Is it a profitable change for UA, though? I get the junk UA e-mails about every other day and I haven't bought a single ticket in 18 months now. Clearly they know I'm gone and have probably written me off.

However, have I been replaced by millions of dollars in additional credit card revenue and partner marketing promotions (cruises, flowers, credit card benefits that have been added)? Could UA, seeing enhanced revenue for these marketing programs, really be a marketing success story? They certainly know how to use e-mail.

Never thought of it like that because my mind was stuck on the customer service aspect of running a business since personally that's what I enjoy most running a company.

Get rid of all your elites, (they leave after 15 years of flying, who cares?) sell bazillions of miles to credit card companies, Chase. Go after the kettles who will pay for an upgrade to FC from ORD-EWR for a once and a lifetime experience whilst p'ing off your elites expecting unlimited complimentary upgrades. Nickle and dime everyone from the moment they purchase a ticket to the moment they complete their journey.

Give those who CURRENTLY pay premium fares GSvcs and treat them right. Everyone else can go scratch....voila! Like licensing, passive income - make money for doing things that don't even involve flying! Brilliant!

There are many of business cases where a company changed courses to do something similar, alienating customers, etc. There will come a day this will bite them in the rear-end.

UG

PS nice pics, Tom911!

It is unfortunately too obvious how they are using analytics. Understanding their customer base is a euphemism for spending as little as possible to retain them as a customer and not a penny more.

Everyone understands it is important to generate a profit, but no great company or product has ever been built by finance people. Many of them have been ruined by finance people...

I can't say I have ever felt 'nickle and dimed' by UA...

Elite status certainly helps on this front.

The edited version:
Before the edit:
But instead of shirking from the challenge United decided to take the data initiative even further by launching a completely revamped MileagePlus program that has given them an unprecedented understanding of its customers that has helped drive revenue [to our competitors] and change the customer experience [for the worse].

Do you really believe this garbage, Lark? I know you've been sympathetic to the company's cause, but this rings as blatant nonsense.

even 1k have pay date change fees.. which I don't agree with.
 

If they can change schedules without having to pay us $250 per change I thnk elites should get one change free if same fare class is open. What does it matter to them ifi fly on this date or that dates?

Finally. Something that makes sense!

UA has made it pretty clear they don't belive what their customers say (including us), so why would they do a survey? They probably figure what the rats do in response to stimulus and incentives is the important data.


That's because instead of leading a company based on values they lead based on shaving every margin they get their hands on. They shave and shave until they draw blood . . . and then it's over.

Yes, they don't 'nickle and dime' elites. For now. Give them time.

I've been elite status for over 20 years, 1K for each of the last 10 years. But not a peep from them.

Notice the quotes...

I just cut and paste this from the trade show web site where United spoke.

I do believe that this is their intent.

Execution? As with may things in this merger, they still have a ways to go.

(as a curious bystander, I would love to see what information they have consolidated: 30 years of data, 90 million accounts. Big data, great info to mine, there is gold in there if they can figure it out...)

time.... And a better grasp of their analytics tools... :)

Apparently I'm in the minority but I still feel treated really well by United, especially the ground crew in Munich who are nothing short of fantastic.

I do not think you are in the minority...

This is flyertalk, you know.

I don't think that's the case. For the most part, I didn't see any change with the people on the front line. I am not a fan of some of the attitude in IAH, and a few others... but most are trying to be helpful.

It is not a complaint of people per se, rather it is corporate policies and culture driving people away. Further, I think they need to stop looking at the data in a vacuum and think about their decisions. You need to balance data with focus groups, and real customer feedback if you want a customer driven strategy.

Jeff and team does not have a customer driven strategy, they think they know best.:(