UAL's Investor Day (Highlights: Route, Gauge Changes; $ Cuts)
Dec 1, 2013, 6:19 pm
#571
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
Quote:
Originally Posted by LarkSFO
Greater frequency, plus the best in class ability to SDC at no charge, makes UA more attractive to me as a business traveler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cerealmarketer
This is an under-rated point. Love SDC so much that I forget it's a feature unique to United in its flexibility and ease to change right online. How people deal with AA's $75 fee for Exec Plats baffles me...
You are both ignoring the big picture. How do EXP's deal with the $75? Easy, the few times that I pay $75 is an insignificant price for flying a far better airline. How UA flyers deal with lack of Wifi is what baffles me.
Unlike UA, AA offers a la carte Y pricing where you can avoid $200 change fee for non-refundable fares. Choice Plus fares where for $88 a RT I get unlimited no fee changes, free SDC and 50% bonus miles. And if I didn't already get these as an EXP, kettles get free checked bags and drinks.
Not sure how flexible UA SDC routings are, but my last two AA (intentional for extra miles to requalify for EXP) SDCs were...
DEN-DFW-DTW RT... At T-2 hours, I changed DFW-DEN to DFW-LAX-DEN for free.
DEN-DFW-LGA RT... At T-24 hours, I changed to DEN-LAX-JFK-LAX-DEN for free.
In both cases, my upgrades cleared on every flight and I received EQMs and 150% bonus RDMs for the new longer routing.
Originally Posted by LarkSFO
Greater frequency, plus the best in class ability to SDC at no charge, makes UA more attractive to me as a business traveler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cerealmarketer
This is an under-rated point. Love SDC so much that I forget it's a feature unique to United in its flexibility and ease to change right online. How people deal with AA's $75 fee for Exec Plats baffles me...
You are both ignoring the big picture. How do EXP's deal with the $75? Easy, the few times that I pay $75 is an insignificant price for flying a far better airline. How UA flyers deal with lack of Wifi is what baffles me.
Unlike UA, AA offers a la carte Y pricing where you can avoid $200 change fee for non-refundable fares. Choice Plus fares where for $88 a RT I get unlimited no fee changes, free SDC and 50% bonus miles. And if I didn't already get these as an EXP, kettles get free checked bags and drinks.
Not sure how flexible UA SDC routings are, but my last two AA (intentional for extra miles to requalify for EXP) SDCs were...
DEN-DFW-DTW RT... At T-2 hours, I changed DFW-DEN to DFW-LAX-DEN for free.
DEN-DFW-LGA RT... At T-24 hours, I changed to DEN-LAX-JFK-LAX-DEN for free.
In both cases, my upgrades cleared on every flight and I received EQMs and 150% bonus RDMs for the new longer routing.
And 99% of business travelers (the big picture) aren't using SDC to game a longer route. They want it to get home sooner or fit in an extra meeting. And having to decide beforehand you want a flexible fare is a hassle when UA and DL offer it free.
But if you want a longer route on UA there are abundant ways to use SDC for that over the phone.
Dec 1, 2013, 6:24 pm
#572
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
When I want to confirm a change, the $75 fee is chump change. As an EXP, the confirmed change allows me to vault to the top of the upgrade list; standby usually ensures a ride in back. Not to worry, though, as my domestic upgrade percentage has never been lower than about 80% and in most years is closer to 95%.
Since AA's systemwides became capacity controlled, my clearance rate exceeds 99%. Over 150 long-haul international upgrades with exactly one miss: April, 2002.
Overall, I don't get worked up over a measly $75 charge for a confirmed change. On balance, the AAdvantage program has worked for me.
Dec 1, 2013, 6:27 pm
#573
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,598
Dec 1, 2013, 6:39 pm
#574
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 7_0_4 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/537.51.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0 Mobile/11B554a Safari/9537.53)
Lol! That line has been repeated for years. Wifi is clearly not a priority for them... Particularly working wifi. If im lucky enough (<1%) to get on a wifi installed flight, two times now it didn't work
Lol! That line has been repeated for years. Wifi is clearly not a priority for them... Particularly working wifi. If im lucky enough (<1%) to get on a wifi installed flight, two times now it didn't work
Dec 1, 2013, 6:41 pm
#575
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SEA, WAS, PEK
Programs: UA 3K UGS 3MM
Posts: 2,176
Dec 1, 2013, 6:56 pm
#576
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,830
see United Wi-Fi installation and satellite coverage for the info you seek.
Dec 1, 2013, 7:18 pm
#577
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: 67,122
Dec 1, 2013, 7:30 pm
#578
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
You are both ignoring the big picture. How do EXP's deal with the $75? Easy, the few times that I pay $75 is an insignificant price for flying a far better airline. How UA flyers deal with lack of Wifi is what baffles me.
