Jul 20, 2013, 6:22 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archived thread, the active thread is UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD)
UA Upsell Offers to Business/First at Purchase and Day of Departure (TOD) [Archive]
Jun 2, 2019, 7:17 pm
#4411
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: United GS, MM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 598
I had a flight last week from SNA to ORD. Buy up offer was $3427. A new first class booking was $1682.
Jun 4, 2019, 8:21 am
#4412
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LAX IAH AMS
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 1,267
I had no idea things had gotten this bad
I’ve been out of the US for 3 years now. Just moved back. While I was away, any domestic travel was always linked in with my international biz class legs so flights were always in F.
now that I am back in the US, CPU (and RPU) roulette begins.
Today, flying IAH-YYC. Upgrade didn’t clear at T-5. Cabin is J6. Applied RPU at T-3. Cabin J3. Down to J2 at 2 days out. GS cannot clear RPU unless there are 3 seats. J1 up until boarding.
Here is is where I knew everything has changed. I was #1 on the upgrade list. Walked up at T-45 minutes to ask if they’d cleared the upgrade list. They said they can’t clear it until 30 minutes out. Also mentioned that someone had already expressed interest in buying the last seat. I immediately said that I would buy it, if that was the case. They told me I could not because the other person had asked first. FYI - the person was no where to be found - where I was standing st the counter, ready to pay.
Boarding commenced at T-38. I walked back up and asked if they could clear me. They said again they could not until T-30 because they “Had to hold out for revenue seats” I was absolutely blown away. 6 years as a GS and they have to wait 5 minutes? Again, I said I’d buy the seat. Again they said someone had already asked. At this point my head almost exploded. T-30.... I asked ok, now can you clear me? The agent literally walked out into the crowd of people waiting to board and found the person to see if he still wanted to buy the upgrade. he declined, my upgrade cleared, end of story.
This cannot be policy. Please tell me it is not. Plus, the fact that I was at the counter with my card out to pay and she would not let me because “somebody already asked”
rant over.
now that I am back in the US, CPU (and RPU) roulette begins.
Today, flying IAH-YYC. Upgrade didn’t clear at T-5. Cabin is J6. Applied RPU at T-3. Cabin J3. Down to J2 at 2 days out. GS cannot clear RPU unless there are 3 seats. J1 up until boarding.
Here is is where I knew everything has changed. I was #1 on the upgrade list. Walked up at T-45 minutes to ask if they’d cleared the upgrade list. They said they can’t clear it until 30 minutes out. Also mentioned that someone had already expressed interest in buying the last seat. I immediately said that I would buy it, if that was the case. They told me I could not because the other person had asked first. FYI - the person was no where to be found - where I was standing st the counter, ready to pay.
Boarding commenced at T-38. I walked back up and asked if they could clear me. They said again they could not until T-30 because they “Had to hold out for revenue seats” I was absolutely blown away. 6 years as a GS and they have to wait 5 minutes? Again, I said I’d buy the seat. Again they said someone had already asked. At this point my head almost exploded. T-30.... I asked ok, now can you clear me? The agent literally walked out into the crowd of people waiting to board and found the person to see if he still wanted to buy the upgrade. he declined, my upgrade cleared, end of story.
This cannot be policy. Please tell me it is not. Plus, the fact that I was at the counter with my card out to pay and she would not let me because “somebody already asked”
rant over.
Jun 4, 2019, 9:05 am
#4413
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
Jun 4, 2019, 9:22 am
#4414
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,405
To be fair, the agent brought some of that on themselves, in part by attempting to apply the domestic clearance rule to an international flight. The upgrade should be able to be cleared at T-60 in that case.
I'm not a fan of some agents' bizarre fixation with trying to maximize UA's revenue at all costs. You'd think they were getting a commission, although the various gate agents who post here indicate that's not the case.
OP: You got a bad agent, but, yes, some will sell upgrades at the gate.
I'm not a fan of some agents' bizarre fixation with trying to maximize UA's revenue at all costs. You'd think they were getting a commission, although the various gate agents who post here indicate that's not the case.
OP: You got a bad agent, but, yes, some will sell upgrades at the gate.
Jun 4, 2019, 9:58 am
#4415
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,618
Some? That seems like more and more the norm now. There is a whole thread on agents at DEN practically holding and open auction at the gate. To be fair it sounds like this has been terminated and I have not witnessed recently. To your other point while the flight is technically international depending on where you fly out of I think a lot of the GAs used into YYC tend to work domestic gates. Often the flights originate out of a domestic gate (again depending on where you are departing from).
Jun 4, 2019, 10:16 am
#4416
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,405
Yes, but that doesn't change the check-in requirement. The purpose of T-30 clearance for the gate list isn't (supposed to be) to allow gate agents to sell the upgrades to passengers who have already checked in; it's to allow UA to sell into the open seats until the check-in deadline. At T-60, you can no longer purchase an international ticket, so the only new revenue that UA would have coming in would be from buy-ups at the gate.
Jun 4, 2019, 10:44 am
#4417
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
If agent A sells X and agent B sells 3X, who gets a better performance rating or possible promotion.....
