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]
Nov 17, 2018, 2:47 pm
#4156
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Bergen County NJ
Programs: AA EXP, UA1K B6 Mosaic 1, Amtrak Select, Marriott Plat , AMEX Plat (noted for club access reference)
Posts: 786
When your checking 2 bags and don't have a UA CC or any free bag status that alone is 1/2 way to $150, throw in a few drinks and space to do work for 2 billable hours your basically even... And in the event of IRROPS where your on the tarmac an extra hour it really helps out... While I do agree the new J sucks, with the not so nice new seats, and the removal of the TV's HOWEVER if your on a 75 or 76 (I.E. EWR-MCO) it's worth every penny...
Nov 17, 2018, 4:54 pm
#4157
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,932
If you don't value the seat that much why are you upset about not sitting in it?
Nov 17, 2018, 5:15 pm
#4158
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Regardless, I don't bite on 2 hour flights, but I love the concept of buy-ups, if I'm 7 on the waitlist with 1-2 seats available on HNL-SFO or vice versa, I definitely jump the queue for a lie-flat - usually in the $300 range. I like that I have the option. There are plenty of us that think buy-ups were one of the best things they've implemented.
Nov 17, 2018, 6:02 pm
#4159
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
lol so now those of who purchase F tix are responsible for OP not getting upgraded. I am not apologizing 
Nov 17, 2018, 8:52 pm
#4160
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
Someone who can afford it and doesn't want to sit in a seat that doesn't recline or next to a sumo wrestler who spans 20 inches wide in a seat that's only 18 inches wide.
Nov 18, 2018, 8:20 am
#4161
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
I could have been Global Services, what the different. They leave the entire upgrade list not upgraded. I was #1 , I couldn't have had more priority.
There’s a good chance you would have been able to force through an upgrade on a couple of the flights you mention if you were Global Services.
Also, if you are regularly finding yourself in full-fare or near-full-fare tickets (booking classes M, B, or Y); as a 1K, you are eligible for an instant upgrade into PN class if it is available, but I believe you need to go into your reservation after it tickets and “request” the instant upgrade. Now, if PN = 0, that’s not going to help you much, but I thought I should mention it.
The CPU process is a leftover from the time when organic F sales were minuscule. There does seem to be a market for these tickets at the discounted prices they’re offering, though. If I didn’t have status, there’s a good chance I’d be buying F domestically, since the differential between E+ and F is often not that large.
Unfortunately, last-minute travelers definitely get caught up in the mix here. On flights when UA will clear upgrades in advance — which isn’t all of them, but which does happen — it can lead to higher-status, late-purchasing passengers sitting in Y while lower-status passengers sit in F. I’m not sure why they do it that way, but it’s been going on for years and UA hasn’t done anything about it, so it’s obviously not much of a priority for them.
Nov 18, 2018, 1:12 pm
#4162
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Exactly. We don't buy up to domestic F for the quality of the product, we buy out of domestic Y to escape the cattle car.
Nov 18, 2018, 2:21 pm
#4163
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1MM GS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 283
I could have been Global Services, what the different. They leave the entire upgrade list not upgraded. I was #1 , I couldn't have had more priority.
And yes if I get to the airport early I will take advantage and SDC to an earlier flight and so it may look like a TOD.
Nov 18, 2018, 3:32 pm
#4164
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: 3,621
If you can get Global Services you should do it and you’d have less reason to complain. I’m 100% for CPUs this year out of SFO (except for 2 midcon segments where I used an instrument to ensure the upgrade). I ended up giving away all my RPUs this year to family/friends.
And yes if I get to the airport early I will take advantage and SDC to an earlier flight and so it may look like a TOD.
Nov 18, 2018, 11:52 pm
#4165
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1MM GS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 283
GS with 100% CPUs this year out of SFO this year!! Need I say more. As a 1K I can't even remember the last CPU! I basically apply instruments to ALL my flights and still only rarely clear those. I as well gift most mine away or should I say attempt to. I ate at least 10 GPUs last year and will probably have nearly the same this year. Although I did have a run of instrument upgrades go through earlier in the year to Hawaii during the volcano/hurricane when no one was heading over to the Islands and flights were empty.
Luckily UA flies direct to pretty much everywhere I need to go so I don’t have to go out of my way to consolidate spend.
Nov 19, 2018, 5:46 am
#4166
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,355
Booked a one-way AKL-EWR as AKL-SFO-EWR in W with a GPU applied.
Was offered Business for $1400 for the AKL-SFO segment and $2900 for the SFO-EWR segment.
And apparently the SFO-EWR segment is Polaris, the AKL-SFO one isn't? Okay!
Was offered Business for $1400 for the AKL-SFO segment and $2900 for the SFO-EWR segment.
And apparently the SFO-EWR segment is Polaris, the AKL-SFO one isn't? Okay!
Nov 19, 2018, 6:49 am
#4167
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: KEWR
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat, National Exec, GE/Nexus
Posts: 501
Nov 19, 2018, 9:17 am
#4168
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: DSM, BKK or anywhere with an airport
Programs: UA 2P, HH Gold
Posts: 1,018
Would You Upgrade ?
FT'ers
DSM-HKG on a 'K' fare, $709 a/i. After purchase I'm offered a buy-up on all legs, but more specifically $3029 SFO-HKG and $2770 HKG-SFO. Is this something you'd grab up? If so, does this book into a class where it earns PQM/PQD ?
Sorry for the ?s, I haven't flown UA much since the sweeping changes to MilegePlus a few years ago.
Cheers
n198ua
DSM-HKG on a 'K' fare, $709 a/i. After purchase I'm offered a buy-up on all legs, but more specifically $3029 SFO-HKG and $2770 HKG-SFO. Is this something you'd grab up? If so, does this book into a class where it earns PQM/PQD ?
Sorry for the ?s, I haven't flown UA much since the sweeping changes to MilegePlus a few years ago.
Cheers
n198ua
Last edited by n198ua; Nov 19, 2018 at 10:42 pm Reason: spelling
Nov 19, 2018, 9:32 am
#4169
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Definitely no PQD. PQM is possible but you should assume not. And I wouldn't personally even consider those prices. I mean, that hardly looks like a discount from what I'd expect business class to cost if you just bought it outright.
Nov 19, 2018, 11:06 am
#4170
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
Hmm. Makes me think.