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Expert Mode: opt-in to see upgrade visibility/fare bucket data/Issue staying enabled?

Old Nov 15, 2018, 7:53 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: seanp7
Feb 2023: Many reports that Expert Mode checkbox is being disabled automatically / randomly (in some cases, repeatedly), and users have to opt back in on the website to re-enable Expert Mode.

Note on 18 Oct 2018 the fare class for upgrades changed from R to PZ
Changes to UA's Fare Classes (19-20 October 2018)

Updated instructions (2022)
Originally Posted by Micp3208
... Try this:
My United > Settings > Special Preferences & Accomodations > Scroll down past search preferences and click Enable expert mode.
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let you know that well be re-launching Expert Mode as an opt-in feature later this afternoon. This feature will display all fare classes when shopping for flights on united.com. You can opt-in to this feature by logging into your MileagePlus account and following these steps:
  1. Go to united.com > My Account
  2. Select Manage Profile
  3. In the Preferences section, select View All Flight Search Preferences
  4. In the Expert Mode section, read and acknowledge the customer advisements
  5. Click Save at the bottom of the page

As always, thanks for your feedback and patience over the last couple weeks while we worked to make these changes.

Shannon


Archive thread: Expert Mode: better upgrade visibility and opt-in to see fare bucket data {Archive}


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Expert Mode: opt-in to see upgrade visibility/fare bucket data/Issue staying enabled?

Old Nov 3, 2022, 11:22 pm
  #346  
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I'm wondering whether removal was intentional to stp unauthorized data scraping from tools like KVS -- where someone is essentially selling data they have no right to sell.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 12:37 am
  #347  
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Originally Posted by Xyzzy
I'm wondering whether removal was intentional to stp unauthorized data scraping from tools like KVS -- where someone is essentially selling data they have no right to sell.
While UA continues the app access, that would not seem to be the reason. UA has other avenues to block a scraping sites as they have done in the pass.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 7:16 am
  #348  
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I would assume it's related to the continuous pricing pilot, since that was corrupting/breaking some of the data shown anyway.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 1:13 pm
  #349  
 
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Originally Posted by Lux Flyer
I'm on the most recent version - 4.1.67 that was released yesterday on iOS 16. Still seeing fare buckets under flight details, so it's not a version of the app issue.

Off topic, but this version looks interesting. Appears hotel/food vouchers will be distributed directly via app now.
I am seeing the fare buckets displayed, but now only displaying the fare buckets relevant for fare rules that you have searched for. Example: If you search a one-way, you may only now see J with all other buckets zeroed out. Same routing/flight/date, and searching for a roundtrip you now see J/C/D/Z all with inventory. This is actually quite a big change, and linked to the continuous pricing work they are doing, I assume.e.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 1:24 pm
  #350  
 
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Originally Posted by greenpau
I am seeing the fare buckets displayed, but now only displaying the fare buckets relevant for fare rules that you have searched for. Example: If you search a one-way, you may only now see J with all other buckets zeroed out. Same routing/flight/date, and searching for a roundtrip you now see J/C/D/Z all with inventory. This is actually quite a big change, and linked to the continuous pricing work they are doing, I assume.e.
I just did a 1-way search on the app and all fare buckets display.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 1:48 pm
  #351  
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Originally Posted by greenpau
I am seeing the fare buckets displayed, but now only displaying the fare buckets relevant for fare rules that you have searched for. Example: If you search a one-way, you may only now see J with all other buckets zeroed out. Same routing/flight/date, and searching for a roundtrip you now see J/C/D/Z all with inventory. This is actually quite a big change, and linked to the continuous pricing work they are doing, I assume.e.
I've already seen similar restrictions. For instance, HNL-PHX on Dec. 5, both HNL-SFO and SFO-PHX have Z inventory, but the combined itinerary is Z0, because UA only wants to sell a D or higher for that routing. And there's actually no way to buy that Z on a single ticket - both google flights and the website (using multi-city) will price it (more than $300 less than the D), but UA will not issue the ticket.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 1:52 pm
  #352  
 
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Originally Posted by HNLbasedFlyer
I just did a 1-way search on the app and all fare buckets display.
I did this for a sample of ten routes and days/flights and got the same result on roundtrip vs. one way with a difference in displayed fare class availability. YMMV, as always - on the instance you searched, a one way in all fare class inventory levels might be available.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 2:05 pm
  #353  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
the website (using multi-city) will price it (more than $300 less than the D), but UA will not issue the ticket.
Do you mean it errors out on purchase? I see ITA prices with a fare break in SFO, which is not the "cheapest" solution but presumably less than a D fare.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 2:18 pm
  #354  
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Originally Posted by greenpau
I did this for a sample of ten routes and days/flights and got the same result on roundtrip vs. one way with a difference in displayed fare class availability. YMMV, as always - on the instance you searched, a one way in all fare class inventory levels might be available.
Were these single segments in each direction or 2 or more segments -- because with two or more without a fare break Expert Mode has usually reported the worst case numbers for either segment's inventory.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 2:26 pm
  #355  
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Originally Posted by findark
Do you mean it errors out on purchase? I see ITA prices with a fare break in SFO, which is not the "cheapest" solution but presumably less than a D fare.
The UA website (and app) would price it as a Z using multi-city (as there is a published and applicable Z fare). I could get all the way to payment, at which point it errored out. Tried numerous times.

