Originally Posted by
dilanesp
FF programs, as a whole, are supposed to incentivize brand loyalty..On a whole, I suspect you are right that they do not do enough anymore to do that (and this problem extends beyond UA). But it's also true that longhaul business class seats that people pay a lot of money for are extremely valuable things, and airlines have decided to be super-careful about comping them to secure loyalty. And in general, businesses are very loath to comp things that can be sold for a bundle, even where there's a brand loyalty benefit.
I don't expect UA to comp me anything, but a little flexibility would be nice in return for the 20 years I've logged as a UA customer. And I guess it's because UA is selling those J seats, and doesn't have to give them away.
Back before I was a 1K, when I planned personal travel, I was almost always able to secure J seats for our vacation travels by being flexible and planning ahead. How that I have reverted back to my old status (Gold), I find no matter how flexible and creative I am, the J availability either isn't there or ridiculously expensive, compared to before the merger. So what am I doing? Despite my loyalty to UA, I'm increasingly finding that I'm flying on other airlines. Which is sad, because my preference is default to UA in return for all the great experiences and people I've met on UA metal, but I have to be realistic.
Originally Posted by
BeanTownBoy
@
fellow Last, IMHO I suspect that there is an ongoing experiment to see how much can be shaved or reduced before travelers with discretion will book another airline (especially if you have a corporate contract with UA then it is going to take a lot to get the ordinary staff who have to comply with travel policy to switch to another airline). I welcome others' thoughts/experiences (as if I had to invite FT'ers to weigh in!).
One of my friends is still 1K, and he is disgusted with how far the soft product has fallen. That said, I doubt he will switch until 2020, because he probably loses 1K next year.