Consolidated Global Services Thread: Benefits, Questions, Experiences [2022]
 

Hello GSers and all with interest... and happy new year! Here's the 2022 thread continued from the 2021 thread.

I flew back from LHR yesterday pm with my wife and son , although the airport was not super busy the checkin was a little chaotic, due to a missing sign the GS checkin was not visible so I just jumped in the regular Polaris line , after a few minutes in there we were fished out by a GS gent who checked us in and on the way scolded the passport checker for not paying enough attention. We checked into the lounge, both agents were talking on the phone so we scanned in , personally I think this is rude whatever your status.The flight crew were excellent engaging and made a big deal of my multi mm and G S status.At the end of the flight the purser gave me her card with an appreciation note on the back. She also apologized for the food quality which was truly awful and would rank amongst the worst I have ever had in any class on my travels,I have been traveling heavily in the past weeks international and domestic ,with odd exception there are are a lot more thank you for your business comments being handed out than I can recall in the past

The chow is beyond dreadful on Polaris flights. Last month, i overheard the following exchange: Purser: “Pasta or chicken?” PAX: “What is on the pasta?” Response: “Sauce”

Too bad Door Dash does not deliver T/A

By any chance, did you have a problem with a plane change and non adjoining seats? 🙂

I jumped from Polaris line to Premier line at LHR a couple of days ago because it made sense to do so. Finished checking my bag before about 5-6 people in the Polaris/1K line that were ahead of me - but they had the privilege of standing in the Polaris line and they were going to see it through :) The Premier line is one desk over from the left-most Polaris/1K desk, so easy to compare lines.

Is an award ticket eligible for CPU if not booked with chase CC ?

For GS, yes.

ok, thanks.
weird, it’s not showing CPU requested.

Is this still true?

On upgrade list, a non-status pax supported by GS PP is ranked ahead of 1K supported by 1K PP?

This is not so rare. You can always call to ascertain. For the few times that I called, CPU was indeed already requested but non shown on united.com.

I didn’t call but the upgrade did clear a T-120 !

I can confirm this is true. I applied my PPs for my kids (both silver) who were on the same flight and they were immediately pulled up to #1 and #2 in the waitlist for a EWR-SFO transcon we took in November. Granted they are both silver but I would imagine the same would have happened if they were general members.

Yep.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e5113ba651.jpg
This is my boarding pass from an international flight a few weeks ago. While pre boarding wasn't an issue, I was just surprised to see boarding group 2 printed on the boarding pass.
I also had a bizzare experience while checking in. At the Airport they did have a dedicated counter for GS check in, but the ground agent simply refused to let me go use the counter, even after me saying multiple times that I was a GS ( his rationale because others ( premier members) are in line ( for premium check in, not GS). Anyhow, I went checked in and then ask the person behind the counter why I was allowed to use the GS counter and she was surprised to hear that. I asked for the station manager, who came within few minutes, profusely apologized for this ground agents behavior. He worked as a contractor, so the station manager summoned the contract companies supervisor to come talk with me. By then I was running late so just asked the station manager to reinforce the training for the ground agents.

where ! Where ! Where !

Likely Canada or Mexico based on flight times

Could be CUN-ORD based on flight times on the ticket

I've had similar bad experiences with the contracted employees United uses in Mexico. At GDL I asked a United employee at the gate if I could switch to an earlier flight. He said yes and to wait a moment. I wait and wait and he continues to say wait some more. As boarding time comes for the earlier flight he says it's not possible. I check the app and there are plenty of seats available. Another employee tells me they can't change flights at the gate and I should have gone to the check-in counter to have someone change my flight. No mention of this by the first employee. By this time it would be too late to get to the check-in counter and back through security.

In CUN I had just spent a few days there and was going home. A United security employee at the gate asks for my ticket and passport. He asks what the purpose of my visit was. I said I was there on vacation. He said, "you're lying." After asking him what he's talking about he just hands me back my ticket and passport and walks away. As I board I notice the same guy make eye contact with an employee at the gate and as I am boarding I just happen to "randomly" get selected for extra screening.

Wow what a nightmare....

From Frankfurt to SFO, they mixed up my meal (which was no big deal at all). I let them know that was not what I had ordered (they had given me salmon), knowing that salmon typically is requested, I didn't want to remove it from someone who truly wanted it... so, I told them and I got an apology letter in hand writing... I was just trying to say, "don't worry guys, no big deal at all, I can eat the fish but just in case you are short on fish, I can have the beef".... that was a first time I got a letter given to me... that was touching.... I only tried to assist.

