Welcome to FT!

Funny, this!

Just a few days ago, I was on a contract job in South Florida and went into a 7-11 to get some ice for my cooler. On the way out, I saw about a buck of change spread across a couple of parking spaces. I dutifully gathered it all up-even the pennies. A few parking spaces away were a group of young toughs, obviously far less well off than myself, who were laughing at me for wasting my time picking-up the "chump change".

I am sitting on at least 18 of them now and most were obviously acquired through business travel. However, my business is mine so it is ultimately my expense. My wife also does a ton of business travel probably in the top 1% of people who travel by air. Many here know my frustration with these "upgrade instruments" that are a "benefit" to UA elite flyers. I have had TWO clear in 12 months now. Having said that I would NEVER sell them. After reading about what has happened to those that have sold them here on FT since I have been a member you would have to be crazy to jeopardize your status. There was a GS member who recently posted he got caught and he was immediately and unceremoniously stripped of his miles and status. Just not worth it.

So if GPUs sell for $450 each on craigslist/ebay, that's a decent chunk of change. My guess is a seller's not going to report the income, either.

Like most here, I would never even consider it though.

S/he has been a FT member since Jul 2006. Today is his/her first post.:)

You probably saw that post where that some GS member sold them somewhere, maybe it was ebay and supposedly got popped by a UA employee who trolls for this type of stuff. He lost everything. I think it may be on this thread. I guess if I were desperate and didn't care anymore about my status I might consider it but for me now... no way! I would add I have been approached several times and just won't do it, way too freaked by what I have read here.

Because most elites don't visit FT and many pax who have instruments appear to genuinely believe that they own them and can do with them as they please - I've met a number.

{V}ery few people read any part of UA's CoC....How many people have read the iTunes agreement or any part of it etc...?

UA really should make it very clear that selling instruments is a zero tolerance infraction of MP.

BTW Welcome to posting on FT!

Then which ones aren't "zero tolerance".

Better from a compliance perspective if UA simply says all rules are important. Break any of them at your own peril.

A better question may be which ones are zero tolerance.

I think there are enough reports to say that selling an instrument, if caught results in an account shutdown. I haven't seen any reports of someone just getting a warning regarding selling an instrument; though that could be just because I've missed the post/thread (s).

Then how come all the postings I see on craigslist/ebay involve the sale of "upgrade advice" which just happens to come with a "free" upgrade instrument?

That's hardly an indicator of ignorant good faith.

You really should, if you didn't you might not know that you can't use your iPhone in "the development, design, manufacture, or production of nuclear, missile, or chemical or biological weapons."

What about folks who own iPhones who work at national labs or DoD labs or NIH?

Sheesh.

David

I've never looked for or seen an advert selling an upgrade instrument and no doubt there are people who are well aware that it's against MP rules who sell them.

However I've overheard people bring up the possibility of selling their instruments openly with UA agents and others talking quite openly about the potential of selling them in such a way they obviously have no idea of the consequences.

If there was a poll on FT about understanding whether: a) was it against MP rules b) if UA found out, what would the consequences be - I'm guessing ~98% would answer: a) yes , b) account shut down. If you ask UA elites who aren't members of FT the same question I would guess the majority would be unaware. That's my point. UA should make it clear.

UA already makes it clear -- what would you have them do different?
How many places does UA need to place the warning?
Who would read these additional warnings?

Who else bothers with these additional, redudant warnings?
does iTunes?
does anyone else?

I know from experience that you leave such devices at home or in your car. Anything with a camera is not permitted to be inside such places.