findark

p.s. flight don't use differential fares, so there is no "standard" difference between available prices (unlike most other domestic routes, but similar to most Polaris ones). The cabin prices are completely independent of each other and only change based on each cabin's respective load, along with the usual parameters.

jsloan

I knew that, but I'd forgotten. (That explains the $104 price).

However, I'd still call $300 standard, due to the multiple reports of $300 TOD offers on that route when seats are abundant.

Kacee

Especially with the Diamond seat. I find that seat rather uncomfortable in full upright position.
You've cherry-picked a handful of days and flights with P fare availability. Not at all indicative of the normal fare differential to J on the premium t-cons. IME it's usually at least a $1k higher for a RT, and often well over $2k.

Lifetimenotelite

I have to wonder how many people who would just read from a policy would be happy to board an airplane they paid for a lay flat on a 6 hour flight then get a regular FC seat and just say, oh well.they didn’t mean for it to happen.

I very rarely take just a TPAC and when flying back from Asia on SFO-BOS it’s the TCON where I’m usually so wiped out that I crash from wheels up to wheels down. So yeah, losing my lay flat pisses me off.

To think $300 is just compensation is absurd.

VegasGambler

UA will get you from point A to point B on that route for $99 in basic economy.

The other $2900 is for everything that is different between basic economy and first class.

jsloan

Oh, for heaven's sake, can we please stop with this nonsense?

There are a ton of things wrapped up into the price of airfare. Comparing a basic economy fare, paired to G inventory, for travel far in the future, and a fully unrestricted J fare, and then trying to argue that the only difference is whether or not the seat reclines is absurd.

There doesn't seem to be any further point to this thread. UA's opinion is the only one that matters, and they've settled on $300. The OP can take it or leave it, and take his business to another airline -- which will likely provide about the same amount of compensation for a similar problem.

Kacee

It's no less absurd than insisting that $300 is a normal Y-J fare differential on the premium t-cons. Anyone who flies these routes regularly on any of the four airlines that offer premium service knows from experience that the normal differential is considerably higher than that.

HNLbasedFlyer

I don't know what is normal - but that is generally my buy-up offer. What is the normal buy-up offer?

Xyzzy

Not that long ago, a broken F seat on transcon flights would garner a $500 ETC without so much as the blink of an eye from UA. $300 is insufficient IMH.

Kacee

I'm talking about ticketing into the front cabin, not buy-ups.

Relying on being offered a day of departure buy-up is not a strategy in which I am at all interested.

seenitall

The solution here is the following:

If there is an inoperative seat in the J cabin, the FAs should call for volunteers to trade for that seat. [And if jsloan is flying that route, he will have chimed in to offer up his working seat by the time the bidding reached $300. ] Now everyone is better off.

VegasGambler

I was not saying that the only difference between basic economy and first class was the seat.

I was responding to someone who said that the price of getting from point A to point B was being ignored, and I was pointing out that that price is only $99. The rest is the difference between basic economy and first class. How you divide up that $2900 if up for debate.

The point is that the argument of "they got you from point A to point B so you don't deserve anything" is illogical. Anyone who only cares about getting from point A to point B would buy the $99 ticket (and many people do!); if you spend 30x as much in order to get more UA should be expected to provide it.

jsloan

And you were wrong.
No, it isn't. The rest is the difference between an advance purchase fare with limited availability and no changes allowed and a fully flexible fare, plus the difference between Y and J. UA's Y fares on that route are $1919 and $7597, although I suspect the $7597 fare isn't used except as the basis for a discount. The J fares are $3188 and $10129.

So, at most, you have a difference of $1269, not $2900.

However, my other point is that none of this should matter. I absolutely do not want UA to take what you paid into account, because that leads the way to all sorts of things -- involuntary downgrades with no comp: "sorry, you were on an upgrade / sorry, you were on a P fare, and Y is more expensive," IRROPS based upon fare: "Sorry, we have to wait for G availability, because you bought a G fare. You can fly two weeks from Saturday," etc.

Whatever the compensation is for a broken seat, IMO, should have absolutely nothing to do with what the fare cost.

SFO_FT

The OP could also take UA to small claim court rather than accepting what UA is offering.

HNLbasedFlyer

Doesn't have jurisdiction. But, he could always file a DOT complaint if it made him feel better.