US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Silver and Gold Challenge

I would like to know if you qualify for both the silver and gold challenge - will you get packages for both? I will make Gold next week after qualifying for Silver last week.

Thanks

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by planeluvr:
I would like to know if you qualify for both the silver and gold challenge - will you get packages for both? I will make Gold next week after qualifying for Silver last week.

Thanks</font>

I got packages for both after completing a silver/gold rush (that's what US calls its version of challenges).

They told me my Silver package was on the way and after my trip on Tuesday they would send me a package for Gold. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I can't wait!

Hold on here... If you qualify for the Gold Challenge, you, of course, qualify for the Silver challenge. Are you saying that if you do the gold challenge, you'll get a silver and a gold packet?

I would see this to be viable if you finished the Silver challenge w/ 6,250 miles and then decided to do the Gold challenge (by flying and additional 12.5k). But to get a silver and a gold packet for only flying the 12.5k seems ridiculous. Granted, I'm envious, but it's completely absurd!

Are you saying that if you do the gold challenge, you'll get a silver and a gold packet?


Absolutely, I called to be sure of this. I made silver under the challenge on 8/30 and will make gold around 9/15. I have been told by the Silver reps each time I call that I will definitely get both packets. They go to print at different times.

Groan.. let's flood the market with even more system wides! Those of you making Gold for the first time through the challenge get as many systemwides as Chairman's Preferred (four total).

What a gyp!

when is the last date to fly for these challeges. I am flying with someone to europe in business in oct and want to sign them up for at least silver it if the promo is is still available.

thanks

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by always_delayed:
They told me my Silver package was on the way and after my trip on Tuesday they would send me a package for Gold. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I can't wait!</font>


Please post when you receive your goodies. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rachel:
when is the last date to fly for these challeges. I am flying with someone to europe in business in oct and want to sign them up for at least silver it if the promo is is still available.

thanks</font>

Travel must be completed by 9/15/01.

Hmmm... seeing all these posts on challenges and getting status rather easily, etc. makes me wonder, why am I flying 50k miles, and more, per year to get and retain my Gold Preferred status? .... I mean, based on the experiences posted here, I can just fly 12.5 k miles and get 1 more set of SWUs than I currently get...

Comments from other Preferreds...?

This actually happened to me.. Requalified for silver for this year, on the exact same flight I finished a gold challenge.. I ended up with only one packet out of it. Not that I am mad since I forgot that I registered for the gold challange and made it on the last day... Now just have to figure out when the gold runs out.

I can tell you that I am a little disturbed that I am only getting 2 SWU (although most people keep saying 4 but only 2 that I can use). I have been a CP for several years and have already had my you know what in a US plane for over 125K this year. I am considering making a switch to AA due to this issue--this policy is going to cost US 4 J fares in the next 3 months.

I know that my opinion will not be popular on this board but it is very frustrating when soooo many people who fly as little as 12.5K getting more SWU's then the people who are spending their lives and tens of thousands of dollars on US.

I appologize for my venting in advance

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Arrzee:
Hmmm... seeing all these posts on challenges and getting status rather easily, etc. makes me wonder, why am I flying 50k miles, and more, per year to get and retain my Gold Preferred status? .... I mean, based on the experiences posted here, I can just fly 12.5 k miles and get 1 more set of SWUs than I currently get...

Comments from other Preferreds...?
</font>

Let me make one point here.

Every airline is pulling out the stops to retain their loyal FFs - no matter what level. They have to due to the lack of business travelers these days.

For example, Delta is extending ALL elite FF status levels until 2003 due to what it feels is the ComAir situation.

So, why should US be different in maintaining its current base and attempting to rein in additional base?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ITRADE:
Let me make one point here.

Every airline is pulling out the stops to retain their loyal FFs - no matter what level. They have to due to the lack of business travelers these days.

For example, Delta is extending ALL elite FF status levels until 2003 due to what it feels is the ComAir situation.

So, why should US be different in maintaining its current base and attempting to rein in additional base?</font>


That is absolutely correct because by the end of September I will have flown over 30,000 miles in two months. This would have went to UA if not for this promotion.

I have to agree. As a result of me being preferred now you will see me flying USAIR 90% of the time now because of double miles. Albeit I don't fly as much as a CP, but they did gain additional revenue.

I am not begrugding the others perks I just think that US should also be handing out some perks--additional SWU's to people who have year in and year out provided substantial revenue to the company.

I have noticed that the Silver/Gold challenge has been fairly consistantly offered for at least the past year, so is it safe to assume (never feeling safe to assume anything) that it will continue to be offered in Q4 (9/15-12/15)?

To add my brand new two cents to the "should they/shouldn't they" discussion, it is due to this promotion that I fly 100% of my miles on US (when I have any input). This is called cultivating brand loyalty. The CP & 50,000 mile Golds might not like to share the inventory, but most of my miles are during off times. More often than not, I have seen at least one empty seat in 1st.Otherwise, they are filled at the gate.

Believe me, working with a CP and two Golds, I am much appreciative of the promotion that lets me enjoy these perks. Flying 100K or 100 segments does not leave much time or desire for leasure flight. But, if the seats are there, and they can generate extra revenue (milage runs?) by running a promotion, who is to argue. It is, after all, their bat and ball (IMHO).

Let me clarify something. I'm all up for creating brand loyalty. And these bonus offers and challenges certainly promote that. My concern is that by offering these 2 or three times a year, every year, program and perk dilution becomes an issue.

Is there any confirmation that one will not be able to do another challenge next year if one doesn't keep the. for instance, Gold status attained via a challenge because one didn't fly enough to requalify? In other words, are these complimentaty Preferred statuses indeed one time only? Seeing how promotions that supposedly are targeted, turn out to not be so (see the Bonus Offers thread for examples), how is US actually tracking that these challenges are only done once?

Arrzee

I flew on the Gold Challenge during June. I was Silver. I will make Gold the hard way on my Paris trip during Thanksgiving weekend. US got more than 25K extra miles this year from me. I realized that the Gold challenge was an opportunity for me to "jump start" the double miles earned by Golds. (and a one time opportunity).

I too looked upon the Silver/Gold Challenge as a way to jump start my program this year. The challenge allowed me to make Gold back in June when I was doing relatively heavy flying on US. This month I will have enough segments to retain Silver thru 2002. The Bonus miles have been nice, but even at Gold I was unable to upgrade a flight from BWI.