I just did now a EWR back to SFO last Sunday, as transcontinental, the food was just horrible... it was veggie ragu... I could don't touch it... it was that bad. Nothing about GS etc... Not a biggie for me. Since being GS for the past 3 years, I really didn't have a single big thing that says "oh wow, great to be GS"... honestly... nothing special... but anyway.... I remain loyal to UA.

Happy new Year everyone!

Now.... Omicron is here..... seems there is a shortage of pilot and here in Silicon Valley (I am sure everywhere else), there is a shortage or everything and everyone is testing positive for Covid/Omicron, Delta... you name it.... So... things are slowing down again, schools etc..... crazy testing worldwide which still prohibits anyone to travel for work the way we used to do.... and so, wondering what's going to happen with flying ... tons of cancellations etc.... though got to say, I was lucky with my flights with UA... just a bit delayed but otherwise good...

I am just a bit worried of what this month travel is going to be overall.....

That straight up sounds like a scene from National Geographic's Locked Up Abroad.

Fortunately for me, my life is not that interesting. No drugs. Just a semi mileage run and a need to get away from home to sleep.

On 737 CLT/EWR this a.m. 10 PAX in FC, eight of whom were non-revs. Economy at best half full but left early, arrived earlier and was a nice flight. Parking deck in EWR half full. Will be a long month

yeah it was CUN-ORD.

Think UA will invite many new people to GS this year? Any guesses about the spend threshold?

I nearly always check my bag so I tend to visit the GS lobbies where available. I'm DEN based and always stop in to say hello etc. In chatting with the most senior GS agent working and explaining that I always stop in to at least say hello, she mentioned that volume of bags checked and BPs issue at each location is tracked and is part of the grander UA "Is it worth having a GS lobby here" decision. Assuming that's the case, i will continue to make sure I drop in and at least have a BP printed for me each time I travel through a GS lobby location.

GS Perk Eliminated? Guaranteed companion saver award with paid biz
 

On the phone with a rep trying to get a biz saver award ticket for my spouse against a paid biz ticket. This has worked for me in the past. She's informing me that it's been replaced with a single segment guaranteed points plus upgrade from coach to business, which makes little sense to me given that this is a round trip flight.

Has this perk been officially eliminated, or is the rep misinformed?

Unfortunately yes. One of the most irritating “enhancements” ever! Makes no sense at all.

How exactly is this an enhancement?! Going from guaranteed business round trip to only being guaranteed a single segment on an international trip means one of us sits in the back if an upgrade doesn't clear or if we don't have enough miles to do the everyday award (and these prices seem to have skyrocketed)

Was this announced anywhere?

You missed the sarcasm, sorry. It was an egregious and unnecessary move on UA’s part.

I caught the sarcasm, I am curious to understand how they're describing this as a positive move.

So you combine business and economy roundtrip on a half-one-way basis. The spouse doesn't *have* to sit in back one-way.

Discussed heavily in the 2019 and 2020 GS threads when it was implemented. Agree it doesn’t make much sense, and many of us wrote in about the change at that time. The gist of the response is that it was “not a published benefit, but an exception to policy that is changing”.

For me personally, it was the single largest benefit of the GS program. It’s been compounded by the significantly reduced PN availability.

Spouse never sits in the back. That said, how we distribute our seats is not relevant to the discussion of the perk being removed.

Got it. Did not realize this change occurred in 2019! Agree completely on the compounded nature of lack of PN, and I'd add the increased award fare prices makes it even worse. I can appreciate the "Not a published benefit" bit; it has been so widely discussed that I assumed it was one. Thanks for the added color!

The one perk we all used and they killed it. Typical and why GS has lost a ton of value.

They didn’t.

The “enhancement” snark stems back to Smisek telling about us about all the “changes you will like”. Similarly other airlines (LH is infamous for it) describing negative changes as positive - or implementing 3 negative ones combined with one weakly positive one, and noting “in response to customer preferences”. 🙄

Just to confirm, GS can’t push upgrades through CPU when PN=0 but P=4?

In this case PP would be required right? Do PP must come from GS? Assume PZ and PN are all zero.

That is correct, and yes PP needs to come from GS in this instance.

Booked BOS-IAH-with P4 PN0 PZ0. Less than T-72 now. No.1 on CPU list.

I am wondering if eventually I'll clear CPU to save PP.

I seldom check a bag but use the GS reception lounge every time one is available for the very reason you mentioned. It is a very nice perk to be maintained.