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United CFO Rainey Implies Certain Elites were "Over Entitled".

United CFO Rainey Implies Certain Elites were "Over Entitled".

Old May 24, 2012, 1:13 am
  #1081  
 
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Originally Posted by UnitedEF
Yeah that rumor has been around a few years now. It does nothing for intra-china flights. All of their mainland destinations are covered. Their only contribution is the LAX - TPE direct. Back in the day my dad flew them on a revenue ticket in C once and they donwgraded him into Y without compensation. When my dad asked about any other type of accommodation for his inconvenience their answer was sorry if you don't like it you don't have to fly . I am sure he could have got a partial refund but it wasn't worth his time. Not impressed.
There are also SEA-TPE, SFO-TPE, and a whole bunch of Southeast Asian routes from TPE and from HKG, and TPE to Europe and Mainland routes. Their service is much superior than UA.
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Old May 24, 2012, 2:29 am
  #1082  
 
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I just have to LOL that CKinMD'sv mock-up was shown right before a real ad showing the EXACT SAME GUY and AD below next to PanAMWT's post. A true example of where the new UA places their value.
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Old May 24, 2012, 3:13 am
  #1083  
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LMAO

CKinMD is doing an excellent job by posting this.

I like when that guy is showing AA EXP card.
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Old May 24, 2012, 3:15 am
  #1084  
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Originally Posted by chinatraderjmr
I don't buy that upgrades are THAT much easier on AA. I know I have stated a few times that upgrades are NOT my complaint w UA. When I said this and posted I am now 28/29 on UA A LOT of 1Ks came out of the wood work to say they too, have had little or no problems with upgrades. In a nutshell, most of us are angry about something but we are not all angry about upgrades

The fact AAs SWUs can be used on any fare and UAs require a W fare or above Kind of gets me angry, yet that's the way it's been for years and years w UA and up till now many of us were ok with that.
Logic says that when upgrades are neither automatic nor unlimited, then the Tragedy of the Commons must come in to play. On pmua, every region 1 flight I wanted to upgrade was upgraded, period. In the UDU era, this was not the case, though granted over all I sat in front more often than in the e500 era. In the CPU era it is like being a 1p in the e500 era.

EXPs have to be riding up front more than 1ks. Just because you ride upfront 95 percent of the time does not mean the rest of us do. When we buy inside 72 hours, we are screwed. And even when we buy outside 96 hours, tods to non elites take our seats.

Originally Posted by LarkSFO
63,000 posts and then this?

Please, you are doing a disservice to the FT community and the random few others who may stumble in here.

If YOUR experience is worse than last year, I'll buy that and continue to hope it gets better for you.

But please don't take your experience and try and extrapolate that to the experience of all UA elites.
With the possible exception of companion upgrade issues (I haven't experienced companion upgrades yet this year, and with the mrs now a companion 1k, threads that might discuss companion upgrades are irrelevant to me), everything guwonder listed as decay in delivery of benefits has been discussed at length in many threads since March 3, and I have personally experienced the decay.

I am amazing for example that you question boarding priority is a cluster.
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Old May 24, 2012, 6:34 am
  #1085  
 
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word from an account rep

Fwiw, I have been corresponding about the CFO's remarks with our account rep. I don't have his permission to post our exchange, but the gist of it is that he reads the remarks as referring to Silvers who were advance booking E+ windows and aisles on PMUA. This was creating a problem with higher elites, who tend to book closer in. If they were not upgraded, they were getting middle E+ seats. According to him, it was one of the biggest complaints of Gold and 1K flyers.
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Old May 24, 2012, 7:04 am
  #1086  
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Originally Posted by jackonferry
Fwiw, I have been corresponding about the CFO's remarks with our account rep. I don't have his permission to post our exchange, but the gist of it is that he reads the remarks as referring to Silvers who were advance booking E+ windows and aisles on PMUA. This was creating a problem with higher elites, who tend to book closer in. If they were not upgraded, they were getting middle E+ seats. According to him, it was one of the biggest complaints of Gold and 1K flyers.
UA accounts reps can spin it all they want but in the end, it doesn't really matter who the intended target was. The damage is done. And with all the issues that have affected every elite level, it's not a stretch for any level elite to feel that that Raimey's poorly chosen, indeed stupid, remarks were directed at them.
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Old May 24, 2012, 7:11 am
  #1087  
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Originally Posted by SFO777
UA accounts reps can spin it all they want but in the end, it doesn't really matter who the intended target was. The damage is done. And with all the issues that have affected every elite level, it's not a stretch for any level elite to feel that that Raimey's poorly chosen, indeed stupid, remarks were directed at them.
I'd much rather apply logical, reasoned arguments like those mentioned above that actually make sense instead of a purely emotional response that isn't actually based on anything.

