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UA Adds Second Daily Nonstop Service between SFO-HKG (back to daily till 28 Mar 2020)

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Old Jun 27, 2019, 12:55 pm
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UA Adds Second Daily Nonstop Service between SFO-HKG (back to daily till 28 Mar 2020)

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Old Dec 11, 2019, 1:28 pm
  #376  
 
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These changes have been discussed at length in {this thread}

Originally Posted by mduell
No, you have no recourse related to the configuration change.
This is NOT correct. The UA Contract of Carriage specifically calls this out as an IRROPS, and they will generally give options such as changing/canceling flights without penalty.
zoonil and porciuscato like this.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 11, 2019 at 2:06 pm Reason: cleanup after merge; thanks for the link
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Old Dec 11, 2019, 2:17 pm
  #377  
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Originally Posted by mduell
No, you have no recourse related to the configuration change.
Originally Posted by docbert
This is NOT correct. The UA Contract of Carriage specifically calls this out as an IRROPS, and they will generally give options such as changing/canceling flights without penalty.
Indeed, the CoC (Rule 24) even uses the specific words "different seat configurations."

Whether the change from one lie-flat to a different lie-flat triggers this provision is somewhat unsettled. A swap from recliners to lie-flats definitely would.
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Old Dec 11, 2019, 9:49 pm
  #378  
 
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Originally Posted by zoonil
Hi,

I am flying Newark - HongKong (UA 179 and return to San Francisco (UA 862) during the Christmas break. When I booked my business class tickets in August, they displayed the New Polaris configured 4 across business seats. Now suddenly, they have changed to PMCO 777 (6 across).for both the flights.

Of course, there is a chance that it will revert back 3 days prior to travel - but is this a decision made by UA to revert HKG flights to PMCO equipment? The answer is probably no, but do I have any recourse at all?
One small comment that this config didn’t just change in the last week - it was like two months ago? I know because I am on SFO-HKG and have been watching it the last few months.

doesnt mean you can’t ask to change, just noting that it would have shown.

a downside of United not always sending out automated emails when there are changes.
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Old Dec 12, 2019, 4:28 pm
  #379  
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Originally Posted by spin88
No. Monterey county (437K) and SLO county (283K) are both not in the "bay area" MSA counties, and both are between the SF Bay Metro MSA and Santa Barbara. Their are actually probably another 2M people for whom SFO is the primary international gate way (not including the Sacramento MSA which as 2.4M people in it.

To asia, the options are (1) connect on a puddle jumper at SFO, (2) back connect on a puddle jumper at LAX, (3) fly out of SMF to SEA, connect their, or (4) drive/shuttle to SFO. Outside of limited options ex-SJC, most of the traffic is ex-SFO, and the massive market, strong high value business demand, and large asian population, is why there are so many flights to asia, with competition on nearly every route, out of SFO.
Yeah, there's a reason HKG-SFO had 7x daily flights until recently (3x CX, 2x UA, 1x SQ, 1x HX). Which is far more than any other US city.
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Old Dec 14, 2019, 7:02 pm
  #380  
 
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I flew 877 and 878 this past week and both used Polaris 772s (swapped out about 3 days before departure). PP was treated as E+ and was able to grab those both ways. Y catering but received PP bedding and amenity kit

UA really should have installed LED mood lighting when they refurbished these cabins though.
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Old Dec 14, 2019, 7:42 pm
  #381  
 
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Originally Posted by spin88
I suspect that SF is United's most important market, in that unlike IAH/EWR it faces real competition here, and it is probably a bigger HVF market for UA (nearly all on corporate accounts) than is ORD and certainly DEN. Put another way more possible $$$ to be either gained or lost to competition at SFO than any other hub. SFO services not only the 4th largest metro area, but in high value travel (inc corporate travel) my guess is that it is #2 in the US after NYC. Someone probably has the figures to show if my guess is correct.
On a “per capita basis”, SFO might be UA’s most %HVF hub. But ORD (+60% pax) dwarfs it as does IAH/EWR in absolute terms. So I’m not sure you’re claim is correct. SNA on a “per capita basis” might beat SFO on %HVF!

And on a metro area basis (apples to apples), SF is #7, 4x less than NYC, 2x less than Chicago. LA, Houston, Dallas, Philly also ahead of you.

And btw, ORD/Chicago faces far more competition than SFO (AA/WN MDW hubs and many intl carriers). And NYC across three airports has an abundance. If you’re speaking Asia competition only, well, yeah, duh! SFO is the closest US hub (LA/SEA close also - but not UA focus).

