Fredd

Any FTers mentioned in this? I can't believe this hasn't been posted yet.

The Ex-Elite Flier Club

By BARBARA S. PETERSON
Published: March 20, 2007

Elizabeth Davidson knew she would need to cut back on her business travel when she learned she was expecting her first child.

A computer technical support consultant in Greensboro, N.C., Ms. Davidson had earned gold status with US Airways’ frequent flier program, a level that provided perks like frequent upgrades to first class.

“There is something magical about being able to fly around the country,” she said, especially when one can enjoy shorter lines and a more comfortable flight than most other fliers. But the magic may be gone. Earlier this year, as she prepared to resume her work several months after her daughter was born, she learned that her travel hiatus had a come with a cost: her elite status with the airline had expired.

http://tinyurl.com/2zltak

Efrem

It quotes FT founder Randy Petersen (note spelling of family name not the same as the reporter's).

What I found interesting was that most of the favors people pleaded for, and eventually got, would have been standard with American. The top-tier chap on US who took time off to care for his father, lost status, and was eventually given first-tier status as a favor would only have been dropped to mid-tier under AA's standard policy, no need to ask for anything. And the chap who missed out when UA cancelled his year-end flights would have just had to ask for Original Routing Credit, which AA gives (on request) as a matter of course.

OutOfOffice

Interesting read. I earn status 100% from leisure travel and seriously considered not trying this year, but I am addicted to the perks and ended up doing a mega-mileage run last month to re-earn status ,and so I can scale back my travels later this year.

I suspect I will always try to earn at least silver status just for the ability to board quicker & the occasional upgrade.

2Ruse

I can tell you that AA did NOT offer to let me back into the fold - I was Platinum one year, and zero the next. (I don't even want to start the argument that male passengers are treated differently from female, do I?)

I had health problems, then got laid off (funny how companies like to do that) and now am part of a project management team of 60 with a total annual travel budget of $10k (and I work for a Fortune 25 company!) So I don't get out much these days.

My personal travel also just isn't up to its former level - not enough to seriously shoot even for entry elite, and I definitely have no loyalty to any of the carriers any more (which is a strangely liberating feeling, after being quoted in Inside Flyer as a "slave" to my UA miles!)

I'm almost totally resigned to the flimsy paper membership card, and standing/sitting with the rest of the world - but I agree, after being treated like a human being (my personal definition of what it means to be UA Premier) for a while, it definitely s**ks to be ordinary again!

Katy

My husband has been elite, mostly platinum elite, since he started working in consulting in 1997. He will hopefully be able to stop traveling so frequently for work next year, which we're both looking forward to... but we will very dearly miss the benefits that come with being elite.

Our personal travel is frequent enough that we'll definitely feel the pain of not having the little perks, but not frequent enough to earn them.

Oh well, at least he has enough miles/points to keep us in free tickets and hotel rooms for years to come!

runnerwallah

I decided to take a several month break and was glad I did so. I miss the perks, but not enough to really want to start flying again.

I had a chance to go back to a regular travel schedule but ultimately decided that the personal relationships I can build by not being on an airplane are more than worth it.

I've also still been able to accumulate airline miles, thanks to my churning of numerous Citibank credit cards with 20K mile bonuses. I probably have almost as many bonus miles as actual flight miles :-)

SEA_Tigger

I gave up mileage running last year and now just fly paid First Class or Business Class when I need/want to go somewhere. I spend less money and suffer much less wear and tear on the mind and body (6-8 overnight with an immediate-return transcons a year are murder) and paid First/Business gives me all the benefits (and more) mid-tier status did.

erdehoff

Yay! I saw the request on FT a few months ago for stories of ex-elite flyers, and while I'm not one myself, my friend Elizabeth Davidson had mentioned that she lost US Gold status because she didn't take business trips while pregnant, so I passed the information along to her. She told me the reporter called her. Wow, she made the lede!

Fredd

Cool! You've addressed the question I originally posed about FTers, no surprise since RP is quoted as the guru he is so one assumes the writer was "lurking."

Cheers,
Fredd

rufflesinc

the US carriers will have to pry the money out of my cold, dead hands before i pay for F or J

SEA_Tigger

Well I have no choice for domestic (though AS is nice that they let you into the club on an F ticket), but for international, I now use "the nationals" more and more.

ralfp

For last minute travel, F is often similar in price to Y. Sometimes it's even cheaper.

There is also a certain comfort in having a fully refundable ticket (doesn't apply to all F fares, applies to Y), you can say "No, I don't want to fly today." to the TSA dudes.

I never thought that I'd actually pay for F, but yet here I am (done it once, cost me < $70 extra for > 1000 mile flight).