Jun 4, 2019, 11:43 am
#4418
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LAX IAH AMS
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 1,267
Jun 4, 2019, 3:30 pm
#4419
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
I’ve been out of the US for 3 years now. Just moved back. While I was away, any domestic travel was always linked in with my international biz class legs so flights were always in F.
now that I am back in the US, CPU (and RPU) roulette begins.
Today, flying IAH-YYC. Upgrade didn’t clear at T-5. Cabin is J6. Applied RPU at T-3. Cabin J3. Down to J2 at 2 days out. GS cannot clear RPU unless there are 3 seats. J1 up until boarding.
Here is is where I knew everything has changed. I was #1 on the upgrade list. Walked up at T-45 minutes to ask if they’d cleared the upgrade list. They said they can’t clear it until 30 minutes out. Also mentioned that someone had already expressed interest in buying the last seat. I immediately said that I would buy it, if that was the case. They told me I could not because the other person had asked first. FYI - the person was no where to be found - where I was standing st the counter, ready to pay.
Boarding commenced at T-38. I walked back up and asked if they could clear me. They said again they could not until T-30 because they “Had to hold out for revenue seats” I was absolutely blown away. 6 years as a GS and they have to wait 5 minutes? Again, I said I’d buy the seat. Again they said someone had already asked. At this point my head almost exploded. T-30.... I asked ok, now can you clear me? The agent literally walked out into the crowd of people waiting to board and found the person to see if he still wanted to buy the upgrade. he declined, my upgrade cleared, end of story.
This cannot be policy. Please tell me it is not. Plus, the fact that I was at the counter with my card out to pay and she would not let me because “somebody already asked”
rant over.
now that I am back in the US, CPU (and RPU) roulette begins.
Today, flying IAH-YYC. Upgrade didn’t clear at T-5. Cabin is J6. Applied RPU at T-3. Cabin J3. Down to J2 at 2 days out. GS cannot clear RPU unless there are 3 seats. J1 up until boarding.
Here is is where I knew everything has changed. I was #1 on the upgrade list. Walked up at T-45 minutes to ask if they’d cleared the upgrade list. They said they can’t clear it until 30 minutes out. Also mentioned that someone had already expressed interest in buying the last seat. I immediately said that I would buy it, if that was the case. They told me I could not because the other person had asked first. FYI - the person was no where to be found - where I was standing st the counter, ready to pay.
Boarding commenced at T-38. I walked back up and asked if they could clear me. They said again they could not until T-30 because they “Had to hold out for revenue seats” I was absolutely blown away. 6 years as a GS and they have to wait 5 minutes? Again, I said I’d buy the seat. Again they said someone had already asked. At this point my head almost exploded. T-30.... I asked ok, now can you clear me? The agent literally walked out into the crowd of people waiting to board and found the person to see if he still wanted to buy the upgrade. he declined, my upgrade cleared, end of story.
This cannot be policy. Please tell me it is not. Plus, the fact that I was at the counter with my card out to pay and she would not let me because “somebody already asked”
rant over.
edit add: you're probably better off asking once, letting it ride, and then writing to GS later if you're dissatisfied.
Jun 7, 2019, 1:13 pm
#4420
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 31
Hello again,
Just thought I'd let everyone know that the Upgrade Offers Spreadsheet has been updated to this point.
Apologies for the delay in updating the sheet - I've had quite the busy term in Master's programme in the UK (assessments finished on Tuesday and was in transit since then).
I'll try updating the other United resources in the coming days as I transit to DPS (currently in YYZ).
Safe Travels,
James
Just thought I'd let everyone know that the Upgrade Offers Spreadsheet has been updated to this point.
Apologies for the delay in updating the sheet - I've had quite the busy term in Master's programme in the UK (assessments finished on Tuesday and was in transit since then).
I'll try updating the other United resources in the coming days as I transit to DPS (currently in YYZ).
Safe Travels,
James
Jun 7, 2019, 1:33 pm
#4421
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 747
EWR-ORD $209 declined
EWR-ORD $141 accepted; originally fare class U and ended up in D
HKG-EWR $3909 declined (booked as fare class R for PP)
HKG-EWR $2109 declined (booked as fare class R for PP); 10 apparent nonrevs cleared into polaris and one seat went out empty. also had 9 empty PP seats.
EWR-ORD $141 accepted; originally fare class U and ended up in D
HKG-EWR $3909 declined (booked as fare class R for PP)
HKG-EWR $2109 declined (booked as fare class R for PP); 10 apparent nonrevs cleared into polaris and one seat went out empty. also had 9 empty PP seats.
Jun 7, 2019, 2:11 pm
#4422
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 31
IAH-SYD upgrade pricing
Is this typical upgrade pricing (IAH-SYD roundtrip)? Seems like a lot to upgrade from E/G to D, though it is cheaper than buying D outright.
Jun 7, 2019, 5:50 pm
#4424
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
I don't know if it is but if I could confirm today into Polaris for 30,000 miles + $350 I would jump on that as soon as possible for a 16 hour flight.
Jun 8, 2019, 4:47 am
#4425
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,041
I'm pretty new to UA, so I'm not sure how often miles+co-pay type upgrades clear, but I certainly would jump on it for that flight as well.
Regards