EWR764

UA is attempting to increase the paid mix of F passengers primarily by discounting the product. Invariably that will lead to dilution of the free upgrade benefit. So in a sense, you are right, there will be more 1K/GS in Y than before, but nevertheless I applaud any positive change to the inflight experience, whether it is a point of differentiation for UA or just a move to bring UA to parity with its competition.

At the very least it's an acknowledgment that United needs to work harder to maintain the loyalty of its customers, and that their ongoing business cannot be taken for granted.

cova

I guess it depends on how UA displays it. On AA the seat map is the screen the FA sees as they swipe CC for those that pay.

santarosaflyer

Thank you, a nice touch after the annual erosion of Jeff's cutbacks.

I laugh as we try to negotiate the fine print on here.

On my reason flights, the FA have given me one (or more) cocktails in Y. Many of my UAX flights are short and I tend not to drink on those flights.

Thanks for showing appreciation to elite flights.

When I made reservations this week, the agent indicated that the number of 1Ks that qualified for 2016 were less than 2015.

mkr

It remains to be seen if more top level elites will purchase discounted front cabin fares. Many are bound by company restrictions on the fares they can purchase. Therefore, on certain routes, if there are a lot of top level Premiers on the flight, they are not getting upgrades, and are unable to purchase the discounted fares.

This new offer by MP seems to be an effort to offer those top level elites some additional perks to make up for lack of upgrades.

However, as many have reported, and there are other threads about this, many are still snagging upgrades. A couple of threads discuss a high number of persons clearing the upgrade lists on certain routes.There are many reasons offered as to why this occurs.

What will be interesting to observe is the effects of the 2015 qualification requirements that increased the PQD requirements for each Premier level. (1K increased from $10,000 to $12,000). In my opinion, there is likely a significant number of these 1KS who did not requalify because of the PQDs.

How many former 1KS failed to requalify, and how many will be able to purchase higher fares that will increase their PQDs while also increasing their PQMs to help them requalify for 1K ? If they are unable to purchase the higher fares, and cannot get upgrades, they will be sitting in Economy. At least with this new policy, they can get something to eat and drink compliments of UA, once they requalify for 1K. Until they requalify, they will get a free non-alcoholic beverage and a snack that all in Economy will receive.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I sincerely doubt reservation agents (and 99.9% of the rest of UA's employees) have access to those numbers.

The loss of lesser-value 1Ks will be made up im 2016 by flyers who previously had no problems meeting the PQD requirements, but not the PQMs.

UA appears to be successful in monetizing the front cabin, so those used to frequent upgrades need to resign themselves to the change. The free food item does not make up for the loss of more reliable upgrades, but it does take away some of the disappointment.

mkr

In my opinion, there are not significant numbers of flyers who previously made the PQD requirements for 1K but not the PQMs who will do so in 2016. There is no way to prove one way or the other, as I know UA will not release these figures.

It remains to be seen how many additional flyers are able to pay fares to sit up front in order to earn increased PQMs.

DCEsquire

I give them some props here too but let's not confuse business necessity with beneficence.

While I applaud the change as well (something is always better than nothing), I would like to highlight your larger point about F being much more of a paid mix.

I was on an HNL to LAX flight with 20 seats in F. Most 1k's and GS were in the back of the bus. I don't know the exact numbers but I can tell a bit because the FA actually did take orders by status (she bopped all around the cabin in status order) and I was 3rd or 4th on the lists. Lots of people around me didn't get their first choice - same as mine - the cereal!

mkr

Please clarify. How do you know most 1Ks & GS were in the back of the plane?

So they took your order 3rd or 4th. What does that prove about a mix of more paid in First? There could have been 1Ks & GS on upgrades in the cabin who had their food orders taken before you.

JC5280

I agree with this. And the "disappointment" only comes from years of an expectation that upgrades could come without buying them. That reliability of upgrades is a thing of the past, and was something UA (and other carriers) needed to overcome for revenue sake. That too, will pass.

As far as people restricted to discounted economy fares that are part of company regulations, thats probably more the norm than the exception. I could be guessing, but most of us that are lower than C-level executive are probably required to buy discount coach. UA knows this too, and thats why all domestic fares will get a buy-up offer. I think where they are missing is that the buy up offer is higher than buying the discount A/F fares, and that they offer is much higher than what they offer the less-frequent traveler.

Boraxo

My thoughts exactly. ^

I'm a little stale that this benefit was not offered during the 4 years that I enjoyed 1K status, but nice to know that it will be there once my travel picks up.

Now if we could only get real food on midcon flights departing after 8pm (I'd even pay for it)

uastarflyer

Even on transpacs eg SFO-HKG/NRT/SYD/PEK?

Kudos to the OP. Free drink, Choice item, followed later with an Illy+stroopwaffel, pretty enticing prospect.

Live4Upgrade

Good news. Looks the tide is starting to change for the better in Willis Tower.

jason8612

Great news!

username

There is no doubt this is a move toward the right direction but the cynical part of me says that here is the plan:

1 - shrink the size of the offerings
2 - still sell them to regular passengers at the same price
3 - the savings will pay for the free items given to 1K and GS

The size of the snacks in F has definitely shrunk since they added variety.

EWR764

I don't think we are... it is a matter of business necessity as the company has obviously embarked on a strategy to increase paid first class sales by lowering the cost of entry into the cabin, which necessarily reduces what is seen as a "cornerstone benefit" of elite status. Meanwhile, United clearly has obliterated substantially all goodwill among its customers in the course of the merger integration and is losing business to DL and AA, who each offer their top-tier members better recognition. Simply put, the business case for United to offer comparatively fewer benefits to its elite members is gone.

Regardless, as someone who continues to fly United, often in back if not on a paid premium fare, this is a material improvement to my travel experience and I appreciate that. Now, as others have said, let's just hope United does a better job of communicating this benefit to its flight attendants, as I find it embarrassing and elitist to have to explain policies like this to less-informed crew members. I would almost rather pay and seek a refund under the circumstances.