Sort of like when AA matched UA and raised the minimum fare for systemwides to W 10 years ago. Or when AA matched UA and offered 50% bonus miles for midtier flyers. Or when AA matched UA and reduced lifetime status benefits.

Oh, wait, AA didn't do any of those. I don't expect them to follow UA this time, either. Sure you want to offer that guarantee?

I used this feature very often; it's gonna be a real hassle to call the 1K desk every time to ask for available upgrades. Further, calling the 1K for this info is hit and miss; many times the agents said no, when the desired booking class was actually available. So, I never called 1K without being armed with info that the "R" upgrade was available. Now, I'll be at the mercy of untrained and uninformed telephone agents. I no longer feel special. Of course this has to be a revenue thing. In order to bring in more revenue, why doesn't United just charge $xx for access to this information? They could also charge for allowing us to view departure times and destinations; that should bring in more revenue, too.

Does anyone really think that UA cares about customer loyalty at this point? It seems increasingly clear from their behavior and rhetoric that elites are more trouble than we're worth - we don't pump money into a bunch of lucrative revenue streams, we analyze their systems and make advantageous use of them, we cost them money on (ever-decreasing) special elite services, and we fight against the changes we're supposed to like. I feel like the current UA experiment is to see if they can completely alienate frequent flyers and actually increase revenues by sending us elsewhere. Let other airlines waste their money coddling the crotchety, over-entitled elites.

I haven't felt like my loyalty is valued or rewarded for the better part of a year now, and at first I thought that was an unfortunate by-product of the merger-related chaos. But more and more, it feels intentional.

I'm saddened that they're pulling a simple but effective little bit of info from their website and claiming that they appreciate the need for transparency. But the bulk of their revenue comes from passengers who don't care about that info, and I assume they only see the potential revenue loss from ways the info could be used. "Confusion" can be fixed with better information.

As a 3.8MM flyer on UA, all I can say is that it is not worth going for any MM status on UA any more. I am only 165,000 miles away from 4MM and "lifetime" GS, and I am making no effort to obtain it. The service and reliability of UA has degraded to the point that flying almost any other airline is preferable. For the past year we have been flying AA, NZ, BA, CX, DL and others and with very few exceptions have experienced good or better service on all of them. I can't say that about my 30 segments on UA...a full 40%+ of my flights have had significant issues (yes, I keep track) ranging from unscheduled fuel stops to long delays due to maintenance and crew issues...in addition to SHARES problems and CS failures.

While I know this is a FF forum, for most of us the name of the game is travelling from point A to point B safely, reasonably on time and with a modicum of comfort...as hassle free as possible. UA is systematically removing the tools that allow any of the above to happen! Sad, Sad, Sad!

You suggested that you 'know' your version works. I'm saying that it is unlikely you know it works any better than any other method due to a lack of testable data.

The upgrade waitlists are clearly still broken. As a GS flying on a full domestic 'Y' fare <72 hours from now, booked ~2 weeks ago I am waitlisted (presumably to last seat availability). A 1K colleague just purchased a first class seat on that flight today. I dont know the details (i.e. YBM up, etc) but I am not happy. Also the iPhone app errored out when I was changing by window E+ seat to an aisle E+ seat, and ended up putting me in a middle (no recline) seat. No Aisle or Window remain.

On the other hand does anyone know if the PMCO "No middle seat" guarantee (for full 'Y' fares) still exists? I am not happy about sitting in the middle seat on a >5 hour domestic flight after purchasing a full 'Y' fare, and having F sold out from under me.

What are you thinking?
 

Dear Shannon,
I am sincerely curious about the process by which you vet decisions such as these. Whatever the company's motivations may have been for removing fare bucket transparency, in the end - the ultimate control over fare bucket inventory is YOU. YOU CONTROL THE SEAT INVENTORY. If you suspect that there are too many R>0 seats on a flight, and if you suspect that your savviest clients will seek out those UG seats rather than pay for a biz class seat, then you can change the inventory at any time.... at your will! You do this all the time. I've watched RN=6 for one flight become RN=0 within minutes, and R=0 on another change to R=2 without any obvious rhyme or reason. I accept it as a quirk of your very quirky trade. But at least I appreciated the transparency of your fare-algorithm stupidity. The only thing more inane is to take away that transparency in the first place. Please reconsider. As a 1K flyer - I'm beginning to look seriously at being matched by other airlines' FFPs, especially those that allow global upgrades on ALL FARE BUCKETS - so that I don't have to play the Jeff Smisek "Pay this more expensive fare and guess if you're gonna get an upgrade" game.

