Platinum Elite 2011 - Is It Worth It?
 

Interested in your opinion......

I've been CO Platinum Elite since program started and work hard each year to maintain status. But I wonder if it is worth the effort to achieve Platinum for next year? Will it even be recognized in the new company? And if so, will it be inferior to United status? I've been surprised how crappy United has treated me this year despite my Platinum status on CO (translated to Gold on Star Alliance). No upgrades allowed. Can't pre-board. No access to good seats. Terrible......

I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!

First of all your status will absolutely be recognized on the new airline. As far as your treatment on UA this year, think of yourself as every other *G. Of course no upgrades, unless you're willing to pay for it. You should be boarding with every other *G (right after F and UA GS/1K). Access to E+ has varied, but most people have been able to get it.

Now, for the speculation about where a CO Plat will fall in the new airline hierarchy:
Obviously UA/GS and CO/PPlat will be at the top. Initially I thought that 1Ks would be above CO Plats in terms of upgrades/boarding/etc because of the higher threshold to attain, but there are a lot of CO Plats that will be over 100k (especially with the incentive of SWUs).

As a fellow Plat, I'd say stick with CO for at least another year or two until the dust settles on the merger. If you feel like you're getting screwed, then take your business elsewhere.

I've got a MR planned for early December, to make sure I keep my Plat status for next year. I'm looking ahead to when the programs are combined, and at least the possibility there's some kind of parity between Plats and 1Ks.

It will be a year before the FF programs merge. So if you want top-tier benefits on CO through most of 2011, you'll want plat.

Once the programs merge, your total EQM from UA and CO will be totaled up and you'll get a new status based on that. I would expect that they will have extra elite levels through the end of the merging program year (i.e. 100k is better than 75k for upgrades) and then probably consolidate down to 4 tiers again.


Short answer is I wouldn't expect CO Plat to be worth any less in 2011 with the merger than it would have been without.

I only went for Plat for 2010 because I knew I would be flying internationally and the reward availability was better. I am going to stick to Gold as my trans-con flying is down and my home station is express only. I very rarely fly the big birds anymore. So, if you fly express most of the time and won't be flying internationally on rewards, I would stick with gold.

I'm thinking about that question also
 

I will be Gold, no problem for 2011. I will never go below Gold as I love the access to the *A lounges in Europe even when I am in Y on my intra-Europe flts.

I will be at about 60K this year and I was trying to figure out if I should try to push it over the top. I don't think I will but if another business trip comes up that will edge me closer I may just do it.