hockey7711

In a recent post, I read that 80% of CO plats travel between 75-99K miles per year.

I am one of those and none of my travel is for business.

If CO raises the plat level to 100K, as so many here are speculating, what is the use of flying more than 50k a year?

Are you in the same situation?

Would you fly 50K on CO and another 25K on a competitor?

bobblevins

I think I'd find a way to do the 100k.

Weez_1000

This is my first year as platinum and will end with about 110K of which I will end up with about 20K of DEQM so i fall right into that category and about 10% of my travel is business with 90% being leisure. I usually fly about 60K a year. Son going to college on the left coast will keep me in the platinum level for at least the next 3 years (Hopefully not more )

sbm12

Yes, I am one of those. This year I'll actually just clear 100K EQMs on CO thanks to DEQMs but otherwise I just find a way to get to my 75K.

I like the benefits of platinum enough more than gold that I think it is worth it to have that status. I'm not sure that I'd definitely find the other 25K points out there somewhere, but it is probable.

channa

IF CO does it, it will depend on how CO does it.

All the other carriers have some sort of incentive to fly beyond your tier. CO is presently the only carrier without such (published) incentive.

AA and UA have threshold bonuses, and this year have end of year bonuses. 75K would get you a couple of bonuses on those programs from their selections.

DL has carryover EQM, so it doesn't hurt to fly more, it'll just count towards the following year.


So IF CO does it, I would hope they would follow one of these models, especially since they would have a lot of resistance from people who are accustomed to earning 75K.

Another option would be to keep the 75K Plat level and create a higher tier at 100K (or 125K a la DL), with more robust offerings at that level.

hockey7711

If they run that program a couple of times a year, then 100k is attainable.
Without it, it is difficult, for me at least.

The question is will CO lose business if the raise plat to 100K?

SuperG1955

My wife & I are both Leisure Plats and will do just over 100k with DEQM this year. We reduced our connecting flights since we didn't need the mileage with the 2 DEQM programs or we'd finish the year over 125k.

We each did 76k last year and, assuming we stay with CO, we'll do 75-80 next year without our August vacation and any MR's. So, with the benefits of Plat, we've already decided that we'll do an MR, if needed, to maintain that status through Feb '12.

cova

CO tries to attract and maintain the business traveler. Any changes CO makes would likely be based on that target customer.

If the majority (which likely is the case) of CO's US domestic business traveler is in the 75K to 99K range, then CO may not want to loose keeping those business travelers at the Plat level.

If CO ups the Plat level to 100K, then may loose some of those business travelers to Gold. There are enough people here who will achieve the top tier at whatever the level is set to, but the high mileage, low fare runner is not the typical customer CO is trying to capture.

CO's current methods - B/M up's, EUA, etc are most targeted to Elites on high fares (Y, B, M) and the EUA gives business traveler Plats the advantage over low fare Plats.

manneca

This is the first time I've ever been Platinum. Until DEQM, I had a difficult time reaching Gold on leisure travel. I'll just have to see how much better Platinum is than Gold. And I don't get many upgrades cause it's the baby planes that fly in and out of MEM

nova08

This year is my first year reaching elite status and surprisingly I reached Plat, all on Leisure travel. DEQM, helped of course. I am already setting up my 2010 trips, with 6-8domestic trips to visit friends and a few trips to Europe getting back to Gold/Plat shouldn't be too difficult.

craz

+1 and perfectly put

Im doing a flight to LA on UA only due to hitting the 125k level. Had UA not have had the yr end bonus and 125k level reg bonus , I most likely would have gone on AA and blown some of my 500 miles upgrade certs, in order to stay out of Y.

Unless CO comes in with some Bonus stuff at different levels. I guess Gold it will be, wouldnt make $$$ sense to chase after 100k or beyond

kingalien

+1...If there are incentives...where there's a will there's a way for me to get there....

hockey7711

I agree with keeping Plat at 75k and giving incentives to those who travel over 100 or 125k or or buy high revenue tickets.

channa

Absolutely. I already had 1K in the bag when the 2nd DEQM was announced. Then here came the year-end bonuses, and I already had 125K with DEQM, and then some. So I pushed it to 150K to get the extra SWUs. heh

The other half is going to hit 175K and make out like a bandit:

100K = 1K requal
125K = 5K carryover + choice of 25K RDMs or 2 x SWU or free Red Carpet Club
150K = 2 x SWUs
175K = 25K RDMs

OilOwl13

I, too, am a 100% leisure plat. I will probably hit 110 EQM this year but certainly not without the help of DEQM. The primary driver for my high EQM total this year was an MR-laden effort to reach Plat (up from Gold) by July.

If the Plat threshold were 100k, in the absence of DEQM, I would probably target Gold (which is still *G). If DEQM were re-introduced, I might give Plat a shot. I would imagine that many of us would make that decision based on new 100k Plat perks (i.e. UA-matched SWUs).

Having said that, rather than accumulate status on another airline once reaching the 50k plateau on CO, I think I'd simply enjoy my EUA's and continue flying CO.