Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20504611)

For a long time, I have been trying to make sense out of this "higher number of elites" argument. It should be a wash, except for the fact, as you point out, that capacity is lower.

I wonder if somehow the combination is forcing clusters of elites into higher concentrations across certain routes?

For example, UA didn't serve MXP. So, the combination can force all of UA into EWR for the EWR-MXP, thereby increasing elite concentration on that route.

Similarly, UA has a huge range of flights out of SFO to Asia. I don't know CO's old route map, but I'm guessing they were weaker to Asia. So, before the combination, CO flyers would have chosen any airline to get to Asia. Now, all of them are being more aggressively funneled into the SFO to Asia routes.

Do you think dynamics like this are responsible for the disproportionate increase in elite concentrations being discussed here?

Originally Posted by fjfv19 (Post 20504681)

I like this story. Now let me add to your story.

Bob lives in San Francisco. He now flies 75,000 miles, and finishes 27th on the upgrade list. No more perks for Bob. The end.

Originally Posted by UA-NYC (Post 20504770)

Agreed that this is now the case on some int'l routes - TLV/MXP as examples for PMUA flyers, BKK/DXB for PMCO flyers. Yet I don't have any great sense that int'l UG rates are tanking for elites.

It's on the domestic flights that we see the issues - those IAH-based flyers weren't and aren't taking the LGA-ORD flights where I've now missed 3 of my past 4 upgrades on off-peak times.

The key difference? TODs & cheap V-ups are found domestically.

Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20504780)

In fairness, I've always had a hard time clearing hub-hub with UA during peak business hours. However, what used to be hard has now become impossible.

No doubt, though, that TODs and cheap V-ups have drastically reduced the number of seats available for UG. And, that's here to stay.

Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20504780)

No doubt, though, that TODs and cheap V-ups have drastically reduced the number of seats available for UG. And, that's here to stay.

Originally Posted by hobo13 (Post 20505159)

That's not all. If you want to know where the FC seats are going, consider this story from February.

I booked 4 friends on economy saver tickets. 4 different reservations. All 4 got upgraded on the domestic leg, at the window. (I have the United card.) Even better? It was an RJ. They occupied 4 of the 6 FC seats, simply because I had the United card and I was a 1K. And because I was smart enough to put them on their own reservations.

Now sure, I should be happy. They are my friends. But c'mon, this sucks. No wonder I never get upgraded anymore!

Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20505187)

Not following. They inherited your status b/c you are 1K? Is that new? What role does the card play in this story?

Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20505187)

Not following. They inherited your status b/c you are 1K? Is that new? What role does the card play in this story?

Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20505187)

Not following. They inherited your status b/c you are 1K? Is that new? What role does the card play in this story?

Originally Posted by mgcsinc (Post 20504014)

Gold here. Lots of success on short- to medium-hauls, and on a flight to HNL; long-hauls have been no-gos. (Except one transcon where an amazing dude asked me to switch with him from the Y exit row so he could sit with his friend -- what do we call that, a friend-up?)

If y'all have a spare moment, consider tracking your upgrade success at diditclear.com :D

If the reports on DidItClear are representative, Silver and Gold rates look similar (~30%), as do Plats and 1K's (~60%). To me, this suggests flights are trimodal in terms of F availability, which would make sense to me.

Originally Posted by mitchmu (Post 20504412)

I just cleared two CPUs SFO-LAS, LAS-SFO, in K fare. Both were last flight of the day. Mon/Thu.

This is the first time I've cleared two CPUs on an itinerary since the takeover - in more than two years.

Originally Posted by entropy (Post 20504328)

My flying is way down this year. but one observation I made was a recent SFO-YYZ flight, a flight for which there are no reasonable V-up (or discounted F seats), as a 319 was R5 a few days before the flight. I was already in F, my partner (Plat) was on a W fare in coach. The 1K window passed, still R4, plat window, R2, then it goes R0 at the gold window, then the flight swaps to a 320 (+4 seats). He ended up #6 on the list. I have a hard time believing that there were 4 plats/1K/GS on a higher fare (observing the lack of people in exit rows), and the presence of R seats post-GS/1K

I'd like to see who cleared, how and why... because I doubt it was according to the CPU published criteria.

Originally Posted by mgcsinc (Post 20505424)

They key is that they were each upgraded as if they were each separate 1K's with the credit card.

Originally Posted by Devyan1 (Post 20504775)

I am laughing so hard at this right now

Everyone complains about not getting upgraded, then when they do thee complain about the product...so why even care about the CPU?

Originally Posted by fjfv19 (Post 20505597)

I am not seeing where in my post I was complaining about the product?

It is just the new reality. CPUs are just much more of a surprise now than years past for some/most, however some of the other fringe benefits still remain and they have real value in my opinion. My post was mostly in jest but what is "the end"? Probably same place I'm at. I'm still going to fly United, just expect very little. I'll take my E+ seat and just move on. For the most part, United has gotten me where I need to be close to when I need to get there. I'll take the devil I know.