tom911

Of these audits you are aware of, how many of them resulted in UA reopening the account? Were they also audited for global upgrade abuse?

Madone59

Oh it's raining shoes! I'm a few days behind, and just saw the AF account thread. Me =

ILman

I know of a few UA cases shutting account for mileage abuse. Since I knew they sold the miles I never opened a thread asking for advice. This is the first time at least that I heard-of closing accounts for accusing on GPU abuse.

Often1

GPU's, miles ---- it's all the same things. Can't sell or barter them. Period.

Maybe OP is the link which attracted UA's attention if OP has been involved in multiple FFP fraud cases.

ILman

To be clear, I personally was not involved in any UA audits. My MP account is up and running.

SFflyer123

Agree. OP's *friend*, not the OP himself, however. But UA doesn't just close accounts for no reason. To be shut down, there has got to be some very abnormal/atypical activity on it.

ILman

Just to get things straight, is the above a fact or your assumption?

TomMM

You might want to use the search feature and find the other threads on this board where others are complaining about their accounts being shutdown. The ones I've read start out "UA closed my MP account for no reason" but after a few pages of questions the true story begins to be revealed..

Often1

+1 - OP should also ask himself why any for-profit business would go to the time & expense of creating an FFP, including a top-tier level such as GS, only to shut down some of those top-tier people for no reason at all.

Of course it's possible that UA is correct in believing that OP's "friend" has committed fraud or that it's wrong, but to suggest that there is no reason is, well ---- unreasonable.

Shutting down accounts serves the purpose of effectively firing a customer who is costing you money and also, as the story gets out, discouraging others from doing so. in that sense, it's good that OP posted here.

porciuscato

Sure the OP's "friend" violated the T&Cs. But think about it. This is the key point: this guy and all the other guys who were shut down were not counterfeiting upgrades out of thin air and selling them. They were trafficking in legitimately earned upgrades.

Yet United is devoting a whole group of people to ruthlessly hunt these guys down and punish them. The only way that could possibly be worthwhile for United is if they are counting on a very large number of upgrades being utterly unusable for the people who earn them.

IOW, by spending so much time and money tracking down upgrade resale, United is effectively admitting that the whole upgrade program is a big lie, a sham, and a fraud itself. They are granting "valuable" upgrades that are actually unusable to the people who get them.

This whole thing does not reflect well on United at all.

And there's another problem. In 10+ years of upgrades, I have only used them for my wife and young children (all of whom live with me). Yet hearing about this even makes me nervous: could they come after me because my wife has a different last name? And I represent the most extreme case of totally legitimate use. I wonder what others must be thinking.

I would rather be with an airline that devotes its resources to improving service and reliability, rather than mercilessly prosecuting customers who violated the letter of their T&Cs, in an effort to actually realize the value that United fraudulently promised them.

Plane-is-home

I use my upgrade vouchers all the time for coworkers. Sometimes even calling the GS desk to apply them. Never had an issue.

ILman

Interesting point. And to your last point, DL is a perfect example, I don't recall any DL account audit stories, and still DL is the most profitable airline with the best performance rate, while UA is not so profitable with a poor performance rate. Eh? It's crisp and clear, UA and DL have two different goals.... While DL is working to improve service and reliability UA is looking ina total different direction. The only thing they don't realize is that not that is the key to gain revenue. It's not about new coffee that will help you! It's about closing all these stupid audit departments and opening REAL customer service departments. UA has a history of spitting on their elites, say: MM policy changes, massive devaluations and so on. all these is not gonna help them earn revenue.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I guess you haven't had a DL account.

ILman

I am sure there are DL audits. Every company needs a audit dept. The key point though is which dept is the PRIORITY to the airline. My dad and some other family members are DL elites, never had any issues and they are the most happy elites between people I know in all the 3 programs DL/AA/UA. I know LOTS of UA 1K and DL Diamond members, the DL members love their airline way more even though the actual miles are not as valuable as UA.

tom911

I have the exact opposite view on audit departments. Every time I see upgrade instruments on Craig's List for AA or UA listed as "advice" with an upgrade attached, I wish the airlines would ramp up their audit departments and more vigorously pursue those that sell their upgrades. Those are the folks I'm competing against for international upgrades and I don't think the purchase of an upgrade on an internet site should give them preference over a paying customer that has earned those upgrades - if there's only one upgrade left and these "buyers" call in and snag it a few minutes before me, I'm in coach. Give all of them away to friends, families and coworkers, but when you flaunt the rules and offer them for sale, I want the airline coming after you.