Good point. The carrot is what will keep people. I have seen that at Delta where their SWU is atrocious and there are still people buying YBM fares hoping for the upgrade.

I have used up most of my 2013 RPU/GPU. What is left of the GPU, I would rather use it on Lufthansa and be done with it. Now to use up the $ off certs before United enhances its products even more

Is the number of issues this was creating really greater than the number of issues and call center calls that are now going to be created by taking it away?

Then why not leave on the capability until you have implemented a solution for it, rather than creating the chaos from the elite users that is now ensuing. pmUA learned from past customer uproars where they reversed very unpopular decisions. Now, maybe UA can learn again?


Then why not allow Expert Flyer continue to have access to this information? Truly those using EF are "Expert Flyers" and know the information and how best to use it without disturbing UA with "confusion". It just doesn't seem to make sense and appears to be a cover up to hide internal system problems (re: RPU/GPU upgrades) without addressing the root causes.

Please maintain the current minimal transparency until you have provided the adequate transparency that is needed.

Sorry, but this is demonstrably false based on many of the posts/threads which show up here on a regular basis. Many know what the information means; many others do not.

Or even worse, come in after midnight on an already delayed flight then sit on the ramp short of the gate for 15 minutes, with the GA waiting at the controls of the jet bridge and the main guide standing there, while they look for the wing men.

Do you really think that many people that shell out $99/year for ExpertFlyer don't know how to use it properly? Or am I misunderstanding you?

I do not believe for a minute that all the EF subscribers fully understand how to interpret the information they're looking.

I absolutely believe that there are a number of very smart people, some of whom pay for access to tools like EF or KVS, who have no idea what the data they are seeing means. There are posts here all the time asking why XYZ didn't happen even though EF/KVS says PDQ. And those are just the folks brave enough to ask in this rather caustic environment.

Many people understand what the information means. Many others do not.

As so many before has said, a lot of us used this information to a great extend. Taking it away is just such a bad move by United.

Looks like UA isn't the only airline doing this... NZ is now hiding R availability as well.

R Inventory No Longer Being Published.

Just want to add my voice to the chorus pointing out what a frustratingly stupid move this is on United's part. I've been a 1K for 18 straight years and this finally has me rethinking my loyalty. After all the pain of the merger and customer "enhancements" only now to be kicked one more time. Clearly customer satisfaction is not a priority at the new United.

PDX1K

edited to add that my UDU success rate was 85+% prior to 3/3, now it has gone down to less than 50%. Seems to be a heavy emphasis on ToD upsell.

Same here. As a company policy we only buy fully refundable fares. Next year I'm taking my company's business elsewhere.

Wow - Just saw this. Talk about awful. I was actually wondering why I couldn't see R inventory on a recent flight. Interestingly, this post came up just a couple days after I spoke to someone at United about all the problems with transparency and United's loss of focus on customer service - especially for high level elites.

I guess its another reason to fly AA.

AA also for some reason hides there domestic inventory for "sticker" upgrades but does NOT hide there biz / first upgrade inventory for those with GPU's. I would accept this compromise if UA were to offer it

Why not admit it. We are not "loyal frequent flying customers", we are the "enemy". While the airline can manipulate fares (and everything else they can think of), how dare we want to do the same.

many former CO customers don't understand why UA customers bash CO at every turn. It's very simple. We all have a choice who we fly or do business with. Many of us former UA customers did not fly CO for the same reason we don't fly US or in some cases DL. In our opinion (remember, I said opinion, not fact), CO was not a trustworthy company or one we would trust to treat us well (as opposed to UA & AA who did not have that reputation. Now, after years and years of being loyal to UA, we have the rug pulled out from under us & find ourselves invested in a company we never wanted anything to do with in the first place (and every move they make proves us right). There is no difference then living in East Berlin before the Soviets moved in. One day a happy German answering to Bonn & the next a comrade answering to Moscow (ok, maybe not that bad

It's easy to say if you don't like it, go somewhere else but where??? Many of us invested a lot of time & money into the old UA & don't want to start from scratch with AA. Also, what happens if AA falls to US & has the same crap happen to them.

the problem is that EM not only showed if R>0 but also how many C seats remained. Thusly if I do the work-around and its comes up no R which flight do I book?, the 7am may have only 2 seats left in F or 2 in C while the 8am is wide open. As we all know looking at the seat map doesnt help that much. In my example the 8am will have a better chance of the RPU clearing then teh 7am

the same for GPU heading to NRT from NY R=0 but which flight is right now more open = better chance the UP will clear. It could 1 of the Pay sites can be beneficial but I see no reason to pay for something.


Now this morning for the 1st time I can remember since 3/3 I got an email telling me my IAD-HNL in Jan has cleared.Till now only 2 seats were taken and R=0, so maybe the system will work better now , over teh apst few months all of my WL for RPUs Only cleared when I noticed R>0 and I called up and had them clear me manually!

I mentioned to the rep how going forward when booking I imagine that I will be on the phone for anywhere from 1-2 hrs, reason I will ask to know what can be confirmed now for say a JFK-SFO-SAN/SNA/ONT/OHX/LAS/LAX flight if nothing that works for me then I will want to know what C is so that I can pick a flight where I feel my chances are better for the RPU to clear. Then for the return and probably for the following weekend as well if my 1st choice cant be confirmed at purchase.

She asked what I did till now, I said clicked onto 'Fare Class' and got everything I will now need from an agent to tell me, she said if enough of you guys do this it will tie up our lines and it will be just like it was on 3/4,I said exactly and thusly why the S in Jeffs last name stands for STUPID. She said she didnt blame me or anyone else since why book 1 flight when another has a better chance of clearing or why fly on Weds if you can go Tues or Thurs and get the Up