LAX

Well, 1Ps will soon be the "new" 2Ps (or whatever it's going to be called) because I think Smisek will pull E+ from 1Ps in the next round of enhancements if he can get away with this round.

LAX

TomA

But, trust me, 1Ks have been ALMOST getting those middle E- seats on some routes. Almost certainly a lot of Golds/1Ps WERE getting them that almost certainly won't get them now. I really think this could have been because they were running out of seats.

And when 0's get put up there for free, it is almost always into middle seats. I sat by one that told me he always asked for the exit row aisle in the past, but (JUST NOW) was finding that he couldn't book them anymore! I was thinking... "haven't flown much lately, eh?"

Look what is available to me in E+ on a flight coming up. The flight is October 7, NRT-BKK. Still more than a week away. Now I guarantee you that a good percentage of these seats are filled with 2Ps and it's been like this (well, not quite this bad, but still) since CO and UA started reciprocity. I fly this route almost every month. You can almost get 2p by flying it ONCE (from the East coast).



Now tell me that doesn't also suck...

84fiero

Exactly! Don't take it away then sell it back to me, and expect me to be happy about it.

The posters saying that other airlines don't have E+ so what are we losing?, are missing the point. It's that E+ access at booking, as an elite, was one big factor that drew me to choose UA even over more convenient airlines, or slightly less expensive alternatives. NOw that it's gone(except E+ Roulette), among other changes, I am much less likely to actively choose UACO.

Even where I may be able to snag E+ for the wife and me at T-24hrs, I have to be able to check in pretty early on with many routes. Often on the return leg of a business trip I am typically in a meeting, where online access isn't feasible, at 24 hours. Or overseas where access is harder to come by. I suppose a work-around would be having my wife or a trusted friend check me in, but come on! How much of a PITA stuff am I willing to put up with for UA?

STS-134

If that route has that much elite traffic, that plane needs a bigger E+ section. Or, UACO should just get rid of reciprocity until the CO birds have E+. Right now, CO people have a lot of motivation to fly UA metal but UA people have almost no motivation to fly CO metal. But at least if they got rid of reciprocity, the CO people wouldn't have anything taken away that they had before.

TomA

Probably. Most 3000 mile non stops are fairly elite heavy--I would think ESPECIALLY 2P heavy because you can make 2P so easily on these flights if you are connecting from the states. But this 747 has two economy "cabins". The first is all E+; the second all E-. Maybe it would be hard to rearrange the seats. They usually do break at some logical point, either an exit row or a cabin break. They certainly can't add a bigger plane.

It's one company now... why would they kick 1K CO flyers out to accommodate UA 2Ps? I mean, yeah, the merger sucks for UA 2Ps that have been about that level for a long time, but that's a moot point now. And anyway, they've matched statuses now. All of us have equal status on both airlines, if you applied for it. No way they can take that back.

Finally, at the rate things seem to be going, it will be one company before CO gets E+. Have you even seen one CO E+ bird yet? I haven't.


OH, and I would usually take a CO plane if I can. They're just nicer. And have better video equipment and power ports. And I normally always get the bulkhead or exit row.

And actually... row 19 above and the bulkhead seats in row 32 in the E- cabin are probably blocked and I will be able to get one by calling in. Still, you can see that things are getting really tight in some cabins, and I think that is more the reason for the changes rather than that they don't value 2P business.

Superguy

Send UA a copy of your receipt for full F on DL and tell them why you chose DL over them.

If anything will get their attention, it's customers paying full F on a competing airline as a direct result of their actions.

And how is that going to be done at the gate? Is UA going to process an E+ "upgrade" list just like the F upgrade list?

TomA

Unlikely... imagine the mess and loading delays that would cause.

Superguy

Well, that was my point, and hence the So if upgrades are being processed and people are moving out of E+ up to F, how will those seats be assigned? I think another poster stated it best - it'll either be standby's or non-revs, and the 2Ps will still be stuck in the back.

A note to all, while I made it to nyctravis, it applies to everyone. If you've booked a ticket (or even better, multiple and/or premium tickets), fax your receipts to UA and tell them why you did it. Money is the only language $mi$ek understand, so show him how it'll hurt UA.

