United charging different WiFi prices depending on logged in or not
 

On my recent flight from SFO to HKG (UA869) I noticed United was charging two different prices for the same WiFi packages depending on whether I was logged in or not.
Even more surprising was that when logged in, prices were significantly higher (up to 44% more) than when not logged in.
I can't post the screenshots as I'm new here but these are the price differences:

Not logged in:
1 hour: 8.99$
2 hours: 14.99$
Full Flight: 29.99$

Logged in:
1 hour: 14.99$
2 hours: 18.99$
Full Flight: Forgot to screenshot but believe it was 35.99$

United prompted me to log in for an easier transaction and doesn't warn about the price change.
Sounds like a pretty shady business practice.
Has anyone else noticed this?

I contacted United 1K support about this and they claimed not to be aware and to be looking into it. I was also given 10K miles... hush money?

Wish I were surprised. Recalls the practice of making upgrade offers to no status pax, but not elites.

That's some BS if true.

United response so far:
Let's see if they get back to me with an explanation. I'll post it here.

Wifi changing price after login
 

Well this is a new one for me...

Flying Europe-SFO yesterday. Wifi was on the higher side of normal, starting at $12.99 for 1 hour :

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5986ffcbbc.png

However after logging in, the prices all jumped by $3, with 1 hour now being $15.99 :

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f27b9e8f04.png

Logged out, and they reverted back to the lower prices. Logged in again, and back to the higher prices.

I ended up buying one hour, and was charged the higher $15.99 rate.

Is that even legal? Advertising one price and charging another?

Nope, not legal. I'd send a screenshot to UA refunds and ask for the difference--they'll probably refund the whole thing.

UA WiFi Pricing Issue
 

So this makes absolutely no sense. I'm on the first leg of a segment from EWR -> SFO and the second one is SFO -> TPE. I go to purchase WiFi for the full flight on the first segment I see a price of $14.99 as guest. I sign in to my MileagePlus account and the price jumps up to $32.99. I ask the flight attendant if that fee will cover me for both segments and she says she has no idea. If that was the case it would make sense but then I said let me try something. I sign into my gf's MP account and she's not on this flight with me SAME THING. So obviously they are trying to shaft MileagePlus members for some odd reason. Anyone else see this? Lastly, does anyone know if I did purchase while signed in to my MP account if it would've covered me for both segments?

See attachments.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a463199e96.png

Without being signed in aka guest
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4804f51d4e.png

Signed into MP account

Signing in would allow you to share the connection between devices, as long as only one is connected at once. Perhaps that's why they think it demands a premium.

It would not have covered multiple segments.

Oh that's the reason? Well jokes on them. My Windows 10 laptop allows me to create a mobile hotspot from it when i'm connected to a WiFi network and connect up to 8 devices to it. I think they should give you the option, I guess in a way they do. But plenty of people probably don't even notice. Just another revenue stream.

It's all by the segment, and they seem to be still experimenting with varied and personalized pricing.

Yes they definitely are -- yesterday flying back to EWR my seatmate and I had different prices for the same flight. I have noticed another variable as well - sometimes before the flight "re-sync's" to the current flight after the previous segment you can get the prior flights pricing offer...

united. saved card+switch device is nice but price scamming loyal elites is pretty crummy.

These prices are way out line, logged in or not. Just 12+ months ago, you could buy PMCO wifi for $2-4 an hour domestic and it worked most of the time, now they want $35 for wifi that rarely works, and when it does, is slower than dial-up? Are they nuts?

IIRC from the Travel Tech forum, there was a monthly service available, similar to Boingo that included wifi on most airlines, I think United was included, but at a fraction of the monthly cost any of these carriers was charging. I need to go back and have a look at it, I am not paying more than $10 for a domestic flight's wifi connection.

This is Kirby's version of the Smisek cashew -- but instead of cutting cost he just keeps jacking up the prices - I wonder if Kirby will brag about it on an earnings call....