Originally Posted by
mrswirl
No, just UA metal.
I respect your opinion on a lot of topics but your math is way off base here.
Most segment flyers spend a lot more per ticket for multiple connections because they have to rather than simply adding segments for the sole reason of achieving status. For example, I did DEN-ORD-PIA-ORD-MKE-DEN because I had to visit customers in both Peoria and Milwaukee the same day not because of a $69 fare sale. (IIRC that trip alone was close to $900).
My own example: 104K EQMs and 104 EQS - qualified on both miles and segments. Number of tickets bought in 2010 was 30 (only 1 international) which is an average of 3.47 segments/ticket. My average ticket price however was $550.
I understand your math...not a biggie that people don't understand mine...you all are reading into it too much...my math is kindergarden. If you spent $500 for each flight and qualified on segments at 100, but not on miles, then for you to qualify on segments with a 120 segment min, you would spend even more. About 300 posts ago, I was pointing out many examples where segments to very populated cities with LCC presence could be very cheap, while acknowledging that in many smaller markets (i.e. PIA) it can be very expensive. My recently posted math makes no comparison of the sort, only the exact same flying, but with 20 more segments is > the exact same flying with 100 segments. It represents a 20% increase in spend. In every single case, regardless of what cities, as long as the person needs to do the same thing 20% more times to get the same MP designation. Also if you made it on segments, and you had to fly 20 more, you might still make it on miles before the segments, depending on how short you were on miles. That too, is addl spend, which is good for my employer and my stock.
On the good side, for those that need to fly more to hit status....just think, you will get 1MM faster and have more miles to burn, as well as get to hear me say "Thank you" 20% more times as I scan your BP!