If they see enough revenue starting to leave UA, they'll notice that at the very least, and they'll have something to tie it to, rather than blame it on the economy.

nyctravis

Good idea, I will do that. I'd also like to echo your suggestion to others. For that matter, everyone should send an email to them regardless stating their dissatisfaction and possible loss of business especially in regards to E+ and the reduction of checked baggage (or whatever else it is for you).

joshwex90

Something tells me it's not long before Gold is *S as well. Look at UA/CO's good friends at LH, the pre-cursor to UA/CO: You can't get *G until 100K miles, and 130K miles if you're a resident of Germany! (Although he'll probably overlook the fact that Frequent Traveller, though *S, still gets lounge access.)

Carolinian

Everybody should also communicate this evil that has come out of UA to all the UA/CO silver and goals they know, as well as pointing out how to move your status by challenges to other airlines. Lets make UA feel the pain they have inflicted on us.

rapidex

To add a bigger plane all they need to do is buy some.A380 for example.

duchy

It's only September -I'm 2K off P2 and with probably two more TATL planned before year end qualification isn't an issue......or it wasn't. (My travel is always weighted towards the end of the year anyway)

It seems all the excuses are now flying "Well you can get your wife to check you in" "You'll probably get E+ at 24 hours" blah blah.

Well you know yes-I could -but why on earth would I bother. What is the new UA going to offer me that makes me having to faff about worth my while?

E+ is nice but I usually plan ahead so exit rows are easy to come by -and I'm usually happy with a E- style aisle if it's near the front.

Routings aren't a big issue for me -Most US carriers fly indirectly to where I'm going UA are no better or worse in that respect.

Bags don't matter-I can pack for a week with carry-on. I can't think of a trip where I'd need more than one checked bag. I travel light -and am a practised packer. One bag free TATL or domestic is fine with me so it's a non issue either way.

Upgrades on a like for like basis with route and status UACO have done worse for me than DL or AA recently

Miles-I'm not going to stay loyal to a carrier who at mid level status gives me less than other carriers I could use. I find redemptions with UACO fine for what I need -but AA were better.... obviously DL weren't.

Customer service UACO will likely use the merger to get rid of some of the over-generous compensations they pay. As an example-badly handled IRROPs at DEN -$300 -nice for me as a silver but commercially out of line with industry standard. There will be a lot of whining when CO's standard compensation becomes the norm next year.

I'll probably look at a challenge I can handle one TATL without status .

Losing E+ is only part of the picture -far greater for me is the attitude UACO are showing towards their customers. I flit between low and mid status -for now. Who knows how that will change -but if as is likely for travel increases I want to give my business to a company that values my business. Who treat me like I matter even in leaner times. The world economy is still in recession -people will remember how UACO treated them when their flying/spend increases again too.

Overall a short-sighted change that will bite UA very hard in the bum -especially if as I suspect the other carriers hold firm and don't reduce in line with them and just mop up all the disaffected previously loyal UA fliers. It'll be interesting to see what further reductions we'll be talking about a year from now.

Just checked my next trip- AA works out $200+ cheaper than UA -I feel a Plat challenge coming on ! It appears I have nothing to lose. (And as someone else has pointed out -power points and in-flight internet/entertainment to gain

dls25

I much prefer *A so I am not going to abandon UA completely. US is a possibility but their earning rates on other *A carriers are too poor to make them an option for me. I plan to book my South America flights on CM to get my 4 flight minimum and then book whatever *A carrier is cheapest for everything else. It will probably be US as they are often 1/3 to 1/2 the price of UA/CO from MSP. My days of paying more or taking inconvenient routings to just to fly UA are over.

LAX

Honestly, with UACO being the size it is & its *A membership, it will be very difficult to completely avoid it (Smisek knows it, too, unfortunately). However, if most of the PREVIOUSLY loyal UA elites start avoiding UA whenever possible, especially overseas, then, I am pretty sure it will hurt UA's bottom line in the medium to long-term. You are right that the days of flying UA at a premium are definitely over (at least for me). In fact, I am now willing to pay a premium to fly another *A carrier over UA if it offers better service & more convenience whenever available.

LAX