Inventory Management

jksflyer

Newbie
Nov 16, 2008
2
0
Hey...
I am new to this whole thing but I thought it was a good idea. I am looking for somebody with United or has a connection that could help me get an upgrade confirmed on a United flight I am taking in Dec. I used miles to upgrade a ticket however, two sections of the flight were not upgraded. I have called United Reservations and emailed Customer Care. However, I am not getting anywhere. According, to United a seat need to be released for upgrade in the first class cabin by inventory management. This can happen any time till my flight even up to 24hrs prior.

Hence, why I am looking for somebody with United that can help me get upgraded... I will provide detials if sombody can help and return the favor if your ever in Pittsburgh and need a hotel room
 
Having spent time at United Airlines they aren't telling you anything that isn't true. If you used miles to pay for the ticket then you should be confirmed on the flights but pending upgrades on the others? If that is correct, then you are in a wait and see situation. While I didn't work revenue management, and if somebody who does and I speak in error they can correct.

1. Revenue management watches flights and bases the amount of free tickets related to the general miles 'earned' on that route the prior year. Thus matching the accrual of miles with the amount of miles released.
2. Revenue managements goal is to maximize revenue on each flight segement they are responsbile for, and as such their career future depends upon them maximizing the flight revenue. (Cash in the till) So, they watch their assign flights and match the flight with what the expected revenue should be. Then, as the flight comes closer they may release more 'free' seats.
For instance, lets say the flight from Kansas City to Chicago leaves at 2pm, since it naturally connects to the first evening bank of international flights, history shows that United can sell 8 full-fare first class seats. So, if they can sell eight seats at $1,000 each day then why give it away 'free'? So at the begining of the flight sale date, 360 days out, they offer NO 'free' seats in first class hoping to obtain $8,000 in revenue. Then, 90 days out the schedule is determined and the flight will leave and bank with the first international set of flights. The flight has sold two seats in first class and already has $2,000 of $8,000. So, now the flights are closely monitored to ensure maximuization of revenue and customers. 30-60days out the flight is bid, (just depending upon what date in the month the flight is) and the crew is tentatively assigned. Crew Scheduling has provided for A320equipment with a maximum 12 seats but also possibly no first class seats due to "Ted" being decommissioned and returned to a normal seating, so the Revenue Management team shows that four seats have been sold in the cabin, but there is a 50/50 chance there will be no first class seats, therefore, they zero the first class seats out of the equipment and route so that they can ensure not to offend too many passengers because they have actually goten sold $4,000 worth of first class seats. So then they need to wait until Aircraft Routing to assign the exact equipment. In the meantime they will allow people to waitlist for first class becuase now they can generate $12,000 on the route.
Now Aircraft Routing has assigned the equipment, and revenue management goes in and confirms the upgrades they can based upon those willing and able to pay the $1,000.00. (Not that a free ticket is less of a value, but the opportunity to gain additional revenue is what thier goal is. So, now you go to the final week. Revenue management then may or maynot release seats because on that particular flight they know they can sell 100% of the seats for full fare, (this example $12,000 now with 12 seats) and they are reviewed based upon their ability to maximize revenue.
Now they are 24hours out, they have no seats left to sell. They maximized the revenue. Are pleople upset? You bet, I saw it day in and day out for over eight years. But, the agent working inventory management did their job and sold 100% of the seats at full fare.
Now they are 24hours out, they have four seats left to sell. Now they rework the people on the waitlist, and clear the people leaving one seat left to sell to the last minute person who just got sent to Chicago to salvage a contract with a hospital on converting to a "new" paperless hopsital, (thank you Cerner.) Then at flight time there is still an upgrade list. It just keeps going.

Now the good news, if you plucked down the miles "First", you are at higher priority than those who are going to pay for upgrade at the gate. Why? Because you 'paid' for those miles you surrendered to gain that first class seat. The problem, various flights will be able to sell 100% of those seats at Full Fare. Therefore, there are never any upgrades or free tickets on that flight.

Finally, what you are asking here is for somebody to risk loosing their job. I really doubt in this economy there is anybody who is willing to risk their job. My advise, make sure you are waitlisted for the first class seat. Then pray it is a flight that doesn't sell out first class on a regular basis.

Just like your hotel wants to be full, so does the airline. If you are the manager, you wouldn't want your hotel staff going out onto the street, rounding up homeless people and giving them a room for the night? You want some value for filling that room. If you have a convention in town, or lets say it is 1/20/2009 and you are a hotel manager in Washington DC. You have one room left. You have somebody who wants it for free, but you know that somebody out there is willing to pay $1,000,000 for that room. You have a list of 2 people willing to pay $1,000.00 for a room that normally goes for $100.00. You also have a list of 2 people who are willing to surrendor their earned balance in their account to stay in that room. You have a staff member who is going to Los Angeles for Spring Break who wants to stay at the Hyatt, (your the Super 8) and somebody who works in LA offers online to "trade" a favor of a room for 1/20/2009 in DC for a weeks stay in LA. Now, your staff memember goes out and gives that room that you could sell for at least $1,000 for free. How do you feel? Do you fire that staff member? The same thing holds true with the airlines. If you find somebody to give you a seat I'd keep it as quiet as possible. But really, make sure you are waitlisted and then call reservations every single day to ensure that the waitlist is still in waitlist standing. If you call in and it have a wiat holding list, then you find out. There is no cost to call once a day as they have a toll free number. But to ask for somebody to risk their job is insane!

Those are just my opinions and while I can't get your seat cleared, your options are really limited because the company is just trying to maximize the revenue per flight. Sorry, but it sounds like you have done all you can, other than to call reservations daily to see if the seat has cleared.
 
Thank you for your detialed reply. I am very glad for your opioion on the matter. I can say I am manager and deal with reveue every single day. I will share my thoughts too with you regarding revenue managment. I can upgrade a guest to a higher vauled room and then sell the other guests room at a higher price and make more money than if I would have waited for a guest to book that room. The difference between a hotel and a airline that my roooms may be priced differently, but they do not come with services such as airline. I can say that using miles is not flying for free I did pay for my ticket, granted I booked in discounted economy class. I just used miles to upgrade to a different class of service. I understand that the airline is trying to make money. I am not asked sombody to do somthing to get them fired becuase they opened up a upgrade seat on a flight. However, the flight has 20-30 seats avaiable in the first class cabin and the flight is approx. 20 days out. Plus they are still selling low prices seats in the economy cabin.

Calling reserverstions is a waste of time, you will speack to sombody whom does not understand you and is overseas and rude. Unless you have a better way to get of hold or reservations, that are based in the USA. However, you can get something from a Supervisor like seats in Economy Plus and I got to maintain my wailist. Just sharing my thoughts...

Again, thank you for the detialed response, I did learn a lot from your response!