FFAddict

I recently moved up to Delta's Platinum Medallion status of 100,000 miles. How can I get same status level with other airlines,hotels, rental cars, etc? Which ones would be receptive to this?

Old Gold

Hey this is a great opportunity to learn all about the search feature of this board!

in the upper right corner find the word search, ad click on it.

For an example: a search of just the AA forum for the words "comp status" will reveal no less then 55 threads that mention this subject, which has been discussed at great length throughout this board.

But remember that comp matching of elite status is usually a one time opportunity.

High Life

I know that United and Northwest will give you equal status, but you then have to fly a certain # of qualifying miles within a window of time. It varies depending on your level. That's why It made it difficlut for me, in order to take advantage of it with the other airline,I had to jeapordize my status with my primary.

doc

"Northwest will give you equal status..."

I'm NOT so sure that NWA will do this for you - especially at the Platinum level!

In any case, good luck!

PG

NW did not comp me Gold, but then they might have thought that since I live by their hub I have no other choices.

RKG

United did NOT give me equal status. I have been NW Platinum for years and they gave me Premier Executive - then proceeded to cancel thousands of flights. It made it very hard for me to trust booking a flight on United.

PG

I think that most FTers think that comping the highest level of elite tier should never be done, and that if the airline has to comp it should comp level 2 of a 3 level elite tier. Almost all FTers will support comping P.E. on United but not 1K. Re: cancellation of flights it was a situation that United regulars had to face - in your case you at least had a choice of flying with UA or with your original airline.

BeantownFlyer

Old Gold, so the "rule" is that you are not allowed to ask a question unless either (a) you have been a regular on the board for at least 12 months and know that the topic has not already been discussed; or (b) you conduct a thorough search to assure that that the topic has not been discussed. Of course, in this instance, finding 55 threads in the AA topic, one would need to read all those first, to assure that one's question had not been answered already. How's your search going so far - up to Cathay yet? What did you find - 3250 threads? The search feature is great if you want to find some old material you know exists - it shouldn't be an obligation for one to use before posting a question. Oh wait - someone probably already has a thread on this issue, and now I'm repeating things. Come to think of it, so are you.

TravelWeary

I personally find the search function not that easy to use, and if you have a slow connection, it can be downright impossible especially if you do not know the exact forum to search or how far back to go. Even when I know I've seen something previously, I still have difficulty remembering exactly which words to use so I don't get a lot of extraneous material. I personally don't mind some old topics coming up again. On the other hand, I do appreciate it when an "old-timer" who knows that there was a previous thread, takes the time to post a link back to it. (Thanks many times, doc!)

[This message has been edited by TravelWeary (edited 09-26-2000).]

Tomphot

With many new members coming online every day, I would be interested to hear what they might have to say about things talked about in the past.

doc

Thanks, Travelweary. My pleasure!

BTW, I thought Old Gold was actually quite "nice" in directing FF Addict to the search feature. I do NOT belive ther was any ill will or nastiness or whatever!

Yet the search could surely be improved.

And we all want instant answers/ gratification too !

ozstamps

To play the devil's advocate a little here (me???! )FFaddict has been around for 4 months, and surely must have seen many threads on this, as I certainly have. A first week user I can understand asking, but not an older one.

IMHO this thread was raised in the wrong forum anyway, and again after 4 months these definition things usually make more sense.

Yes UBB search engines are slow UNLESS you work in one forum only.

And all this aside, to part answer the question, there is NO WAY UA will comp you to 1K, their 100,000 mile equivalent, based on matching ANY other programs' 100,000 mile program - in my opinion. They seem to guard that level like momma bear. Spend $50,000 a year and prove it and they MAY look at it, but I would not hold my breath even then.

40,000 odd current 1Ks out of 38 million MP members tells the story of how close that one level is guarded.

Six weeks and I'll have earned my 1K silver card the hard way, and will be just as pleased to know that it STAYS a tough club to get into without "doing the time".


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~ Glen ~

Shareholder

Comping is a competitive thing and it is only in the very rarest of cases that an airline will comp into its top tier. You'd have to be someone like Merry, or Bill Gates, to get that benefit from zero. The lower tiers are accessible, but as I say, competitive factors come into play. If you live in a fortress hub, the dominant carrier is unlikley to grant equivilent status, but might comp the next level down with a proviso to travel a certain amount within a given quarter. A competitor in that market might well give you equivilent status if you have elite with the dominant carrier to get your business.

I have mixed feelings about comping, even though I have benefited recently by having my earned AA status upgraded for competitive reasons (given CP's withdrawl from oneworld and as of next week, from a partnership with AA]. In all cases where I have been comped it was on the basis of flyring a certain amount with that carrier. Either they invited me to participate (NW Gold from Silver) or I made the entree to them (AA Gold Challenge). In each case, I earned the status on a pro-rated amount of quarterly travel, though may not have kept up the pace given my travel patterns. However, that carrier became my alternative choice (from CP) when routes and travel dictated. Based in Canada, my being AA Plat or NW Gold was not really a drain on the program, since I was not competing for upgrades on a regular fashion, and there are no lounge benefits associated with the U.S. carriers.

But as someone who also earns elite status each year on my primary carrier, I do feel a bit peeved knowing someone has gotten the same status by doing next to no travel on that carrier, while I have spent too many hours in the air and an awful lot of cash in the process.

The bottom line is competition. And if it is a factor in the market you travel, then the chances are reasonably good for some kind of comping based on your current status on one of the competitors. But you're extremely unlikely to get top tier elite from anybody. Which I agree with. If you want it, earn it!

TravelWeary

doc: You are right. Old Gold was very polite in his response, and I should definitely have noted that as others responses do sometimes sting a bit. Sorry, Old Gold, if I came across as criticizing, because that was not my intention at all. Sometimes this is a problem with the electronic word.

Phil

In many circumstances it is not a good thing to be comped to numerous elite levels. It could lead to losing the ability to follow through and maintain the level in all of them. I think it is rarely an advantage to be comped in several programs unless (a) you are changing your primary carrier to that airline, or (b) you plan to maintain your elite level in a primary airline and in addition do frequent flights on the comped airline.

In short, being "comped" to numerous elite levels is not a helpful goal unless you are planning to use them.