US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Welcome kits for 'challenge' winners?

My wife did the Gold challenge last month and did the required 12,500 miles (on 5/25) for GP. Web site shows GP status, but she has not received a welcome kit yet - anyone do a recent challenge and get a kit? Did it have all of the trimmings? (eg SWUs?)

I have a friend who was automatically signed up by US for a Silver challenge, and got a kit, but that was back in March (for a Q1 challenge, I guess).

I just made silver under the silver challenge offer. The USAirways website has my level as silver already. I just qualified based on a flight on June 14. I don't know if the status level is good for one year after I earned it or if it expires at the end of this calendar year. Any info would be appreciated.

Jay

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by JayBrian:
I just made silver under the silver challenge offer. The USAirways website has my level as silver already. I just qualified based on a flight on June 14. I don't know if the status level is good for one year after I earned it or if it expires at the end of this calendar year. Any info would be appreciated.

Jay </font>

The wife qualified for the Silver challenge which expired on June 15. It was to regain 2001 status lost through lack of silver miles in 2000. The marked was reached June 9.

She has not received her kit yet.

A CS agent told me that they send the info to the printers on the 15th and 30th of each month.

That timing sounds about right. I passed the silver challenge on Memorial Day and received my packet about 5 days ago.

FYI, my wife's kit arrived yesterday, with all the normal trimmings. Note that it was a '2001' Gold kit - which reinforces one of the threads about how long the challenge elite status lasts. I would assume Feb 2002.

I would assume that a 2001 Welcome Kit would be good for 2001, all of 2002 and until 2/28/03.

[This message has been edited by chexfan (edited 06-21-2001).]

fan o' chex: I respectfully disagree. My recollection is that when I took up the Gold challenge in March-early May of last year, my Gold was valid only the rest of the year, and I had to qualify for whatever elite level I could get over the rest of the year. Now, when I had a challenge offered back in 1998 in the late 3rd or 4th quarter of the year, that challenge was clear - you'd earn Preferred for the rest of that year ('98), all of the next ('99) and you'd have benefits through Feb. 2000.

Sounds like US has an arbitrary line around mid-year which determines if challenges apply for rest of year only, or rest of year +plus the next (of course, if you have an early challenge (2Q of year) and the invitation gives you status this year and the next - then good on you.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by CLTFlyer:
Sounds like US has an arbitrary line around mid-year which determines if challenges apply for rest of year only, or rest of year +plus the next</font>No, no, no... I completely agree about how arbitrary the Preferred Status end dates are.

I was saying that I would assume a '2001' Gold Kit would be good until 2/28/03.

If someone is a newly minted Gold Preferred flyer (by flying 50k), they are going to receive a "'2001' Gold Kit", no? And wouldn't their status last until 2/28/03?

I guess the crux of the matter is that I just have the inherent feeling US would not have two types of '2001' Gold Kits; one for challenge winners and one for actual 50k flyers.

My girlfriend just received the challenge offer running from June 15 thru September 15. There was nothing on the postcard to indicate how long the status would be good for so I phoned US Air Dividend Miles. They told me that since this promo started June 15 and covers most of the 3rd quarter that the status would be good thru 2/28/03.

Now I have to figure out if Silver status is worth the cost of getting her 3 more segments during the timeframe (she has 7 segments ticketed already).

Folks - didn't the text of the silver and gold promotions stipulate that the challenge bonuses were only good through 2/28/02? My mind might be muddled, but I thought that's what it was.

If history repeats itself, there will be another challenge in the Fall that will allow people to get Gold through 2/28/03.

Mileking,

I think its worth it, especially if you act fast. US seems to be matching SW on several routes right now for $60 RT(~$71 w/ tax) for travel 6/25 through October 26th. No stayover required. I think the cities are BWI to PVD, MHT, HFD, and BDL. Must buy ticket by TODAY. I found this with Dre am Maps (http://dps1.travelocity.com/dreamMap.ctl?region=northamerica&dm_curr=US&dep_arp_name=Baltimore+Wash%2C+DC&maxFare=100&paxCount=1&child_cnt=0&search_type=airports&x=19&y=17)

[This message has been edited by dhacker (edited 06-21-2001).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by chexfan:
Originally posted by CLTFlyer:
Sounds like US has an arbitrary line around mid-year which determines if challenges apply for rest of year only, or rest of year +plus the next</font>No, no, no... I completely agree about how arbitrary the Preferred Status end dates are.

I was saying that I would assume a '2001' Gold Kit would be good until 2/28/03.

If someone is a newly minted Gold Preferred flyer (by flying 50k), they are going to receive a "'2001' Gold Kit", no? And wouldn't their status last until 2/28/03?

I guess the crux of the matter is that I just have the inherent feeling US would not have two types of '2001' Gold Kits; one for challenge winners and one for actual 50k flyers.


