ufo

I thought it might be interesting to understand who CO offered Elite 'Buy up' to this week, and what circumstances and terms were.

For me, I flew ~60k EQM's in 2010 (I delayed a 30 EQM trip from Dec to the first week of Jan, otherwise I would have re-qualified for Platinum)

They offered me Plat for 2011 for $795

What offers did others get in the mail this week?

I didn't think $795 for missing by 15k EQM was that bad. It would have cost me a lot more to do a mileage run or buying the miles through the maximizer. However, Platinum has almost zero benefit to me over gold, so I wont be taking them up on the offer.

CHIC SILBER

As if the Elite benefits haven't been devalued enough

now they are "clearance sale" selling status

Just 1 more ominous signs of things to come

sbm12

If you are going to conduct a survey like this you need to collect the other rather important bit of data - annual spend on CO. Without that you're missing one of the major factors in how they've historically handed out those offers.

skimple

My wife flew about 10K last year with CO and they offered her Silver for $395.

CHIC SILBER

Like a last gasp fire sale

I rest my case your honor

sbm12

If those 10K EQMs were on high fares then it isn't so ridiculous. Someone flying 2 transcon B fares r/t would likely have given CO more money than I did for my 100K EQMs. When that customer is more valuable to the company than I am I do not see the problem in the company expressing that.

UA-NYC

This smells just like US

gawhite411

No more callers, we have a winner.

This, along with getting rid of the pretzel dust in Y, is exactly that kind of product degradation that destroyed US.

UA-NYC

Seriously - at least UA is making you fly serious miles (along with paying some cash) if you are truly dedicated to recapturing a higher status level.

gawhite411

Anything for a buck. Soon whY will have ads on the tray tables the way US does.

What really bothers me about the incremental fees (apart from their general tackiness -- like CO's charging for drinks in F) is they pick fees in a such a fashion that is illogical. For example -- they want incremental revenue from bags. Okay. So instead of smartly charging for carryons and thus encouraging people to check bags, they do the opposite. This leads to horribly crowded overhead bins, numerous gate checks, and a slow down in turning planes. CO could get the same revenue but create an incentive structure that actually helped operations by reducing turn time if they incentivized people to check bags.

If you're going to be a cheap whore, at least be a clever one.

channa

If that customer is so valuable, why not bump him up anyway (and quietly) in the hopes of locking in the future business?

I don't find the logic in trying to shake down more cash from a valuable customer. There's a risk they'll take offense to it, and it could backfire.

UnitedEF

Besides the higher fares business travelers generally pay, have you ever tried to separate a business traveler with their roll aboard?

sbm12

This can go either way. Just giving someone something that they didn't earn might also backfire. They might come to expect that the rules don't really apply to them and expect to get more freebies in the future. That may have a net negative effect. Or they might take the freebies for granted and not actually show any loyalty.

By having the customer pay a (relatively) trivial amount you've now had them make an investment in the partnership that you're trying to build with them. They have a reason to be loyal to you and you to them.

I don't know which is the "right" approach and my guess is that it depends per customer, but there are definitely (at least) two sides to it.

gawhite411

Fees do not and would not apply to elites. They are not the problem.

Yes elites have roll aboards (frankly I think if it needs wheels it shouldn't be a carryon but that fight was passed long ago). But if non elites had no carryons there would be enough room for the elites who are the only ones who matter.

Billiken

LOL ^