What Year Did You Join Your First Frequent Flyer Program and What Was It?
hate to think about the miles I missed out on.
Aug 11, 2016, 8:38 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New York and Vienna
Programs: PA WorldPass Platinum, AA, DL, LH. GHA Black, SPG and HHonors Gold
Posts: 3,870
Aug 11, 2016, 11:38 pm
#20
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,404
I signed up for FF programs very shortly after they were introduced, for all airlines that I thought I might fly. I guess that would be 1981.
Aug 13, 2016, 10:02 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Btw, CompuServe still exists, but it's simply an email domain and web-based email service owned by (and operated by) AOL, which is now part of Verizon along with Yahoo.
I still have a CompuServe email account!
Aug 13, 2016, 12:39 pm
#24
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
OnePass was not EA's original frequent flyer program. After Texas Air acquired Eastern they created OnePass to be a joint frequent flyer program for Continental, Eastern and some affiliated carriers. See AP article reporting creation of OnePass in May 1987 HERE, complete with quotation from Randy Petersen.
Aug 13, 2016, 3:06 pm
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New York and Vienna
Programs: PA WorldPass Platinum, AA, DL, LH. GHA Black, SPG and HHonors Gold
Posts: 3,870
Continental and Eastern never merged. They were both own by Texas Air, and operated separately, same as British Airways and Iberia have common owner today.
OnePass was not EA's original frequent flyer program. After Texas Air acquired Eastern they created OnePass to be a joint frequent flyer program for Continental, Eastern and some affiliated carriers. See AP article reporting creation of OnePass in May 1987 HERE, complete with quotation from Randy Petersen.
OnePass was not EA's original frequent flyer program. After Texas Air acquired Eastern they created OnePass to be a joint frequent flyer program for Continental, Eastern and some affiliated carriers. See AP article reporting creation of OnePass in May 1987 HERE, complete with quotation from Randy Petersen.
Aug 13, 2016, 3:25 pm
#27
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
If you have a subscription to the New York Times you can read this article published October 1982 when the programs were approaching their first anniversaries:
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/17/tr...ent-flier.html
Much of the article explains to the reader how the programs work, including this:
There is also a discussion of the decision to make awards redeemable only by individuals rather than corporations:
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/17/tr...ent-flier.html
Much of the article explains to the reader how the programs work, including this:
Earlier this month, Continental Airlines added a new option to the game. Their ''Travelbank'' plan allows members to take the free trip first and sign a pledge to fly the required miles within a year or pay back the air fare.
There is also a discussion of the decision to make awards redeemable only by individuals rather than corporations:
Corporate travel departments much preferred the airline incentive programs of 1979, for example, when some carriers provided passengers with coupons every time they took a flight. The company could appropriate the coupons from employees and use them toward future business flights. Bristol-Myers saved about $120,000 with those coupons, Celanese saved nearly $100,000 and Lipton approximately $32,000.
''It worked out fine with those coupons,'' said C. Patrick Doran of the corporate travel department at Lipton, ''but with these you just have to depend on the honesty of the employee. I think it's misdirected. There should have been some benefit to the corporation.'' Mr. Doran sent out a memo to all Lipton employees on July 9 advising that ''any free tickets or any awards of this nature obtained through company business are considered to be company property. These trip awards, which are applicable for future business travel, should be made available to the corporate travel department.'' So far, he said, he's heard from two of the company's 400 employees who travel.
''It worked out fine with those coupons,'' said C. Patrick Doran of the corporate travel department at Lipton, ''but with these you just have to depend on the honesty of the employee. I think it's misdirected. There should have been some benefit to the corporation.'' Mr. Doran sent out a memo to all Lipton employees on July 9 advising that ''any free tickets or any awards of this nature obtained through company business are considered to be company property. These trip awards, which are applicable for future business travel, should be made available to the corporate travel department.'' So far, he said, he's heard from two of the company's 400 employees who travel.
