I know we have another thread that discusses who is leaving or staying and we have a few threads discussing the various product issues that are devaluing our Elite experience, but I'd like to propose organizing a grass-roots movement of loyal, Elite customers who plan on staying and who are willing to push back against some of these product changes.

It's becoming quite obvious that the "new changes....and you'll like them" portion of the security video was not directed at frequent fliers - so far, there is very little for us to like.

Yes, 2011 will bring us regional upgrades and additional system-wide upgrades and we appreciate those enhancements. However, we're seeing a consistent erosion of core hard product benefits as well as a very poorly implemented buy-up program. There are likely additional product changes yet to come which might continue the unbundling of even more Elite benefits to be sold off, further diluting the value of our program.

I believe our first call to action is against the selling of ELR seats before OLCI. Firstly, I don't see how this program produces any legitimate incremental revenue over the previous version where these seats were opened for sale during OLCI - certainly nothing that would offset the impact to Elite customers who are finding access to the best ELR seats harder to come by, especially when booking close to departure (which, ironically, means higher paid fares are getting the worse seats).

US had the Cockroach movement, while Delta loyalists challenged and reversed many of their changes through SaveSkyMiles. Both movements were successful and resulted in a better airline and product for loyal customers.

I don't have a name or branding yet - but at this point, I'm looking to find out how many folks are interested in joining such a movement. With Larry gone and Cigarman no longer active in our forum (and he is missed), we need to self-organize with the goal of educating non-FT Elites, expanding the movement and pushing for change. The big DOs are gone, and the new leadership is rather cold to interacting with us.

As I wrote in another thread, I'm not against CO finding ways to generate incremental revenue. I've even made suggestions on where such revenue can be generated. The issue is the dilution or loss of important Elite product benefits when CO unbundles and sells these benefits to non-Elite customers on a fee-based basis. We need to find some middle ground - help CO find the right mix/timing of these ancillary services while preserving complimentary access to these services for the company's best customers.

Do you really believe that FFOCUS resulted in a better US for its customers? I very much respect the work that Art234 and others put into that effort but I believe that the ultimate end result from US was a product that mostly marginalized those customers further and ultimately saw many leave the US program.

Either way, good luck.

What actually are you proposing we do or what can we do? How does this fit with the assimilation of Onepass members into UA?

happy about cr-1s eh? CO took them from UA 1ks pockets, they didnt create them, they stole them from other members

I think we can start by organizing a group and perhaps driving an online petition regarding one or two simple issues - once the petition has been signed by a large number of customers, we can forward it to management.

I'm not sure we'll get the same passion here as DL or US, but it's worth a try. Other posters might be right - especially if, as I suspect, E+ is removed or reduced, the UA people will go ballistic.

You have my support on this. I'll be here to do my part.

I know a thing or two about branding (so my clients tell me) so will think about that part and ideas for it.

Vote with your wallet. Anything else is .

Yes, it is much better to sit back and do nothing.

@OP,
I would be for a grass roots effort. Why not? Is there a downside? I don't share the above opinion that it had negative effects at US. Are we really to believe Smisek the Long Shanks will step off his thrown and come take care of us upstarts once and for all William Wallace style? pfft!

I have already made the decision to leave CO...My first two TPAC trips have been booked with other airlines for the first time in 3yrs. Will take me a while to earn status. Until then I would view at least SOME effort by CO to quit insulting its elites as a positive thing.

Count me in.

What I liked about UA the past few years is that they found ways to make hundreds of millions of $ in incremental revenue without impacting elites (as we discussed in another thread - Premier Line/Baggage/Seating, BOB, E+, etc.). Combined with smart capacity restraints and a great new hard int'l C/F product, carrier was doing great.

But the new UA (really currently the CO side) is experimenting on things that are/will have direct impact on elites (TOD upgrades in all their various forms, selling ELR, various F service cuts e.g., pillows, new RU earning rules, etc.). We'll feel those new "enhancements" (if we aren't already), and who knows what will come next...

No, they tried though. And in the end, that's what matters over just pouting and screaming on FT.

Indeed, because US did not want to listen, or engage them. I do think that at CO there are people who want to listen and engage, though I'm not sure how often they have the ears of the management people... That one might've seriously changed in the new combined CO/UA...

yup, that will be a riot.

I am merely a GM of the CO part of the combined UnitedContinentals Holdings company, but it should hopefully be pretty clear to any UA elite that any changes and experiments the CO program makes have a great potential of sticking around for good with the merged program. In other words, we UA flyers need to stand united with our new CO friends. You have my support.

I'm on the bus

Will there be BUTTONS?

Saveskymiles had buttons, and IIRC, small printed cards they inserted into the inflight magazines to be discovered by other customers.

Count me in. I've been drinking the COolaid for 15+ years, have consistently maintained status, and have organized CO as our company's sole carrier. Now I'm not even considering a MR to requalify this year. Saying that, my gut says that even after loyal customers with average annual purchases > $10k sign on to tell CO/UA they're screwing up, CO/US doesn't care. Something else is driving the corporation that is more important. Just my $0.02.