It seems inevitable to me that MP gold status will someday no longer be aligned with *A Gold. Even with MP, 1K and Plat are paired, and Gold and Silver are paired.
It seems inevitable to me that MP gold status will someday no longer be aligned with *A Gold. Even with MP, 1K and Plat are paired, and Gold and Silver are paired.
What think the sages?
I think that's not that likely as it would cause MMers to lose star gold, unless they also change the levels given to them too.
I think a thinning of the ranks will be attempted though by shifting the goal posts of mile thresholds upwards... unfortunate for me who barely makes gold
I think a thinning of the ranks will be attempted though by shifting the goal posts of mile thresholds upwards... unfortunate for me who barely makes gold
i disagree, i don't think UA will raise the bar on gold, but i do think the benefits will continue to be eroded.
my guess is that *G will go away next year, MMs will be grandfathered in if they already qualified, and that these changes will be announced at 6pm on the first Friday in January to be effective the following Monday
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SkyTeam went the other way; Gold (on DL, not sure if CO switched to *A before the change) used to be SkyTeam Elite, now it's Elite Plus.
I could see the merit in *A switching to something like Oneworld's three tier system.
A two-tier alliance elite system becoming a three-tier alliance system in a market where first class is on the retreat and being displaced as business class and economy class mix expands into areas where there used to be both a first class and business class offer?
Any shift to a three-tier alliance elite system is going to make the elites in the main worse off in a market environment where first class is losing its place to business and economy classes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ddrost1
i disagree, i don't think UA will raise the bar on gold, but i do think the benefits will continue to be eroded.
I expect both will take place to gut the "over-entitled", a term used by COdbaUA.
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Like TSA, DL SkyMiles management treats airline customers as if they are the enemy or sheep to be fleeced and it shows.
A two-tier alliance elite system becoming a three-tier alliance system in a market where first class is on the retreat and being displaced as business class and economy class mix expands into areas where there used to be both a first class and business class offer?
Any shift to a three-tier alliance elite system is going to make the elites in the main worse off in a market environment where first class is losing its place to business and economy classes.
Huh? Why are you conflating elite tiers and cabin classes?
I think it's unlikely as they'd lose regular *A travelers to other programs, UAs *G level isn't particularly generous when compared to other *A members and I doubt UA *G members are high on the list of things that costs UA money in running the programme.
Huh? Why are you conflating elite tiers and cabin classes?
Maybe because a lot of the alliance status premium FFP status benefits are actually conflated with premium cabin class benefits?
What are they going to give say Star "Platinums"? More first class lounge access for international flights when first class seems to be disappearing in favor of business or economy class of some sort?
Any introduction of a three-tier Star Alliance or SkyTeam elite status system at this point will come with making the majority of current elites worse off.
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Like TSA, DL SkyMiles management treats airline customers as if they are the enemy or sheep to be fleeced and it shows.
Programs: UA1K BIS Million Mile Flyer, HH Diamond, IC Plat, SPG Plat, Marriott Silver, Hertz 5*
Posts: 8,177
Quote:
Originally Posted by rieuwa
I think that's not that likely as it would cause MMers to lose star gold, unless they also change the levels given to them too.
I think a thinning of the ranks will be attempted though by shifting the goal posts of mile thresholds upwards... unfortunate for me who barely makes gold
If you read the not-so-fine print, you will note that all UA guarantees "lifetime" to MMs in this post-merger era is Lifetime Premier Status.
Everything else, including gold, is listed as an annual status award benefit and therefore subject to change.
Lounge access on intl travel, free same-day changes, and economy plus are literally the only three reasons to try to get MP Gold these days (the occasional CPU no longer counts due to its rarity). If they get rid of lounge access for Golds there's no reason for me to fly United any more. Jetblue/Virgin America change fees are low enough and they have enough legroom for me. Eva and China Airlines have good enough service to Asia, are often cheaper, and have convenient red-eye departures out of SFO.
If you read the not-so-fine print, you will note that all UA guarantees "lifetime" to MMs in this post-merger era is Lifetime Premier Status.
Everything else, including gold, is listed as an annual status award benefit and therefore subject to change.
Oh I agree with you, I just mean that it would be a significant devaluation of the 1MM level, which would, I'm sure, cause a great deal of negative discussions.
Oh I agree with you, I just mean that it would be a significant devaluation of the 1MM level, which would, I'm sure, cause a great deal of negative discussions.
Only in this FT forum.
99.999% of the population would not give a rats behind.
UA has access to the data and we don't. But, the question is whether there is a statistically significant number of Golds who have a low BIS spend, who travel internationally in steerage and use other *A carriers' lounges on a regular basis. If that's not many, the fact that a few low spenders are costing UA money, isn't really a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
That said, UA already moved domestic UG's largely from status to spend-based simply by inserting -UP fares for elites ahead of CPU's for all but GS. Over time, I would expect to see UA (as well as the other legacy carriers) moving further in the spend vs. miles/segments direction.
If you read the not-so-fine print, you will note that all UA guarantees "lifetime" to MMs in this post-merger era is Lifetime Premier Status.
Everything else, including gold, is listed as an annual status award benefit and therefore subject to change.
They did guarantee lifetime Premier Executive status, but all they had to do was redefine what they REALLY meant by P/E, and we were dead in the water. They will likely do the same in the future. If they want to screw people, they simply re-market their tiers, and sell it as an "enhancement".
