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.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:18 am
#91
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 622
Sad to see the email from EF about this today. Hopefully we will still be able to see the information on the UA website.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:19 am
#92
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
To me, the biggest benefit of EF is the ability to search for R inventory across multiple flights on multiple days. Thanks very much UA for making it so much harder to use those GPUs.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:20 am
#93
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 290
now i'm feeling guilty thinking i caused this by calling in yesterday to force a GPU after getting the following:
i know it wasn't me that caused this (i hope!), and i really should be blaming UA for not processing GPUs automagically, but still. in any case, a change i am not liking!
This is a notification that your Flight Alert "gpu" has located at least 1 availability opening(s) at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For: UA974/First/Business - Upgrade with Miles/GPU/RPU/CPU R/RN (R)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For: UA974/First/Business - Upgrade with Miles/GPU/RPU/CPU R/RN (R)
Oct 30, 2013, 8:22 am
#94
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: LI, NY
Programs: AA PLT, AAdv since Day One
Posts: 2,682
Oct 30, 2013, 8:22 am
#95
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Oct 30, 2013, 8:23 am
#96
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: AA EXP MM/UA MM/Marriott PLT Premier-LT PLT
Posts: 383
Not that anyone really cares but just fired this off to 1Kvoice:
______________________________________
So this is how it ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. Obviously it is no surprise that after nearly a 15 year relationship with United spanning 1.5 million flown miles, our partnership has come to an end.
In all of my experiences with any company I have never seen a company take such aggressive and hostile approaches with some of its best customers. Virtually every decision United has made has said to me loud and clear that we do not want your 1K business. Given the recent 3rd quarter results, I am even more mystified about the recent decision to block Expert Flyer Award Space.
So I switched to a company that does value my business, American Airlines. I can tell you that I have been absolutely amazed at the night and day differences between the companies and how they treat their customers.
Until today I had been in the process of actively using Expert Flyer to help me use my 6 unused GPUs which expire in January. Now that United has disabled this function on Expert Flyer, I have given up on using them altogether. Instead of one last major oversees trip as a 1K, I will now just let it all come to an end.
Goodbye United Airlines
______________________________________
So this is how it ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. Obviously it is no surprise that after nearly a 15 year relationship with United spanning 1.5 million flown miles, our partnership has come to an end.
In all of my experiences with any company I have never seen a company take such aggressive and hostile approaches with some of its best customers. Virtually every decision United has made has said to me loud and clear that we do not want your 1K business. Given the recent 3rd quarter results, I am even more mystified about the recent decision to block Expert Flyer Award Space.
So I switched to a company that does value my business, American Airlines. I can tell you that I have been absolutely amazed at the night and day differences between the companies and how they treat their customers.
Until today I had been in the process of actively using Expert Flyer to help me use my 6 unused GPUs which expire in January. Now that United has disabled this function on Expert Flyer, I have given up on using them altogether. Instead of one last major oversees trip as a 1K, I will now just let it all come to an end.
Goodbye United Airlines
Oct 30, 2013, 8:25 am
#97
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NorCal - 1K 2MM
Posts: 2,089
KVS vs EF
If I recall correctly, KVS overtly bills itself as a "web browser", albeit obviously a highly specialized one -- for UA users, it takes your ual.com login and browses UA's data, precisely the same function you perform with FF or IE or Safari, using precisely the same data. Clearly UA can't (I hope!) dictate which type of browser a user chooses, so KVS might be safe, until they figure out a different way to obstruct it. Or put another way, unless they are very IT-clever (subjunctive mode, condition contrary to fact), they might have to remove access to all browsers to easily block KVS.
Last edited by Starman; Oct 30, 2013 at 8:32 am
Oct 30, 2013, 8:27 am
#98
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SPI
Programs: AA Gold, UA LT Plat, Mar LTT
Posts: 18,147
Oct 30, 2013, 8:31 am
#99
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Programs: UA, AA, DL, BA, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt
Posts: 1,290
Not that anyone really cares but just fired this off to 1Kvoice:
______________________________________
So this is how it ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. Obviously it is no surprise that after nearly a 15 year relationship with United spanning 1.5 million flown miles, our partnership has come to an end.
In all of my experiences with any company I have never seen a company take such aggressive and hostile approaches with some of its best customers. Virtually every decision United has made has said to me loud and clear that we do not want your 1K business. Given the recent 3rd quarter results, I am even more mystified about the recent decision to block Expert Flyer Award Space.
So I switched to a company that does value my business, American Airlines. I can tell you that I have been absolutely amazed at the night and day differences between the companies and how they treat their customers.
Until today I had been in the process of actively using Expert Flyer to help me use my 6 unused GPUs which expire in January. Now that United has disabled this function on Expert Flyer, I have given up on using them altogether. Instead of one last major oversees trip as a 1K, I will now just let it all come to an end.
Goodbye United Airlines
______________________________________
So this is how it ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. Obviously it is no surprise that after nearly a 15 year relationship with United spanning 1.5 million flown miles, our partnership has come to an end.
