I'd expect UA to continue to lead the pack in terms of technology and use the existing iphones to collect contactless payments over NFC.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/...pay-on-iphone/

Both the kiosks and check in via the website also prompt you to save a CC for the itinerary. People should try it next time (or continue using the app, that they're clearly using because they don't know the kiosk/website offers the option, but they're apparently so unsatisfied with).

What? I don't think that's been a real argument to show something as being bloatware since the early 2000s. There are plenty of valid functional purposes to integrate 3rd party references if it already provides the function the developer is trying to achieve, with substantially less time investment because they aren't trying to reinvent the wheel.

My experience with the onboard purchase system wasn't very good. I loaded a credit card on my app, didn't buy anything and was charged for liquor.
Good news: The credit card charge was reversed within four days.
Bad news: When I asked for an explanation, I was told that it might have happened because I had been upgraded. (I was not upgraded.) The customer service rep finally conceded that a flight attendant made an error.

if you read my OP, I did add my cc to my reservation prior to my flight, as prompted by the UA email. However the FA couldn't find that info so no soup for me. That is my gripe.

The crappy food wasn't for me, but for my kids. They didn't die, but no one was happy. We had expected to be able to buy food on board, as advertised, had also attempted to preorder food, as advertised, but none of it worked. That mismatch between what was promised and what was delivered, along with the painfully hard seat with minimal pitch and recline, led my family to declare that "UA sucks!" which probably isn't what you want your customers saying.

anyway, other airlines have figured out POS purchases, it's not new technology. Not sure why only UA has this bizarro system, but again if it worked as scripted that's fine but apparently it doesn't. Why tell me to preorder food if I can't? Why tell me to add cc to my reservation if they won't be able to find it later? If only the app will work, why not tell me that in the email instead of all the other things which are irrelevant, untrue, or just wrong?

well, there is a reference to 2 mobile device/geo location tracker URL's, a URL with known malware, and a general adware/bloatware tracking URL. Blocking those reduces the app's functionality by none and likely increases its safety and security of PII, hence it is bloatware with some malware thrown in.

As stated above, the OP complaint is that when storing form of payment ahead of time, it didn't work. So automatically UA has created a broken expectation/false promise with a customer and failed in its service recovery (since couldn't pay for snacks onboard). This is a broken customer service design and it leaves ancillary revenue on the table (not a lot different than an unsold seat). in my recent flights there are a handful of similar experiences. So this begets the question of the effectiveness of the approach and whether UA is foregoing material lost sales because of its stubbornness to accept onboard FP.

The reason UAL does not really fix this stuff and design it this way is because UAL is for the GS/1K corporate contract passengers and that is who they cater to and listen to. Those folks will mostly have their info either stored in the MP profile or not need it because they are flying up front /have the inflight privileges for free snacks. Ergo UAL isn't going to really listen to others.

Stop spreading FUD - without proof, get this garbage out of this thread.

Analytics != malware

You are welcome to not use the app should you have a problem.

I guarantee United isn’t collecting more than other airlines. If you have a problem with sharing PII with any airline, I encourage you to not fly, or feel free to get your face scanned by Delta.

as stated in this thread the app is basically a requirement to render the services of the airline to fly with them. so thanks for pointing out the conundrum.

there are other analytic sites it referenced which do not house malware, i was referencing one of them (int.vaicor.site). Why does the UA app need geolocation/mobile tracking info to 3rd parties? Just a question.
kvinit.prod.api.kochava.com
int.dewrain.com

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news...-worship-otherAnd there is also an interesting question of why the UAL website includes a script to https://analytics.tiktok.com which appears to send email and phone number. I'm sure there would be a customer or two which would not agree to that particular arrangement.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f8f1c05f41.png

Will those systems work without connectivity? The wifi, obvious, doesn't always work. With the current system, the CC is verified on the ground when added to the account. Inflight charges can be cached and uploaded after the flight.

not an expert but I read that other airlines cache/batch the info and then whenever they connect (which is often before landing and could occur several times during a flight) they verify. Likely doesn't work overseas.

What's with all the questioning about UA's ability to issue CC readers and charge credit cards in flight? They literally did this right until the start of the pandemic. The purported reason for switching to app-payment only wasn't because of the challenge in equipping FAs with credit card readers, or the ability to validate cards in flight, but rather to limit the physical contact of various items during COVID. There's no technical reason they couldn't keep "contactless" payment but allow tap-to-pay (Apple Pay, NFC credit cards, etc.).

The whole setup of app-based payment has always seemed a bit complex to me. It also basically requires that nobody change seats during the flight because, while usually FAs will verify a passenger's name and last four CC digits, the whole system is based on seat assignments rather than who is physically present. And yes, they do announce the need to have it on the app before departure, but honestly anyone who doesn't have the app by the time they get on board isn't going to have time to download it, set up an MP account (if they don't already have one), figure out the password to their MP account (if they have one but don't remember the password), log in, figure out where the payment options go, and get it saved, all in the few minutes or so they have between hearing the announcement (assuming they're listening and fully comprehend what the announcement is in reference to) and the door closing when it's too late to do anything about it.

If anything, there ought to be a way to log into a portal via UA wifi onboard, enter your seat number, PNR/passenger name, and credit card info and have it saved for that flight without having to do everything before departure.

Everything is, "hard", when the truth is, it's easy. UA is just trying to cut costs. My belief is that they intend to cut crew sizes further. Their dream is to have robot FAs that never "time-out", never get tired and never make mistakes.

While airlines may wish to further cut those costs, that is not solely their choice, there are FAA required staffing minimums -- 1 FA per 50 seats. I don't see that changing soon.

I hope you're right.

well, the last bit of this OP quote where “thus” is used sums up the pain…. Yes there are multiple issues.

”Had trouble with snacks. Received email about preordering. Attempted to do so, could not complete transaction. was able to enter and save credit card info associated with Confirmation code. In air they said I needed UA app and could find no evidence of me having saved cc. Don't take cc on board. Thus, no snacks. Kids not happy. Dumb system, too gimmicky and too unreliable.”

Analytics ≠ malware