Will changes be harder on HP FF’s or US FF’s?
 

I have started reading the US board in addition to this one to keep up on merger information.

It seems to me that although US is bigger than HP, the new combined airline is going to be more like HP than US. With the management team and the fact that it will be a LCC, it seems that there will be more changes in the FF program and airline rules for those currently with US than with those who fly HP.

Would you all agree with this? It seems to me that some US fliers are going to be in for some eye opening changes soon.

Who will be having more changes coming up, current HP fliers or current US fliers?

Jennifer

How about those of us that fly both? :D

I have 97,357 miles flown on HP this year and 27,109 on US this year so I spend a lot of time on both. Honestly I hope it becomes less like US and more like HP but I've only been Gold on US so that may be why. HP just feels like a nicer operation overall to me but I've flown maybe 10 to 1 lifetime HP vs US so maybe that is just what I'm used to. However I've flown more on DL than all other carriers combined and I sure hope that the program becomes nothing like it is today on DL.

I'm waiting with baited breath. I find it interesting that US's program gives 100% mileage bonus at the gold level, vs. our Plat level. Their upgrade window at gold on non full fares are the same at 2 days, but 4 days out for the CP level (which of course is at a tier 25K miles above our Plat level). All in all it should be interesting.

Ian

Acutally, CP (100K) upgrade window is 7 days out. Won't it be nice if they keep that?! Though if they do, I suspect they'll hold back more seats than they do now.

Generally speaking, JenniferNAZ, concur with your thinking. I suspect that overall, US flyers will be facing the most changes, as it is clearly the HP folks who are in charge and I think they're pretty confident about the model they've created.

The thing that could change the picture, though, is the Star Alliance membership. It sounds as though that comes a whole bunch of standards that the airline must meet in order to be a member, so I'm not sure what that will look like.

I think HP flyers will see the most change. First, I have a strong suspicion that the DM mileage requirements will be the ones that stick. US' program is aligned with the other *A programs. This means that HP plats will now have to fly an extra 25k to qualify for top tier. While I think it would be great if HP kept the 75k threshold, I'm not holding my breath.

If you thought getting an upgrade was tough now, wait until all the US DM members are flying within HP's system. The "roaches" who flew UA out west to get US miles will now be using HP instead. This means more competition even for PHX based flyers.

One thing US DM members will have to get used to is the infinite boringness of FlightFund. US has plenty of promos and offers to help you accumulate miles, while HP has one or two lame-@$$ promos per year.

Which Program Name?
 

I've yet to find anything definitive as to which program name will survive.

Here's my POV as to why FlightFund ought to be program name kept:

• FlightFund is easier to say than Dividend Miles
• Silver, Gold and Platinum are more straightforward than Silver Preferred, Gold Preferred and Chairman's Preferred
• FlightFund has won multiple Freddie Awards
• HP is the "buying" partner in the merger
• Us HP loyalists want a bone...US loyalists got the airline name and we get the Heritage Circle?

Since I've never needed to fly where US is the only logical choice and they've always been the least affordable choice from my home airport (SBA), my Dividend Miles account has mostly languished since I established it years ago while my FlightFund account, with HP's frequent and affordable service from SBA, has swelled, so I've developed a certain attachment to the FlightFund program. That might explain why I've forgotten some good argument for calling the new program Dividend Miles, so fire away with reasons. I'm game. Really. :D

All in good fun!

Haven't heard anything official, but I suspect Divident Miles will be the name of the combined program.

I agree with Mallthus. Very good reasons listed, basically the same things I have been thinking also.

Here is one more vote for Flight Fund!

Jennifer

I agree, but.....
 

I vote for FlightFund as well. However, I suspect it will be called DM. HP's star partners would sure appreciate not having to make changes to their sites, and print material. Not mention that DM sounds like a stock/bond transaction which would appeal to the business flyers.

I actually like Chairmans Preferred as it reminds me when HP's mid-tier was call Chairmans....

Dividend Miles is a much better frequent flyer program. I really am shocked that people are loyal to America West in its current state and are hoping for it to be more dominant in the merger.

