incguy

Count me in as a very upset 2011 1K... I sent the email below and I'm planning to send a letter directly to the CEO's office as well.

Here's what I sent via email:

Dear Customer Relations,

I have flown United 2x a week for the last 18 months. I am finally earning 1K status this year and was looking forward to enjoying the benefits of it for 2011, and earning it again for 2012.

That was, at least, until you decided to raise the EQS requirements for 1K to 120 EQS. I understand that you were trying to make the requirements "in line" with the other levels, which also have different segment requirements.

But this logic is seriously flawed.

At some point you have to look at the total value a customer is going to bring you and decide if that's enough value to make them 1K. If the baseline is miles then let's look at a simple comparison:

I could earn 100,000 miles by flying roughly 20 transcon trips, and spending as little as $6000 with you-- possibly a lot less depending on my routes and layovers.

To earn the 100 segments I will have earned this year, flying from SNA to SFO roundtrip, every week of the year, I will have spent around $10,000.

The net result is that someone who flys 20 roundtrips valued at $6,000 will earn 1K next year, while someone who flys 52 roundtrips and spends $10,000 will not.

So now I've spent 18 months flying United, being a loyal, apparently stupid, customer-- only to be told that if I am just as loyal next year as I have been the last 18 months...well, sorry... that's not quite going to cut it.

That is simply wrong. As happy as I was to have finally be at the point where I will hit 1K status this year I am now at the point where I am ready to cut up my card when I get it and send it back to your corporate headquarters with a promise to never fly United again.

I know they are not going to change their policy based on my frustration and disappointment but at least I'll know that I am not supporting a plan that is clearly flawed.

Please don't write me back with a hollow apology, or a lame justification for why you've made this change. I'm not interested in hearing explanations or excuses-- this change is simply wrong. If you'd like to write back telling me you're going to change the policy, give me 20 bonus segments, make an exception for people who fly single segment trips, etc. then I'm all ears.