Any of you ever just stopped caring about status & points?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 128
Any of you ever just stopped caring about status & points?
Hi,
My travel this year has been at a record low for me, my first flight since June was today. My previous employer closing in July didn't help, but frankly I've never woken up the past few months and said "gee, wish I could go to Logan Airport today". In other words, I haven't missed it.
Although I have lots of miles with UAL, I have certainly lost 2010 status with them and any other airline so it is a clean slate January 1.
As a new job starts with near-weekly nationwide travel I am wondering about abandoning loyalty and just flying whatever is cheapest/quickest. Save a few bucks and get back home faster. Fares are cheap enough that the value of a free FF trip for the family on, say, UAL with connections, is outweighed by a paid direct flight instead. Once you are in your seat there isn't much difference between airlines regardless of your status- they all give out sodas and have lousy BOB meals.
Has anyone here gone down this path before? Any regrets or was there a new found sense of freedom not stressing over status?
Best.....Mike
My travel this year has been at a record low for me, my first flight since June was today. My previous employer closing in July didn't help, but frankly I've never woken up the past few months and said "gee, wish I could go to Logan Airport today". In other words, I haven't missed it.
Although I have lots of miles with UAL, I have certainly lost 2010 status with them and any other airline so it is a clean slate January 1.
As a new job starts with near-weekly nationwide travel I am wondering about abandoning loyalty and just flying whatever is cheapest/quickest. Save a few bucks and get back home faster. Fares are cheap enough that the value of a free FF trip for the family on, say, UAL with connections, is outweighed by a paid direct flight instead. Once you are in your seat there isn't much difference between airlines regardless of your status- they all give out sodas and have lousy BOB meals.
Has anyone here gone down this path before? Any regrets or was there a new found sense of freedom not stressing over status?
Best.....Mike
#2
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SJC
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 2,117
I for once do not care about status. I always pick based on schedule, nonstop flight, and then price (if 1 stop is at least $50 cheaper than nonstop departing at the right time). I've a UA account to collect points on *A and AS account to collect points on AA/NW/DL/CO. Points are just bonus. I'm sure you'll like this freedom.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: AA EXP (1.7MM); BD *G; HH Diamond
Posts: 419
So, you're happy making every single trip in Coach?
You know, for a domestic flyer with paid First, I think you're on to something. Pick one program per alliance, and collect whatever points happen to come.
But if your employer only buys Coach, it just doesn't make any sense.
You know, for a domestic flyer with paid First, I think you're on to something. Pick one program per alliance, and collect whatever points happen to come.
But if your employer only buys Coach, it just doesn't make any sense.
#4
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Posts: 4,049
#6
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
I don't worry about $50, one way or the other.
My cut off is $300, irregardless if it's a $198 or $1500.
Why? I dunno. It's just a random number that my wife and I have decided to use. We decided a long time ago if one of us wants to spend >$300 to check with the other, just to make sure we keep the books in order.
My cut off is $300, irregardless if it's a $198 or $1500.
Why? I dunno. It's just a random number that my wife and I have decided to use. We decided a long time ago if one of us wants to spend >$300 to check with the other, just to make sure we keep the books in order.
#7
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SJC
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 2,117
Earlier this month, I flew SJC-SEA-BLI ($90) instead of SFO-YVR ($160).
Late last year, I flew SFO-ICN-HKG-ICN-SFO ($750) instead of SFO-HKG-SFO ($920).
I do absolute number instead of percentages. If the price is too expensive, I normally change my trip dates to get cheaper flights. For high season like Christmas, I always redeem miles 10 months in advance.
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,575
Would I change from one major alliance to another to obtain better routings/schedules for an upcoming year of business travel? Sure...I've switched back and forth between OW and *A several times over the course of 15 years.
I made the decision to use UA in various years nonstops where I needed to go or the best one-stops to the West Coast from MCI. I imagine I'd be at 2MM AA by now if I had chosen to take all of those trips through DFW or ORD, but when I think about how many total hours out of my life that would have cost, I can live with only be AA Gold for now.
