IRROPS policies for UA customers: 2013 and beyond.
#61
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Starwood Plat
Posts: 189
This post is proof of the over-dramatization UA elites have that there is a war against elites (guilty myself at times). Even if the agents would not re-book you and force you into higher inventory, you can still stand by for the earlier flight and seats would not go out empty with 1K's waiting for the next flight due to IRROPS. Let's be reasonable with our comments, we have all had some crazy bad service but some of these posts make no sense.
Upgrades - whats the big deal ? 1K's still get 96 hour window and most upgrade over 75% of the time on most routes (how terrible of United to give us all those upgrades)
Valuation of MP - UA miles in general are far easier to use than other US legacy carriers. I booked a one way 12,500 award for coach the day before New Years to go to NYC when all other airlines were 25,000 miles or $900. Then they even upgraded me since I have the credit card.
We need to be greatful, many have learned the grass is not greener at Delta, AA and US. Airlines are trying hard to find balance between keeping loyal fliers happy and maintaining what services and perks they can while making the attempt to turn a profit!
Upgrades - whats the big deal ? 1K's still get 96 hour window and most upgrade over 75% of the time on most routes (how terrible of United to give us all those upgrades)
Valuation of MP - UA miles in general are far easier to use than other US legacy carriers. I booked a one way 12,500 award for coach the day before New Years to go to NYC when all other airlines were 25,000 miles or $900. Then they even upgraded me since I have the credit card.
We need to be greatful, many have learned the grass is not greener at Delta, AA and US. Airlines are trying hard to find balance between keeping loyal fliers happy and maintaining what services and perks they can while making the attempt to turn a profit!
#62
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: DFW or Somewhere Else
Programs: UA Plt /Delta DM/ Marriott Platinum Prem./Hilton Diamond / Hyatt Globalist /Hertz PS / National EE
Posts: 1,107
I don't understand anything you have written.
1. It is has been documented here that agents have refused to rebook during IRROPS unless alternate flight had space available in same or lower fare class. This is unacceptable, and I feel that being dramatic about it is, in fact, appropriate. When you spend this much time, and this much money, on an airline, and they fail to deliver what was promised, and they won't even make it right using methods that are simple, and that cost them nothing - this is serious, and it is a war. Nothing can explain this policy other than outright and absolute hostility towards customers. It's almost like the person who wrote this policy actually wanted to make us angry. And, that's probably why they have started posting security guards at the desks to protect staff during irrops. This is dramatic. This is the worst behavior I have ever seen from an airline. Ever.
2. You said: "most upgrade over 75% of the time on most routes" - do you have any factual basis for this statement? Or, did you just make it up?
1. It is has been documented here that agents have refused to rebook during IRROPS unless alternate flight had space available in same or lower fare class. This is unacceptable, and I feel that being dramatic about it is, in fact, appropriate. When you spend this much time, and this much money, on an airline, and they fail to deliver what was promised, and they won't even make it right using methods that are simple, and that cost them nothing - this is serious, and it is a war. Nothing can explain this policy other than outright and absolute hostility towards customers. It's almost like the person who wrote this policy actually wanted to make us angry. And, that's probably why they have started posting security guards at the desks to protect staff during irrops. This is dramatic. This is the worst behavior I have ever seen from an airline. Ever.
2. You said: "most upgrade over 75% of the time on most routes" - do you have any factual basis for this statement? Or, did you just make it up?
#2 - Upgrades are over 80% for me on UA, I also fly out of Florida where there is more leisure traffic. I have never missed a FL-anywhere upgrade expect one MCO - SFO on a Friday night. I often miss CLE- IAD and CLE - EWR. It really depends on where you fly. There is mass over-dramatization on this board all around with upgrades. Many people have posted very good upgrade %'s
#63
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
I can confirm first hand that 1k's get a hotel under weather delays. I had misconx at IAD on 1/13 because my inbound flight was late due to that inbound ORD-FLL being late due to weather
#64
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: TPE
Programs: UA Gold, HA Premier, Hertz #1 Gold PC, SBUX Gold
Posts: 603
#65
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
I am trying to figure out if there is a "Trip in Vain" rule. It seems everything I've read in other threads says its up to the agent.
