doc

Is this THE trend? If so, it "ain't" good!

Imagine that along with the specials for the week is included another note detailing another "improvement" to your FF program -

You read "Please Note: Effective immediately, CyberSavers and E-fares will no longer accrue as credit for elite status miles nor will they be eligible for ........ Airlines mileage credit."

Sound crazy? Well, as indicated in my email from NWA last night and promptly noted by Wiirachy/Pat & NW,CO,TW only:

"Please Note: Effective October 4, 2000, CyberSavers and CyberSavers Extra! fares will not be eligible for WorldPerks mileage credit."
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/000831.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/000832.html

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NWA FF's had a less than restful night thinking about lost mileage opportunites and lost status too!

You now need to pay to play - and yet NWA wants us to book online!

If this is a trend, it is NOT good- to say the least!

By analogy, (though admittedly a bit far fetched), if you deposit your check in the bank by using the ATM rather than a teller, are you still elible to accrue interest on the deposited funds? C'mon!

What can we do about it? Write NWA? http://www.nwa.com/talk/

Anything else?

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 10-04-2000).]

MRLIMO

They weren't kidding when they said Unbelievable as in "Unbelievable Travel Deals With CyberSavers and CyberSavers Extra!"

freefaller12k

After seeing that this morning I'm no longer straddling the fence. NW just lost my business. I was trying to decide on AA or NW for my milage runs and status for next year. Thanks NW for making the decision easier.

Freefaller12k

cordelli

I thought not getting the online booking for them on some airlines was bad enough. They would have to very steeply discount the fares for me to fly without getting any miles.

PG

Definitely, this is a bad trend

doc

FWIW, if interested -

Send Us Your Comments

We at Northwest Airlines appreciate and value your comments.
http://www.nwa.com/talk/

Perhaps we should email them the entire link/tread when completed!

Hopefully they'll read it!

And maybe respond too!

Djlawman

I URGE all FTers to immediately use the link to e-mail NW to get them to stop this horrendous decision. I don't fly NW that often, but we have to nip this in the bud before it snowballs and the airlines all pull the FF credit from their e-saver type fares. FTers UNITE!! Flood them with mail!!

Djlawman

PG

Good idea Djlawman - I just wrote to them. I akso mentioned that this makes me less likely to use NW and more likely to use Priceline.

myriad

I agree it would be awful to lose miles for same-week netfares. I am a UA flyer and their netfares from Seattle are so awful or rare that I have yet to use one. Still, one of the comments above causes me to ponder. If the choice of airline is based on ability to make 'mileage runs for status' on a carrier via netfares then it might actually be a good move for the airline to give up that business. (I am not commenting on whatever other business may be lost). Cutting out the lowest of the low revenue generator elites may be what they are out there to do.

There has been a huge amount of discussion on the boards under various headings about 'mileage runs' and how easy/cheap elite can be had. Is this healthy in the long run for elite level in general? Are the airlines paying any attention to this? Is it self defeating to prattle and brag on this venue about how easily/cheaply it is to get elite status? I think at least those questions are worth serious thought.

Sure, I have a position to defend. As a 1K/million I don't want to see my status diluted too badly. But generally I also do see a negative impact ultra-low revenue elites on programs in a broad way. I have sometimes used an annual mileage run, or an out-of-the-way connection, to retain status. I'm not sure status built entirely/almost entirely on 'mileage runs' is healthy if it becomes a significant trend. If I were an airline, and I am glad I am not in that business, I wouldn't lose any sleep over giving up that segment of my market.

It's my 'pet' issue right now but the more I observe the board over the past six months or so, the more I wonder about the impact of the very aggressive mileage mongers on FF programs (in general) now that there is a venue to disseminate those ideas rapidly and fairly broadly. Particularly those who trumpet so loudly and/or make advantage of the promotions/rules so greatly. It is going to be very interesting to observe over the coming months whether this generates much of a reaction from the airlines/FF programs. I am not saying it will or will not, nor am I expressing a moral judgement about anyone here, just that the dynamic interests me.



[This message has been edited by myriad (edited 10-04-2000).]

rmccamy

Bold statement PG!!

For me, Priceline ranks somewhere below driving and above Greyhound.

toadman

doc,

I also believe that AS has similiar rules on certain deeply discounted internet fares.

Seems to me they are trying to target this towards consumers that do not fly frequently and that are not concerned with miles.

NWA must feel that the majority of FF are biz travelers who aren't concerned with travel costs.

PG

Very interesting post myriad, and lots of food for thought. I had similar feelings too about mileage runs. Not only are there mileage runs, some folks who take mileage runs are themselves asking for the bar for elite status to be raised. I could probably justifying taking an extra trip or two (and have once done it myself) to get to the next tier. But when your entire year's planning is done around mileage runs, I say it has gotten out of hand.

And these days some airlines are throwing extra miles and extra upgrade coupons, while reducing service and raising mileage needed for certain awards. QL posted his disappointing experience with a United first class award. But when we are being innundated with extra miles and upgrade coupons, there are two logical conclusions - 1) service will go down and 2) more miles will be chasing the same number of awards a perfect recipe for mileage inflation.

St. Louis FF

This has to stop....they should call NWA the no WorldPerks airline. Call your travel office and tell them not to book you on NWA! I just sent them an e mail letting them know that if they go through with this we/our company will not fly with them, only unless we have to. I also will sent an e mail to all my friends and company contacts to do the same. No miles + no business = no customers....that is for sure.

Esteban

I just got off the phone with elite reservations trying to book a late October trip MSP to LGW. When I asked the agent to check on the cost of fares eligible to upgrade, she fiddled around for a few minutes with no luck and then said, "Well, only full coach fairs can upgrade." She was unwilling to quote an accurate fare saying, "Well, it would be around $4,000." She was unwilling to check alternative routing through DTW or AMS
saying, "Well, it would be the same price." I am really wondering how I am going to be able to use the more than 200,000 miles that I have banked. Domestic upgrades have been great as gold elite (soon to be platinum after my China trip), but it seems virtually impossible to upgrade internationally anymore. Is CO any better about international upgrades from other than full coach fares? What are my chances of upgrading on CO transatlantic with NW miles?

Esteban

PremEx

I don't fly NW much, but count me in on communicating my displeasure with this change. Don't want this particular internet "virus" to spread to other airlines!