If someone made Gold by flying 50,000, they'd receive a 2001 kit now expiring Feb '02 and then after the first of the year, they'd get a 2002 kit expiring in 2003 (and new SWUs). At least that's the way it worked for me when I first made it, back when it was USAir Priority Gold Plus...I got a 1994 kit then a 1995 kit...The only way to get the 2002 kit after a remainder of the year challenge is to actually fly the miles involved, which is the idea behind the challenge, to encourage more travel during the year...which is what most of the people doing the challenges wind up doing anyway as part of the reason for offering them is a recognition that some of the best customers have off travel years for reasons of health, different work assignments, etc...

Interesting us2...
I qualified for Silver last summer ('00)... Got a Silver Welcome Kit with a card expiring 2/28/02.

I qualified for Gold later on in '00... I received a Gold Kit with a card expiring 2/28/02. In February, I received the 2001 Welcome Kit (I don't recall if I got a new card or not).

chexfan: I think it's one of those times we're speaking the same language, but can't seem to understand each other. I agree that if you've flown 50k miles at any point during the year, then yes, you've got Gold for 2001, 2002, and through Feb. 28, 2003. But the kit you'll get (in '01) has a card valid only through '01, but you'll get your '02 card valid through that year in '02 with the '02 kit.

By the way fan, chex - you should have gotten a new card in '01 with that kit (at least that's the way it worked out for my late year challenge and early year where I did ultimately qualify.

What is neat about getting those kits mid-year is that any upgrades have an expiration date commensurate with when the kit went out (e.g. ones received now would likely be valid until 6/30/02 or 7/31/02).

If it's a challenge, that's where that line comes in.

Sounds like we're all on the same page now.

[This message has been edited by CLTFlyer (edited 06-21-2001).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by chexfan:
Interesting us2...
I qualified for Silver last summer ('00)... Got a Silver Welcome Kit with a card expiring 2/28/02.

I qualified for Gold later on in '00... I received a Gold Kit with a card expiring 2/28/02. In February, I received the 2001 Welcome Kit (I don't recall if I got a new card or not).</font>

Obviously, things have changed then. Thanks for setting the record straight, as I was wrong.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by CLTFlyer:
chexfan: I think it's one of those times we're speaking the same language, but can't seem to understand each other</font>Fair Enough... I'll be quiet now and go do some work! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I qualified under the Silver Challenge and just got the SP Welcome Kit. It took about 3 weeks to get here. Expiration on the card was 2/2002.

I had also registered for the Gold Challenge and made it, so now I get to look forward to that Welcome Kit.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by katfan:
I qualified under the Silver Challenge and just got the SP Welcome Kit. It took about 3 weeks to get here. Expiration on the card was 2/2002.

I had also registered for the Gold Challenge and made it, so now I get to look forward to that Welcome Kit.

</font>


When did you qualify for the Silver challenge? The wife completed the challenge on June 9 and hasn't seen anything yet.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by ITRADE:

When did you qualify for the Silver challenge? The wife completed the challenge on June 9 and hasn't seen anything yet.</font>

The flight that actually fulfilled the Silver was on June 10. My Welcome Kit came in yesterday's mail. It should be along very shortly.

Yesterday's mail brought my GP Welcome kit. Just hope that I will have a chance to use those nice systemwide upgrades. With luck I might get to take a long flight somewhere.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by katfan:
The flight that actually fulfilled the Silver was on June 10. My Welcome Kit came in yesterday's mail. It should be along very shortly.

</font>

OK, the wife's packet came on Friday - for challenge completed June 9.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ITRADE:
OK, the wife's packet came on Friday - for challenge completed June 9.</font>Expiration of '02 or '03?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by chexfan:
Originally posted by ITRADE:
OK, the wife's packet came on Friday - for challenge completed June 9.</font>Expiration of '02 or '03?



Mine had a 2/02 expiration.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by chexfan:
Originally posted by ITRADE:
OK, the wife's packet came on Friday - for challenge completed June 9.</font>Expiration of '02 or '03?



2002.

The Gold & Silver challenges say "offer valid for addressee only". Did all of you receive that card or did you just sign up for the bonus code. I am thinking of taking a few trips and am wondering if it'll work for me since I didn't recieve the card.

Simply registering for the promo should be ok (it has in the past with other challenges and promos).

I didn't receive any of the mailings addressed to me. That didn't stop me from making SP then GP already.

that's fantastic! thanks to Southwest, I can now do a coast to coast from Buffalo for $198 on USAir and qualify for preferred status! and ofcourse, thanks to flyertalk for the bonus codes.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by msingh:
The Gold & Silver challenges say "offer valid for addressee only". Did all of you receive that card or did you just sign up for the bonus code. I am thinking of taking a few trips and am wondering if it'll work for me since I didn't recieve the card. </font>

Qualified for silver mid-trip, no questions asked, no postcard received. If you don't get gold/silver and you still had the right code input at the right time, call DM CS and ask them to give you the status.



[This message has been edited by dreadmon (edited 07-11-2001).]