I was one of the earlier people to attempt boarding. But again, lots of questions, no answers. UA Insider hasn't responded to my PM. I have gotten 3 different e-mails about UA credit cards today and one generic one about the progress on the conversion etc.

I think the TOD thread has established pretty convincingly that any notion that TODs are not offered if there are folks on the waitlist is complete nonense (or worse, lies). Since we've had that long list of evidence, UA Insider has gone silent. Coincidence?

Of course it's a lie. I verified it again today. 34 people on the waitlist for ORD-SFO and UA is selling $179 upgrades.

Thankfully, I got an upgrade today. I was so amazed I had to spin a top...

Eminently reasonable. All elites have had their crack, including most last minute purchasers.

There was an incident on PMUA documented in the PMUA forum years ago, where people flying on a F award were bumped due to an oversold cabin. Can't fine it, but did find, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...nsibility.html


Yes F can be oversold.

Ding, ding, we have winner.

Oh, not to worry. That just a temporary issue that will be resolved in the wake of the recent mass email from UA management. ;):mad::D

Well, so much for my foolishly jumping to that conclusion (about your boarding relatively late).

In 2010 I was downgraded due to oversell voluntarily 4x, and I only flew ~80 segments. Other times others took the offer. Mine were all IAH-->MSY so was very worth it.

GM does not get upgraded on Y or B. As to an elite, Y and B (and M) are first class fares for all practical purposes if inventory is available. Call these fares anything you want. If you are willing to pay the price, you get the seat.

The complaint is not with these buy ups. It is with deeply discounted buy ups for tens of dollars.

I cannot remember what was the exactly the Continental policy but downgrades from F on domestic flights were supposed to get $400. Channa may remember (he is very quiet, though).
I would insist on at least $400.
I understand that there are issues due to the merger but in reality CO was screwing up upgrades and downgrades before the full merger. This is not new for some of us; and this lame generic email we got today? do you really think everything will be honkey dorey?
There is no way I am flying 100K miles with UA this year; Virgin, Jetblue and some foreign airlines will be getting some of my $ in exchange for their better service. If I would be spending GS kind of money, I would walk away.

I've been downgraded twice with PMUA.

Several years back, when I was still 1P, I was downgraded on a domestic segment of an upgraded (NC) international itinerary due to an equipment change. Compensation was 5,000 miles.

In July 2010, I was double-downgraded from XF to XY on a p.s. flight. Apparently some computer glitch cancelled my check-in while I was in the lounge. The GA insisted I had cancelled the check in myself ("blame the customer"). They ended up giving me the difference in miles between XF and XY and an additional 30,000 miles compensation (someone from UA actually called me after I sent an angry email to 1KVoice).

I've heard worse stories on this board, but nevertheless I have since diverted almost all international long haul premium class flying (paid and award) to other airlines (both *A and non *A). Unfortunately there aren't too many choices for domestic US. SWUs/GPUs are most gifted to friends and family. When they fly I expect them to call me from the airport reporting glitches. (There have been a couple for so far they have been resolved).

I guess I'm saying that - PMUA had glitches too - but it just seems to have gotten much worse post-integration.

Can't wait for the first "elite heavy" mantra singer to chime in here ... :rolleyes: ...
And so much for UA never overselling its F class.
UA vouchers are 100% worthless. I could not use a single one in 2+ years. Can only be redeemed on the stinkin' website and you have to spend hours with India in order to override the bug that prevents them from being applied ..... worthless. I'd take $50 in cash over a UA $250 in vouchers :td: .
It smells much like the 21st century line for "I was just following orders.."

I recently discussed this issue with friend of mine that is a g/a. He stated that his co-workers are justifying this tod (buy-ups) by convincing each other that it will improve their profit sharing!

Not smart enough to figure out that a GS booted to steerage is probably gonna walk and throwing just one of them overboard, at the gate, will blow their profit sharing theory all to hell!!!

Dunno if I should make a separate thread (I think not, to relieve cluttering), but here's another data point.

I flew IAH-EWR on 3/27. I was keeping an eye on the UG list as I had not yet been upgraded, but I was #1 on the list with seemingly 2 seats open. At about 30 minutes before board time, I noticed that #2 on the list was suddenly #1, and I was #2. About 5 minutes or so later, we had both been upgraded. I waited about 10 minutes, then approached the podium. There was a regular GA and a redcoat there. The redcoat was free and I told her "I think I was upgraded" and handed her my BP. She looked at some printed boarding passes in between her and the GA and said my last name, reaching for one of the passes. The GA looks up from what she's doing and says "No, I moved him back." I said "I'm sorry, what?" She said "Yeah, you were downgraded." I asked "What's the downgrade compensation?" At this point, the redcoat says "Wow" and walks off. The GA says "There's no compensation unless you're upgraded two days in advance."

Needless to say, I flew in the back. I did, however, take screenshots of the mobile app showing where I was upgraded. I didn't get a shot of where I was #1 on the list, though. I sent an abbreviated narrative through the online Cust:rolleyes:mer Care webform with a screenshot attached, specifically asking for compensation according to GG OVS DOWNGRADE, but I don't have high hopes for that.

Edited to add: BTW, I'm a Plat and I was traveling on a T fare, if that makes any difference. I don't think it should, seeing the leapfrogging (shenanigans?) that happened on the battlefield list.

I refer you to my post (#71) above yours!

They may be, perhaps just may, be dumb enough to think that this downgrade game is gonna give them a few more bucks in their pockets at profit sharing time, all the while not being savvy enough to figure out that it's the guy standing in front of them that puts food on their table.

Actually, I suppose one could conclude that an upgrade is not a done deal until the door closes, but the way this was handled sucks!!!

Sounds like the GA made a discretionary decision. Any sense of why you were downgraded, especially so soon after being upgraded? Think it was because someone else bought a TOD and the GA saw some profit-sharing motive, as suggested by LilAbner in post 71?

Their attitudes really don't give me the impression that they really think about the consequences their actions have in the short term, let alone in the long run. But I suppose a ToD might have trumped me. But I thought ToDs were confirmed upgrades, so they'd never even show up on the numbered list - they'd just be put right in to the upgraded area up top. There was definitely a flip flop between me at #1 and the other guy at #2 before the upgrades were run.

The redcoat just walking off like that really took the cake. I don't deal with external customers in my job, just other co-workers in a support/accounting type role, but if I ever behaved like that toward someone I was dealing with, I'd be looking for another job.

Usually, when a GA is making a discretionary decision, it's a case of shenanigans. The ToD stuff happens at OLCI and/or the kiosk check in. It's completely (or almost completely) automated, as I understand it. If the cabin was full, as it was after I and former #2 were upgraded, how could a ToD be sold? If a ToD was sold, how could there be an available F seat for both of us to be upgraded? It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth the more I think about it.