I wound buying a Z to SFO, and a $99 K from SFO-PHX, where there's a decent chance of upgrade.

And yes, the broken fare (same pricing as separate tix) is about $100 less than the D (but about $200 more than the Z).
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Last edited by Kacee; Nov 4, 2022 at 3:16 pm
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 5:49 pm
  #356  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I've already seen similar restrictions. For instance, HNL-PHX on Dec. 5, both HNL-SFO and SFO-PHX have Z inventory, but the combined itinerary is Z0, because UA only wants to sell a D or higher for that routing. And there's actually no way to buy that Z on a single ticket - both google flights and the website (using multi-city) will price it (more than $300 less than the D), but UA will not issue the ticket.
Originally Posted by Kacee
The UA website (and app) would price it as a Z using multi-city (as there is a published and applicable Z fare). I could get all the way to payment, at which point it errored out. Tried numerous times.
I don't think using multi-city search to get around inventory restrictions they put on on married flights has ever been a desired feature by United. If anything it sounds like the website is doing what they expect it to do, refusing to ticket the Z fare since there isn't inventory when the segments are put together, even though there is individually. Sounds more like the pricing engine is incorrectly looking at individual availability but there are some final checks in place to enforce married segment/inventory logic prior to actual ticketing.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 6:05 pm
  #357  
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Originally Posted by Lux Flyer
Sounds more like the pricing engine is incorrectly looking at individual availability but there are some final checks in place to enforce married segment/inventory logic prior to actual ticketing.
Yes, of course; it is implicit in the discussion that UA has now implemented barriers to ticketing to enforce the limitation on throughfare inventory.

The point is that this is a new level of (anti-consumer) sophistication in both the expert mode display and the booking engine.
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Old Nov 4, 2022, 7:57 pm
  #358  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I've already seen similar restrictions. For instance, HNL-PHX on Dec. 5, both HNL-SFO and SFO-PHX have Z inventory, but the combined itinerary is Z0, because UA only wants to sell a D or higher for that routing. And there's actually no way to buy that Z on a single ticket - both google flights and the website (using multi-city) will price it (more than $300 less than the D), but UA will not issue the ticket.
The description strikes me as matching the issue raised here:
Ghost Inventory?

Get all the way through to purchase, but system refuses to ticket.

(edit add: given your example, I'd have to revise my opinion in post 14 of that thread; seems intentional, then.)
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Old Nov 5, 2022, 12:36 am
  #359  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I've already seen similar restrictions. For instance, HNL-PHX on Dec. 5, both HNL-SFO and SFO-PHX have Z inventory, but the combined itinerary is Z0, because UA only wants to sell a D or higher for that routing. And there's actually no way to buy that Z on a single ticket - both google flights and the website (using multi-city) will price it (more than $300 less than the D), but UA will not issue the ticket.
Looks like broken married segments enforcement to me, Z-Z class shouldn't be offered even in multi city search. My theory is UA website won't try to confirm the seat during the booking process ultil you click the buy button.
In Kacee 's instance, when he looking at the Z class price on HNL-SFO-PHX and click buy, UA system tried to book HNL-SFO-PHX in Z, and failed since it's Z0.

To verify my theory , I did a small experiment.

1, UA1 SFO-SIN on Nov 5 currently showing

Code:
UA 001 J3 C3 D2 Z1 P1 /SFO I SIN 3 1045P 700A+2E0/789 17:15
2, Logged in on united.com, search sfo-sin nov 5, and choose the last P class on ua1, all the way to payment screen.

3, Switch back to GDS and check availability again, same

Code:
UA 001 J3 C3 D2 Z1 P1 /SFO I SIN 3 1045P 700A+2E0/789 17:15
So up until this step, UA website haven't confirm and book the P booked for me.

4, Grabbed the last P class in GDS, and it down to

Code:
UA 001 J2 C2 D1 Z0 P0 /SFO I SIN 3 1045P 700A+2E0/789 17:15
5, Back to United and click 'Buy Now', and it errored out. Because it's already P0, UA.com won't be able to confirm me into P, let alone ticketing.

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Last edited by gokeeper; Nov 5, 2022 at 2:04 am
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Old Nov 5, 2022, 9:31 am
  #360  
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The reason I dug into the point is because if UA is correctly revalidating married inventory on a multi-city trip where the city stop is fared as a transfer, this is a very new change. The website used to (incorrectly) fail to do this.

It's not a question of simply validating a second time.
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