This is an issue for a number of reasons.

The way UA has made this change unannounced is mind blogging (to me a message in FTer/MP is not an announcement). Additionally the change has been made with no announcement on the future "new capabilities" nor the timeline for those replacement capabilities. This was done like it was an emergency and even then there has been no proper communication to customer base. This particular situation is the basis for a case study in flawed customer communications.

A broad communication stating Fare Class info was being removed (with a few days warning or a reason for immediate removal) for "(a better phrased reason)" and in the meantime please use "alternative method". A replacement capability (some description) will be in place by xx/xx/xx would have engendered a very different reaction.

Part of the feeding frenzy (even with a reduced functionality workaround) is due to the accumulative number of issues / disappointments / loss of functionality experienced by many. All this recent issue has done is to continue to reenforce (correct or not) the new UA does not understand or is consciously dissing a portion of their customer base.

It is remarkable to note the number of low count posters in this thread -- with a number stating this is the end of the rope -- this is not the gang of 11 or MR crowd, this is UA's everyday bread and butter folks. It is clear UA is having operational issues (they are readily admitting this). But UA is doing a terrible job of communicating to its customer base -- and every unexpected action / every change is going to be received by their battered customers in the most negative light unless UA steps up and stops serving platitudes about best network / 787s / ... and addresses the present hostile UA/customer situation.

Your correct, I have not flown AA in C in a while. The reason is quite simply we do pay for C (or even F on flights over 12 hours) & I was very uncomfortable in the AA C seat. To be fair, I would not pay for the old UA C seat either (barcalounger). But I have both paid for & used upgrades for the lie flat new C seats on UA & would w AA on the 77W if it flew where I wanted. I know the AA 77W has lay flat C but are you saying the 767's now have it. I am under the impression AA's 767 & 772 fleets still have "angled" lie flat which to me is not lie flat so I'm not interested in sitting in one (in any airline, paid C or free C) Am I misinformed?

I can understand that to you, the argument of angled vs fully flat is not a good reason to pick a FF program & I would agree but it's not as simple as that. It is a good reason to pick an AIRLINE, so obviously, you go w the FF program on the airline you prefer. I have the most BIS miles w Skywards the last few years & it is easily one of the WORST FF programs around. However, the airline (EK) is one of the best & since upgrades are not important to me w them (but they are offered for those that need them), I would argue that the most important thing is the airline itself (and that includes the seat). The FF program is secondary. That's the main reason w 18 years as a UA 1K I have NEVER even considered flying them between DXB-USA (and I've lived in Dubai 12 years). The FF program is very important but only if you enjoy the flights your earning/burning on

Everything you just mentioned was done very recently (since 3/3) w the exception of the W fare min & that cost was also very minimal before 3/3. I would not be so sure AA would not follow just because they haven't done anything immediately. I hope they're smart enough not to. If they are taken over by US you can't really expect anything different then what is happening to UA. Let's face it. US is to CO as UA was to AA

Welcome to FT, sedrate! I am really amazed at how much this issue, more than any other, has brought out people who are not FT "regulars" to share their disappointment. You'd think it would be a message to UA management, but I suppose if a horse has blinders on, it isn't able to check the odds board!

Likely because he wanted the PQMs for status purposes.

I don't understand your point. You said that you bought a Y seat. Your colleague purchased a seat in F. What's the problem? Did your colleague pay the fare for the F seat or did your colleague pay a cheap economy fare and get a TOD? If the latter, you have a valid complaint. But, you can't be complaining that they sold a seat in F at full price. Right?

Exactly--for some of the other "changes we'll like," UA may have dismissively been able to say, "Oh, the only people with problems are some disgruntled PMUA pax--the 'Gang of 12.'" This is a change which has drawn a gang of hundreds on FT alone in almost unanimous opposition.

Are you sure a W class fare exists on this route? You might need to check the next higher fare class if you don't have access to ExpertFlyer or a GDS to view fares.