I have an upcoming MR with now expired GPUs to HKG with a tight outbound connect in SFO (of all places -- I always seem to be delayed there). My preference would be for them to just keep my money and my GPUs, send me home, and give me my EQMs.
I've *heard* this can be done, but how? Is there anything in writing regarding this?
I have an upcoming MR with now expired GPUs to HKG with a tight outbound connect in SFO (of all places -- I always seem to be delayed there). My preference would be for them to just keep my money and my GPUs, send me home, and give me my EQMs.
I've *heard* this can be done, but how? Is there anything in writing regarding this?
#66
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PBI / FLL / YUL
Programs: UA 1K, Delta Plat, AA Plat, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Courtesy Card
Posts: 1,983
#2 - Upgrades are over 80% for me on UA, I also fly out of Florida where there is more leisure traffic. I have never missed a FL-anywhere upgrade expect one MCO - SFO on a Friday night. I often miss CLE- IAD and CLE - EWR. It really depends on where you fly. There is mass over-dramatization on this board all around with upgrades. Many people have posted very good upgrade %'s
Last edited by fjfv19; Jan 15, 2013 at 8:23 am Reason: wording
#67
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: DFW or Somewhere Else
Programs: UA Plt /Delta DM/ Marriott Platinum Prem./Hilton Diamond / Hyatt Globalist /Hertz PS / National EE
Posts: 1,107
Thank you for disproving your own claim. People hit upgrades to/from MCO as Silvers. For all of us flying out of the hubs (the routes you stated you stated you don't get upgraded on) or even non-hub airports with a large UA presence, your general statement "upgraded 75% of the time" is completely without basis. As a 1K, I am currently 1/4 on upgrades out of EWR this year and last year was no different.
#68
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
One exception is getting rerouted/rebooked on another carrier and asking for your UA miles for that flight, but one would still need to do bis!
#69
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: WAS-ish
Programs: UA 1K-MM + UC, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,341
I am trying to figure out if there is a "Trip in Vain" rule. It seems everything I've read in other threads says its up to the agent.
I have an upcoming MR with now expired GPUs to HKG with a tight outbound connect in SFO (of all places -- I always seem to be delayed there). My preference would be for them to just keep my money and my GPUs, send me home, and give me my EQMs.
I have an upcoming MR with now expired GPUs to HKG with a tight outbound connect in SFO (of all places -- I always seem to be delayed there). My preference would be for them to just keep my money and my GPUs, send me home, and give me my EQMs.
However, as noted...
We would all like to stay home and get our EQM's but it ain't gonna happen and I don't know where you could have heard this from? Perhaps someone made a big enough stink and got winked through once, but going for this would be more trouble that it's worth and getting your account flagged for asking for it more than once would be something that most people wouldn't want to have in their record. Anyway, there are somethings to fight em about, but wanting miles for not flying is something that ain't worth the hassle, imo.
One exception is getting rerouted/rebooked on another carrier and asking for your UA miles for that flight, but one would still need to do bis!
One exception is getting rerouted/rebooked on another carrier and asking for your UA miles for that flight, but one would still need to do bis!
The major exception to LilAbner's accurate analysis is original routing credit for irrops. If you get involuntarily rerouted, and fly your original trip on a shorter itinerary, then you can routinely claim the miles for the original routing that you didn't fly (ORC). So you do have to pay and fly, but it might be more accurately called "butt flown to destination" rather than "butt in seat".
Case in point: Last year I booked a ridiculous routing for a necessary trip because I needed the extra miles (ABQ-IAH-LAX-EWR-SYR o/w). And Sandy landed right on it. EWR was underwater, so I ended up rebooked ABQ-IAH-CLE-SYR, but still got the miles for the original routing without spending 10 consecutive hours on a 753.