In all of my experiences with any company I have never seen a company take such aggressive and hostile approaches with some of its best customers. Virtually every decision United has made has said to me loud and clear that we do not want your 1K business. Given the recent 3rd quarter results, I am even more mystified about the recent decision to block Expert Flyer Award Space.
So I switched to a company that does value my business, American Airlines. I can tell you that I have been absolutely amazed at the night and day differences between the companies and how they treat their customers.
Until today I had been in the process of actively using Expert Flyer to help me use my 6 unused GPUs which expire in January. Now that United has disabled this function on Expert Flyer, I have given up on using them altogether. Instead of one last major oversees trip as a 1K, I will now just let it all come to an end.
Goodbye United Airlines
And, a series of messages to Mr. Smisek could also be effective, I would think.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:32 am
#100
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I meant the paid fare classes - isn't that something travel agents have access to? In other words, if UA makes paid fare class availability open to travel agents, it's hard for them to prevent Expert Flyer from having access to that. Different story for upgrade and award space.
No, I didn't. I'm mostly just pointing out that there are going to be options for people who want them.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Oct 30, 2013 at 7:59 pm Reason: merge
Oct 30, 2013, 8:36 am
#101
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CLE
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Plat
Posts: 982
I'm not normally one to advocate picking up torches and pitchforks, and marching on the castle. But this action is targeted specifically at 1Ks, and United is clearly relying on apathy to carry them through it.
Worse visibility equals more difficulty using GPUs. More difficulty using GPUs equals lower redemption. Lower redemption equals more co-pays and "expensive" upgrade mechanisms being utilized. If we sit down and take it like good little victims, then this all just goes away quietly, and UA gets a fraction-of-a-fraction-of-a-percent boost in revenue by the tiny bit of extra inventory that goes un-GPU'd.
After the last 18 months, I'm not sure why this is the last straw, but it's time to light the torches and march. If there's one thing I cannot abide as a customer, it's being locked in an information vacuum by one of my vendors. There is no possible rationale for this that is not, at its roots, overtly hostile to their top-tier FF'ers.
Worse visibility equals more difficulty using GPUs. More difficulty using GPUs equals lower redemption. Lower redemption equals more co-pays and "expensive" upgrade mechanisms being utilized. If we sit down and take it like good little victims, then this all just goes away quietly, and UA gets a fraction-of-a-fraction-of-a-percent boost in revenue by the tiny bit of extra inventory that goes un-GPU'd.
After the last 18 months, I'm not sure why this is the last straw, but it's time to light the torches and march. If there's one thing I cannot abide as a customer, it's being locked in an information vacuum by one of my vendors. There is no possible rationale for this that is not, at its roots, overtly hostile to their top-tier FF'ers.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:43 am
#102
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: EWR
Programs: UA Gold, UA MM, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,329
My predicted response from UA Insider: "We are working on addressing several issues with the award and upgrade booking system on United.com. Unfortunately, this means that we have had to temporarily remove the visibility for these fare classes."
We all know what "temporary" means when it comes to UA.
We all know what "temporary" means when it comes to UA.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:43 am
#103
Join Date: May 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: DL-Plat, UA-Plat 2MM, AA-PlatPro, B6-Mosaic 3, AY-Plat, HY-Globalist, MR-LT Plat, HH-Gold
Posts: 1,235
It's a race to the bottom folks and UA is catching up to DL quickly. I never cry wolf with foot-stomping promises to leave UA, but boy am I getting weary and this one is just so inexplicably anti-consumer that I'm really starting to consider it. I'm at 1.9 million miles and have already locked in 1K for next year, so I'll be looking to see if this and the rest of the "friendly" policies continue their downward trend. If so, I'll be shopping for a new home once I top 2 million. But for those of you walking away, you might want to see where the next year or so takes AA before hitching a ride there. They may be eager to join UA & DL in that race once the dust settles. Welcome to the new normal - unfriendly skies for everyone.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:44 am
#104
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,322
This is/will be as popular as the removal of Expert Mode. Do they not learn anything from their mistakes??
If "but we gave you Expert Mode back!" is their thinking in this blatant targeting of 1K's, then they really are as short-sighted as we all think they are.
If they are just following DL for the 100th time, then please turn off those crappy flight introductions touting how different and innovative you are. Maybe we should be writing to DL management instead of UA...
If "but we gave you Expert Mode back!" is their thinking in this blatant targeting of 1K's, then they really are as short-sighted as we all think they are.
If they are just following DL for the 100th time, then please turn off those crappy flight introductions touting how different and innovative you are. Maybe we should be writing to DL management instead of UA...
Oct 30, 2013, 8:49 am
#105
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 923
Originally Posted by daslax:21694511
It's a race to the bottom folks and UA is catching up to DL quickly. I never cry wolf with foot-stomping promises to leave UA, but boy am I getting weary and this one is just so inexplicably anti-consumer that I'm really starting to consider it. I'm at 1.9 million miles and have already locked in 1K for next year, so I'll be looking to see if this and the rest of the "friendly" policies continue their downward trend. If so, I'll be shopping for a new home. But for those of you walking away, you might want to see where the next year or so takes AA before hitching a ride there. They may be eager to join UA & DL in that race once the dust settles. Welcome to the new normal - unfriendly skies for everyone.