How Not to Save $100

While researching flights through United Airlines, I clicked an advertisement about a discount when purchasing an “Economy Plus” annual membership together with a Red Carpet Club membership.  The description reads:

Save $100 off the regular price when you buy Economy Plus with United Red Carpet Club! When purchased separately, you pay $849. Purchase both now for just $774.

Err… $849 regularly… with $100 off… is $774?  I hope these calculations are done in a different department than the ones about how much fuel the aircraft needs to carry for a given flight.

(If it makes anybody feel any better, I wouldn’t have paid $749 either; I was just curious about their Red Carpet Club pricing.  The “Economy Plus” membership is borderline, at $349, or about six flights worth of individual upgrades.)