CPU system shut off until gate agent clears...
May 29, 2018, 10:42 am
#31
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I don't see "outrage" I see a reasoned discussion of a change that affects elite upgrade odds.
And it definitely impacts upgrade odds negatively. As a 1K, if I have to go to the gate on SFO routes, the odds of clearing are minimal (even on a high fare class). My best chance of a CPU is through a pre-check in sweep.
Sorry, that's wrong on both points. It's not "much ado"; it's a measured discussion of a change in how UA handles CPUs. Nor is it "nothing"; I missed an upgrade two weeks ago on SFO-SNA that I would have gotten if they'd run a sweep at T-96. No, it's not a tragedy (though I don't much enjoy Y on the slimlined Airbuses) but it's definitely worthy of FT discussion.
And it definitely impacts upgrade odds negatively. As a 1K, if I have to go to the gate on SFO routes, the odds of clearing are minimal (even on a high fare class). My best chance of a CPU is through a pre-check in sweep.
Sorry, that's wrong on both points. It's not "much ado"; it's a measured discussion of a change in how UA handles CPUs. Nor is it "nothing"; I missed an upgrade two weeks ago on SFO-SNA that I would have gotten if they'd run a sweep at T-96. No, it's not a tragedy (though I don't much enjoy Y on the slimlined Airbuses) but it's definitely worthy of FT discussion.
May 29, 2018, 10:50 am
#32
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Look, UA can try to sell upgrades at check-in all it wants. If there's demand, they'll do so -- but, as you point out, the new upgrade fee structure makes it possible to get TOD-type offers from booking 'til boarding. Shutting down the CPU window might extend people's ability to take advantage of these offers a bit, but they're not selling 20 TODs during the check-in process, no matter how much they'd like to. So far, the anecdotes in this thread have boiled down to "I eventually got upgraded, but they made me wait until the gate." Pardon me if I'm not outraged. 
They are delivering on the product! They're not sending the front cabin out empty. They're providing complimentary upgrades for economy passengers into domestic first class, on a space-available basis, which is exactly what they're promising. They may be waiting to do so, but it's disingenuous to suggest that they're somehow not upgrading passengers.
As a paid first class customer, you should be jumping up and down in support of these changes, because the biggest winner here is the paid passenger who gets hit with IRROPS. There's an entire thread lamenting UA's inability to hold some front-cabin space for passengers who misconnect; a weather delay on one flight turns into a choice between a downgrade and a two-day wait on the next flight. If UA holds these seats to the gate, suddenly IRROPS are much less disruptive.
No need to be sorry
, but how do you figure? Unless the cabin is completely filled with TODs -- which, I continue to maintain, isn't going to happen any more now than it was before -- this is great for GS passengers, because they don't have to worry about sitting in Y while a Plat or 1K sits in F on an upgrade that cleared before the GS bought their ticket / changed onto the flight in question.
People are jumping to the conclusion that UA will suddenly be able to sell these TOD offers that they weren't selling before. I just don't buy it -- people have already turned down upgrade offers that are generally materially similar to the TOD offers during the purchase process and, for those of us who monitor our reservations on United.com, every time they've looked at the reservation since then.
If the front cabin is empty, UA isn't going to be able to fill it with TODs. And if the front cabin is mostly full, they're not going to open R space, so the CPU process never would have run in the first place. This is much ado about nothing.
They are delivering on the product! They're not sending the front cabin out empty. They're providing complimentary upgrades for economy passengers into domestic first class, on a space-available basis, which is exactly what they're promising. They may be waiting to do so, but it's disingenuous to suggest that they're somehow not upgrading passengers.
As a paid first class customer, you should be jumping up and down in support of these changes, because the biggest winner here is the paid passenger who gets hit with IRROPS. There's an entire thread lamenting UA's inability to hold some front-cabin space for passengers who misconnect; a weather delay on one flight turns into a choice between a downgrade and a two-day wait on the next flight. If UA holds these seats to the gate, suddenly IRROPS are much less disruptive.
No need to be sorry
, but how do you figure? Unless the cabin is completely filled with TODs -- which, I continue to maintain, isn't going to happen any more now than it was before -- this is great for GS passengers, because they don't have to worry about sitting in Y while a Plat or 1K sits in F on an upgrade that cleared before the GS bought their ticket / changed onto the flight in question.People are jumping to the conclusion that UA will suddenly be able to sell these TOD offers that they weren't selling before. I just don't buy it -- people have already turned down upgrade offers that are generally materially similar to the TOD offers during the purchase process and, for those of us who monitor our reservations on United.com, every time they've looked at the reservation since then.
If the front cabin is empty, UA isn't going to be able to fill it with TODs. And if the front cabin is mostly full, they're not going to open R space, so the CPU process never would have run in the first place. This is much ado about nothing.
May 29, 2018, 11:00 am
#33
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There are multiple forces in play in this discussion
-- CPU clearance being delayed
-- Cash upgrades
-- Space for last-minute seat sales or recovery space for irrops
The first and third are competing FT points of view.
It highly likely the delayed CPU is being done to save space for the last minute full price sales or for cash upgrades.
Does this lead to fewer CPUs, most likely. The question is, on the aggregate, how significant is this?
