2014 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
Oct 17, 2014, 9:01 pm
#511
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
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I think United's fare engine is drunk tonight.
I just booked a flight, IAH-LGA return for right after Thanksgiving. The post transaction pop up box said, upgrade? The IAH-LGA leg was listed as "unavailable" and the return leg alone was $679. Obvious pass, as I paid about half that for the ticket and because who cares that much for a 3 hr flight.
Then it tickets and I click upgrade flight, and it offers an upgrade on BOTH legs for $749 total.
No thanks jeffy. I'll wait for my $99-109 TOD and see how I feel.
I just booked a flight, IAH-LGA return for right after Thanksgiving. The post transaction pop up box said, upgrade? The IAH-LGA leg was listed as "unavailable" and the return leg alone was $679. Obvious pass, as I paid about half that for the ticket and because who cares that much for a 3 hr flight.
Then it tickets and I click upgrade flight, and it offers an upgrade on BOTH legs for $749 total.
No thanks jeffy. I'll wait for my $99-109 TOD and see how I feel.
Oct 18, 2014, 5:17 pm
#512
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
Flying IAH-MCO tomorrow, been booked on the same PNR (so same exact fare construction) with a companion. Split at checkin today. Went to check the upgrade offers from our reservations -
No-status reservation: $397
Platinum reservation: $465
No-status reservation: $397
Platinum reservation: $465
Oct 18, 2014, 8:36 pm
#513
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Location: IAH
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Oct 18, 2014, 10:33 pm
#514
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,637
My take on these is that UA's mantra to Wall Street has been the ancillary fees are going to be the way to high profitability, so they are doing whatever they can to get them pumped up. With an assumption that elites aren't likely to take them, so they may as well offer them to the kettles for less.
Oct 18, 2014, 11:03 pm
#515
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: 66,857
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
Oct 19, 2014, 7:21 am
#516
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
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Sorry the logic of this statement is escaping me.
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
Whereas there are fewer ramifications by targeting those less frequent customers.
Makes perfect sense to me - it's a dirty and quite telling behavior IMO.
Oct 19, 2014, 7:28 am
#517
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,318
Sorry the logic of this statement is escaping me.
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
1. The view elites as someone already committed to them and no need to reward
2. See #1 - they already have us so they focus on others...
3. IMO It's become all about customer acquisition to UA, not retention. They are assuming - perhaps falsely - that their elites are going to mostly stay with them, so they focus all their efforts (and marketing spend i.e. less expensive upgrade costs) on converting their less committed customers into the brand with a better experience.
Oct 19, 2014, 8:37 am
#518
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,637
Sorry the logic of this statement is escaping me.
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
1- Why wouldn't elites who travel far more frequently be a target for paid upgrades. Especially mid-level elites with low chances of CPU.
2-Since elites travel more frequently, they tend to be a high percentage of the passengers on most flights, why would you target only a portion of the customer base.
3-Why would you price something higher to a supposedly "less susceptible" group and lower to a "more susceptible" group? That is the reverse of most pricing models I am aware of.
Oct 19, 2014, 9:07 am
#519
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,613
I'd love to see UAInsider explain this one.
Oct 19, 2014, 10:17 am
#520
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,763
My take on these is that UA's mantra to Wall Street has been the ancillary fees are going to be the way to high profitability, so they are doing whatever they can to get them pumped up. With an assumption that elites aren't likely to take them, so they may as well offer them to the kettles for less.
I e-mailed United a couple weeks ago about my case where the price difference is about 3-4x and am still awaiting a response.
Last edited by Doppy; Oct 19, 2014 at 10:25 am
Oct 19, 2014, 10:53 am
#521
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Oct 19, 2014, 10:55 am
#522
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,467
Because an elite being given these offers repeatedly (as they travel more) would become quite an alienating experience, and potentially damage long-term consumption of the brand (aka, flying UA).
Whereas there are fewer ramifications by targeting those less frequent customers.
Makes perfect sense to me - it's a dirty and quite telling behavior IMO.
Whereas there are fewer ramifications by targeting those less frequent customers.
Makes perfect sense to me - it's a dirty and quite telling behavior IMO.
But some interesting theories out here and no real way to know what the "real" answer is.
Oct 19, 2014, 1:50 pm
#523
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,220
$39 for MSP-ORD a few weeks ago on a 737. I took it since I was rebooked onto the flight and had a middle seat assigned. I'm a general member and jumped in front of the ~20 on the upgrade list.
Oct 19, 2014, 1:56 pm
#524
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
Just another anecdote...
My friends, non status on AS, received a text the morning of their recent SEA-SFO flight offering a buy up to F for $50 each (2 pax).
They were checking bags anyway, so took it thinking 'I am only paying $25 extra to sit in F'.
Hopefully all of the loyal AS elites were accommodated before this TOD offer was broadcast!
Texting out upsell offers - Nobody has observed this behavior (yet) with UA, right?
My friends, non status on AS, received a text the morning of their recent SEA-SFO flight offering a buy up to F for $50 each (2 pax).
They were checking bags anyway, so took it thinking 'I am only paying $25 extra to sit in F'.
Hopefully all of the loyal AS elites were accommodated before this TOD offer was broadcast!
Texting out upsell offers - Nobody has observed this behavior (yet) with UA, right?
Oct 19, 2014, 2:11 pm
#525
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
Just another anecdote...
My friends, non status on AS, received a text the morning of their recent SEA-SFO flight offering a buy up to F for $50 each (2 pax).
They were checking bags anyway, so took it thinking 'I am only paying $25 extra to sit in F'.
Hopefully all of the loyal AS elites were accommodated before this TOD offer was broadcast!
Texting out upsell offers - Nobody has observed this behavior (yet) with UA, right?
My friends, non status on AS, received a text the morning of their recent SEA-SFO flight offering a buy up to F for $50 each (2 pax).
They were checking bags anyway, so took it thinking 'I am only paying $25 extra to sit in F'.
Hopefully all of the loyal AS elites were accommodated before this TOD offer was broadcast!
Texting out upsell offers - Nobody has observed this behavior (yet) with UA, right?