airgator

And that is the long-term key.

Without status our flight decisions would be based on things like price and convenience, not perks. At some point in the future most of us will be flying a lot less and will lose status. No perks means no loyalty (as we use the term here). So then what can US do to keep some of that loyalty even after it is no longer being earned on an annual basis? Create an opportunity for long-term status, ie, long-term perks.

At the top level a plan like this is brilliant, though not original. They get even increased loyalty now as we all have a new additional goal, but when we eventually fly less we will still be loyal to US for the remaining perks.

The question that US needs to work through is how large they want that pool to be, which will define which miles count, keeping in mind that these new "permanent silvers" are now competing with their "active silvers", and all of the known implicit ramifications of that. There is an advantage to US in having that pool as large as possible, meaning more loyal fliers. "Active silvers" will always have more PQM's as the upgrade tiebreaker so some differentiation is built in. The next logical outgrowth is then the 2m=gold, etc.

A GP (at 50k miles) will get lifetime silver in 20 years. An SP at 25k miles annually will never get there (40 years?). This then says to me that maybe if you want the silver/gold border fliers to have a shot they include all PQM's. That means they can earn it in 20 to 25 years of loyalty. If I am a 25k flier every year and only BIS miles count, then lifetime status is not a realistic goal. If then doing this to make the goal attainable, it is necessary that further lifetime gold and platinum options be available at higher mile counts. Down in a dark basement at US there are black-robed mystics who have access to the actual data on elites, levels, durations and the like.

I have a now retired uncle who is well over 4m with Delta, in other words, lifetime platinum. To this day he will fly no one but Delta. Reason - perks.

PHL

I suspect the lifetime count goes back to the beginning of the DM program in the 80's. I just called and got my count which was just under 300,000 since 1988. I have flown less than 25K (on US) since 2007, though, so it doesn't appear to "only" be since 2007 as previously thought.

meisterau

I was onevof Deltas first MMers, the first from Chicago. The CEO of Delta flew out and presented me with card, stationary, bottle of DP at Crown room at OHare. I felt special. I hope US Air keeps it such.

SS255

And don't forget the Silvers who bought one non-refundable ticket over the summer.

All kidding aside, somebody who has flown 1MM BIS miles on US metal deserves at least as good of a deal as somebody who flew 25K last year. And a lot of the 1MM's will still be actively flying and above the Silver level, anyway.

MaineFlyer16

Bummer, was hoping the 400K of EQM I got during the "get out more" campaign of 2002 would count! A good start though for US. ^

CPRich

Has anyone asked whether there is a higher tier? I received my MM certificate/card when they first went out several years ago and am probably close to 2M now.

I've ranted about the lack of anything more than $0.20 of paper and ink for a million miles in the past, so I give them credit for some recognition, though it is among the lamest of all the MM recognitions. But it is more than nothing.

meisterau

The delta MM came out about 20 years ago. Ron Allen used to fly to your city and give you your card, a box of MM stationary and gold plated luggage tags at a ceremony either at your office or Crown Room. He also upgraded us from business classs to first RT on our honeymoon to Paris.

My 2MM done by airport manager. Too bad you just got a 20 cent piece of paper.

When they first did the Flying Colonel, it was similar with CEO coming out and presenting it.

But that was Delta when it loved to fly and this is US Air. It would be nice if they did same

hitherandyon

Finally some recognition!

Million mile flyers
Fly one million miles with US, and we'll upgrade you to Silver Preferred for as long as you remain an active Dividend Miles member.*

Notice that you are only Silver Preferred as long as you fly/pay USAirways to remain active - will they pull it from you if you don't? Should be LIFETIME
Silver at least like the others do. And wish they had added other levels to
achieve - maybe that's coming.

Still, I'm happy that they have done something!

dcpatti

This is in the T&C regarding the "keep your account active" bit:

To keep your account active, just earn or redeem miles with US Airways or our partners within a consecutive 3-year period.

So you will keep your Silver forever as long as you do "something" with your miles within any 3 year period. I don't think that is too big a stipulation to put on this, considering how many ways you can keep your account alive and how many of those don't cost any money. You're going to need to do "something" quicker than every 3 years to keep your RDM alive. I don't see this as a negative or a dilution of the benefits at all.

hitherandyon

Oh, that should be pretty easy then!

I hope they do more levels with more miles.....

jbcarioca

After 8mm with AA I have never had any recognition other than extra eVIP's for each million, and new luggage tags and EXP card with the x-million miles circled. That is it. Nobody every wrote or called, just a form letter with the tags.

hitherandyon

Well, gesh, they could at least give you a voucher for some Starbucks!

ArizonaRoadWarrior

Not really...how many Silvers are upgraded to FC on the 'popular' flights, the flights to/from PHX, CLT and PHL? It is hard for Golds to be upgraded. As a Platinum, I used to have a 90% upgrade success rate...now it is 50% (of course, it depends upon the route, the time of the flight, etc.).

ArizonaRoadWarrior

It takes class which is something missing at US Airways.

ArizonaRoadWarrior

How code-share flights? I have purchased UA flights (US had no flights to the destination that I was traveling to) on the US Airways website, these flights had US flight numbers; my credit card was charged by US; etc.

Personally, I think that they should count partner miles. There are times where they do not have flights to the destination. For example, US has no flights to China which is 12,200 miles round-trip. Is it my fault that US has no flights to Asia and China? I do live in a US hub city but I can take my business to United. I am wondering how partner miles does the average DM member earns in a year...I am sure that US has that number.

US needs to update their website so that DM members can see how many miles that they have accumulated. That is one thing that I like about the Delta website.

It doesn't really cost US anything for this program. It isn't like giving tickets sitting in the box seats section at the America West Arena for a Sun game (I read in the newspaper five or six years ago that HP used to give tickets to 1MM FlightFund members). Their objective is to keep the loyalty of their best customers when they reduced their travelings.