So 2 travelers with identical itineraries in all of 2010 will be rewarded differently for their 2011 travel... simply because they posted their 2010 EQM to different programs within UACO.

It is not a small difference. If they both fly 100-124k this year with at least 10k in each quarter then one gets 12 CR-1s the other will have to do with 4 CR-1s.

The logic of creating an upper class and lower class of 1Ks beats me....The only way to make sense of it is that UACO really does not want to give these quarterly CR1s to anyone... but felt they had to in 2011 because of all the whining the new program announcement created.

If you are not flying UA then there is no value to merging the accounts. That said, you might consider giving them a try. Dunno what you've heard as a "reputation" but they really are fine in general, just like most carriers.
They were different carriers through much of 2010. Expecting to get benefits from one when that was never offered nor advertised is irrational IMO. Yes, it would have been nice, but the fact that they're doing as much as they are is nice, too. They've accelerated a lot of the cross-carrier benefits so far from the originally announced efficacy dates. Getting bitter that one of the several didn't happen doesn't make sense to me. If you wanted the UA 1k benefits you could have applied all those 2010 itineraries to your UA account, right?

I am CO Platinum and hit 100K in 2010. I merged programs and now am recognized as "1K' on UA.com.

I chose CO since I am trying to get as many miles in one place. (I have over 100K CO miles and almost none in UA)

I hope that wasn't stupid but it's done so I guess a moot point.


I do want to keep getting CO miles but also get recognzied as 1K. For example, I have a reward ticket on UA PS flight tomorrow SFO-JFK that I booked using CO miles in Business class.

My boarding pass doesn't list 1K.

I want to be able to use the 1K security line, board on the red carpet etc.

How do I get 1K "stauts" if the ticket was booked using CO Miles? Or in teh future, I plan to use my CO # so I get CO miles but I want to get the 1K benefits? How do I do that?

Thanks

While it may not show 1K, if you have a PS Biz ticket, you get to do everything a 1K would (security line, red carpet, etc.). And use the RCC for free as well.

The quarterly CR-1s only exist this year (and for this year only) due to "whining" 1Ks like me, who didn't like having a key benefit taken out from underneath our feet with a couple months notice, negating a full year of loyal flying that said benefits were generated from.

From what I remember, it was also basically said that anyone earning 1K for the first time during the 2011 status year would not be eligible for the quarterly regional earning; you had to be a 2010 1K to get them.

There weren't really any other benefit cuts announced in fall 2010 that went into effect immediately for 2011, were there? Lesson learned - changes stink, so you have to give time for people to adapt.

The CR-1 earning was smart as it ensured loyalty to the airline (and ensured consistent 1K business throughout the year) - you had to actually fly the metal to earn the benefits. Going forward, you don't have to step a foot on a UACO plane, but can still rack up RUs galore.

Sure, but if you aren't setting foot on the planes then the RUs are not worth much to you. ;)

Oh Ok. thanks. I thought only 1K could step on the red carpet :)

What about moving forward, if I buy a revenue ticket and use my CO# to accrue points on OP, can I sitll get the 1K benefits (use the red carpet, be ahead of CO Plats in the upgrade priority)?

Or must I accure United miles to get the 1K benefits?

The Red Carpet is open to people of all walk of life - provided they are GS/1K or are flying in C/F. :)

As many others are doing (or try to do) - switching your FFN at the last minute (via kiosk or rep) will allow you to accrue in one program but use the other for UG earning. But you may lose your RC spot...

Back to my original Q: can i get 1K on my bp if i use the CO# or do I really need to switch back to CO at the last minute?? and even then I might get kicked off the red carpet!

I think you are making it more complicated than it has to be... Just post UA flights to MP account and CO flights to OP account... This maximized benefits.. and you can transfer the miles for free.

I didn't realize you can now seamlessly transfer miles whenver you want. thanks.

i often book CO metal one way and UA the other way, so I guess I can change at he kiosk.

Oh wait..... but if I us UA # on UA flight, I won't get the CO EQM's which is what I care about too.

If your accounts are linked, EQMs will be combined on the fly (e.g., if you have 55k EQMs on CO and 45k on UA, you will be CO Plat/UA 1K), so there is no reason not to use your UA number for UA flights and your CO number for CO flights, unless you are close to 1MM on CO. All EQMs will be combined at the end of the year anyway.

In general, partner flights should be credited to the account where the rules are most advantageous (so paid C/F on partners should probably be credited to CO, Y/B fares on US should be credited to UA, sub-500 mile flights on US to CO, etc.)

I would like to merge accounts since my IAH-LIM flights are now all courtesy of UAL.

However, I created a MP account and when I try to merge the two I get a message that says they cannot locate my accounts.

I guess that's true. I didn't think about it that way. I guess i was just "scared" to switch to MP since I have no EQMs there and already have almost 50k EQMs on CO. But if they really combine I guess you are right.

I didn't really understand this 2ns paragraph, sorry.

For UA and CO flights, the proper course of action is clear: credit UA flights to UA and CO flights to CO, unless you think the UA flights will help you reach 1 million EQM on CO before the end of the year.

For partner flights, the best course of action varies, since UA and CO have different rules for some partner flights (for example, CO gives 150% EQM on partner flights in C or F, while UA does so only for flights on US and transatlantic flights on LH). I gave a couple of other examples in that paragraph of when one should credit miles to one program or the other, but there are obviously more. It's worth checking the UA and CO program rules when flying a partner, so that you can credit the miles to the program in which you get the most benefit (since your *A status, or lack thereof, will now be at the same level in both programs).