Originally Posted by pshuang

I think these changes are on the net slightly positive for me. I rarely qualify as 1K (twice in the last 15 years, and needed DEQM to do it the second time) but almost always qualify as 1P. The new 75K tier gives me an achievable target to shoot for and thus affects my decisions whether to choose UA or non-UA at the margin. Getting to 0P status (75K) in 2011 will mean that I have a moderate shot at UDU (flying out of elite-rich SFO) in 2012 by separating myself from the larger pack of 1P members. In my mind, affecting my behavior at the margin is exactly what a corporate loyalty program is supposed to be trying to do... get me to decide in favor of that company in the cases where it's not totally clear cut one way or another for other reasons.

I feel for those of you whose flying patterns routinely put you into the "donut" in the new program where the the number of CR-1 upgrade you earn will be decreased. However, consider that there are probably many more fliers who under the new scheme will earn CR-1's by getting into the 75K-100K range than there are fliers in the donut who will be earning fewer CR-1's than they would have in the past. I expect that there will be about as many total CR-1's issued under the new scheme as would have been issued under the old scheme. People already complain about how CR-1's don't do them any good because they are not clearing; then it is consistent for United to architect the new program so as to not flood the market with more CR-1's.

Upgrades are a big deal to me as to many other FTers, and I've had excellent success with UDU on UNited this year despite flying out of elite-rich SFO (albeit as a 1K this year, which won't continue), and I'm 2/2 on Continental flights as well. But I also value my status for faster processing through shorter elite lines, early boarding, improved customer service handling during irregular operations and priority on standby waitlists (get me home or to where I'm going!), usually priority if I want to volunteer to be bumped, etc. The announced changes don't significantly impact any of these benefits, except insofar as perhaps as a 0P I might find myself slightly better off than I had been as a 1P. Yes, in the years to come when I might not make it to 75K, as 1P and not 0P, I'll be slightly worse off than I had been in the past when I was 1P along with everybody else who didn't make it all the way to 1K, but I find that change quite equitable.

I rarely travel with a companion. Those of you who often do and complain that fewer CR-1's means that you will not be able to upgrade your companion and therefore both of you will be sitting in the back, please consider that under the old scheme where you got more CR-1's, when you were able to both sit up front, potentially you displaced *TWO* people like me who might have successfully upgraded via UDU or upgraded ourselves using our own CR-1's. You perceive that United is rewarding your loyalty less, and therefore United is taking a chance of losing some of your business; but by rewarding two people like me more (with a greater upgrade success rate), United may gain more of our business. This isn't obviously a net loss for United, and it may very well be a net gain.

Oh, and like many lurkers on this thread, I am neither Chicken Little nor hopelessly complacent. Instead I remain watchfully waiting. I don't consider myself married to United Airlines or Mileage Plus, but I recognize other pastures aren't necessarily greener, and those that are today won't necessarily stay that way, either.