Well got a chance to meet and see two more from YYZ in action this evening ... Catherine and Judy ... ORD was/is a mess today but they were excellent in taking care of myself (I may even get to ORD tonight http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) and others in the lounge ...

Thanks to BOTH!



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PB

The concierge service and the instant KK are two of the main reasons I pushed for SE this year. Even as an elite I once enjoyed the almost magical abilities of the AC concierges to work small miracles http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif.

Now if the Elite centre could clear my last unposted segment to push me from 99,713 to 100,213, I'll be able to enjoy these SE benefits too.

mpc1
almost SE

Lots of pure mileage runs you did just to make it (almost 100K worth of them? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif).

Empress
That's a tad unfair http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif, I'll admit to about 70K worth of mileage runs http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif in 2003, but I did do over 30K worth of legit biz flying this year too.

Maybe aiming for SE was a bit of a stretch, but I think I remember a FTer with over 15,000 posts recommending I try do it. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

your friend,

mpc1

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Glad to see you make it though. Hope they post your flight before the deadline and you'll get to enjoy SE right away. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif

Thanks Empress

I'm glad I did it too http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif. I'm sure everything will post out over then next few days.

mpc1
SE wanabe

I think the most important question about whether or not to run for SE is what the beneifts might be to you personally once you are there.
For the last few years I was doing a lot of trips to LHR, and without doubt being able to UG from H was such a huge difference that it was worth a run to SIN to get to SE last year.
I have used KK a couple of times, but dont have a large number of miles, so that is not a big deal. Makes life easier of course http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I am SE for 2004 but am really thinking whether it is worth ensuring I make it for the followign year or not. My trips to LHR are much less frequent now, and given that E can UG from H everywhere else, the benefits are not that much greater for SE.
As others here have noted, I think you need to be doing a lot of international flying or have a lot of miles banked that you want to redeem to make it worth doing mileage runs to get SE. I would want to be sure I was going to be flying to Europe a lot the following year before doing 70K in runs.
I still think E is great value except for the KK.

Empress you were the one who talked me into going for the 60k promotion for SE, I overshot got the 70k award, and ugh now I will go over the 100k... another 40k promo. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif that 150k is to far away. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif
I am going to Africa with One World shortly, to stay gold {stupid last minute decision] Iberia, JFK to Johannesburg for $499 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

So you made the right decision! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Anne Rosen has helped me a few times in Toronto, yet I've never met her. It's amazing how they can help you when you just ask....

And Chicago?....where do I begin with the praise?

As for enjoying the benefits of SE when you slip to E for a few months one year, the team in one city told me that "You'll always be SE in this city." That was March of one year, and I blew through 100,000 in September. A coincidence?

Quote:
Anne Rosen has helped me a few times in Toronto


Ditto for me this morning........nice lady who likes her job.