However other issues also affect the CPU availability.
-- Increased travel
-- Rightsizing capacity
-- Domestic premium cabin pricing has become more aggressive / more "reasonable"
But sum of all of these, there is less CPU and it is later in the process -- but doubt it is due to just one factor (outside of the delay)
-- CPU clearance being delayed
-- Cash upgrades
-- Space for last-minute seat sales or recovery space for irrops
The first and third are competing FT points of view.
It highly likely the delayed CPU is being done to save space for the last minute full price sales or for cash upgrades.
Does this lead to fewer CPUs, most likely. The question is, on the aggregate, how significant is this?
However other issues also affect the CPU availability.
-- Increased travel
-- Rightsizing capacity
-- Domestic premium cabin pricing has become more aggressive / more "reasonable"
But sum of all of these, there is less CPU and it is later in the process -- but doubt it is due to just one factor (outside of the delay)
May 29, 2018, 11:07 am
#34
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There are multiple forces in play in this discussion
-- CPU clearance being delayed
-- Cash upgrades
-- Space for last-minute seat sales or recovery space for irrops
The first and third are competing FT points of view.
It highly likely the delayed CPU is being done to save space for the last minute full price sales or for cash upgrades.
Does this lead to fewer CPUs, most likely. The question is, on the aggregate, how significant is this?
However other issues also affect the CPU availability.
-- Increased travel
-- Rightsizing capacity
-- Domestic premium cabin pricing has become more aggressive / more "reasonable"
But sum of all of these, there is less CPU and it is later in the process -- but doubt it is due to just one factor (outside of the delay)
-- CPU clearance being delayed
-- Cash upgrades
-- Space for last-minute seat sales or recovery space for irrops
The first and third are competing FT points of view.
It highly likely the delayed CPU is being done to save space for the last minute full price sales or for cash upgrades.
Does this lead to fewer CPUs, most likely. The question is, on the aggregate, how significant is this?
However other issues also affect the CPU availability.
-- Increased travel
-- Rightsizing capacity
-- Domestic premium cabin pricing has become more aggressive / more "reasonable"
But sum of all of these, there is less CPU and it is later in the process -- but doubt it is due to just one factor (outside of the delay)
May 29, 2018, 11:10 am
#35
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From what I've seen this year, when they do sweep, UA will typically only sweep down to F2. I suspect most would agree that's sensible (some would probably argue the number should be higher, e.g., F3 or F4).
May 29, 2018, 11:12 am
#36
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If you want to argue that UA should CPU, in advance, to F-2 instead of R-2, well, that's fine, but that hasn't been the policy as far back as pmCO. In fact, nearly 20 years ago, I remember threads about people seeing flights go to F9 A0 on the 6th day before the flight (at the time, the CPU inventory was widely believed to be equal to A, and Platinum CPUs cleared five days before departure). I'd put the odds of that happening at somewhat less than UA re-instituting LHR-DEL or whatever flight 1 used to be...
Check out the "longest upgrade list" thread. On some routes, it's half the plane. If you expect UA's marketing staff to say, "As a valued 1K member, enjoy finishing #30 on the upgrade list for a 20-seat cabin where we managed to sell every F seat and upgraded nobody," I'm not sure what to tell you. The change you're complaining about may or may not exist, but the standards you appear to be using for comparison are unlikely to be met by any company.
UA is providing complimentary upgrades "as early as" the original upgrade window. They have not promised any more than that.
May 29, 2018, 11:14 am
#37
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As discussed it was R2. That may have changed. I still like a system that dynamically clears when inventory becomes available, but I understand the business decision made to not have that functionality. I just feel as though the nuclear option of switching off the CPU system entirely (and let’s be clear, we don’t know for sure if that’s what’s happening) warrants a level of discussion that’s commensurate with the change.
May 29, 2018, 11:28 am
#38
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I've been a student of the CPU process for quite a while. The change discussed in this thread is real.
There's a straw man. I've missed recently as 1K on a U and an M, both purchased within 7 days of travel. The fact is this change mostly impacts high status, high fare travelers (at least on SFO routes) because lower status and lower fare travelers don't have snowball's chance to begin with.
May 29, 2018, 11:55 am
#39
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This is so obvious, it's perplexing that you keep missing the point. From T-24 on, passengers buy the upgrade, especially when they see their CPU isn't going to clear. I've done it myself. More than once. So . . . if UA holds off on running a sweep at T-96, instead of CPU'ing a 1K, UA sells the seat for $99 (or whatever) at check-in or shortly thereafter, and 1K dies on the waitlist.
I was watching the list carefully. If UA had swept at T-96, I would have cleared. Instead, died at #1 after several seats disappeared from inventory inside T-24. Again, not a tragedy, but I definitely noticed.
There's a straw man. I've missed recently as 1K on a U and an M, both purchased within 7 days of travel. The fact is this change mostly impacts high status, high fare travelers (at least on SFO routes) because lower status and lower fare travelers don't have snowball's chance to begin with.
Moral of the story: Don't live in San Francisco.
May 29, 2018, 3:30 pm
#41
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May 29, 2018, 5:17 pm
#44
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May 29, 2018, 7:02 pm
#45
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