BallardFlyer

Is there clarity yet if 2021 flying will count for this new 100k tier? I searched and read the thread but it all sounded still unclear.

bmvaughn

No clarity yet

anteater

AS has not made an announcement on when the tier will actually start nor what activity it will be based upon.

mtofell

I've scanned through here and can't find the answer quickly..... can someone summarize what AS's official statements on the 100K tier have been? Is it official that it is coming? Or, is it just rumors?

anteater

On 1/11/21 AS had sent out a status update email which included this:



That is all AS has published about the new tier. 🙌🏻

RAD_PDX

"For members who fly 100,000 miles per year, we’re also introducing a new tier starting in 2022. This will recognize our absolute top echelon road warriors and offer perks such as increased bonus miles, top upgrade priority on Alaska flights, lounge benefits, and more. Look for more details later in 2021."

That's it...

mtofell

So, increased bonus miles: 75K is already at 125% bonus which I've always thought was kind of soft compared to Golds that get 100% bonus (or, too generous for Golds?). What do we expect for 100K? Just another 25% up to 150%? Doesn't seem like much but I also can't see them giving away too much more. Top upgrade priority: Duh. Lounge benefits: Maybe free membership? I've often thought the lounge membership discount was kind of lame for higher tiers (or too generous for lower ones).

In a separate but somewhat related situation I run my small (6-person) company with a bonus structure to keep my employees incentivized. I'm always VERY mindful of giving away too much since it's REALLY difficult to take things away (or in Alaska's case, scale back the rewards). From my admittedly minimal understanding of airline reward programs economics, it seems AS gives away too much too soon. This makes it difficult to keep giving away more to higher echelons. Basic MVP at 20K miles (or 12.67K with recent 1.5X EQM bonus) is ridiculously easy to achieve but I get it that AS wants to entice people to frequent them.

Having made Gold right at the end of 2020 it's been great (just made 75K though) but I almost feel like AS gives away too much to Golds. Especially, looking through the lens of trying to offer even more rewards to a tier above 75K. I could almost see merging 75K and Gold but there would definitely be some ruffled feathers. IMO, 4 tiers is too many. Every rewards program that I can think of (many of them non-airline) has 3 tiers - Silver, Gold, Platinum, etc. I have to think AS is struggling with how to market this whole thing right about now.

chrisl137

4 tiers is pretty common for FF programs.
UA has Silver, Gold, Plat, 1K (and GS)
DL has Silver, Gold, Plat, Diamond
AA has Gold, Plat, Plat Pro, Exec Plat

But three worked pretty well for an almost entirely domestic airline. The main reason to go to four is to make it fit neatly with OW.

And the perks of MVPG are only a lot in the context of the US3 programs that don't give you much of anything anymore. MileagePlan looks an awful lot like the MileagePlus of the early 2000s - Premier got you cuts in line and the occasional upgrade, Premier Exec got quite a few upgrades, free SDC, and a big enough RDM multiplier and low enough cost upgrades (using miles) that you'd earn back on a transcon what you paid in miles for the upgrade, which you were also very likely to get. Right now MVPG doesn't offer a lot of perks - RDM multiplier for the green stamp flyers, free SDC, nearly guaranteed PC, and good upgrade chances unless you're flying out of SEA. I've never managed to use a GGU, and the change-fee waiver is overcome by events. It's a little better than what you get at other airlines, but in return you get a smaller network and no fancy premium routes. But you do get the best domestic recliner F if you get the upgrade.

Visconti

In my view, MVPG had always been the sweet spot and the proverbial "best bang for your buck" tier. It was relatively easy to reach, 100% mileage based and throw in a few opportunistic TCON mileage runs and voila! I'm not sure if this will be the case, but, generally speaking, when an enterprise begins to expand reaching a wider breadth of consumers, OW in this case, you often have some unintentional displacement amongst the demographic who had previously enjoyed a benefits surplus. It's unfortunate, but it's just how it works.

simonsuo

Bring back the big white sofa recliner from Virgin. I hated AS removed all of them. It was so comfy.

eponymous_coward

An 8 F config with 60” pitch on SFO-LAS/SAN is galactically stupid, which is why no other airline actually has tried running their fleet with that kind of F cabin. I would also like lieflats, Krug, showers and so on on SEA-PDX once AS buys a bunch of A380s but airlines are funny about wanting to make money.

PaperGlider

oh my, E C and the universally unnecessary and conversation discouraging sarcasm.

Here are ideas that are adjustable/may not break the AS bank and would be perks I would value.

Another bonus of RDM.
An EQM headstart at the beginning of the next year.
Roll-over. At 100K (and any tier) how about rolling-over to the next year any EQM miles achieved in excess of your tier. CoVid proved roll-over could be done.
Transferrable luggage coupons so I can flip one to a relative or friend even if not on the same reservation.
Top-shelf or meal-coupons for use in the lounge.

mtofell

This is a great idea.... Also, maybe some free or discounted wifi on the planes.

UAPremierExec

I wonder if we'll get the block of holiday cheese back....

Eurynom0s

My flight miles in a year will often land in the 20k-30k range. If I could roll the EQM in excess of 20k over that would certainly be a great incentive to keep sticking to AS (and now AA/oneworld) with cash fares instead of burning some miles or becoming a lot more flexible on who I fly toward the end of the year.