Last edited by tcdtcd; Dec 14, 2019 at 7:48 pm
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Old Dec 15, 2019, 9:45 am
  #382  
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Originally Posted by tcdtcd
On a “per capita basis”, SFO might be UA’s most %HVF hub. But ORD (+60% pax) dwarfs it as does IAH/EWR in absolute terms. So I’m not sure you’re claim is correct. SNA on a “per capita basis” might beat SFO on %HVF!

And on a metro area basis (apples to apples), SF is #7, 4x less than NYC, 2x less than Chicago. LA, Houston, Dallas, Philly also ahead of you.

And btw, ORD/Chicago faces far more competition than SFO (AA/WN MDW hubs and many intl carriers). And NYC across three airports has an abundance. If you’re speaking Asia competition only, well, yeah, duh! SFO is the closest US hub (LA/SEA close also - but not UA focus).
Except like we discussed before, SF metro and region is far bigger than that. The region primarily served by SFO is the 3rd or 4th biggest metro in the country.

Also, SF business traffic is far more important to UA than Chicago's traffic. In general, SF's economy is more important. UA's biggest corporate customer is Apple with regular flights to Asia (PVG and HKG are hugely important to Apple), as well as Europe (TLV, ZRH, DUB, LON, AMS are all important tech markets with Google / Apple / Facebook outposts in each)
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Old Dec 15, 2019, 9:54 am
  #383  
 
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FWIW, EWR-HKG is going back to 1x daily starting at the end of March, but only on a 772.
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Old Dec 15, 2019, 8:52 pm
  #384  
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The debate on population statistics has run its course. There are multiple different measures and clearly these different metrics can be used to draw different conclusions. The internal metrics UA uses are unknown to us and unlikely to be shared. But UA's schedule choices are clear.

So as posters' opinions have been shared and reshared there seems to be little point in further battling of those statistics.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 12:15 am
  #385  
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I'm thinking of waitlisting SFO-HKG in late Jan during the CNY holiday that is PN>0, booking a K fare and using 80PP that are expiring anyways. Currently something like 10 booked and nobody on the waitlist using the flight status "hack." It was PZ>0 right when GPUs were converted to PP but I missed the boat on that.. Thoughts on chances? At least it is RN9 right now..
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 2:43 am
  #386  
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Originally Posted by GoSh4rks
I'm thinking of waitlisting SFO-HKG in late Jan during the CNY holiday that is PN>0, booking a K fare and using 80PP that are expiring anyways. Currently something like 10 booked and nobody on the waitlist using the flight status "hack." It was PZ>0 right when GPUs were converted to PP but I missed the boat on that.. Thoughts on chances? At least it is RN9 right now..
10/50 booked 6 weeks out, PN>0, and CNY? I'd be surprised if it doesn't clear.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 6:33 am
  #387  
 
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Originally Posted by GoSh4rks
I'm thinking of waitlisting SFO-HKG in late Jan during the CNY holiday that is PN>0, booking a K fare and using 80PP that are expiring anyways. Currently something like 10 booked and nobody on the waitlist using the flight status "hack." It was PZ>0 right when GPUs were converted to PP but I missed the boat on that.. Thoughts on chances? At least it is RN9 right now..
agreed with Kacee but important question - how many people flying? If just you and a partner no worries but more than that might not clear easily because the PZ bucket sometimes only goes to 1 or 2.

and if needed you can always split the record after waitlisting to get more than 2 cleared in advance
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 7:55 am
  #388  
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Originally Posted by GoSh4rks
I'm thinking of waitlisting SFO-HKG in late Jan during the CNY holiday that is PN>0, booking a K fare and using 80PP that are expiring anyways. Currently something like 10 booked and nobody on the waitlist using the flight status "hack." It was PZ>0 right when GPUs were converted to PP but I missed the boat on that.. Thoughts on chances? At least it is RN9 right now..
If it was PZ9 recently, odds-on it will be again soon unless they sell a bunch of tickets. RM likes to fluctuate inventory back and forth.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 8:28 am
  #389  
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Originally Posted by findark
If it was PZ9 recently, odds-on it will be again soon unless they sell a bunch of tickets. RM likes to fluctuate inventory back and forth.
Agree, it is likely to go PZ9 again.

I've cleared this route probably two dozen times.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 11:22 am
  #390  
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While I understand it is a good news to have plenty of upgrade space available and FTers are able to clear ^, isn’t it an indication that the route may not be sustainable based on this trend?

I see the same fact pattern as LAX-HKG in the past 3 decades since I started flying United.

Hope HK economy gets a boost and the service is sustainable, but then we will be complaining our upgrades not clearing anymore..
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