MilesBuzz! - Top 3 ELITE benefits

Please rank, in order of importance to you, the top 3 benefits of ELITE status.

I've been Silver Elite on NW for just a year.

1. Unlimited domestic upgrades on NW/CO with automatic upgrading done one day before departure.
2. 50% elite bonus on base miles.
3. When airline staff sees that I have "Silver Elite" printed on my boarding pass, somehow I manage to get better service.

- Pat

First CLass checkin
Pre-Boarding
EXP desk

1. check in
2. pre boarding
3. upgrades

gruezi Topster

which benefits do you value most?

1. Dedicated services (check-in, phone desk, etc.)
2. Upgrades
3. Mileage bonus

My Top three

1. Check In (especially these days)
2. Pre Boarding
3. Bonus Miles

1. Ability to upgrade at little or no cost
2. Access to elite seats and pre-boarding even in coach
3. Double miles, thus getting awards at half off

1. Upgrades.

2. Being on the next flight home when the one you were scheduled on is cancelled.

3. The benefits of award travel.

1) 100% bonus miles
2) best coach seats reserved for elites
3) preboard

Haven't flown since sept 11 so don't know how greatful i'll be for first class checkin line

Definitely the AA Exec Plat desk for paid reservations and award travel

My favorite three:

[list=1] Check in at First or Business Upgrades Pre-Boarding[/list=a]

RAD

(Edited to change #3)

[This message has been edited by RAD (edited 09-29-2001).]

Fair enough Rudi,
For me,
1) 100% bonus miles
2) first class check-in
3) early boarding

Now how ‘bout you, pardner.

1. Generally better service (that extra mile..)
2. Upgrades
3. Lounge access

1. No capacity control for both J & Y class award seats. (AC SE)

2. Upgrades at time of booking from most fares.

3. Tons of bonus miles & no waiting on phones and checkin.

preferred seating (esp in coach)
pre-boarding (ensures space for carry-on)
check-in (now that matters)

1. Upgrades at time of booking
2. Access to revenue seats on reward travel
3. Global Lounge Access

Big plus: Maple Leaf Lounge access as Air Canada Elite member.

(1) First class checkin line
(2) Automatic Upgrades to First
(3) Mileage bonus

* upgrade vouchers good on any fare (UA: SWU, HK 49; LH)
* status-bonus-miles (UA: 100%, with LH counting as status miles too 25% to 75% depending on class paid)
* check-in privileges (desk: UA: 1K-line, LH: first-class; luggage tolerance; lounge access)

As a CO Platinum:
1-UPGRADES
2-Advance Boarding
3-General treatment

1- Upgrades
2- Preboarding
3- Ability (on UA) to confirm a change in my flights earlier/later for same day travel

Close but not Top 3- Waitlist priority for standby (wasn't on the list until I actually had to pull rank once) AND dedicated phone reservation lines.

1 - Upgrades
2 - Bonus Miles
3 - Check in (might move up in light on new procedures)

------------------
Sagy

1 - Upgrades
2 - Upgrades
3 - Upgrades

Ditto.

1. Upgrades
2. Priority check-in/boarding
3. Lounge access

1. Priority checkin and boarding
2. Upgrades
3. Special phone agents and services

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Topster:
Please rank, in order of importance to you, the top 3 benefits of ELITE status. </font>

These days I would have to say:
1)First class check-in
2)First class check-in
3)First class check-in

1) upgrades
2)check-in
3)bonus miles

1) upgrades
2) check-in
3) superior (well, relatively speaking) service

Upgrades (an almost limitless supply) for international and domestic travel
Free lounge access to all Star Gold lounges
No inventory control on business and economy class reward tickets

(Air Canada)

As one with some status (thanks to a fellow FTer), I am gold on AA, and super close, but no cigar, to UA 1K in 10 days (via a baht run), I know what I am missing, and wish I had, especially now, having flown since Sept 11:

1. Intrn'l Alliance High-End Status - with its access to VIP waiting rooms and such. My low status (Ruby OW), while I am grateful for even that, couldn't get me in.

2. First Class/High Status check-in - While the the Business Class/High, but not High Enough, Status check-in line has already been a relief to me, with higher status one may go in whichever line is shortest, usually First Class.

3. Upgrades - On my mostly empty flights, first and business were, in a word, deserted. From the cheapest economy ticket to the next class of service, even a upgrade to business, beyond the seats, means better movies, softer and larger blankets and better food.

1) Bonus miles
2) Lounge Access
3) First class check-in

As I always fly BA could someone please explain what these "upgrades" are that everyone is talking about http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

1) Upgrades
2) Priority Check-In
3) Preferred Seating

Now, just in case UA or nayone else is listening, this doen't mean that the other beenfits aren't important too! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

(There was a targeted UA survey recently that scared many into thinking that UA was ranking benefits in this way in order to eliminate ones that didn't get voted top x status.)

1. EXP desk

2. Upgrades

3. Triple miles (sticker conversion)

1 - quick check-in
2 - lounge access with *
3 - upgrades

1. Upgrades (though they're hard for me to get on the routes I fly, with the status I have)

2. Pre-boarding (place to put my luggage)

3. Elite check-in (new on the list since the new security procedures -- used to be bonus miles)

1. Upgrades from lowest discount fares
2. 100% mileage bonus
3. Prereserve Y+ just in case no upgrades, but see #1 above.

1. Unlimited domestic upgrades confirmed at time of booking.
2. Free club access.
3.Guarenteed seat on sold out flight ( Y fare, 24 hours in advance).

1) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
2) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
3) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

1. Upgrades
2. Bonus miles
3. Elite Services (dedicated phone line, check-in lines, "operationals")

1. Unlimited domestic upgrades at no cost from lowest discount fares
2. Bonus miles
3. Preboarding

I rarely use the elite services, but I haven't flown since September 11.

Linda

Thanks for the input folks,
unofficially, within top 3:

Upgrades 29%
Check-In 17%
Bonus Miles 15%
Pre-Board 12%
Lounge Access 9%

1) Check-in
2) treatment
3) Lounges

1. Check in (even before 9/11)
2. Upgrades
3. General better treatment (operational upgrade HKG-LAX by Cathay Pacific, some OG's on AA, fixing complicated change issues easier)

1. upgrades
2. check-in
3. lounges

As a CO Flyer:

1. Upgrades
Unique to CO/NW:
1a. Free companion upgrades for Gold/Platinum Elites-- impress your friends and make new ones ;-)
1b. Free upgrades into Mexico/Central/South America

2. Mileage bonuses

3. Nowadays, First Class Check in and FC line at Service Centers for flight irregularities


I don't value pre-boarding very highly because I'm very successful at getting upgraded, thus FC will have space for my carry-ons well into the boarding process.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:

1) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
2) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
3) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif</font>

---

Sounds about right to me! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

1. Elite Checkin
2. Upgrades
3. Bonus Miles

George...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BoSoxFan45:
1) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
2) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
3) Upgrades. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif</font>

oh yah, you betcha http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif at least on NW/CO.

add to that, on NW:
FC/Elite check-in counter. this is a biggie esp. with the enormous queues lately.
pre-board if upgrade is unsuccessful, which has been a rare event all year.
dedicated phone line for gold/plat. never more than 1-2 minute wait there.

(1) Upgrades
(2) Elite check in line
(3) Discount on Presidents Club membership

Under the current circumstances with all programs:

1. Priority phone lines
2. Priority check-in at Domestic First or Intenational Business, or other dedicated elite level counters
3. Upgrade opportunities

For AAdvantage Platinum:

1. Priority check-in at Domestic First or Intenational Business, or other dedicated oneworld Sapphire elite level counters [all partner carriers]
2. Upgrade opportunities
3. Elite mileage bonuses

For Aeroplan SuperElite [top tier]:

1. Priority phone lines
2. Priority check-in at dedicated STARGold level counters [all partner carriers]
3. Guaranteed access to any available seat as an award, J or Y

In normal times, access to alliance partner lounges worldwide, would be on these lists with phone access a given.

There was a similar thread a while ago, and just so no one thinks I'm ripping off BoSoxFan, my answer now is the same as it was in the previous thread on this subject ... in no particular order:

Upgrades
Upgrades
Upgrades

Everything else is a close fourth ...

Until the last 3 weeks UPGRADES...
Now it's the elite lines at the airports.

upgrades,vipow's,double mi's. aa

1) priority on standby lists
2) upgrades
3) preferred seating

when you fly short Shuttle flights the seating and upgrades aren't that important - but being able to leave an hour or more earlier is worth a lot

On Delta:
1. Preferred Seats--especially important in DL's cramped coach cabin (upgrades? what upgrades?)
2. Preboarding
3. First Class check-in


On American:
1. Bonus Miles (If I weren't Platinum I would say First Class check-in)
2. Preboarding
3. Upgrades




[This message has been edited by stephlac (edited 10-02-2001).]

posted my choices above, but wan't to add the platinum service centers. they were super in helping us on 4 out of 5 int'l flts where we had problems last year. [2000] [ac people are excellent also] we were rerouted, put on earlier planes, etc. & got there. baggage missed once [but got to ship 3 days later, nothing aa could do] . now i allow at least 1 day buffer for cruises.

1) The free foot massage from the FA.
2) The ability to fly the plane when I want.
3)A new Buick every 50,000 base miles.

Sorry, tired and feeling goofy. It would be nice though. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

1. Upgrades
2. Piority check-in
3. Being treated really, really well

1. Priority check in
2. Priority check in
3. Priority check in

I can't tell you how good it feels to see tons of people in line at the regular check in line and know that you get to bypass that. It used to be that I pretty much went right in and didn't have to wait at all. Now I have to wait around 15 minutes.

I feel really bad for the poor guys who have to wait in the regular lines. Those guys definitely need to get there 2 hours early.

1. Upgrades

2. Preferred seating

3. Faster check in

1. Upgrades
2. Elite Status Bonuses
3. Lounge Access

1) Upgrades

2) Priority Boarding

3) 100% Bonus Miles

1. Priority Boarding
2. Elite Check-in
3. Unlimited Upgrades (CO/NW)

Check-In
Pre-Board
Seat Selection

1. Upgrades to First Class
2. Upgrades to Business Class
3. Priority Check-in

(edited because it didn't "take" the first time)

[This message has been edited by Law Lord (edited 10-05-2001).]

1. Preferred Seating. It's been years since I've sat in the dreaded "middle seat". I'd really like to keep it that way. They're obviously designed for people with narrower shoulders and midsections than mine. I hate body-to-body contact with strangers.

2. First Class Check-in. Don't like lines.

3. Upgrade credits for domestic flights (AA). Especially now with no food in coach.

Cindy Crawford Julia Roberts Britney Spears
Oops! I did it again. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I meant to say... Unlimited Complimentary Domestic Upgrades on CO/NW/HP Priority Check-In Priority Boarding