Originally Posted by
Vulcan
OZ:
I agree that a large # of PMUA got screwed. However, your characterization of the Infinite Elites is lacking. I, for one, missed this status by 1 year. It was my fault and I moved on. What you are not mentioning are the conditions that those IEs collected miles under.
For about a year or two of those 5-6 years of the program, CO dropped First Class and instituted a "Peanut Fares" pricing policy that tried to turn itself into a low cost carrrier. That failed, and CO moved back to a mainstream pricing policy and a FC cabin.
Then there was, at the same time, the likelyhood of CO going down into bankruptcy for the third time and the very real possiblility of us OnePass members losing everything. It was my understanding that only a last minute infusion of cash from GE (engines) or Boeing prevented this cataclysm.
So, it is my opinion, that, while the CO IEs are the biggest 'winners' in the current situation, they stood by CO in its darkest days. For that they (all 2000 or so of them left) were rewarded and kept on top of the heap. I really don't think that is too terrible.
My point was simply that this thread is titled
"CO/UA Million Mile (and Beyond) Flyer Benefits"
I know all about how cr*ppy CO could be at the time you mention, as I flew them very heavily.
I empathise with you missing IE by 1 year.
I missed it by 2 MONTHS simply as CO ceased flying to Sydney, a service pulled with also zero notice - to flyers and staff, in those dark days.
I'd had 4 years as top tier and had flights booked in year 5 that took me to top tier hence
"GOLD for Life". (Note that promise they made me and others - not Platinum for Life, not Top tier for Life - simply "GOLD" if you made top tier 5 years running.
Now this was 15 or so years back and to be honest "GOLD for life" on CO meant little to me if they did not fly here.
Started flying UA, easily got to 1K in year #1, and stayed there happily for 12 years. Despite the 'Summer From Hell' and a couple of Bankruptcies, and all kinds of union issues that impacted us all, where ALL my miles and all yours and all others might well have vanished.
'they stood by CO in its darkest days.' - how is this any different from those of us who
stood by UA in its darkest days. ???
So in line with this discussion -
"CO/UA Million Mile (and Beyond) Flyer Benefits" "CO/UA Million Mile (and Beyond) Flyer Benefits" - CO "Golds" recently got skyrocketed to top tier
PLATINUM for life, and UA real Million Mile flyers who were also Promised in writing as recently as a year or so back - "2 x CR1 for
Life" get none. We do not even get 100% mileage bonuses as they do.
Any "Promise" from these carpetbaggers is clearly not to be relied upon, unless you were a CO flyer in the past, simple as that.
As
Kokonutz says - the UA loyal top end elites have been ingested by the Houston Elephant and excreted as just so much dung.
Well I for one found a more friendly Dung Beetle after that treatment.
.