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Who are all these elites flying on Thanksgiving Saturday?

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Who are all these elites flying on Thanksgiving Saturday?

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Old Nov 26, 2022, 7:27 pm
  #1  
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Who are all these elites flying on Thanksgiving Saturday?

Flying IAD - DEN on UA 2431 leaving Dulles at 10 PM. First is booked full, there are two people ahead of me and Mrs BHF on the UG list (and we’re both GS) and there are 40 premium pax on the UG list.

This isn’t a rhetorical question, who are all these premium pax? Where are they coming from?
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 7:42 pm
  #2  
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Originally Posted by BlueHenFlyer
Flying IAD - DEN on UA 2431 leaving Dulles at 10 PM. First is booked full, there are two people ahead of me and Mrs BHF on the UG list (and we’re both GS) and there are 40 premium pax on the UG list.

This isn’t a rhetorical question, who are all these premium pax? Where are they coming from?
Folks/elites who visited family in NCR from DEN and are flying back to be ready to for work on Monday morning (and trying to beat the Sunday return rush). Or connecting in DEN to smaller flights. And with spouses and kids leveraging their status. May also include a bunch of nonrevs getting back to DEN base.

David
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 7:43 pm
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Originally Posted by BlueHenFlyer
Flying IAD - DEN on UA 2431 leaving Dulles at 10 PM. First is booked full, there are two people ahead of me and Mrs BHF on the UG list (and we’re both GS) and there are 40 premium pax on the UG list.

This isn’t a rhetorical question, who are all these premium pax? Where are they coming from?
Once a year fliers can fly in F too. In fact, they can probably justify it a lot easier since they only do it once a year
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 7:45 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by United747
Once a year fliers can fly in F too. In fact, they can probably justify it a lot easier since they only do it once a year
But what BlueHenFlyer is pointing out is not the folks already in F but the upgrade list and the sheer number of presumed elites flying to DEN on the Saturday evening after Thanksgiving.

David
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 7:47 pm
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Originally Posted by DELee
But what BlueHenFlyer is pointing out is not the folks already in F but the upgrade list and the sheer number of presumed elites flying to DEN on the Saturday evening after Thanksgiving.

David
In reading the OP, I’m focusing on “who are all these premium passengers” and the fact F is already full.
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 7:49 pm
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Originally Posted by United747
In reading the OP, I’m focusing on “who are all these premium passengers” and the fact F is already full.
OK - I'm focused on the first line:

First is booked full, there are two people ahead of me and Mrs BHF on the UG list (and we’re both GS) and there are 40 premium pax on the UG list.
David
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 8:14 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by United747
Once a year fliers can fly in F too. In fact, they can probably justify it a lot easier since they only do it once a year
It’s not the Fs. That’s full. I get that. It’s not non-revs as I accounted for the 3 of them on the UG list.

Families is a good answer. A lot of the same last names together. Looks like there’s a GS in the row in front of me with a family of 4 and they’re all on the list.
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 8:19 pm
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More leisure elites than ever.
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 8:20 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by BlueHenFlyer
It’s not the Fs. That’s full. I get that. It’s not non-revs as I accounted for the 3 of them on the UG list.

Families is a good answer. A lot of the same last names together. Looks like there’s a GS in the row in front of me with a family of 4 and they’re all on the list.
Yay! Maybe take a poll to see how many applied PPs that didn't result in upgrades (and how many actually did).

David
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 8:52 pm
  #10  
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Only 40 on the upgrade list on a hub-to-hub? I'm surprised it's not longer. My flight PHX-SFO on Sunday already has 59 on the list, and that's not even a hub-to-hub.
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 9:03 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Only 40 on the upgrade list on a hub-to-hub? I'm surprised it's not longer. My flight PHX-SFO on Sunday already has 59 on the list, and that's not even a hub-to-hub.
That's Sunday - a heavy return day across the country. BlueHenFlyer 's comment about Saturday still applies - (as an elite) if you don't have to fly today, then why fly?

David

p.s. Just thought of another excuse: post Thanksgiving AYSO soccer tournaments ('tho to be honest many of them already started on Friday).
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 10:04 pm
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I don't know for sure, but I have noticed a good number of people who are able to take the entire week off now. Many schools, including universities, are taking week long breaks, and so parents, spouses, et al. take breaks to coincide. If that is the case, then many will fly Saturday to Saturday as that is a lower cost often. Sunday is higher traffic and more expensive when it comes to Thanksgiving. That may not account for all of the elites, but I'd sure do it. I am a professor, and former secondary teacher, and many of my friends are parents if not in education, so I am seeing this often on social media. I am not sure how many are elites, but this may account for some?
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 11:01 pm
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On the weekend after Thanksgiving, all bets are off. Not surprised to see the upgrade list that long. As you've said, not everyone wants to fly home on Sunday.
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 11:34 pm
  #14  
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Got back today LAX - DEN, prices were WAY cheaper to head back home on Saturday than on Sunday when I booked which is why I chose to fly back home on Saturday. I have a feeling others had the same idea. 67 people on the upgrade list and I was number 26 on the list.
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Old Nov 26, 2022, 11:46 pm
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As someone who flies every week for business, all I can say is, "welcome to my world". I buy F on almost every flight now, so I get to see who stays in the front cabin with me during pre-boarding and, most of the time, the majority of the folks in F are non-elites. It's typical for me to see 3-5 GSs walk back to Y, along with a slew of 1Ks during pre-boarding. My interpretation of what is going on is that lots of infrequent flyers are buying F on every flight, leaving far fewer UG seats. I believe that this is a permanent shift in customer behavior and likely doesn't bode well for UGs into the future. FCM is working very well for UA.
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