OK, so you're telling me the 130 miles lost, AKA: $1.30 means something to you?? My two young sons worry about these denominations, me, not being a mileage hound (or the other less tasteful word often used for the crazies on these forums) thinks absolutely nada about it.
I think it is a big lost. DCA-LGA 500 miles before, now only 214. So before the change on a roundtrip with CP bonus you got 2000 RDM's but now you would only get 856 miles. Fly this weekly and see how quickly it adds up.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by devildog65
THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO RAISE THE FREAKING PRICE ON THE UNPROFITABLE ROUTES. Your loyal preferred customers will pay the premium and the airline can keep dishing out the crap service.
Actually, it isn't. Not only does US control the earning of miles (flights, credit cards, etc) - they also control the redemption of those miles. It's a whole lot easier to tighten 25k awards even further than it is to make a change like this - at least in the public eye. Why? Tightening awards doesn't require a visible change and a "press release" email.
From the CNBC special on "A day in the life of AA", we learned that the marginal cost of redemption on an award ticket is extremely small. Tempe could have also looked at how the accrue the liability for miles (for example - do they value miles at .005c/mi or do they accrue for the marginal cost of a free ticket for every redeemable ticket earned?)
Tempe today has done nothing more than reaffirm my decision to fly anybody BUT them this year. And yes, that includes WN.
IIRC, it was FWAA who said it best - miles are cheap when you own the printing press and control the redemption.
I usually fly segments that are long enough that this won't really have a big effect on my traveling; however, I have to wonder what the next stupid move by US is going to be. Will they take away the mileage bonuses for Preferred members? Perhaps they will take away the "free unlimited upgrades" from us.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jumpgate
I left for SkyTeam.
I've had great experiences this year on DL and AF and DL account balance is increasing nicely.
This just reinforces my decision.
I've finally filed for divorce and I'm taking the kids and the house. Good riddance.
I've had some good and some not-so-good DL experiences. But I think I'm going to follow you out the door.
US had made lots of operational improvements and things were turning around -- then they pull this idiotic decision to devalue DM on short-hop flights at the same time that they're facing overwhelming competition from a soon-to-be-merged DL-NW (which will increase competition in the northeast) and a soon-to-be-merged UA-CO (which will also increase competition in the northeast).
Even in the present environment, even with Delta's much-depreciated FF miles, US has made its DM program worth less. Sure, you may need 2x the SkyMiles to fly domestic versus US, but when you get 500 one-way on the Delta shuttle versus 180 one-way on the US shuttle, the decision is a no-brainer.
I am reminded of the changes that US made to the DM program back after 9/11 -- that only full fares would qualify for EQMs, etc. Those were reversed in less than a week after an angry outpouring from fliers. I wonder if Tempe will do the same thing?
In any event, all my short-hop northeast travel is shifting to SkyTeam. Even with craptacular redemptions, US has depreciated the value of its DM program in the northeast network to near zero -- there's no reason to fly the carrier anymore.
Yea, but how many people fly AVP-PHL and don't connect to somewhere else? It is like a 2 hr drive without too much traffic on the turnpike. More of the same could be said of ABE-PHL, what's that maybe an hour? And to be fair, I can't imagine someone flying TUS-PHX, PRC-PHX, or FLG-PHX without onward connections (I just drove to Prescott this week and it was maybe 2 hours, with heavy rush hour traffic through town).
Seriously, I've found fares ~$200 all-in or less PHX-AVP, which just isn't right. That said, if I go back if/after this change goes into effect, I'll be trying out the PHX-CLT-AVP routing rather than PHX-PHL-AVP. Going through PHL had given more miles because of the 500 for PHL-AVP, and I actually like the PHL airport (plus would rather chance getting stuck somewhere I could drive to family from at least).
I squeeked by into Gold status on miles, but many of those came from short-hauls. So it isn't the best decision for me either, but for now I'm trying to relax and hope this goes away.
Well I usually flew CAE-CLT-XXX. I don't really care that I am still earning full mileage on the longer segment. With this change I would earn 1644 less RDMs per r/t and 822 less EQMs per r/t. To think I was actually thinking about coming back to US for my east coast flights.
Well I usually flew CAE-CLT-XXX. I don't really care that I am still earning full mileage on the longer segment. With this change I would earn 1644 less RDMs per r/t and 822 less EQMs per r/t. To think I was actually thinking about coming back to US for my east coast flights.
... or GSO-CLT, GSP-CLT. Same arguments as AVL/TRI-CLT and AVP/ABE-PHL.
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This decision doesn't bother me nearly as much because I fly almost exclusively long hauls, but it just doesn't seem to make business sense. Plus, I will miss the option to tack an extra couple hundred miles on to my itinerary with an additional short connection - it might make the difference between SP and GP.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mooper
I'm much more shocked by the dramatic complaining than the policy change.
My vote is for them to stick with this - I'd happily take less redemption competition for a few lost miles - but my position is based upon my flying patterns. If I flew six 250 mile segments per week, I might feel differently.
To respond to your comment, businesses can pursue profit margins through cutting costs (the Wal-Mart model) or through offering unparalleled service to loyal customers (the Nordstrom model). The interesting thing is that the price-conscious customers are neither valuable nor loyal as they will drive down the street for a better price. When you compete on price alone eventually everyone suffers as businesses fold, consumers are left with little choice and employees tend to suffer. Eventually, the cost-saving cuts start to cut into the bone...as is the case here.
The service-orietnted customers will pay a premium for a better experience and loyalty rewards and will do so willingly. Many FFs spend an extra $25, $50, even $100 per ticket for the perks that come with loyalty. I do it on DL all the time here in ATL when I could fly AirTran for a better fare.
On the bright side for you...it looks as thought your upgrade chances just got a whole lot better with so many CPs and other elites preparing to head for the emergency exits.
This decision doesn't bother me nearly as much because I fly almost exclusively long hauls, but it just doesn't seem to make business sense. Plus, I will miss the option to tack an extra couple hundred miles on to my itinerary with an additional short connection - it might make the difference between SP and GP.
Absolutely! Lets say I usually fly 15 roundtrips per year, now that I am losing 822 EQM's per trip I would lose a grand total of 12,330 EQM's per year!!!
....on the other hand any time Delta has a IRROP or I use SDC at the airport I am put into Y of F where I earn 50% bonus EQM's.
....hmmmm, "The New Delta" with bonus EQM's or "Piece 'o' Sh!t Airline" with lack of EQMs. Thats really a tough one. I may have to ponder it over a complimentary Crown and Coke next time I am in the DL Crown Room Club.
Are a help to me
This was the exact incentive I needed to move my short haul business to other carriers
I had wanted to anyway.This was the single reason I was flying them at all
BUH BYE I was buying some full fare tickets.
Does this rule only appy to deeply discounted tickets or all tickets?
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Last edited by 777 global mile hound; Feb 14, 08 at 3:06 pm.
I was buying some full fare tickets.