In any given high-travel period of my life, I think I'd always try to select the best alliance for my destinations even if that meant switching, but I don't think I'd ever just "log in and buy the cheapest flight". I'd try to stay within my chosen alliance unless it was an awful routing. Possible exception would be if I was buying a ton of paid premium cabin, but I don't expect that anytime soon.
I made the decision to use UA in various years nonstops where I needed to go or the best one-stops to the West Coast from MCI. I imagine I'd be at 2MM AA by now if I had chosen to take all of those trips through DFW or ORD, but when I think about how many total hours out of my life that would have cost, I can live with only be AA Gold for now.
In any given high-travel period of my life, I think I'd always try to select the best alliance for my destinations even if that meant switching, but I don't think I'd ever just "log in and buy the cheapest flight". I'd try to stay within my chosen alliance unless it was an awful routing. Possible exception would be if I was buying a ton of paid premium cabin, but I don't expect that anytime soon.
#9
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Chicagoland/ORD
Programs: UA Million Miler (Gold), Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,458
I care more about status and points and miles than ever. By watching fares, I've never paid more than a few dollars more for UA; and I'm enjoying the status, which is worth more and more as airlines add extra fees and take away services. I also like the hotel perks that come with status. For example, I recently had 10 free nights at a Doubletree in New York City where I got 2 free full breakfast buffets daily. I could not have afforded that stay if I had had to pay for it.
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 78
do you not see a difference between an F and a Y- seat?
#12
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: TPA, SRQ
Posts: 61
I can say that if I am in an exit seat; I could really care less about being upgraded to first. Heck, I have been seated in coach with luggage all stowed and had a a flight attendant asked me to move to first. I told them No Thanks. Once I am sitting down, I'm not moving until I am at my destination. So, the only benefit that I really appreciate with status is priority boarding and access to exit seats. I carry luggage, so baggage fees wouldn't matter even if I didn't have status. The airline food is horrible for you, so I don't eat it when I do get the upgrades.
And the real kicker: My company takes our FF miles from us.
And the real kicker: My company takes our FF miles from us.
#13
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
My husband has his FF miles on DL. Recently, he had to attend a conference in Denver. Did I want him to travel on Dl with a change of aircraft in SLC? No. Therefore, he flew UA non-stop from LAX/DEN and for a small fee paid for an Economy Plus seat. He could have cared less about FF miles. He was happy with his UA flts which were under 2 hours non-stop.
#14
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: united, aa, delta, chase UR, Bonvoy
Posts: 60
bottom line is that you should join the big 3...united, delta, aa. then fly how you want and earn miles as a perk...what they were meant for. today it is so hard to use them anyway...who cares.
#15
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Status and points: no
First Class: Yes
The last few years I was flying with airlines (US/NW/CO) where I could earn free upgrade and paying for them with AA and UA as well as AS. I was spending a few hundred dollars to get into F. However, now that service has gotten worse (especially on United) and I tend to sleep more on flights I've spent a whopping $30 this year to get into F. I'm perfectly content in the exit row reading a newspaper or sleeping. My last SFO-PHX flight on UA in F where the FAs were in the last row of Y chatting when we boarded and then served us no snack mix but instead brought it to the back for their colleagues cemented this.
First Class: Yes
The last few years I was flying with airlines (US/NW/CO) where I could earn free upgrade and paying for them with AA and UA as well as AS. I was spending a few hundred dollars to get into F. However, now that service has gotten worse (especially on United) and I tend to sleep more on flights I've spent a whopping $30 this year to get into F. I'm perfectly content in the exit row reading a newspaper or sleeping. My last SFO-PHX flight on UA in F where the FAs were in the last row of Y chatting when we boarded and then served us no snack mix but instead brought it to the back for their colleagues cemented this.