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.
Mar 27, 2014, 2:27 pm
#796
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Mar 27, 2014, 2:35 pm
#797
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: PDX
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United could always license the data out if they really wanted to. Charge $$ to services that wanted to be able to request data and serve results to their customers.
Since they aren't doing that it seems United's issue isn't that the data is getting out there for free, it's that the data is getting out there. Period.
Since they aren't doing that it seems United's issue isn't that the data is getting out there for free, it's that the data is getting out there. Period.
Mar 27, 2014, 3:05 pm
#798
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K 2006-2013
Posts: 334
I agree that it seems as though United simply doesn't want its customers to have access to reliable and usable information. Information that their horrible IT cannot provide. Or information that they have decided they don't want to provide.
It is a big middle finger pointed squarely in the direction of all of us....
God fordbid that we'd actually use our upgrade or award benefits.
It is a big middle finger pointed squarely in the direction of all of us....
God fordbid that we'd actually use our upgrade or award benefits.
Mar 27, 2014, 3:10 pm
#799
Suspended
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I agree that it seems as though United simply doesn't want its customers to have access to reliable and usable information. Information that their horrible IT cannot provide. Or information that they have decided they don't want to provide.
It is a big middle finger pointed squarely in the direction of all of us....
God fordbid that we'd actually use our upgrade or award benefits.
It is a big middle finger pointed squarely in the direction of all of us....
God fordbid that we'd actually use our upgrade or award benefits.
Let's avoid the hyperbole - UA simply doesn't want its data accessed in violation of the terms of use it publishes on its website. That's a legitimate position for any business to take. The absence of any agreement with UA (or its competitors, from what I've seen) is more of an indication that there may not be a viable business model for the potential providers of such a service than anything else. It's easy to charge for a service and run a business when you screen-scrape the data for free.
Mar 27, 2014, 3:14 pm
#800
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Let's avoid the hyperbole - UA simply doesn't want its data accessed in violation of the terms of use it publishes on its website. That's a legitimate position for any business to take. The absence of any agreement with UA (or its competitors, from what I've seen) is more of an indication that there may not be a viable business model for the potential providers of such a service than anything else. It's easy to charge for a service and run a business when you screen-scrape the data for free.
Mar 27, 2014, 3:18 pm
#801
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Mar 27, 2014, 3:32 pm
#802
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K 2006-2013
Posts: 334
As far as other airlines, yes, I agree with you. They are also being obnoxiously opaque and insulting to their customers as well.
Mar 27, 2014, 3:35 pm
#803
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Mar 27, 2014, 3:43 pm
#804
Moderator: United Airlines
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Mar 27, 2014, 3:50 pm
#805
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I'm not aware of the existence or absence of such a service. Clearly, I haven't been privy to any confidential discussions UA may have had with providers that might want to license this data. I do find it interesting that just because "we" don't know of such a service, the assumption by the previous poster is that it must not exist.
Mar 27, 2014, 4:03 pm
#806
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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I'm not aware of the existence or absence of such a service. Clearly, I haven't been privy to any confidential discussions UA may have had with providers that might want to license this data. I do find it interesting that just because "we" don't know of such a service, the assumption by the previous poster is that it must not exist.
Mar 27, 2014, 4:03 pm
#807
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PDX
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Posts: 11,500
I'm not aware of the existence or absence of such a service. Clearly, I haven't been privy to any confidential discussions UA may have had with providers that might want to license this data. I do find it interesting that just because "we" don't know of such a service, the assumption by the previous poster is that it must not exist.
Mar 27, 2014, 4:22 pm
#808
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,118
United did not like some of us queue jumping the waitlist. The problem
Is the lack of functionality in the current system, but I clearly understand UA not wanting people taking advantage of software that guarantees an upgrade when it is not intended for it to happen (so why do they release R?)
Is the lack of functionality in the current system, but I clearly understand UA not wanting people taking advantage of software that guarantees an upgrade when it is not intended for it to happen (so why do they release R?)
Mar 27, 2014, 4:27 pm
#809
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
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Are you serious? The issue is that they don't want us to have the data at all. Whether their website is marginally better or worse than someone else's website doesn't change the fact that they could easily give this data away for free (or even sell it for a profit), and they don't because they don't want to make it too easy for people to find and know what the inventory is, and they don't want some people (who are more sophisticated and more willing to use tools) to have an 'advantage' in using their upgrades or miles. It's got nothing to do with enforcing the terms of use, because they could easily change the terms of use or make the data available in a manner consistent with the terms of use.
Mar 27, 2014, 11:48 pm
#810
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Location: SFO
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If I want to find any SFO-SYD flights in a 3 month period with R availability, it's basically impossible now, right? I'd have to individually search every single date. Are there tricks that I'm missing?