Economy Plus quite full but very few CPU: who are these people?
Jul 15, 2018, 1:13 pm
#16
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 499
Hawaii is far away. You are talking 5+ hours even from the west coast. In my experience, the longer the flight the higher chance people pay for E+. I flew United last year on NRT-IAD as a no-status passenger and I paid for E+. The service was absolutely abysmal (really, really, rude FAs) but I was nonetheless happy to have the extra space.
What I don't understand is the people who pay for E+ (MCE, Comfort+, etc) on 500-mile E175 flights (and yes, they exist).
What I don't understand is the people who pay for E+ (MCE, Comfort+, etc) on 500-mile E175 flights (and yes, they exist).
Jul 15, 2018, 7:22 pm
#18
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Hawaii is far away. You are talking 5+ hours even from the west coast. In my experience, the longer the flight the higher chance people pay for E+. I flew United last year on NRT-IAD as a no-status passenger and I paid for E+. The service was absolutely abysmal (really, really, rude FAs) but I was nonetheless happy to have the extra space.
Now if UA can get those consistently, then good for them - it won’t be from me for sure. But given the constant reports in the BE thread of folks getting assigned into E+, I’d guess there is a better balance they could be doing to getting revenue from more folks for E+ rather than giving out too much for free. I think BE, the first product where seat assignments arent included and the uptake rate of it, is a quantum shift in how they need to be thinking about their cabins - so much so that it probably requires a complete re-think of who gets comp. E+, and when, and how to price the product for buyupa for maximum revenue.
Jul 15, 2018, 7:39 pm
#19
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im just a new silver, and been gold for the past few years, but actually astonished at the E+ pricing, which I’m sure has gone up sharply in the last few years. On ORD-SJC and SJC-IAH, I’m seeing pricing at 99+ I know I bought it for my dad on either EWR or IAD - CVG in the last year or two for I think $35. I’m pretty sure I’ve read of TATL for $200+. This to me seems like a lot of $ when all you get is extra legroom.
Now if UA can get those consistently, then good for them - it won’t be from me for sure. But given the constant reports in the BE thread of folks getting assigned into E+, I’d guess there is a better balance they could be doing to getting revenue from more folks for E+ rather than giving out too much for free. I think BE, the first product where seat assignments arent included and the uptake rate of it, is a quantum shift in how they need to be thinking about their cabins - so much so that it probably requires a complete re-think of who gets comp. E+, and when, and how to price the product for buyupa for maximum revenue.
Now if UA can get those consistently, then good for them - it won’t be from me for sure. But given the constant reports in the BE thread of folks getting assigned into E+, I’d guess there is a better balance they could be doing to getting revenue from more folks for E+ rather than giving out too much for free. I think BE, the first product where seat assignments arent included and the uptake rate of it, is a quantum shift in how they need to be thinking about their cabins - so much so that it probably requires a complete re-think of who gets comp. E+, and when, and how to price the product for buyupa for maximum revenue.
Well, as one from the pmUA side, I grew up with having no E+ unless you were either elite or had purchased it. And the FAs enforced it.
Fine, monetize E+. But don't give it away. Period.
David
Jul 15, 2018, 8:22 pm
#20
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
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Nonsense. The only difference between the earlier policy and the current one is that UA's (and the industry's) load factors are increasing. People got free E+ pre-merger for the same reason that they get it now -- E- filled up. That just happened less frequently 15 years ago than it does today.
Jul 16, 2018, 9:36 pm
#21
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Premiers (now Silver) and a companion were able to reserve E+ at booking for free. That is definitely a change between PMUA and post 3/3/12 MP
Jul 16, 2018, 9:40 pm
#22
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
I was responding to a post that suggested that pmUA would never put someone into E+ unless that pax had paid for it or was a Premier, but implied that current UA was doing this willy-nilly. The fact that Silvers now have to wait to check-in for E+ doesn't weigh on my statement either way.