The lack of E+ availability when I needed to fly 2-3 days out was always one of the biggest annoyances for me on PMUA. I think many higher-level elites applauded this change.
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Old May 24, 2012, 7:14 am
  #1088  
 
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Originally Posted by SFO777

UA accounts reps can spin it all they want but in the end, it doesn't really matter who the intended target was. The damage is done. And with all the issues that have affected every elite level, it's not a stretch for any level elite to feel that that Raimey's poorly chosen, indeed stupid, remarks were directed at them.

-
Without an intent to seem ostentatious, I must say that SFO777 stated the facts as accurately as I would have written.

Great analysis, SFO777. Thanks.
-
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Old May 24, 2012, 7:24 am
  #1089  
 
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Originally Posted by SFO777
UA accounts reps can spin it all they want but in the end, it doesn't really matter who the intended target was. The damage is done. And with all the issues that have affected every elite level, it's not a stretch for any level elite to feel that that Raimey's poorly chosen, indeed stupid, remarks were directed at them.
Yeah...I'm not even Premier, but a GM that flirts with 25K.....and I was slightly offended. More offended for the real elites though.
Any company that treats their best customers like this, does not share my values. In that regard, why would I ever want to even "aspire" to be Elite on UA now?
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Old May 24, 2012, 7:32 am
  #1090  
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Originally Posted by jackonferry
Fwiw, I have been corresponding about the CFO's remarks with our account rep. I don't have his permission to post our exchange, but the gist of it is that he reads the remarks as referring to Silvers who were advance booking E+ windows and aisles on PMUA. This was creating a problem with higher elites, who tend to book closer in. If they were not upgraded, they were getting middle E+ seats. According to him, it was one of the biggest complaints of Gold and 1K flyers.
I had shared some comments with UA to that effect after an issue with an equipment swap compounded by a defective row of seats; as a 1K, I not only lost the upgrade (320 to 319 swap) but also couldn't get an E+ seat--and when I took advantage of the VDB solicitation, there wasn't a flight for 48 hours which had an E+ aisle or window available. I ended up in a bulkhead E- seat on a 763 ghetto bird for a redeye (21J--and for someone as tall as I am, that is NOT a comfortable seat despite being exit row due to the bulkhead). Thank goodness for Ambien...

I had suggested UA hold back a couple to a few (depending on plane) rows of E+ for irrops, late-booking 1K & GS, etc., pax, which the person I discussed the matter with thought was a great idea.

What UA did at the expense of 2Ps did have that same effect it seems, though my most recent flight change did still land me in a middle seat--at least one in E+ vs. E-, though.
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Old May 24, 2012, 8:15 am
  #1091  
 
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Originally Posted by dsquared37
Isn't it interesting that everyone seems to think these remarks are directed at them. Contrary to your take, I think this shows how personal these remarks are being construed and the depth of the damage they have caused.

[bolding mine]
It also shows how many people don't like the changes that $mi$ek keeps telling us to like. Seems easy for lots of people at all levels to identify with idea that treatment has become much worse across many aspects of dealing with UA.
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Old May 24, 2012, 8:26 am
  #1092  
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they may *say* that what he's talking about are Silvers. That's a nice way to try to appease the higher-end elites. (and it is true that there is a problem on elite heavy routes getting last minute E+).

United has declared war on their higher end elites as well:
clipping elite bonii for Gold/Plat
eliminating differentiated service for plat/1K
clip promised benefits for MM's.

and the overall clumsiness of SHARES means that elites used to outstanding service and the ability for agents to quickly get them on their way in IRROPs are no longer getting that service.
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Old May 24, 2012, 8:34 am
  #1093  
 
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I just got off the phone with AA Customer Service. It sure is hard to dislike these guys with the great attitudes they have.

Well I just booked my first AA trip.... We will see if I join the cult or not.

Last edited by c502cid; May 24, 2012 at 9:48 am
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Old May 24, 2012, 8:37 am
  #1094  
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Originally Posted by star_world
I'd much rather apply logical, reasoned arguments like those mentioned above that actually make sense instead of a purely emotional response that isn't actually based on anything.

The lack of E+ availability when I needed to fly 2-3 days out was always one of the biggest annoyances for me on PMUA. I think many higher-level elites applauded this change.
If that were really the case though, they wouldn't be selling it to anyone willing to pay.

UA would have no problem screwing its elites if it meant that it could sell every E+ seat.
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Old May 24, 2012, 8:55 am
  #1095  
 
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Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B206 Safari/7534.48.3)

The reason why so many people felt the comment applied to them is because of the shift in culture.

1K upgrades not going through b/c of kettle miles even in the window, TODs, shenanigans.

Its the top tier that seems to be mostly frustrated, according to hundreds of FTers.

Its not an accident that nearly everyone on here are saying post-3/3 the experience has been much different and for the worse
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