunity to purchase a TOD upgrade as the GM gets.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:37 pm
#42
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
Wow, I was really hoping that that HI rules, LOTS of money to upgrade plus miles was going to keep UDU chances for 1P/0P high. It was always high for say a couple travelling, since nobody wanted to pay an extra 250$ to upgrade a 400-700$ flight. We've got some flights coming up in May to KOA from SFO, currently there is ONE seat in an F cabin sold or booked.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:39 pm
#43
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
EUA wasn't bad before they started this nonsense. Ever since they started these buy ups it seems like there are always issues. Although UAInsider claims that in every instance investigated there has never been a cheap buy up offered that filled a seat that otherwise would have gone to an elite.
Hopefully they just have some bugs in the buy up logic that are triggering these post integration issues.
Hopefully they just have some bugs in the buy up logic that are triggering these post integration issues.
Mar 5, 2012, 12:55 pm
#44
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: Hertz Presidents, UA Plat, IHG Plat, MR Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 423
EUA wasn't bad before they started this nonsense. Ever since they started these buy ups it seems like there are always issues. Although UAInsider claims that in every instance investigated there has never been a cheap buy up offered that filled a seat that otherwise would have gone to an elite.
Hopefully they just have some bugs in the buy up logic that are triggering these post integration issues.
Hopefully they just have some bugs in the buy up logic that are triggering these post integration issues.