- Dividend Miles elite upgrade windows are more generous than FlightFund
- Dividend Miles elite bonuses are far more generous than FlightFund
- Dividend Miles requires fewer miles for free tickets (offpeak domestic tickets from 20000 coach/40000 first vs. HP 25000/55000, a multitude of international options require fewer miles on Star Alliance than on America West's partners)
- Dividend Miles offers a more generous online booking bonus (currently counting as status miles)
- US Airways First Class service isn't the greatest but does offer much better meal service and snacks than America West

The only feather in America West's cap is their excellent Clubs-- the best in the domestic airline industry.

As someone that has flown both a lot in the past couple of years, I suspect the reason HP people like their current program is the generous F upgrades. I've been running 90% since Jan 1 this year. I've mainly flown PHX RT to YYZ, DTW, DFW, SNA, SFO, LAX, SEA. US Air? No thanks. Not going to bash US, but I definitely prefer HP over them and would gladly pay 33% more for HP over US if we could keep it the same.

But reality is that it will all change. Unfortunately I see both companies' FFs as being unhappy. Another reason that mergers don't do well in the airline industry. I am leaning toward going with AA if things get too bad with the merger. Let's all hope for the best, but expect the worst.

It won't last.
 

I only want the name to continue along with the 75k top tier threshold. I really don't look forward to flying 100k on HP.

I'm expecting the worst. With HP's cheapskate mentality, I don't forsee any future generousity from mgmt. Any present advantages DM has over FF, will most likely evaporate, once the HP starts hacking away benefits.

from saturday until late wed, i flew 12 legs on hp, all upgraded on hp as gold elite, some long, some short. my question with all this, the fleet and seating arrangements, please tell me that doug parker is smart enough to keep the 14F on the 757 fleet instead of the idiots that reduced the 757 first class cabin to 8 seats, on hp, the 737 have that many.

can you all imagine it after what us did to their 757 first class, i can see the 737 fleet having like 2 seats in first, hahahahaha.

also, i am sick of seeing the us/hp video already, i cant tell you the uproar of most of the hp elites seeing this video, and now, hp employees are wearing this pins that show the us past of takeovers. honestly, not the best pin to be wearing since us doesnt have the greatest reps out there, especially after other airline takeovers, can we say piedmont, psa

Just to clarify, I want to keep the FlightFund name and the Plat, Gold and Silver. I was not talking about the actual benefits.

I would love to see the top tier get upgraded 7 days out, but I am not holding my breath.

I am guessing the final program will look similar to HP now. I agree that the US days of promos are over, as we all know HP has had almost none for the past few years.

I really wish they would ask the FF's what they want in a program, what things are most important to us.

I am quite sure that as it is going to be a LCC we are not going to see more perks added and will see a decrease or at least staying at the HP level. I can see this being tough for some of the US FF.

I am not saying I don't want more added to the program. I think some of the things they have done in the past few years at HP to gut the program are bad choices but I expect we will see more of that.


Jennifer

I have my guesses on what might happen and I don't think it's going to be pretty for either of US or HP FFs.

1. I think they are going to keep the thresholds at 25K, 50K, and 100K (* Alliance and all)
2. I think they will either reduce the # of days to clear to 3 on top level or just hold back more seats so none of us clear anyway until about 3 days out.
3. I feel they are going to rip out the extra F seats in the US Planes to come in line with our A320/319 planes and possibly fix the US Air to the 14 we have in our 757
4. I think they will do away with the CP desk and just have a separate line that gets you to the same place the Plat line does now
5. As far as the names of the levels, I prefer Silver, Gold and Platinum I prefer the single word to the Preferred tacked on but it's like the livery...will I stop flying if it's ugly? They could be all white with no identifying marks other than Plane number and their name written in magic marker and I'll still fly them if they are cheap and provide me with good service.
6. I think they'll keep the TA upgrade certs since they are only good on Y & B fares only.
7. Not sure about the elite bonus miles. I'm not up on *A stuff to know if there is a requirement to keep gold earning 100% or not, but if not, it drops to 50%.

Hmmm I'm sure there are more that I've thought about but can't remember them now...will be interesting either way. I'm sure if they drop alot of "perks" we'll lose quite a few upper elites that will jump ship (which should save some F seats for those of us who stick around) but overall I think we'll see things shift more to the current HP feel with only those US things that are required by *A.

BTW....
I type it this way ALL the time...what is up with that...my finger naturally goes to "t" after "Dividen". "FlightFund" I can type without a problem....