Jul 3, 2022, 3:33 pm
Upgrade Shenanigans? [Consolidated]
Mar 23, 2024, 9:53 pm
#301
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
What occurred 20 years ago or 30 years is unlikely to occur nowadays even if you are nice. Between the swollen elite ranks, the higher load factors, FCM and display upgrade lists, ... there is essentially no room for good or bad GA behavior with regard to upgrades . For better or worse this is a different ers.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 24, 2024 at 11:13 am
Mar 24, 2024, 7:55 am
#302
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: YEG
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 323
What occurred 20 years ago or 30 years is unlikely to occur nowadays even if you are nice. Btween the swollen elite ranks, the higher load factors, FCM aand display upgrade lists, ... there is essentially no room for good or bad GA behavior with regard to upgrades . For better or worse this is a different ers.
I'll still be watching those upgrade lists carefully.
Update: I filed a customer care request with United describing how Number 3 was upgraded ahead of me (Number 1) until I complained and had it reversed.
I checked the status of my complaint today and it says
"Our customer care team reviewed your message. Our records show our response was sent to the email address you provided. If you haven’t received our response, check your email junk or spam folders. If you need more help, reply to the confirmation email we sent when you submitted your claim. This email includes your Case ID number."
I checked my email, my junk folder, my spam folder - nothing.
I went back to the original confirmation email and I see it came from
[email protected]
and at the top of the email it says*** This is an automated response confirming the receipt of your email. Please do not reply directly to this message. This is an unmonitored mailbox. ***
This is the attention to detail I like to see in a company that flies big silver birds through the sky!
Any suggestions?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 24, 2024 at 11:14 am Reason: merged consecutive posts / update by same member
Mar 24, 2024, 11:23 am
#303
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
For better, I would say. I think in my case the GA just made an honest mistake and they were already about to fix it when I enquired.
.....
Update: I filed a customer care request with United describing how Number 3 was upgraded ahead of me (Number 1) until I complained and had it reversed. ...
.....
Update: I filed a customer care request with United describing how Number 3 was upgraded ahead of me (Number 1) until I complained and had it reversed. ...
I checked the status of my complaint today and it says
"Our customer care team reviewed your message. Our records show our response was sent to the email address you provided. If you haven’t received our response, check your email junk or spam folders. If you need more help, reply to the confirmation email we sent when you submitted your claim. This email includes your Case ID number."
I checked my email, my junk folder, my spam folder - nothing.
I went back to the original confirmation email and I see it came from
*** This is an automated response confirming the receipt of your email. Please do not reply directly to this message. This is an unmonitored mailbox. ***
This is the attention to detail I like to see in a company that flies big silver birds through the sky!
Any suggestions?
"Our customer care team reviewed your message. Our records show our response was sent to the email address you provided. If you haven’t received our response, check your email junk or spam folders. If you need more help, reply to the confirmation email we sent when you submitted your claim. This email includes your Case ID number."
I checked my email, my junk folder, my spam folder - nothing.
I went back to the original confirmation email and I see it came from
[email protected]
and at the top of the email it says*** This is an automated response confirming the receipt of your email. Please do not reply directly to this message. This is an unmonitored mailbox. ***
This is the attention to detail I like to see in a company that flies big silver birds through the sky!
Any suggestions?
If you get a response, it will likely take days or may be more given the issue was resolved at the time.
Mar 24, 2024, 11:37 am
#304
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: YEG
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 323
"These seem to be contradictory -- if the agents were in process of correcting, why the complain?"
I would like this matter to be investigated so that it doesn't happen to me or anyone else again. If, as I suspect, the gate agent made a mistake then they should take steps to avoid this happening again - either by her or anyone else. I don't really want to be constantly updating the upgrade list and keeping tabs on whether anyone is getting upgraded ahead of me when they're behind me in the list.
If there really are two lists then maybe they can confirm this is the case.
The first email just a notification of receipt. The later response to the actual issue can be replied to. Why would you need to reply to the notification response when it has been reviewed yet? Actually some complaint they do not to get the first email. But getting or no does not seem to impact the process.
If you get a response, it will likely take days or may be more given the issue was resolved at the time.
As I said, there was no response so I can't reply to that response. They themselves tell me to reply to the confirmation email. They marked the issue as closed so I assume they have reviewed it.
I would like this matter to be investigated so that it doesn't happen to me or anyone else again. If, as I suspect, the gate agent made a mistake then they should take steps to avoid this happening again - either by her or anyone else. I don't really want to be constantly updating the upgrade list and keeping tabs on whether anyone is getting upgraded ahead of me when they're behind me in the list.
