Last Day With Status - ???
Mar 2, 2012, 3:36 am
#32
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
Remember folks, at the end of the day, this is a status you can buy, not some special honour you earn. And I dont consider sitting on the plane for 100,000 miles + a year an achievement, IMHO. Most of the benefits can be had with CIBC or AMEX cards anyway. With the price of admission to the E/SE club increasing substantially for next year, namely the price differential between T and T+ fare, it is really hard to justify buying the more expensive fare for no increase in benefits over previous years.
For me it's not about "status" (I actually hate that word) or acheivement, but rather the benefits that accrue to each level, particularly the top level. And short of paying usurios J fares, many of those benefits cannot in fact be bought.
The ability to upgrade ahead of everyone else, to leap frog the wait list, the concierge service, the increased number of upgrades, and so, are what make obtaining status worthwhile. (Or at least used to.)
I travelled YVR-SYD and back about 5 times a year for about 8 years, and I'm still travelling that route. (I'm in SYD now in fact.) And I've been able to upgrade every single flight.
So if you compare the cost difference of 40 J tickets to travelling in economy for 625000+ miles or 1250 hours the "value" of status quickly becomes apparent.
Mar 2, 2012, 7:02 am
#33
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
Remember folks, at the end of the day, this is a status you can buy, not some special honour you earn. And I dont consider sitting on the plane for 100,000 miles + a year an achievement, IMHO. Most of the benefits can be had with CIBC or AMEX cards anyway. With the price of admission to the E/SE club increasing substantially for next year, namely the price differential between T and T+ fare, it is really hard to justify buying the more expensive fare for no increase in benefits over previous years.
Mar 2, 2012, 7:59 am
#34
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YQR
Programs: NEXUS; alas, no status anymore.
Posts: 1,181
Even the low levels of AC status are helpful. I'm a new AC*P this year after never having had status before. We flew as a family of 7 to Orlando last week and the Star Silver benefits saved us $300 in baggage fees, and we all got to board before the riff-raff (a valuable thing on American flights when people carry-on everything they own plus their neighbour's sofa). I also got an upgrade to J on a recent YYZ-YQR flight.
Still, it didn't stop me from using WestJet for an upcoming LAS-YQR run (I'm doing the reverse on UA because the non-stop doesn't fly that day, but the non-stop was cheaper than connecting flights for the return and it saves so much hassle).
I'll take a couple of convoluted routes this year to ensure I get my segments to keep AC*P next year, and I like the benefits, but I'm always going to be sensible about my choices, and in a few years when my business travel declines, I'll probably be super-practical about what carrier I use for any given trip.
Still, it didn't stop me from using WestJet for an upcoming LAS-YQR run (I'm doing the reverse on UA because the non-stop doesn't fly that day, but the non-stop was cheaper than connecting flights for the return and it saves so much hassle).
I'll take a couple of convoluted routes this year to ensure I get my segments to keep AC*P next year, and I like the benefits, but I'm always going to be sensible about my choices, and in a few years when my business travel declines, I'll probably be super-practical about what carrier I use for any given trip.
Mar 2, 2012, 9:48 am
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,153
I am glad there are people who think this way. I, for one, agree with Ken on this one. It's not for the perks you mentioned in the post. It's for the ability to sit in the front by buying Lower fares. Yes, occasionally we have to buy B or M fares to save upgrade credits, but in the end, we get the seats in the front. Couldn't care less about the crowded MLLs et al.
Mar 2, 2012, 7:11 pm
#36
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Even the low levels of AC status are helpful. I'm a new AC*P this year after never having had status before. We flew as a family of 7 to Orlando last week and the Star Silver benefits saved us $300 in baggage fees, and we all got to board before the riff-raff (a valuable thing on American flights when people carry-on everything they own plus their neighbour's sofa). I also got an upgrade to J on a recent YYZ-YQR flight.
Still, it didn't stop me from using WestJet for an upcoming LAS-YQR run (I'm doing the reverse on UA because the non-stop doesn't fly that day, but the non-stop was cheaper than connecting flights for the return and it saves so much hassle).
I'll take a couple of convoluted routes this year to ensure I get my segments to keep AC*P next year, and I like the benefits, but I'm always going to be sensible about my choices, and in a few years when my business travel declines, I'll probably be super-practical about what carrier I use for any given trip.
Still, it didn't stop me from using WestJet for an upcoming LAS-YQR run (I'm doing the reverse on UA because the non-stop doesn't fly that day, but the non-stop was cheaper than connecting flights for the return and it saves so much hassle).
I'll take a couple of convoluted routes this year to ensure I get my segments to keep AC*P next year, and I like the benefits, but I'm always going to be sensible about my choices, and in a few years when my business travel declines, I'll probably be super-practical about what carrier I use for any given trip.
Mar 2, 2012, 9:54 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,409
I understand what you guys are saying - the first year I had to do a MR to make Elite, but I knew that I was trading $400 for 2 SSWUs that I was hoping to use the next year on TPAC flight. The difference is that this year it would have cost either more money or more time and I didn't want to spend either just to get another card in my wallet. Wasn't useful for me, but if my travel patterns for 2012 were different I could consider it.
At least we aren't like the idiots on the Mileage Run Discussion. 28 pages (and counting!) of people replying to a post asking "to be in on" possible UA/CO mistake fares!
At least we aren't like the idiots on the Mileage Run Discussion. 28 pages (and counting!) of people replying to a post asking "to be in on" possible UA/CO mistake fares!
Mar 2, 2012, 10:22 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 202
For me it's not about "status" (I actually hate that word) or acheivement, but rather the benefits that accrue to each level, particularly the top level. And short of paying usurios J fares, many of those benefits cannot in fact be bought.
The ability to upgrade ahead of everyone else, to leap frog the wait list, the concierge service, the increased number of upgrades, and so, are what make obtaining status worthwhile. (Or at least used to.)
The ability to upgrade ahead of everyone else, to leap frog the wait list, the concierge service, the increased number of upgrades, and so, are what make obtaining status worthwhile. (Or at least used to.)
Mar 3, 2012, 4:41 pm
#41
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YQR
Programs: NEXUS; alas, no status anymore.
Posts: 1,181
Mar 3, 2012, 4:41 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YQR
Programs: NEXUS; alas, no status anymore.
Posts: 1,181
Mar 3, 2012, 4:57 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
Mar 3, 2012, 5:08 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Thanks for the Memories !!!
Posts: 10,657
Actually one of the most famous FT posters just travels around without leaving aircraft/airport.
Mar 3, 2012, 5:23 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,309
yeah, I never got that. I mean, ok, lets say one needs a year end MR to Japan, fine... but to do it ALL the time.....whats the point?