2014 Upsell Offers to Business/First (UFC/PCU) Questions/Discussion (Paid Upgrades)
Oct 24, 2014, 9:44 am
#571
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I think there are at least four potential buy-up pricing models that may be applied to a given reservation:
1. Buy-up to full F/J.
2. Buy-up to Y/B/M.
3. Buy-up to UP/UPDI.
4. Random upgrade price, e.g., $299 on ps, $839 on TPAC, etc.
The gross unfairness referenced in this thread is that in many instances elites don't seem to get #4 (or if they do, it's at a higher price than what non-elites are offered).
Oct 24, 2014, 12:41 pm
#572
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
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Posts: 2,820
Yes, an M would be hundreds more than a P. And would book into PN.
I think there are at least four potential buy-up pricing models that may be applied to a given reservation:
1. Buy-up to full F/J.
2. Buy-up to Y/B/M.
3. Buy-up to UP/UPDI.
4. Random upgrade price, e.g., $299 on ps, $839 on TPAC, etc.
The gross unfairness referenced in this thread is that in many instances elites don't seem to get #4 (or if they do, it's at a higher price than what non-elites are offered).
I think there are at least four potential buy-up pricing models that may be applied to a given reservation:
1. Buy-up to full F/J.
2. Buy-up to Y/B/M.
3. Buy-up to UP/UPDI.
4. Random upgrade price, e.g., $299 on ps, $839 on TPAC, etc.
The gross unfairness referenced in this thread is that in many instances elites don't seem to get #4 (or if they do, it's at a higher price than what non-elites are offered).
Oct 24, 2014, 1:11 pm
#573
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM Plat; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
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Yes, an M would be hundreds more than a P. And would book into PN.
I think there are at least four potential buy-up pricing models that may be applied to a given reservation:
1. Buy-up to full F/J.
2. Buy-up to Y/B/M.
3. Buy-up to UP/UPDI.
4. Random upgrade price, e.g., $299 on ps, $839 on TPAC, etc.
The gross unfairness referenced in this thread is that in many instances elites don't seem to get #4 (or if they do, it's at a higher price than what non-elites are offered).
I think there are at least four potential buy-up pricing models that may be applied to a given reservation:
1. Buy-up to full F/J.
2. Buy-up to Y/B/M.
3. Buy-up to UP/UPDI.
4. Random upgrade price, e.g., $299 on ps, $839 on TPAC, etc.
The gross unfairness referenced in this thread is that in many instances elites don't seem to get #4 (or if they do, it's at a higher price than what non-elites are offered).
Oct 24, 2014, 1:53 pm
#574
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Oct 24, 2014, 2:06 pm
#575
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
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I had an interesting offer to "buy up" to GF from a Z fare using 30k miles + $600 from ORD - SIN, and on the return from NRT to IAD it was $350 + 30k. I then switched my NRT - SIN flight to the next day and now it is $600 + 30k for ORd-NRT, $75 + 15k for NRT-SIN, and NRT-IAD is still $350 + 30k. When I called GS about the buy ups she told me that she only sees $600 + 30k each way when she is logged in to my account - which is what I was expecting. So, she basically didn't believe me - so I took a screen shot and sent it to them for reasearch... My point for bringing this all up is that UA systems do some weird things some times - and attributing intent / logic to it can be dangerous lol... That being said - I do think - IMO - that UA offers non-elites better buy up options than it does to its own elites to get people to try the product...
Oct 24, 2014, 2:10 pm
#576
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I had an interesting offer to "buy up" to GF from a Z fare using 30k miles + $600 from ORD - SIN, and on the return from NRT to IAD it was $350 + 30k. I then switched my NRT - SIN flight to the next day and now it is $600 + 30k for ORd-NRT, $75 + 15k for NRT-SIN, and NRT-IAD is still $350 + 30k. When I called GS about the buy ups she told me that she only sees $600 + 30k each way when she is logged in to my account - which is what I was expecting.
Oct 24, 2014, 2:18 pm
#577
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
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Oct 25, 2014, 8:20 pm
#578
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: So Cal
Programs: UA Gold/0.744MM, WN AL, Hyatt Diamond, MR Scum, Hertz PC, National Exec, Avis PC
Posts: 5,561
SNA-DEN
Q
$119 at checkin
32 customers eligible for upgrade
1 F seat available
DEN-SLC
S
$59 at checkin
12 customers eligible for upgrade
1 F seat available
Declined both (though both are still available on the mobile app). Currently sitting at #5 and and #3 on the list, so more segments in Y for me..... Thought I had a decent chance as a Plat seeing as these are Sunday evening flights....
Sometimes I get this feeling that UA is not respecting my status at all for CPUs. Standing in line at SFO yesterday I saw a Gold that was in F. Now of course, she could have bought an F fare, or bought a TOD, or bought a Y/B fare...but it just feels like I was jumped in the CPU queue. I think my UG rate this year as a Plat is worse than it was as a Gold the previous year.
Q
$119 at checkin
32 customers eligible for upgrade
1 F seat available
DEN-SLC
S
$59 at checkin
12 customers eligible for upgrade
1 F seat available
Declined both (though both are still available on the mobile app). Currently sitting at #5 and and #3 on the list, so more segments in Y for me..... Thought I had a decent chance as a Plat seeing as these are Sunday evening flights....
