Hartmann

Besides the fact that one gets upgraded before the other. And the less expensive PC membership.

I believe they are called incentives... There should be stepping stones, not some "all-in" policy.

craz

I never belonged to the PC nor plan to.

As for Upgrades its been so long since I got 1 I completely forgot about them, does CO still have such a program

OPFlyer

EliteAccess really is not a big deal because only Elites and PC members can purchase the card, and well most of them already have this benefit.

OPFlyer

Was this offer targeted?

chasbondy

I prefer boarding by total fares paid. A plat who earned Plat with $1800 in fares, as has been bragged about on this board is a fraud Plat

craz

I dont see that person as a Fraud, if they did the 75k in the seat , thats all that counts. I give them Credit for beating the system as no way did/does CO expect someone to ever spend $1800 and end up with at least 75k in EQMs. All the power to them.

I had the same with TW back when, spent just under $2500 and did just over 100k actual miles, over the course of a yr.They were looking more for the likes of $20k.

Boarding by fare paid would be an instant way to free up almost all the seats on CO system-wide in a flash.

I can understand if CO wants to give the "Y" passenger an extra benefit, but nothing below a "Y".

fly co to see the yanks

no (at least i don't think so as i got it).

but, shouldn't this thread be merged with the existing (lengthy) thread on this topic? why re-create the wheel?

craz

If that was done you would have 1 less thing to complain about

FWIW I agree it should be merged

Transcon35

I agree with you, chasbondy (and know this issue has been discussed before). I am a Silver who may not fly quite as much, but who earns his miles/points/status largely with paid F fares. I have likely spent far more $$ on (and been more profitable for) Continental, than many "Golds" and "Plats". From dealing with the airline industry quite a bit in my prior life (I even had Gordon B. in my office a few times ), I know that we who fly a bit less, but pay for the premium seats, are worth way more to the airlines than those who are "platinum", but get there on bargain basement fares. The only reason the airlines haven't to this point implemented a strictly fare-based elite system (as TWA did in part, years back) is the revolt of big business, which fears its FF-addicted employees will then try to evade corporate lowest-fare policies -- although I know for a fact that an elite status qualification system that corresponds more closely with a fare-based model has been discussed, even as of late. While I agree with craz that the "fraud" Plat you mention is simply playing the system as CO and other airlines currently run it (and who can really blame him for that?), I don't like it, and still believe we may see the day, perhaps sooner than some think, when bargain basement fares are finally (and properly) banished from elite qualification, and higher fares are given greatly increased weight. You may then see a lot of Silvers becoming Golds and Plats, and a lot of Plats becoming Golds and Silvers...

I would applaud that.

craz

Or that Carrier will see alot of their Silvers & Golds leave them and fly with another Carrier. Ideally every Carrier would Love to sell out each and every Flight to "Y" fares only, but that isnt being real.

Those ElCheapos do serve a purpose and do add some $$ to the bottom line. After all once that Flight takes off theres no way for a Carrier to get any $$ for the empty seats.

Now if all the Carriers did the same thing at the same time, then maybe they would be able to pull it off. But then the likes of JetBlue, and other LCCs will see their Sales go thru the roof.

And we all know the Great shape TWA is in today . BTW TW didnt do the Spending thing and drop the others , it was simply in Addition to the other ways. Probably for the reason you stated, you dont fly much but when you do its on Full F, and you dont fly enough to get to the higher levels. If CO wanted to add Spending as another means to obtaining Elite Status, I see Nothing wrong with it.

When BA went to 25% of actual miles on the ElCheapos (thats both EQMs and reg Miles) that ended my flying on BA. I purchase tkts anywhere from the Cheapest to "H's" on CO, and did so with BA as well.

I really dont think not giving 100% on EQMs on the ElCheapos will Benefit CO in any meaningful way, at least not for the near future.

fly co to see the yanks

yeah...but, i wonder why it's not being done?

again, aside from the $100 in travelbank monies, the offer is the same (and, the pros and cons are the same). baffled as to why this isn't being merged.

Transcon35

I don't really disagree with any of what you are saying, craz. Points all well taken. And all this is part science, part art, for the airlines. They are trying to balance various players and market forces at once, and watching what the competition is doing, so the FF system maximizes profits for them (just like any other biz). The question here is how far down they can "devalue" the cheap fares in the elite qualifying process & still keep the marginal dollars they earn from those flyers; and how far they can increase the value of the premium fares (which, as you know, really do pay the bills) without incurring the kind of backlash I described (which TWA did indeed experience). As you know, there has actually been a slow drive in this direction anyway (the whole reason for giving the CO.com "50% bonus" EQM's and points on cheap fares is so that when CO eventually takes it away, and they will, then they can say they are just returning to "standard" levels). From what I know, I think (just like every other change to these FF programs) someone will do what I am suggesting, and the others will follow. Low-fare flyers will complain, yes, and they will have the choice of going to a limited-network/schedule (which for many in places like IAH for CO, and SFO for UA, won't even be a viable option), no-club, no frills carrier, with no early boarding for their carry-on luggage, etc., but I suspect many will stay -- not as happily, and at lower elite levels, but they will stay. Any way, that's my thought; these posts live forever, and we'll watch what happens over the next few years...

All that said, I was of course reacting to the underlying suggestion that pre-boarding be taken away from, or reduced for, Silvers -- since many of us Silvers are very valuable customers for the airline (some more valuable on the books -- if not the elite card -- than many "Plats" and "Golds"). Part of why CO chooses to treat all its Elites the same with EliteAccess is b/c they realize that the value of their elite flyers does not fit neatly into 3 boxes (Plat, Gold, Silver); yet some on these boards act as if these elite levels are absolute markers of value to the airlines. They are not. And I DO care about pre-boarding b/c sometimes, because of the route or my schedule, I am forced to fly on an an ERJ, with no F, and very limited overhead space, and on those flights (of which there are too many) this one privilege of pre-boarding I earn as a Silver is a critical lynchpin by which CO earns my loyalty and my $$.

WIRunner

um... i didn't have a PC card when i got the invitation (it had expired, i forgot to renew it, and bam, two months later it showed up) no status either, 19-23k miles per year though, its kinda nice to skip over the line. On the flip side, i fly out of MKE generally, and CO can use the NWA elite "section" that their own silvers can't, its come in handy.

J.Edward

Still bitter?

There seems to be this misconception here that an overwhelming percentage of plats have their status due to bargain fares.

This is wrong.

While a high percentage of Flyertalkers may have their plat status for cheap, I seriously doubt this is representative of the population as a whole.

Moreover CO already rewards fare paid with EQMs and YUPs.
Guess again.

Mary2e

My husband received the offer and it is targeted. He has no status and no CO card

From his email: