dmat

DD's posted a great summary today of upcoming changes by airline. Here's UA's:

"United:

United has also already announced that they are matching Delta’s move to no longer award miles based on flight distance as of 03/15.
Additionally:

-Gold elites will have their baggage allowance cut from 3 to 2 bags.

-Presidential Plus cardholders will lose their Avis President’s Club status as of 01/01/16.

-Club cardholders will lose their Avis First status as of 01/01/16.
(Both of those cardholders will get Hertz President’s Circle status).

-United 1K members will no longer get free Global Entry

-United premiers will have to pay a co-pay plus miles to get upgraded from JFK to Los Angeles or San Francisco.

-As of 03/01/15 United will match American’s policy and will also no longer check luggage through to non-Star Alliance airlines if the connecting travel is on another ticket.

-And a huge one, award passengers will no longer inherit the status of the account where they were booked from as of 04/15/15.
As a 1K when I book someone using my miles they get 3 free bags, free economy plus access, free 1K checkin, premier security, 1K boarding, free lounge access, and they are eligible for complimentary advance upgrades.
The trick for free upgrades is to make sure you only book 1 award passenger per itinerary. Booking one-way awards helped as well.
This all worked even if I wasn’t flying.
That will all be going away.

When we flew to Los Angeles in July the whole family was upgraded for free on coach saver award tickets. That’s not going to happen again under this new policy.

Of course if you are traveling on the same itinerary as other people they will continue to inherit some benefits like free baggage. But upgrades on awards won’t happen whether the elite member is flying with the other member or not.

Not pretty. What other changes did I miss?"

My thoughts: United just keeps chipping away at things, and I'm in great fear that they'll follow up on Delta's new "no stopovers on awards" change! Aside from that the 3 down to 2 checked bags doesn't bother me, as I figure folks rarely check 3 bags.