fjfv19

Not really. I mean you could start flying a different airline, book away from UA more often, etc. but there is no way to stop UA from not releasing R space and selling TODs to non-elites at ridiculously discounted rates. In fact, it will probably just get worse. I have my final p.s. flight of the year, first flight Saturday morning JFK-SFO, which I'm sure will be another raging TOD fest as usual.

Actually, if you can acquire Scarlett Johansson's powers from the movie Lucy, you have a slightly better than 50% chance of clearing any given upgrade.

UA-NYC

Exactly - I understand cheap P fares and the like. But TODs (and shafting your loyal customers) are inexcusable.

Can confirm AA definitely doesn't do this - now 18/24 as a mid-tier Plat. The seats just don't evaporate in the days leading up to flight like they do on UA, esp. inside T-24.

PV_Premier

nor does AS, in fact, AS is perhaps the only airline who still routinely clears elites at or near their advertised upgrade windows on many flights.


nothing can be done to stop UA from selling the upgrades. i don't like the practice, but it wasn't the primary thing that drove me away from UA this past year.

the best recipe for people who want to fly F on UA is do not be an elite. if you are elite, you better buy F when you want it at this point, or hunt mercilessly for open R in which to apply instruments for upgrades.

Kacee

I'm afraid UA believes it can continue to devalue elite status, with little meaningful competition on many routes and capacity at very high levels.

It's really a shame DOJ let the US/AA merger go through.

fjfv19

6th fail on p.s. this year on tomorrow's JFK-SFO. My girlfriend will be enjoying my J seat while I sit in E+ yet again. R never appeared at T-24, or at any point. I give up.

p.s. is just a raging TOD Fest, to the point where it's actually a farce. 4 of us are on JFK-SFO tomorrow. I'm already in J. Gold, offered $399 at check-in to upgrade. His fiancée, GM, offered $269 at check-in. My girlfriend, waitlisted on RPU, offered nothing. It went from 22/28 at check-in to booked full in J in a few hours. This is the new UA.

BigJC

ORD-SFO-CTU
K
$3278
Offered online @ purchase
Denied - although I was offered the opportunity to "Upgrade all eligible flights for $6554. You will save $1 by upgrading your entire trip". Too funny.

UA-NYC

UGH this is an effing joke

Assuming similar fare buckets for all?

fjfv19

Gold: W
GM: S
My GF, a GM: H

So my GF had the highest fare class but maybe due to check-in time, did not get an offer. I sent a message to the Gold asking about their offers. He checked-in 5 minutes before his fiancée, and got the higher offer. United p.s. officially stands for paid shenanigans in my book.

greg99

The interesting thing is that I think it's more nuanced than just fare basis.

I've never gotten a TOD offer on a PS flight before when I was waitlisted for an upgrade.

Earlier this week, when I (1KMM) was getting a paper BP at the kiosk (having already checked in online with no offer), got a $299 upgrade offer for one of the 2 remaining seats (with more than a dozen people on upgrade list). Relatively cheap advanced purchase fare.

What's interesting about it is that I am pretty sure I got that offer because I had no way to upgrade the flight otherwise without using miles - I had no RPU's available.

What I wonder is if, on flights like PS, you're better off *not* getting on the upgrade list using an RPU, and maybe that is what's driving the TOD algorithms.

Greg

UA-NYC

Two months ago, I got the same $299 offer at OLCI *while waitlisted* with an RPU.

I think they're just getting desperate. I will be curious to see what ancillary revenues look like for the Q3 results YOY, especially relative to core flight revenues.

fjfv19

I had the exact same experience, and finished #1 on the list with nobody clearing. It is maddening.

LarkSFO

Have you priced out / tried JetBlue's new Mint service? Might be worth a look.

(Actually only available LAX now. Oct. 26th SFO.)

Also - for these PS flights you are buying Y fares. Have you checked to see what F is selling for when you buy Y? Has the difference between the two been narrowing?

Kacee

The P fare on these routes is now approx. $2000 ex-SFO and $2300 ex-LAX. I just bought a K fare for $343.

LarkSFO

Thanks. Big gap.

If I am reading it correctly, Mint service is $600 each way (of course, probably only a couple of seats per plane at this loss leader rate? 30 day advance purchase.)

Looking at some dates in January SFO-JFK and seeing the $599 available Tues - Thurs.

Refundable Y - $745
Mint (non refundable) - $599
Refundable Mint - $1,209

All one way pricing.

JerseyCityS

Oct 15 LAX IAH on the 787-9. Offered $179 at airport kiosk day of. What an insult to elites. I'm gold. Didn't take it. There were 3 seats left. My friend who isn't elite got an offer for $269 on the next Kiosk.

Ended up #1 on the list as a gold after door closed. I'm was 4th at boarding, and they did 3 pull-ups leaving me #1. Being 1 is more painful than 5 or 6 !