Anyone else have a higher $$/EQM this year?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: Continental OnePass Platinum
Posts: 416
Anyone else have a higher $$/EQM this year?
After spending nearly $1000 last week to fly round trip from CMH to IAD (on United) to get 1000 EQMs on CO, it really hit me that this year, I'm paying a huge amount of money to CO and its partners.
I just went to the CO website and checked my July 4 OnePass statement. As of that date, I have $8600 in Presidential Plus double miles for the year (which means I've spent at least $8600 on CO tickets) and only 29,995 EQMs (28 EQPs, most of them non-stop from IAH). That is almost 29 cents per EQM! In reality, the cost is higher when you consider the EQMs that were not purchased with the Presidential Plus card.
I don't feel that my buying patterns have changed this year. I'm just spending a lot more. I usually purchase tickets one or two weeks in advance---but it seems like all I ever see are B and M fares.
Anyone else notice a similar increase in $$ per EQM?
I just went to the CO website and checked my July 4 OnePass statement. As of that date, I have $8600 in Presidential Plus double miles for the year (which means I've spent at least $8600 on CO tickets) and only 29,995 EQMs (28 EQPs, most of them non-stop from IAH). That is almost 29 cents per EQM! In reality, the cost is higher when you consider the EQMs that were not purchased with the Presidential Plus card.
I don't feel that my buying patterns have changed this year. I'm just spending a lot more. I usually purchase tickets one or two weeks in advance---but it seems like all I ever see are B and M fares.
Anyone else notice a similar increase in $$ per EQM?
#2
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DCA
Programs: UA LT 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy LT Titan, Avis PC, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,647
Fares have generally been higher this year, with increases in travel. If you hit the magic $30K spend along with 75K+ EQM - you will later this year get the Presidental Platinum status.
#3
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Current Micronesian, Ex Buckeye....
Programs: All My $$$ Went to CO (Plat) with a Lifetime PClub membership that got degraded to United crap...
Posts: 2,089
Thai is already releasing their Presidential Plus... I hit 30 K a long time ago on CO with nothing so far...
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,374
After spending nearly $1000 last week to fly round trip from CMH to IAD (on United) to get 1000 EQMs on CO, it really hit me that this year, I'm paying a huge amount of money to CO and its partners.
......
I usually purchase tickets one or two weeks in advance---but it seems like all I ever see are B and M fares.
Anyone else notice a similar increase in $$ per EQM?
......
I usually purchase tickets one or two weeks in advance---but it seems like all I ever see are B and M fares.
Anyone else notice a similar increase in $$ per EQM?
That being said, I am still doing more business flying this year than last year. It just is costing more to do it.
#5
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,492
Between predications by financial "experts" of coming deflation and news stories about companies requiring all employees to begin flying at the lowest available non-premium fare, the next fews months should be interesting, fare-wise.
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,816
Flip side of companies trying to lower travel expense is airline mergers cutting capacity and airline management teams acting more rational (i.e., determined to make profits) than at any other time in the history of the industry.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,309
lucky you were able to get on a 73anything since I think they have switched all but one trip to ERJs
#8
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC & Delhi
Programs: CO Pres. Plat, SPG
Posts: 546
On my current trip, I am paying 43 cents per mile for around 14k miles. Of course, I'm paying through the nose because I must make a last-minute international trip.
Unfortunately, most of my mileage-earning activity is last-minute business class international travel.
Unfortunately, most of my mileage-earning activity is last-minute business class international travel.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ann Arbor Area
Programs: UA Million Miler, BonVoyLifetime Platinum, UA Platinum, President's Club,
Posts: 1,494
I'm flying the same amount, but paying way more. I think my biggest problem is that I'm based at DTW and I just can't find cheap tickets anymore. I fly through EWR or IAH, when I used to fly through Cleveland at much lower prices. I had only one European flight this year, the rest are domestic and Caribbean, which is costing more but yielding less EQMs. I fly every 4 weeks and then some, but it just isn't adding up miles-wise. It IS adding up in fares purchased, however.
In fact, due to the higher prices I'm probably going to drop to Gold this year for the 1st time in years. If the flights were cheaper I would make Plat again easily, but that isn't going to happen. I'll hit Gold at the end of the month, but 25,000 more miles doesn't seem likely by Dec. 31st. Possible, but not likely. Fall is usually my slow period.
I should've status matched with the new Delta while I had the chance since they're now taking over DTW. (I hated NW so that was never an option.) I didn't mind paying more for CO AND not getting direct flights b/c it was never THAT much, but now the difference in fares is too obvious.
I was loyal and will remain so as long as I can afford it, but the amount of money spent versus EQMs earned is quite overwhelming this year. I doubt I'm the only one.
In fact, due to the higher prices I'm probably going to drop to Gold this year for the 1st time in years. If the flights were cheaper I would make Plat again easily, but that isn't going to happen. I'll hit Gold at the end of the month, but 25,000 more miles doesn't seem likely by Dec. 31st. Possible, but not likely. Fall is usually my slow period.
I should've status matched with the new Delta while I had the chance since they're now taking over DTW. (I hated NW so that was never an option.) I didn't mind paying more for CO AND not getting direct flights b/c it was never THAT much, but now the difference in fares is too obvious.
I was loyal and will remain so as long as I can afford it, but the amount of money spent versus EQMs earned is quite overwhelming this year. I doubt I'm the only one.
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I'm paying a bit more per mile this year than previous but not quite as bad as the tales above. Then again, almost all my travel is discretionary so if I don't like the fare I generally don't go. Oh, and I'm not flying on CO metal nearly as much as I have previously. My next trip is EWR-SFO-ORD-BRU-ACC-(ROB)-BRU-PHL-SJU//BQN-MCO-JFK. I paid $168 for EWR-SFO, $460 for SFO-ACC-SJU and used a freebie for BQN-JFK. I'm pretty happy with the numbers I'm getting there, though trancons being up above $150 is rather annoying to me.
#11
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Houston
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, UA 1.56MM (fmr UA1K)
Posts: 5,770
Doesn't nearly everyone have a higher Cents/EQM this year? Fares are up significantly from last year's lows. The airfares last year weren't sustainable... (don't get me wrong though, I love cheap fares but I also love airlines that aren't in BK or liquidating).