Jan 28, 2022, 4:52 pm
UA PlusPoints / Upgrades for sale on ebay ...(Warning these are not sanctioned by UA)
Jan 28, 2022, 2:56 pm
#46
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
An alternative that UA could use is forcing you to nominate a limited number of other MP members you would be upgrading when not on the same itinerary. You could make changes but only so many per time period so it would essentially cap the customer base for those selling upgrades.
E.g.
4 upgrade "friends" slots
Each time you nominate someone that slot is frozen for twelve months, can't be changed before then.
That would probably work for almost all of the legitimate use cases, catch out a small group of folks who truly gift upgrades to many people but actually make it really difficult to make serious coin from selling upgrades.
E.g.
4 upgrade "friends" slots
Each time you nominate someone that slot is frozen for twelve months, can't be changed before then.
That would probably work for almost all of the legitimate use cases, catch out a small group of folks who truly gift upgrades to many people but actually make it really difficult to make serious coin from selling upgrades.
Jan 28, 2022, 3:09 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA LT GS | UA LT Club | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,250
Interestingly, this abuse seems to be coming from only one UA hub.
Care to guess which one before looking at the Craigslist results below?
Smart approach!
Care to guess which one before looking at the Craigslist results below?
An alternative that UA could use is forcing you to nominate a limited number of other MP members you would be upgrading when not on the same itinerary. You could make changes but only so many per time period so it would essentially cap the customer base for those selling upgrades.
E.g.
4 upgrade "friends" slots
Each time you nominate someone that slot is frozen for twelve months, can't be changed before then.
That would probably work for almost all of the legitimate use cases, catch out a small group of folks who truly gift upgrades to many people but actually make it really difficult to make serious coin from selling upgrades.
E.g.
4 upgrade "friends" slots
Each time you nominate someone that slot is frozen for twelve months, can't be changed before then.
That would probably work for almost all of the legitimate use cases, catch out a small group of folks who truly gift upgrades to many people but actually make it really difficult to make serious coin from selling upgrades.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 28, 2022 at 4:10 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
Jun 30, 2023, 2:39 pm
#48
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 36
Upgrading YN fare using eBay purchased upgrade
I have a roundtrip flight coming up to/from europe with fare class YN, and i'm staring at the ebay offers for fare class/business upgrade.
From the charts provided by one of the sellers, I see to upgrade from United Economy (Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W) to Polaris business I would need 40 points, or 80 points for the round trip, however I don't see fare class "YN" listed.
Also how do I know what the availability of this is? Can I simply see if a business class seat is available? I don't want to spend the money for the upgrade only to find out no seats are available on my date of travel.
From the charts provided by one of the sellers, I see to upgrade from United Economy (Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W) to Polaris business I would need 40 points, or 80 points for the round trip, however I don't see fare class "YN" listed.
Also how do I know what the availability of this is? Can I simply see if a business class seat is available? I don't want to spend the money for the upgrade only to find out no seats are available on my date of travel.
Jun 30, 2023, 2:42 pm
#49
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,393
I have a roundtrip flight coming up to/from europe with fare class YN, and i'm staring at the ebay offers for fare class/business upgrade.
From the charts provided by one of the sellers, I see to upgrade from United Economy (Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W) to Polaris business I would need 40 points, or 80 points for the round trip, however I don't see fare class "YN" listed.
Also how do I know what the availability of this is? Can I simply see if a business class seat is available? I don't want to spend the money for the upgrade only to find out no seats are available on my date of travel.
From the charts provided by one of the sellers, I see to upgrade from United Economy (Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W) to Polaris business I would need 40 points, or 80 points for the round trip, however I don't see fare class "YN" listed.
Also how do I know what the availability of this is? Can I simply see if a business class seat is available? I don't want to spend the money for the upgrade only to find out no seats are available on my date of travel.
Jun 30, 2023, 2:55 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 36
Jun 30, 2023, 2:59 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,419
Many passengers on this forum have a vested interest in United keeping the system reasonably generous to its actual frequent flyers. Any successful upgrade by someone who is purchasing PlusPoints is a step toward United curtailing benefits for everyone who’s actually following the rules.
(Incidentally, the reason you’d “know not to do this” is that you risk having your upgrade canceled and your frequent flyer account closed if you get caught).
(Incidentally, the reason you’d “know not to do this” is that you risk having your upgrade canceled and your frequent flyer account closed if you get caught).
Jun 30, 2023, 3:04 pm
#52
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Many here use these benefits for family or coworkers (at no cost) and fear UA will make these non-transferable. Additional for every successful illegitimate upgrade that means one less potential upgrade for the UA elites and money going to a rule violator. So it is in the benefit of UA elites that this is not an allowed practice. We are harmed, just as UA is harmed.
UA may before your trip starts make you a legitimate cash upgrade offer.
UA may before your trip starts make you a legitimate cash upgrade offer.
Jun 30, 2023, 3:06 pm
#53
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Personally, I don't care. But UA is well aware of these schemes, which are expressly prohibited, and there's a not insignificant chance UA will cancel the upgrade and your ticket due to violation of program terms and conditions. If you have a Mileage Plus account, they would terminate that as well.
Jun 30, 2023, 3:39 pm
#55
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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Posts: 66,859
Close to the same range of these ebay offers. Legitimate and confirmed, no waitlist.
For real examples , see UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase to Day of Departure (TOD)
For real examples , see UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase to Day of Departure (TOD)
Jun 30, 2023, 7:51 pm
#56
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 36
Close to the same range of these ebay offers. Legitimate and confirmed, no waitlist.
For real examples , see UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase to Day of Departure (TOD)
For real examples , see UA Upsell Offers to Business/First/PP at Purchase to Day of Departure (TOD)
Jun 30, 2023, 8:04 pm
#57
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
the process. Frequent flyers closely watch the list and many will do like I did and query UA when the process deviates. I did not suspect shenanigans but rather a computer issue -- UA did research it and confirmed the computer processing issue I suspect. If it had been a GA doing an appropriate action, they would have needed to explain.
If you are discussing international travel, there are multiple agents at the gate and such action would not go unnoticed
Jun 30, 2023, 8:09 pm
#58
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 36
Perhaps decades ago, but the upgrade process is computerized, and an agent would need to manually override and leaving traces they modified
the process. Frequent flyers closely watch the list and many will do like I did and query UA when the process deviates. I did not suspect shenanigans but rather a computer issue -- UA did research it and confirmed the computer processing issue I suspect. If it had been a GA doing an appropriate action, they would have needed to explain.
If you are discussing international travel, there are multiple agents at the gate and such action would not go unnoticed
the process. Frequent flyers closely watch the list and many will do like I did and query UA when the process deviates. I did not suspect shenanigans but rather a computer issue -- UA did research it and confirmed the computer processing issue I suspect. If it had been a GA doing an appropriate action, they would have needed to explain.
If you are discussing international travel, there are multiple agents at the gate and such action would not go unnoticed
Maybe on a not-full airplane.
Jun 30, 2023, 8:09 pm
#59
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Posts: 2,885
Jun 30, 2023, 8:12 pm
#60
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Location: Austin, TX
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