Oct 30, 2013, 3:36 pm
Last edit by: Ocn Vw 1K
UA Insider's reply in posts 247 and 254 of this thread:
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
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
UA Blocking Expert Flyer and KVS Access to R and Elite Award Searches.
Nov 13, 2013, 4:20 pm
#646
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,170
I have another (wacko) theory as to why EF access was yanked. Being in the computer industry, I think these query numbers are really, really small to make a big difference to UA. I think they yanked it to avoid people skipping the upgrade line when R opens up and their stupid system does not process the upgrade waitlist immediately. People can still manually search for R space but it is probability that the automated batch job runs between two manual queries is much higher.
Nov 13, 2013, 4:22 pm
#647
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Nov 13, 2013, 7:32 pm
#648
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 23
where to now for us EF lovers?
searching for *A awards with EF was the best... what's my next best option?
searching for *A awards with EF was the best... what's my next best option?
Nov 13, 2013, 7:40 pm
#649
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,055
Nov 14, 2013, 10:16 am
#651
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Nov 14, 2013, 11:18 am
#652
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
I have another (wacko) theory as to why EF access was yanked. Being in the computer industry, I think these query numbers are really, really small to make a big difference to UA. I think they yanked it to avoid people skipping the upgrade line when R opens up and their stupid system does not process the upgrade waitlist immediately. People can still manually search for R space but it is probability that the automated batch job runs between two manual queries is much higher.
My own theories are that: 1) UA simply does not want to make it too easy for people to use upgrades since it (correctly or not) sees such use as sometimes undercutting selling those otherwise upgraded seats and/or 2) it wants to make money off of EF's service and is negotiating a price to do so.
Nov 14, 2013, 2:02 pm
#653
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: CO - Platinum
Posts: 18
This is a terrible development. So few R tickets are available at it is that EF was the only way to ensure upgrades on long flights.
Trying to plan trips NYC-LHR and NYC-DEL early next year and am thinking of flying Virgin Atlantic instead-- at least they have a decent premium economy. And then switching to Delta to gather those VA miles.
Another reason I miss CO.
Trying to plan trips NYC-LHR and NYC-DEL early next year and am thinking of flying Virgin Atlantic instead-- at least they have a decent premium economy. And then switching to Delta to gather those VA miles.
Another reason I miss CO.
Nov 14, 2013, 10:36 pm
#654
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: US CP ; LH FTL ; *G
Posts: 1,630
. . . 1) UA simply does not want to make it too easy for people to use upgrades since it (correctly or not) sees such use as sometimes undercutting selling those otherwise upgraded seats and/or 2) it wants to make money off of EF's service and is negotiating a price to do so.
Nov 15, 2013, 12:12 pm
#656
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
Great story, but UA absolutely didn't hide availability. They blocked a company who was stealing this data and making a profit from it.
Nov 15, 2013, 12:22 pm
#657
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,429
es that -- but in a way that's harder for UA to catch. I don't think KVS stores requests for repeated searches followed by notification.
Nov 15, 2013, 12:24 pm
#658
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: UA PP, AA, DL, BA, CX, SPG, HHonors
Posts: 2,002
does Awardnexus have the ability to schedule automated searches for an exact flight number and bucket ?
Nov 15, 2013, 1:54 pm
#659
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 217
As much as I like EF, you're right. Especially if this somehow ties back to their GDS fees, where in some environments high look-to-book ratios, eg EF banging away at R inventory all day long against stored searches, might have also driven costs for them or perhaps just the threat of it.
Nov 15, 2013, 2:26 pm
#660
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,138
Besides the loss of convenience and alerts, another issue is that neither the Android app nor the mobile site for .bomb have expert mode that I can tell, and the full site's booking engine doesn't work properly on Android Chrome. Thus when not at my computer I can't see R inventory. I suppose I can waste my time and UA's money calling in repeatedly when on the road...