Filling the F cabin too early?
Jan 7, 2017, 11:41 pm
#47
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,346
Jan 8, 2017, 12:15 am
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
What I don't understand is why the Premier sold-out flight access doesn't extend to full fare F and only includes full fare Y and B (bolding mine, link: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...ervices.aspx). That would solve this problem since it would put in a policy to bump less than full fare folks in F if a 1K was buying full fare F. Similar to hotels where Platinum / Diamond has last room guarantee and they walk someone else.
Access to most sold-out flights: Premier members may receive confirmed reservations - even when a flight is sold out - when purchasing certain full-fare tickets. Premier 1K® members may take advantage of this benefit when purchasing an unrestricted Y or B class ticket at least 90 minutes prior to departure. This benefit also applies to Premier Platinum members when purchasing an unrestricted Y class ticket at least 120 minutes prior to departure, and Premier Gold and Premier Silver members when purchasing an unrestricted Y class ticket at least 24 hours prior to departure.
Please contact the Premier Priority Desk or call the United Customer Contact Center at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) to reserve and purchase your flight.
Please contact the Premier Priority Desk or call the United Customer Contact Center at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) to reserve and purchase your flight.
Jan 8, 2017, 12:50 am
#49
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,346
What I don't understand is why the Premier sold-out flight access doesn't extend to full fare F and only includes full fare Y and B (bolding mine, link: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...ervices.aspx). That would solve this problem since it would put in a policy to bump less than full fare folks in F if a 1K was buying full fare F. Similar to hotels where Platinum / Diamond has last room guarantee and they walk someone else.
I guess that's not true. I'd take a few thousand dollars.
I wouldn't be like the Chipotle woman who's suing for billions of dollars over a photo.
But I doubt an airline would want the publicity associated with someone like that over something like this.
Jan 8, 2017, 12:56 am
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Well, I can tell you I'd be court-and-media annoyed if I had purchased a business class ticket on United and they bumped me to accept more money at T-2 hours.
I guess that's not true. I'd take a few thousand dollars.
I wouldn't be like the Chipotle woman who's suing for billions of dollars over a photo.
But I doubt an airline would want the publicity associated with someone like that over something like this.
I guess that's not true. I'd take a few thousand dollars.
I wouldn't be like the Chipotle woman who's suing for billions of dollars over a photo.
But I doubt an airline would want the publicity associated with someone like that over something like this.
Hotels do this all the time and there's no publicity outrage.
Jan 8, 2017, 1:02 am
#51
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,346
But as a frequent flyer, the idea that a confirmed upgrade is not really confirmed does not sit well with me.
So again, my thoughts are to just not confirm them so far out unless you're willing to bet a lot of money that no one else will want the seat.
Jan 8, 2017, 6:11 am
#52
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,393
I would think that any business would rather surprise people at the last minute over disappointing them by taking something away. the latter leaves to disgruntle customers where the earlier leads to happy customers.
This supports the idea of keeping a few seas available until boarding or at least not "giving" all of the unpaid ones away so quickly.
This supports the idea of keeping a few seas available until boarding or at least not "giving" all of the unpaid ones away so quickly.
Jan 8, 2017, 9:48 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
I have a friend, less savvy about all this, who wants to fly SFO-ATL tomorrow, in paid F.
For the record (though I do not think it's relevant), she holds UA 1K status.
EF says F0 C0 A0 D0 Z0 P0 Y6 B6 M6 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N6.
My first thought was "damn they're making money on that route".
But I checked the status on united.com, and it says:
United First®: 20 | Booked: Full | Checked In: 9
But there are three people listed as confirmed upgrades (check marks) already.
For the record (though I do not think it's relevant), she holds UA 1K status.
EF says F0 C0 A0 D0 Z0 P0 Y6 B6 M6 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N6.
My first thought was "damn they're making money on that route".
But I checked the status on united.com, and it says:
United First®: 20 | Booked: Full | Checked In: 9
But there are three people listed as confirmed upgrades (check marks) already.
Jan 8, 2017, 10:12 am
#55
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,184
Do we know that the last seat(s) went to upgrades? Could they have upgraded several, leaving a seat or two open, then those last seats went to paid FC? How would you tell the difference?
Jan 8, 2017, 11:05 am
#57
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SFO South Bay
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 3,052
Sort of. This is really a discussion about holding back 2 (ish) F seats until T-1 (ish) for paid F passengers with irrops. But yes, the cheap P fares have definitely made many of us more focused on Paid F than on upgrade F.
Jan 8, 2017, 11:12 am
#58
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
It's not (at least not by those who understand the process). It's about timing.
Jan 8, 2017, 2:07 pm
#59
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: Ice Cream Club, AC SE MM, Bonvoy Life Plat
Posts: 2,803
Just misconnected in ORD on P fare. Sitting in UC, B concourse right now waiting for rebooked ORD-YYZ in Y on a segment with 3 checkmarked pax. Rebooking was done at more than T-3h of new flight.
Jan 8, 2017, 2:09 pm
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,418
Watch across the window when x cleared, 3 empty changes to (x + 3) cleared, 0 empty. More common though they do leave 1 seat empty and sell it to last minute F (or TOD, no way to tell) but come day of departure the flight is still F0.
