Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.

Wikipost is Locked  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 3:36 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Ocn Vw 1K
UA Insider's reply in posts 247 and 254 of this thread:
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Hi everyone,

We recognize the importance and value to you of accessible and transparent information about United flights. It’s a meaningful part of your travel planning, and we are committed to providing useful information that is both accurate and preserves the integrity of United’s data and systems.

While we are committed to data transparency, Expert Flyer has been accessing united.com in an unauthorized fashion to retrieve UA availability. In addition, these activities have consumed significant united.com bandwidth that could otherwise be used by regular consumers. As a result, we had to take this action to protect the security and integrity of United’s systems.

Thank you for your understanding as to why we had to take this action. We continue to look at ways in which we can provide you with timely and useful information (some of which you will see in new releases of our own digital channels) as well as with partners that have authorized access to our data.

Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager - Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Expert mode/visibility in UA channels is unaffected by this.
Print Wikipost

UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.

Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:11 am
  #1  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,253
UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.

I just got the following e-mail from EF.

Dear Halls120,

As a user of United Airlines® (UA) award & upgrade inventory on ExpertFlyer®, we want you to know about a recent development between ExpertFlyer and United.

UA has told us that ExpertFlyer can no longer access UA's upgrade or elite award inventory. It is our understanding that this is a universal policy at UA regarding access to this data.

ExpertFlyer and UA continue to have an ongoing good faith dialogue that we hope will result in the future re-establishment of this information on ExpertFlyer. However, we have no choice but to honor their policy at this time. As such, any pending Flight Alerts or searches for this information will no longer be processed after this Thursday, October 31st. We regret that we must take this action and any inconvenience it causes you.

We know how much you appreciate ExpertFlyer’s ease of use and visibility of this information to heighten your UA experience. You have told us in the past how much it enhances your relationship with UA and adds value to your travel and loyalty to UA and their frequent flyer program. Should you have any questions or wish to voice any concerns to either us or UA we can be reached at the following links or through any other means with which you may be familiar:
ExpertFlyer:
[email protected] (or reply to this email)
UA Customer Care:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx
UA Frequent Flyer Program:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...countInfo.aspx
Thank you for your continued support of ExpertFlyer.
-The ExpertFlyer.com Team
halls120 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:12 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,224
Originally Posted by halls120
I just got the following e-mail from EF.
Just got the same. Boo UA, boo...
GBadger is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:13 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: ATL
Programs: UA:MM 1K HH:Diamond IHG:Plat Marriott:Plat
Posts: 651
Got this too. This was my primary use for EF.
expressboy is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:14 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,492
Also received this. Seriously, what is going on with this airline???
JetAway is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:14 am
  #5  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,215
Just received this email also. This is seriously bad news indeed.
lhrsfo is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:15 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: NY
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 630
Yes, and the elite award inventory being cut off is awful as well. It's a vital service. Yet another change I don't like. A big one, too.

I guess I can just call every day and waste 45 minutes of an agent's time going over every permutation of every upgrade I am looking for. Fun!

Last edited by pduck01; Oct 30, 2013 at 6:16 am Reason: forgot
pduck01 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:15 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: HNL
Programs: United Gold
Posts: 1,581
I was just about to buy a subscription. I wonder if UA is going to sell an EF-like service.
love_to_travel is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:16 am
  #8  
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ka ʻĀpala Nui, Nuioka
Programs: NEXUS/Global Entry, Delta, United, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Hertz
Posts: 18,002
Originally Posted by love_to_travel
I was just about to buy a subscription.
As was I.
FlyinHawaiian is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:17 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K 1.5 MM, AA EX PLAT 1MM
Posts: 573
Originally Posted by expressboy
Got this too. This was my primary use for EF.
Same here.
ms_go is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:18 am
  #10  
Moderator: United MileagePlus
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Question UA Blocking Access to R Inventory Searches as of 10/31/2013? (per ExpertFlyer.com)

Just received an email from expertflyer.com stating that:
Originally Posted by ExpertFlyer
UA has told us that ExpertFlyer can no longer access UA's upgrade or elite award inventory. It is our understanding that this is a universal policy at UA regarding access to this data.
If so this is a disappointment for everyone, not just expertflyer users.

That said, is anyone here in the know as of UA's plans of masking "R" availability on united.com and other venues?
J.Edward is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:18 am
  #11  
 
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
Brutal. I just like to have some tool to feel like I have transparency and a small shot in the upgrade roulette or award searches. Without this, it is difficult to feel good about playing the game. Massive loss.
fjfv19 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:18 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,889
It will be interesting to see what happens to ExpertFlyer's *A award inventory search. It seems like they're programmatically accessing somebody (either united.com or ana.co.jp or someone else) in order to get "inventory as available to partners" data.
mherdeg is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:20 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Amb, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 129
Just got this e-mail as well and extremely disappointed. UA - who I sincerely hope is reading this! - should understand that my alternative to EF will be to simply call the 1K desk and spend an hour waiting while the agent performs the exact search for me.

I regularly plan my trips around R availability on international flights, up to and including purchasing higher fare classes or more expensive dates. Seems like this is a change that's just going to cost both UA and us more time and effort to achieve the same result in the end.
littlejimmy112 is offline  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:20 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 24 years/2MM, Honors LT Diamond, AVIS & Hertz Prez Club
Posts: 4,746
Somehow my post got completely deleted - so I'll say again - I just got this too.

And it really messes with fixing "wait listed" upgrades using GPU/RPU/Miles when the inventory opens up and SHARES fails to clear the upgrade.
SFO 1K is online now  
Old Oct 30, 2013, 6:23 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA lt Gld - 1.7MM; UA GS; Marriott LT Plt; Thalys Gold
Posts: 244
That blows big time. I really don't have much use for EF now...
Buckdany is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.