Sometimes I get this feeling that UA is not respecting my status at all for CPUs. Standing in line at SFO yesterday I saw a Gold that was in F. Now of course, she could have bought an F fare, or bought a TOD, or bought a Y/B fare...but it just feels like I was jumped in the CPU queue. I think my UG rate this year as a Plat is worse than it was as a Gold the previous year.
Oct 26, 2014, 10:33 pm
#579
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA(EXP)UA(1K/1MM) Marriott(PP,LifeTime Plat) Hertz(5*)
Posts: 449
I have proven a few times that I have been upgraded as a 1k behind golds and plats. Also I have been behind in the standby list as well.
I don't believe that they even know what there computer system is doing. Unless there is still a tag on my number that says I am pmUA and they are prioritizing pmCO first. I do just feel like that at times. Being number 20 for upgrade on a domestic flight and even being down to 4-5 paying m,y,b fares is ridiculous.
On the other hand I was offered a pre checkin buy up for 99 from Phl>lax in September. It booked into p or z. Imagine my surprise.
Then on a flight from iah > lax on Thursday last week the buy up on the mobile app started at 350 the went down to 150 right before boarding. They really wanted to try to sell that last seat and screw the upgrade. And again I saw within a 12hour window a 757 have 12 unsold seats to booked full-1 about 3hours before boarding with only 5 CPUs clearing. They have to be selling seats for cheap because if they hold true to what they say that the higher status gets a better deal then who is paying that much more for a 3.5hour flight to buy an upgrade.
Something shady going on for sure.
I don't believe that they even know what there computer system is doing. Unless there is still a tag on my number that says I am pmUA and they are prioritizing pmCO first. I do just feel like that at times. Being number 20 for upgrade on a domestic flight and even being down to 4-5 paying m,y,b fares is ridiculous.
On the other hand I was offered a pre checkin buy up for 99 from Phl>lax in September. It booked into p or z. Imagine my surprise.
Then on a flight from iah > lax on Thursday last week the buy up on the mobile app started at 350 the went down to 150 right before boarding. They really wanted to try to sell that last seat and screw the upgrade. And again I saw within a 12hour window a 757 have 12 unsold seats to booked full-1 about 3hours before boarding with only 5 CPUs clearing. They have to be selling seats for cheap because if they hold true to what they say that the higher status gets a better deal then who is paying that much more for a 3.5hour flight to buy an upgrade.
Something shady going on for sure.
Oct 27, 2014, 10:34 pm
#580
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
This is a new low (high) for me....
Route: NRT - SIN
Cabin: BF - GF
Price: $4,999
I was offered $1,039 at check in yesterday. I must be the poster child for outliers as I never get anything even remotely close to tempting from UA - and I spent $7,700 on this ticket in total!
Route: NRT - SIN
Cabin: BF - GF
Price: $4,999
I was offered $1,039 at check in yesterday. I must be the poster child for outliers as I never get anything even remotely close to tempting from UA - and I spent $7,700 on this ticket in total!
Oct 27, 2014, 11:01 pm
#581
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
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This is a new low (high) for me....
Route: NRT - SIN
Cabin: BF - GF
Price: $4,999
I was offered $1,039 at check in yesterday. I must be the poster child for outliers as I never get anything even remotely close to tempting from UA - and I spent $7,700 on this ticket in total!
Route: NRT - SIN
Cabin: BF - GF
Price: $4,999
I was offered $1,039 at check in yesterday. I must be the poster child for outliers as I never get anything even remotely close to tempting from UA - and I spent $7,700 on this ticket in total!
Oct 27, 2014, 11:12 pm
#582
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
Oct 27, 2014, 11:17 pm
#583
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,301
If you want to have some fun, remove your GS# from the booking and then go back to other options on the app and see if the offer has changed - could be interesting!
Oct 27, 2014, 11:53 pm
#584
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
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Posts: 6,318
Oct 28, 2014, 3:27 am
#585
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Avis First, Hertz PC
Posts: 575
I think fare rules may play a part in the differences. Kettles, esp to vacation destinations, tend to buy long in advance. A lot of the UPDI offers require advance purchase.
For example. I flew with 2 friends to the Caribbean. They had bought tickets months in advance for around $250 one-way. They reported that first class was available for around $400 one-way at the time of purchase. They received upgrade offers for $149 at check in. This seems a lot like a buy-up to the UPDI fare that was available at time of purchase.
I bought a Q ticket to be on their flight about 2 weeks in advance. My offer was around $300. This is pretty close to the one-way delta to M. P and PN were available on this flight.
Same flight, different offers. Possibly based on date of purchase.
For example. I flew with 2 friends to the Caribbean. They had bought tickets months in advance for around $250 one-way. They reported that first class was available for around $400 one-way at the time of purchase. They received upgrade offers for $149 at check in. This seems a lot like a buy-up to the UPDI fare that was available at time of purchase.
I bought a Q ticket to be on their flight about 2 weeks in advance. My offer was around $300. This is pretty close to the one-way delta to M. P and PN were available on this flight.
Same flight, different offers. Possibly based on date of purchase.