UA's Spin-The-Wheel Setup at Certain Airports to Promote Travel Options
Jun 1, 2009, 2:15 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Jun 1, 2009, 2:37 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
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Posts: 1,231
There are 24 place markers on the wheel. They break down as follows:
7 - Economy Plus
4 - Premier line
4 - Bottled water
4 - Playing cards
4 - Game book
1 - Red Carpet Club
I'll be passing through LAX on the 4th and will take it for a spin. I don't need any of the stuff but if I win a RCC pass or E+ hopefully it is a paper voucher as it will make for good trading fodder in Coupon Connection.
7 - Economy Plus
4 - Premier line
4 - Bottled water
4 - Playing cards
4 - Game book
1 - Red Carpet Club
I'll be passing through LAX on the 4th and will take it for a spin. I don't need any of the stuff but if I win a RCC pass or E+ hopefully it is a paper voucher as it will make for good trading fodder in Coupon Connection.
Jun 1, 2009, 4:02 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 560
Actually, if you value bottled water, playing cards, and the game book equally, and obviously all three of those are valued less than E+, then the probability of getting one of the three lesser valued items is higher than that of getting E+.
Jun 1, 2009, 4:58 am
#19
Original Member, Moderator: Hotel Deals and MilesBuzz
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 14,257
seems like this could backfire to a person who already didn't like UA. Sending the message "stuff that you would expect to get with normal airline service is now a roll of the dice."
actually, yeah, I think the whole wheel of fortune thing is not a great idea... Is it ever a good image to project for a company?
actually, yeah, I think the whole wheel of fortune thing is not a great idea... Is it ever a good image to project for a company?
Having said that, I still want to spin the wheel.
Jun 1, 2009, 5:20 am
#20
Join Date: May 2008
Location: 39°51'31"N 104°40'23"W
Programs: UA 1.5K MM/SPG Plat/Various Random Golds lol
Posts: 1,071
Odds are 29% you will get E+, and just over 50% you will get something of some decent value: E+, RCC, or Premier line. A promotion clearly targeted at the occasional flyer who will win a chance to try out for free some items that usually cost 30-60 bucks? I think it's a pretty sweet deal for a flyer with no status.
Jun 1, 2009, 5:32 am
#21
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AS MVP, HH Gold, MR Gold
Posts: 1,848
Two pages in and no one has grumbled that this will devalue their elite E+ experience: that open middle next to you is now being given away to some schlub who spun the wheel. Perhaps you can use the deck you won to play cards with him. 
I'll be through LAX on the 3rd so I'll check it out. No worries, though, as I'm flying out on an RJ, so no E+ to be given away on the wheel.
I'll be through LAX on the 3rd so I'll check it out. No worries, though, as I'm flying out on an RJ, so no E+ to be given away on the wheel.
Jun 1, 2009, 5:34 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
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I don't know about "better", but assuming E+ isn't completely sold out on a flight (reasonable assumption for most flights IME) the incremental cost to UA of giving out an E+ seat is 0$. So giving better odds of winning the E+ seat reduces the cost of the promotion.
Jun 1, 2009, 11:13 am
#24
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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and i'll report back on 6/2 (and see you at iad on 6/3 
)
where in iad is it located as i'll be there 6/3
)I saw this yesterday coming off a flight from IAD. The only prize that would be of benefit to me would be the RCC one (which I'm asuming is a day pass). However, it looks like there's only one chance of winning that in a spin. Oh well, CA water tastes like %@&#, so maybe the water prize isn't so bad.
Jun 1, 2009, 11:48 am
#25
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The wheel at ORD is supposed to be up today. Anyone know where yet?
Jun 1, 2009, 11:56 am
#26
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1P, Delta GM, HH Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Silver
Posts: 1,715
Back OT...I'd imagine there will be some long lines for this, despite the lack of appeal to the more frequent travelers that make up the FT population.
Jun 1, 2009, 11:57 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,484
I agree, it's kind of a fun concept.
But I think with airlines, people like to have the image of consistency, over a random turn of the wheel. No matter how much of a bonus you're getting, spinning a wheel goes with very few corporate images.
But I think with airlines, people like to have the image of consistency, over a random turn of the wheel. No matter how much of a bonus you're getting, spinning a wheel goes with very few corporate images.
Jun 1, 2009, 1:15 pm
#29
Join Date: May 2008
Location: BOI (formerly ORD)
Programs: UA 1K 1.4MM; AA PLT 2.5MM; Hilton Diamond; Starwood Gold; Hyatt Platinum; Amex MR; Chase UR, et al
Posts: 465
WHQ makes plenty of displeasing decisions, but I definitely don't count the Travel Options campaign as one of them. In fact, the revenue that program derives is critically important to supporting my 1K benefits. E+ can continue to exist because people pay for it. Separate Premium Security can continue to be supported (and expanded) at airports because people pay for it. RCCs are available (however unimpressive many are) for me at no cost on international itineraries because many people pay for memberships and/or one-day passes.
Looking at domestic carriers over the last five years, it actually seems to me that United is doing a better job of offering useful/attractive service upgrades for reasonable prices than other airlines. The more revenue UA can extract out of the infrequent travelers that represent a major share of their ticket sales (by count, not revenue), the better the airline will do.
Rough math tells me that if United can extract $20 from one out of every eight passengers, that will generate $160M. If they can make that one in six passengers, the number jumps by $70M. AA proved that you can’t increase revenue by offering the extra legroom for free (MRTC), because they were never able to increase their ticket prices to compensate.
I’d say WHQ has found one glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary operation.
Looking at domestic carriers over the last five years, it actually seems to me that United is doing a better job of offering useful/attractive service upgrades for reasonable prices than other airlines. The more revenue UA can extract out of the infrequent travelers that represent a major share of their ticket sales (by count, not revenue), the better the airline will do.
Rough math tells me that if United can extract $20 from one out of every eight passengers, that will generate $160M. If they can make that one in six passengers, the number jumps by $70M. AA proved that you can’t increase revenue by offering the extra legroom for free (MRTC), because they were never able to increase their ticket prices to compensate.
I’d say WHQ has found one glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary operation.
Jun 1, 2009, 1:26 pm
#30
Join Date: Apr 2004
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