Comments on: United Introduces Elite Status for Anyone Who Wants to Buy It

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:50:54 +0000

I am one those who after being a Flight attendant (back in the day!) has had to re-enter the flying world. There are only two things that really matter when flying today…(three if you count swine flu). 1. Everything about getting on an aircraft ( I mean Everything! ) is no longer fun. I will do exactly what the Obama administration does and throw money at the problem. United knows this. An E+ is a prereq. 2. I want to get on the airplane before anyone else. United knows this

So in the mean time as I literally climb over the bodies to reach the top of the MP heap, I will pay for the odds of possibly having a better flight. United knows this. I now can fully understand the relationship between crack and the addict.

By: jonathan reed

jonathan reed — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:54:08 +0000

Don’t knock “lowly” premier status for getting on a flight at the last minute. Most pax on any given flight just buy the cheapest seat and don’t make any elite status. Even Premier status can get you ahead of many people who put their names down earlier for standby on a flight. You will appreciate this status if you arrive early for your flight for whatever reason and there is an earlier flight you would now like to take.

By: Zach

Zach — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:44:14 +0000

As a United flier without status, I like this move. One way they could make it even better –and maybe they already offer this–is to give us the option of paying with miles (for instance, make it 10k miles OR $158 from ORD-LHR). This way, people like me, who fly 20,000 miles on United each year (not quite enough for status) still have incentive to keep earning those MP miles. The “high level” non-status customers (if that’s even a fair term) will then, more often than not, have the option of paying with miles instead of actual $$$, which is always a plus, in my humble opinion.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:20:39 +0000

While this may be a smart idea, as usual United have implemented it with all the grace and charm of Milton Bradley talking to an umpire about a borderline strike.

It is thrust upon you multiple times anytime you touch your reservation either on the web or at the airport kiosks . . . . and (very sneakily) the accept the additional fee button is on the right where you’d expect the continue (with what I have) button to be.

The other thing that I think is pissing people off with United right now is the rows of empty “Premium” seats. I was on a UA flight yesterday (due simply to schedule and BTW I claim US Air miles) and the back of the plane is packed but there are 5 or 6 empty rows of ‘premium” seats between first and cattle class. The incredibly condescending attendant then comes on and in the most arrogant way possible basically says “we’ll let you sit there if you pay enough” – I realise he’s just doing his job but there are ways of presenting the option without making your customers feel like crap.

Just reinforces why I spent my UA miles and now if I have to fly them collect miles on another airline.

By: Bobber

Bobber — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:32:43 +0000

This is the closest to a United Love-in that I’ve ever witnessed on CF, and it’s amusing how terribly British and stoic we’re all being. Basically, it seems many of us chose (were forced to choose) United a while back, stuck with them, stuck with them some more because hell we’ve been with them a while and they’re sort of ok but not as good as some others but occasionally they treat us nicely, and we don’t want to admit that we might not be getting quite what we deserve.

Ah, United Elites: suffering incremental benefits in service since the Blitz.

ps I still book a 2-stopping UA flight to SFO from LHR over a direct one with VS (aka ASBO Air) or BA. That’s quite sad really, isn’t it?

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:06:26 +0000

Definitely a smart move by United to, as you mentioned, appeal to frequent travelers with other carriers who might want to purchase one-off elite status. As “industry watchers” however, it’s often important to remember that the majority of the flying public doesn’t think like us. While frequent travelers addicted to the drug of elite status might assume that there will be a rush of purchasers of United’s new product to rival a Soviet-era bread line, I think few “regular” fliers will take much interest.

By: PFR

PFR — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:14:09 +0000

I dunno… Elite status on United is sort of like having the best seat on a garbage scow.

By: Jean

Jean — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:00:17 +0000

I’ve been a United Premier or higher every year since the mid-80’s. Now that I’m retired and travel only on my own dime, I have to do all my flying on United if I want to keep my basic Premier status. Unfortunately, like Jay B., I live very near IAD and thus much prefer to fly from there. Since United seldom matches cheap sale fares other airlines offer from IAD, I usually pay more than I would pay if I booked whichever airline had the cheapest seats. However, I continue to fly United because of Economy Plus. They are the only airline which offers that product, and it adds just enough to my comfort to make me willing to pay United’s prices and put up with their indifferent service in order to qualify to sit in an E+ seat. I get upgrades only about a third of the time or less, so E+ is very important to me.

If this new product impacts my ability to get an E+ seat, I will be a very unhappy United Premier member. If they ever decide to do away with E+, I will certainly start flying whoever offers the cheapest seats. Since I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way, I hope they listen.

By: Albert

Albert — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:54:54 +0000

The questions I’d like answered are: 1. Who are these aimed at? and 2) Roughly how many people are buying all these extras, whether bundled or a la carte?

Are the casual travellers actually buying any of these extras or are they limited to those of us “in the know”? When I think of casual traveller, I think of my sister who’s done 1 overseas trip a year (lucky uni students, 3 months break .. pfftt!) and when she makes a booking, she goes for cheap.

OTOH, I did buy the E+ option for my upcoming red-eye SFO-IAD flight. Here’s hoping it was a worthwhile purchase! (I couldn’t get QF to put in the additional LAX-JFK segment without increasing the price so I’m flying through SFO instead and visiting friends there; on the way back I’ll get to do JFK-LAX with QF before picking-up the 380 to SYD the next day!)

By: Michel

Michel — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:57:14 +0000

I dont think its a terrible idea my Premier Exec status went down to Premier this year and requalified already for next year a few months ago. My travel has gone down this year but I like even the Premier status this move by them does qualify the benefit of it as well. If I was buying a la carte or didnt have even the lowly Premier status it would be another $1000 dollars or more I would be paying every year to enjoy the same benefits. I also have in what appears to be different from the norm not had a huge problem getting uprades but do use my upgrade coupons and have bought the 4 pack two times now to pad it up a bit more.

I would start to feel not to good about this if it begins to get really full or if the Premier section is sold out way in advance and potentially blocks me out of those seats. The line thing is confusing to me also because I am Premier but got blocked from using that at SFO recently even with my status and flying in on 1st Class but since my final leg to my home airport (SBA) dosent have the 1st class option on that segment and the guy said my Premier status wasnt enough. I had stepped out to get a smoke and upon re-entry neither my status or 1st class legs got me the line cut pass, is that only for the paying Premiers now?