FlyerTalk Forums - UA Upsell Offers to Business/First at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD) [Archive]

FlyerTalk Forums (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php)

- United Airlines | MileagePlus (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus-681/)

- - UA Upsell Offers to Business/First at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD) [Archive] (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1324844-ua-upsell-offers-business-first-purchase-day-departure-tod-archive.html)

I had a flight last week from SNA to ORD. Buy up offer was $3427. A new first class booking was $1682.

I had no idea things had gotten this bad

I’ve been out of the US for 3 years now. Just moved back. While I was away, any domestic travel was always linked in with my international biz class legs so flights were always in F.

now that I am back in the US, CPU (and RPU) roulette begins.

Today, flying IAH-YYC. Upgrade didn’t clear at T-5. Cabin is J6. Applied RPU at T-3. Cabin J3. Down to J2 at 2 days out. GS cannot clear RPU unless there are 3 seats. J1 up until boarding.

Here is is where I knew everything has changed. I was #1 on the upgrade list. Walked up at T-45 minutes to ask if they’d cleared the upgrade list. They said they can’t clear it until 30 minutes out. Also mentioned that someone had already expressed interest in buying the last seat. I immediately said that I would buy it, if that was the case. They told me I could not because the other person had asked first. FYI - the person was no where to be found - where I was standing st the counter, ready to pay.

Boarding commenced at T-38. I walked back up and asked if they could clear me. They said again they could not until T-30 because they “Had to hold out for revenue seats” I was absolutely blown away. 6 years as a GS and they have to wait 5 minutes? Again, I said I’d buy the seat. Again they said someone had already asked. At this point my head almost exploded. T-30.... I asked ok, now can you clear me? The agent literally walked out into the crowd of people waiting to board and found the person to see if he still wanted to buy the upgrade. he declined, my upgrade cleared, end of story.

This cannot be policy. Please tell me it is not. Plus, the fact that I was at the counter with my card out to pay and she would not let me because “somebody already asked”

rant over.

Quote:

Originally Posted by avi8tir (Post 31169208)

6 years as a GS and they have to wait 5 minutes?

There are times I really feel sorry for UA cs personnel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kacee (Post 31169348)

There are times I really feel sorry for UA cs personnel.

To be fair, the agent brought some of that on themselves, in part by attempting to apply the domestic clearance rule to an international flight. The upgrade should be able to be cleared at T-60 in that case.

I'm not a fan of some agents' bizarre fixation with trying to maximize UA's revenue at all costs. You'd think they were getting a commission, although the various gate agents who post here indicate that's not the case.

OP: You got a bad agent, but, yes, some will sell upgrades at the gate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 31169428)

OP: You got a bad agent, but, yes, some will sell upgrades at the gate.

Some? That seems like more and more the norm now. There is a whole thread on agents at DEN practically holding and open auction at the gate. To be fair it sounds like this has been terminated and I have not witnessed recently. To your other point while the flight is technically international depending on where you fly out of I think a lot of the GAs used into YYC tend to work domestic gates. Often the flights originate out of a domestic gate (again depending on where you are departing from).

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomad420 (Post 31169571)

To your other point while the flight is technically international depending on where you fly out of I think a lot of the GAs used into YYC tend to work domestic gates.

Yes, but that doesn't change the check-in requirement. The purpose of T-30 clearance for the gate list isn't (supposed to be) to allow gate agents to sell the upgrades to passengers who have already checked in; it's to allow UA to sell into the open seats until the check-in deadline. At T-60, you can no longer purchase an international ticket, so the only new revenue that UA would have coming in would be from buy-ups at the gate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsloan (Post 31169428)

I'm not a fan of some agents' bizarre fixation with trying to maximize UA's revenue at all costs. You'd think they were getting a commission, although the various gate agents who post here indicate that's not the case.

It might not bring a commission - but it might be part of a performance metric and maybe career advancement......

If agent A sells X and agent B sells 3X, who gets a better performance rating or possible promotion.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kacee (Post 31169348)

There are times I really feel sorry for UA cs personnel.

yes, how dare I expect anything after dropping $80k a year with a company. Shame on me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by avi8tir (Post 31169208)

Quote:

Originally Posted by avi8tir (Post 31170006)

yes, how dare I expect anything after dropping $80k a year with a company. Shame on me.

I won't attribute blame or fault here, but I will observe that is the kind of approach that tends to make GA's annoyed, and annoyed GA's don't push upgrades.

edit add: you're probably better off asking once, letting it ride, and then writing to GS later if you're dissatisfied.

Quote:

Originally Posted by j2simpso (Post 30506366)

Hello again,

Just thought I'd let everyone know that the Upgrade Offers Spreadsheet has been updated to this point.

Apologies for the delay in updating the sheet - I've had quite the busy term in Master's programme in the UK (assessments finished on Tuesday and was in transit since then).

I'll try updating the other United resources in the coming days as I transit to DPS (currently in YYZ).

Safe Travels,

James

Requested access to the spreadsheet today. Thanks!

EWR-ORD $209 declined
EWR-ORD $141 accepted; originally fare class U and ended up in D

HKG-EWR $3909 declined (booked as fare class R for PP)
HKG-EWR $2109 declined (booked as fare class R for PP); 10 apparent nonrevs cleared into polaris and one seat went out empty. also had 9 empty PP seats.

IAH-SYD upgrade pricing

Is this typical upgrade pricing (IAH-SYD roundtrip)? Seems like a lot to upgrade from E/G to D, though it is cheaper than buying D outright.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...33743e7959.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...05b5e7cc9d.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7aa371658f.jpg

This just arrived in my inbox, about 2 weeks before the trip:

Flight 1 of 1 DCA to ORD 2 hr 15 mn Airbus A319

United First
$2,274 per person

Um, that would be a no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by msmoxie (Post 31180773)

I don't know if it is but if I could confirm today into Polaris for 30,000 miles + $350 I would jump on that as soon as possible for a 16 hour flight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by N104UA (Post 31181306)

I don't know if it is but if I could confirm today into Polaris for 30,000 miles + $350 I would jump on that as soon as possible for a 16 hour flight.

If you look closely at the graphic it said "Wait list Only" next to that option, so no, you couldn't confirm that immediately.

I'm pretty new to UA, so I'm not sure how often miles+co-pay type upgrades clear, but I certainly would jump on it for that flight as well.

Regards