If there really are two lists then maybe they can confirm this is the case.
The first email just a notification of receipt. The later response to the actual issue can be replied to. Why would you need to reply to the notification response when it has been reviewed yet? Actually some complaint they do not to get the first email. But getting or no does not seem to impact the process.
If you get a response, it will likely take days or may be more given the issue was resolved at the time.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 24, 2024 at 1:46 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
Mar 24, 2024, 4:05 pm
#305
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
Good luck with that. UA is willing to accept errors in the upgrade process, whether human or system-based; fine tuning the process is just not a priority. They're much more focused on figuring out how to sell those seats so they don't have to give them away as upgrades.
Mar 24, 2024, 4:51 pm
#306
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,001
Truth. Rewarding loyal customers is way down their list of priorities. Monetizing premium cabins and marketing credit cards are the top priorities at United.
Mar 24, 2024, 7:34 pm
#307
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
Programs: UA 1k, AS 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 641
There are absolutely system hiccups every now and then, why should this area of UAs IT be perfect when we all know how imperfect the rest of it is? Not every upgrade is going to be correct and there's no reason to attribute that to shenanigans when shoddy IT is the far more likely explanation
Mar 25, 2024, 12:00 am
#308
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
There are absolutely system hiccups every now and then, why should this area of UAs IT be perfect when we all know how imperfect the rest of it is? Not every upgrade is going to be correct and there's no reason to attribute that to shenanigans when shoddy IT is the far more likely explanation
Mar 25, 2024, 5:40 pm
#309
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,353
Interesting one today. I'm not sure if it's technically a shenanigan, but it might have looked like one.
1K friend and colleague were on one PNR, waitlisted with PlusPoints, 1 (1K) and 2 (companion) on the list.
The flight was booked 15/16, checked in 14.
1K friend cleared, and his companion dropped down to #4.
He went to the gate and had a chat, and they ended up upgrading his companion when they removed the not-checked-in pax.
I think it was appropriate, but it might have looked like they inappropriately cleared #4.
1K friend and colleague were on one PNR, waitlisted with PlusPoints, 1 (1K) and 2 (companion) on the list.
The flight was booked 15/16, checked in 14.
1K friend cleared, and his companion dropped down to #4.
He went to the gate and had a chat, and they ended up upgrading his companion when they removed the not-checked-in pax.
I think it was appropriate, but it might have looked like they inappropriately cleared #4.
Mar 25, 2024, 5:45 pm
#310
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
Interesting one today. I'm not sure if it's technically a shenanigan, but it might have looked like one.
1K friend and colleague were on one PNR, waitlisted with PlusPoints, 1 (1K) and 2 (companion) on the list.
The flight was booked 15/16, checked in 14.
1K friend cleared, and his companion dropped down to #4.
He went to the gate and had a chat, and they ended up upgrading his companion when they removed the not-checked-in pax.
I think it was appropriate, but it might have looked like they inappropriately cleared #4.
1K friend and colleague were on one PNR, waitlisted with PlusPoints, 1 (1K) and 2 (companion) on the list.
The flight was booked 15/16, checked in 14.
1K friend cleared, and his companion dropped down to #4.
He went to the gate and had a chat, and they ended up upgrading his companion when they removed the not-checked-in pax.
I think it was appropriate, but it might have looked like they inappropriately cleared #4.
Mar 25, 2024, 5:58 pm
#311
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Mar 25, 2024, 8:27 pm
#312
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: YEG
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 323
They can make whatever rules they want but I think it's unfair to penalize people travelling on the same PNR.
Mar 25, 2024, 9:04 pm
#313
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
It's not necessarily a penalty. They could well have a lot of past experience that upgrading one and not the other when 2 or more are on the same PNR causes problems both for the flight and the passengers. Even giving #1 the option if #2 definitely isn't going to get the upgrade could be problematic.
Mar 25, 2024, 9:12 pm
#314
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: YEG
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 323
They should leave that to the person in the highest upgrade position to decide and not decide it for them, in my humble opinion. I'd want either me or my wife to get it (we can sort it out ourselves), not someone else.
Mar 25, 2024, 9:24 pm
#315
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 378
When I flew from ORD-OGG last month, there was 1 upgrade available. 2 revenue passengers on the upgrade list followed by a bunch of non revs. The upgrade went to the non rev presumably because the couple didn't want to split. Lucky him!