Comments on: United Starnet Blocking Reaches New Levels of Absurdity

By: sky monkey

sky monkey — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:18:40 +0000

It starts with the booking – they recently told me there were no direct flights between LAX and FRA – Lufthansa does it twice a day… pathetic, and as others have mentioned – insulting. But it doesn’t stop there. Their biz class seats are terrible; they advertize a new international biz and 1st, but it’s a crapshoot on what planes they have decided to upgrade and you still pay the same price for the crappy old ones. Have you noticed everyone is a premiere exec – everyone boards is a boarding group 1. From the gate and flight attendants to the feel and comfort of the planes and lounges (go to a Lufthansa lounge… nice; UA lounges… they think wifi is cutting edge while most of us bring our own these days) to the booking and routes they are limiting, the list continues, it’s a perpetual spiral of accepted mediocrity from UA and we are the suckers because we like the “status” of getting flights they do offer, boarding first so we don’t have to let them lose our luggage when we check it, and that little “fillet” dinner.

By: In The News

In The News — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:01:12 +0000

[...] Here are a few benefits they may or may not mention. Most Continental cards offer the benefit of waived baggage fees. That feature alone can pay for itself very quickly on a long trip with a lot of luggage. Also, Continental is joining the Star Alliance, making it another great alternative to earning miles on the infamous United Airlines “Mileage Plus” program. This is the program that has taken loyalty programs to a new low by actively blocking you from redeeming miles on it’s partners, even when members make awards available to other members of the Alliance. For the latest update on this absurdity, see the invaluable View from the Wing blog. [...]

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:30:51 +0000

Had this just happen to me – United told me that US Airways had not released the tickets!

By: The Case Against Reward Cards

The Case Against Reward Cards — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:01:43 +0000

[...] You spend so much time and effort accumulating points and miles, yet every year they are worth less and less. Rewards have become, in the words of some critics, the largest unregulated lottery in the world. With some programs, especially airlines, the rewards can be all but impossible to find. For example, United Airlines and their infamous “Starnet Blocking”, which is now pretty much absolute on some partners. [...]

By: Upgrades and Downgrades — Gravel roads, fingerprinting, insulting policies, and more | Upgrade: Travel Better

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:12:20 +0000

[...] Plus has been on a downward trajectory for some time, but Gary Leff pinpoints the absurdity of United’s blocking of frequent flyer tickets on partner airlines. The airline doesn’t want to make those tickets available because it costs them money when [...]

By: she

she — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:35:44 +0000

Another great post. We just used the very last UA miles we had accrued for a recent trip….. the MP credit card has been cancelled, and we are done. Goodbye UA! Alaska’s great Visa and the Starwood AMX are the current favorites now. Domestically we fly whatever is cheapest from SFO, and International flights are almost always foreign carriers now. It just easier and more amenities…

By: chitownflyer

chitownflyer — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:13:26 +0000

Is it likely that UA will somewhat reduce Star blocking once Quarter 2 ends, and July starts a new accounting period? I am very displeased at the Star blocking practice by United, as it makes award travel very difficult.

By: David

David — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:01:51 +0000

I too am fed up with United’s pathetic “award” structure and availability. I am in the process of ridding myself of my last few UA miles, and switching to BMI until my status runs out. After that, it’s Aeroplan – fitting, since I’m Canadian, really.

On another note, they also provide much different award availability depending on which site you are viewing. United.com usually has MUCH better award options/connections than United.ca ever will churn out.

By: SAN Greg

SAN Greg — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:27:55 +0000

I, too, am fed up with this practice. I was told two weeks ago that I couldn’t book flights from Bangkok to Krabi because “our partners won’t make available seats on routes that operate one or two days per week.” Thai operates 3 flights a day between the two. That’s okay, I’ll cancel my MP Visa and apply the $60 a year I’ll save to the tickets I will have to buy. Time to WAKE UP Chase.