#70
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
We would all like to stay home and get our EQM's but it ain't gonna happen and I don't know where you could have heard this from? Perhaps someone made a big enough stink and got winked through once, but going for this would be more trouble that it's worth and getting your account flagged for asking for it more than once would be something that most people wouldn't want to have in their record. Anyway, there are somethings to fight em about, but wanting miles for not flying is something that ain't worth the hassle, imo.
One exception is getting rerouted/rebooked on another carrier and asking for your UA miles for that flight, but one would still need to do bis!
One exception is getting rerouted/rebooked on another carrier and asking for your UA miles for that flight, but one would still need to do bis!
I'm not trying to get away with something. I have every intention of putting my butt in the seat for the ride, but I have an hour and 5 minute connect in SFO, and I just want to know what to ask for in case I do miss it. I don't know why UA would FLAG me merely for asking!
So, OK...
MAYBE (?) I get my tkt refunded and they send me back home for "free"?...
What about the GPUs? They expire 1/31 and it would be physically impossible for me to use them since that's my return date. Has anyone had luck getting those back and extended?
I'm just a bit nervous about missing this and dealing with a SFO agent who has no clue what to do. It would be nice to know there was an actual policy I could have her look up.
#71
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
I don't think anyone has questioned whether it has happened, the concern is over the inconsistency and lack of a documented policy providing for this. Clearly some agents, esp. pmUA, have provided pmUA amenities sometimes.
#72
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Originally Posted by goalie
I can confirm first hand that 1k's get a hotel under weather delays. I had misconx at IAD on 1/13 because my inbound flight was late due to that inbound ORD-FLL being late due to weather
My misconx was handled by a PMUA agent at IAD but at FLL there were 1k's who were advised to take the misconx at FLL and be rebooked from there the next day and they were all given hotels
#73
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA(EXP)UA(1K/1MM) Marriott(PP,LifeTime Plat) Hertz(5*)
Posts: 449
So my one question about the new IRROPS would be about upgraded tickets.
Before on the legacy UNITED if you were on confirmed upgraded ticket in business or first class they would rebook you into the same class if it was available on UA metal or another airline. Mostly happened with me on International flights. After 3/3 that was gone.
On 3/5 with a flight and connection in NRT confirmed in C. Being rebooked later that night out of HND on ANA in Y. And on top of that ANA valued the ticket at $0 and if I wanted to buy an upgrade i had to pay 4k for a full fare business class ticket. Oh and the ANA flight was less then half full in business and economy. Nothing offered from ANA as a *Gold or the fact that it was a UA problem.(the 777 was late coming back from being painted!)
Before on the legacy UNITED if you were on confirmed upgraded ticket in business or first class they would rebook you into the same class if it was available on UA metal or another airline. Mostly happened with me on International flights. After 3/3 that was gone.
On 3/5 with a flight and connection in NRT confirmed in C. Being rebooked later that night out of HND on ANA in Y. And on top of that ANA valued the ticket at $0 and if I wanted to buy an upgrade i had to pay 4k for a full fare business class ticket. Oh and the ANA flight was less then half full in business and economy. Nothing offered from ANA as a *Gold or the fact that it was a UA problem.(the 777 was late coming back from being painted!)
#74
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 981
I asked a smaller station airport about the new irrops policies and they looked at me like i was from another planet. never heard of them.
#75
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA(EXP)UA(1K/1MM) Marriott(PP,LifeTime Plat) Hertz(5*)
Posts: 449
New (JAN 2013) IRROPS policies for UA customers.
I have had many problems with smaller stations not knowing current policy for many things.
The best one was the baggage weight and count limits for *gold and higher. I had to pay for my luggage and then fight to get it refunded vs a travel certificate.
The best one was the baggage weight and count limits for *gold and higher. I had to pay for my luggage and then fight to get it refunded vs a travel certificate.