globetraveler

M Fares are much higher than the upgrade offers we're seeing for non-elites, period.

First

This has ALWAYS been true, for employees of every airline. In fact, I think this is precisely where the famous "hang up and call back" modus operandi comes from. Employees not knowing/hearing about/caring enough to learn about the policies and procedures of their own company. It's sad and in some cases surprising, but definitely true

Worldbuilder

You know, at the end of the day....I really feel for the GA and CSR. I think they got really screwed in all of this.

3 data points from two separate GAs today. I have no idea whether or not these are true, and I'm not representing them to be true. Just what I was told:

1. The average CO GA gets something like 6 weeks of training on their systems. The UA GA got 10 days.

2. SMI/J et al chose UA as the "below the wing" system and CO as "above the wing". Interesting that we haven't seen many complaints about baggage and ground crews

3. One flaw in the system is that Y/B px that are being re-routed or transferred to new flights are winding up at the top of the UG list.

Again, this is just what 2 diff GA told me in 2 different cities today.

I have LOVED UA faithfully for decades. I am SO disappointed in the execution and rollout of this system. I feel let down. I had expected so much more from UA. As another poster put it, this isn't some 2-bit FBN operation. This is United!!

I expected testing prior to rollout. I expected increased manpower at call centers to handle confusion. I expected the UA team to be fully and appropriately trained. None if this is asking too much, and none of this is OUR JOB as customers to point out to UA. This is basic merger 101.

So I don't think there are "UA haters" out there, as much as there are people like me ...who had simply held UA in higher regard and expected so much more than than we got.

Beerman92

I've heard the same thing about the training. I don't care if it was about saving some money or not, knowingly under-training your customer-facing staff is short-sighted and stupid.

Red_Rob

The 'B' up fare isn't usually that big of a deal. 'B' fares are often more expensive than 'A' fares. I dont even have a problem with corporate fares (since the corporate discount also applies to 'A' fares). I understand that some people complain about Govt fares, I dont know about those, so I wont comment.

Now a GM on miles trumping a 1K is a downgrade for PMUA fliers. Overall though, using miles for domestic upgrades (potentially with copays for kettles) is a terrible value for miles. I am sure that UA would much prefer having people waste miles that way (I would rather they waste miles that way saving premium cabin international awards for me). If GMs were ranked below premiers when using miles for upgrades, they would basically NEVER clear (so why even offer it). I might even go so far as to suggest that the overall outrage from GM's (or even Silvers) over near 100% unavailability of mileage upgrades might be bigger than the 1K outrage over a slight downgrade.

Overall Platinums had pretty good upgrade #'s on PMCO, and 1K's should have even better in the new UA. At the end of the day the overall upgrade % will tell the tale.

mnmme

Realisticly, where is a GM going to get 20/40K miles. I mean I'm sure there are X number who take a flight or 2 a year and then in year 5 say "I'll go 1st to Vegas" but collecting 20K isn't easy.

greg99

So, I've been trying to track this, but not sure how my story relates.

Platinum traveling SFO-LAS r/t tomorrow, booked an H fare this afternoon (<24 hours prior to outbound departure, >24 hours on return).

Outbound flight cleared immediately (757) - now showing F1, R/RN0.

Return flight (737) is waitlisted, with F3, R/RN0.

Based upon this thread, I was surprised to clear either leg.

Tomorrow will be my first post-merger flights. Wish me luck.

Greg

Beerman92

Sometimes we lose perspective on FT (I do at least). Your post made me laugh
Cause its true!

earlson

[QUOTE=Worldbuilder;18187966]
I have LOVED UA faithfully for decades. I am SO disappointed in the execution and rollout of this system. I feel let down. I had expected so much more from UA. As another poster put it, this isn't some 2-bit FBN operation. This is United!!

I also was with UA forever. I don't hold out much hope that UA will improve with time. I was told most of UA upper management has been replaced by CO management. The culture of UA has changed. I don't think the "new" UA cares about going the extra mile to keep your business as a FF. Eventually, UA will give up trying to implement UA's policies and procedures into the the CO software because it will cost to much and is too complicated to re-program the CO platform to work like the UA apollo platform. Jeff Smisek, the new UA CEO & former CO CEO, will push for the CO policy and procedures for the FF program and all other aspects in running UA. UA had discussed with apollo keeping the system for a 2-3 more months to insure a smoother transition but the final decision to just go forward with integration was due to costs - apollo quoted a price UA wasn't willing to pay.

So here we are with all the glitches and FF upgrades being processed the way CO processed its upgrades. If you travel with a companion, when it comes time to go on the wait list for upgrades, the companion will be split off from your reservation and have to fend for herself. The old UA gave your companion the same status as the higher PM FF so there was a good chance both would be UG at the same time. I mention this because last month UA told me that they would keep the UA policy on companions rather than use the CO policy. Obviously, not true at least for now.

star_world

They are keeping the former UA policy here, combined with the part of the CO policy that was more positive - adding people on separate PNRs at the airport at your status level. In other words - best of both worlds. This has been publicly announced.

The emotion in some of these posts is enough to bring a tear to your eye

ijgordon

Seriously? Even through the summer of hell? Somehow I doubt the changes you're currently experiencing come even close to that, but apparently kool aid comes in several flavors.

Sterndogg

Well maybe the system is sorta working...flight this Thursday IAH - BOS 6:56pm...at 4pm pst R7 RN7. I checked back at 9pm now R0. Must have been the 72hr sweep. I didn't get upgraded but now only F4. Plenty of yellow upfront but obviously the system doesn't assign seats right now so either many other GS/1Ks on higher fares and/or mileage and instrument upgrades. I'm on a T fare. My first flight at 12:56pm LAS-IAH cleared at the 72hr mark so I'm going to assume I'll be on the waitlist.

GoAmtrak

That scenario came into play on PMUA as well. Frankly, I've benefited from it more than once, so I'd call it a wash.

LeviFlight

Credit cards. UA is not focused on
flyers it's focused on Chase spenders.

mduell

The assertions on the website and the functionality of the systems are very different things at this point.

The same issues we've been having on sCO since at least October? Must be on the back burner...