Unlike UA, AA offers a la carte Y pricing where you can avoid $200 change fee for non-refundable fares. Choice Plus fares where for $88 a RT I get unlimited no fee changes, free SDC and 50% bonus miles. And if I didn't already get these as an EXP, kettles get free checked bags and drinks.
Not sure how flexible UA SDC routings are, but my last two AA (intentional for extra miles to requalify for EXP) SDCs were...
DEN-DFW-DTW RT... At T-2 hours, I changed DFW-DEN to DFW-LAX-DEN for free.
DEN-DFW-LGA RT... At T-24 hours, I changed to DEN-LAX-JFK-LAX-DEN for free.
In both cases, my upgrades cleared on every flight and I received EQMs and 150% bonus RDMs for the new longer routing.
Unlike UA, AA offers a la carte Y pricing where you can avoid $200 change fee for non-refundable fares. Choice Plus fares where for $88 a RT I get unlimited no fee changes, free SDC and 50% bonus miles. And if I didn't already get these as an EXP, kettles get free checked bags and drinks.
Not sure how flexible UA SDC routings are, but my last two AA (intentional for extra miles to requalify for EXP) SDCs were...
DEN-DFW-DTW RT... At T-2 hours, I changed DFW-DEN to DFW-LAX-DEN for free.
DEN-DFW-LGA RT... At T-24 hours, I changed to DEN-LAX-JFK-LAX-DEN for free.
In both cases, my upgrades cleared on every flight and I received EQMs and 150% bonus RDMs for the new longer routing.
), and your private plane to Santa Fe, you have a lot more disposable income than I do! I appreciate UA's 'free' SDC...Choice Plus fares are an interesting wrinkle, I agree.
UA SDC usually offers some routing flexibility. (There is an entire thread on SDC, with a nice wiki maintained by mgsinc.)
Why did you receive 150% bonus on your new routings? (is this just what EXP's receive?)
(Comparing SDC to WiFi is silly, by the way. But this is the only flaw I see in your post. And I agree that, as we enter 2014, it is a joke that UA does not have ubiquitous WiFi...)
Non Working WiFi = 4,000 - 5,000 RDM's. (when the flight is supposed to have WiFi)
Dec 1, 2013, 7:54 pm
#579
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,565
I had my first Wi-Fi flight last month, and when I boarded, I said to the Purser "finally, I get a Wi-Fi equipped plane." She laughed and said "well, I hope it works." It did, eventually, not working until we were well over 20,000 ft. By contrast, on AA GoGo is available at 10,000 ft, reliably.
Dec 1, 2013, 8:18 pm
#580
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 568
see United Wi-Fi installation and satellite coverage for the info you seek.
Dec 1, 2013, 8:52 pm
#581
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
I had my first Wi-Fi flight last month, and when I boarded, I said to the Purser "finally, I get a Wi-Fi equipped plane." She laughed and said "well, I hope it works." It did, eventually, not working until we were well over 20,000 ft. By contrast, on AA GoGo is available at 10,000 ft, reliably.
1. Terrestrial (ala Gogo) - Cell phone signals beamed up to the aircraft. Doesn't work below 10k feet. Very slow.
2. Ku-band Satellite - Older satellite technology, which UA has been installing so far. Somewhat susceptible to weather. OK speed. Only technology that works on international flights. Going primarily into PMUA/international fleet.
3. Ka-band Satellite - New satellite technology just approved by FAA last month and going into the PMCO/domestic birds (and JetBlue) starting this month. Somewhat susceptible to weather. Works on the ground and in the air. Only domestic coverage at present. Very high speed.
IMHO - Gogo will be a dinosaur in 12 months. UA made exactly the right decision. I think if people better understood the technology and roll out time frames, there would be a lot less complaining about UA's wifi strategy.
Dec 1, 2013, 9:16 pm
#582
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
Suppose it's taking forever for UA to install WIFI because they are making smart technology choices that take time. They could cause less complaining and greater customer satisfaction if they just communicated that fact, clearly. Instead, we have to listen to $mi$ek rambling on and on and on about the WIFI that he's promising but not delivering. A better strategy would be to explain what they are doing and give a timetable and explain why it's taking so long.
Dec 1, 2013, 9:43 pm
#583
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,598
Dec 1, 2013, 9:44 pm
#584
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Suppose it's taking forever for UA to install WIFI because they are making smart technology choices that take time. They could cause less complaining and greater customer satisfaction if they just communicated that fact, clearly. Instead, we have to listen to $mi$ek rambling on and on and on about the WIFI that he's promising but not delivering. A better strategy would be to explain what they are doing and give a timetable and explain why it's taking so long.
Dec 1, 2013, 10:30 pm
#585
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
GoGo is here to stay for awhile longer than that. UA's PS fleet will be using upgraded GoGo equipment (apparently 4G compatible) and promises 3x the speed currently on PS planes (if available).