Does Continental do a "soft drop" for elite status?
Feb 9, 2009 | 10:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: NY Tri state- but hangs out in nicer weather in west coast
Programs: United 1K, National VIP, Avis CC,
Posts: 638
Does Continental do a "soft drop" for elite status?
Does Continental do a "soft drop" for elite status?
Meening if you were platinum, and you dont qualify the next year even for gold, do they give you gold, or to the lowest level?
Thanks
Meening if you were platinum, and you dont qualify the next year even for gold, do they give you gold, or to the lowest level?
Thanks
Feb 9, 2009 | 10:55 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Half the distance to EWR than PHL.
Programs: UA, AA, B6, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, SPG
Posts: 11,695
Except for the Milllon Milers, there are no soft landings with One Pass. If you were Platinum and received something like 26,000 EQM's in 2008, you would drop to Silver Elite. If you earned say 24,000 miles you will drop to non-elite.
Feb 9, 2009 | 11:08 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: UA lifetime gold; Hilton Gold; Marriott/SPG Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,959
It feels really hard when it happens.
Feb 9, 2009 | 11:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Frozen in Carbonite
Programs: UA Aluminum 0.6MM, Bonvoy Life Sentence, Hyatt Eliteist, AA Super Plutonium
Posts: 2,878
Feb 10, 2009 | 7:05 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,707
However, if you haven't been receiving many upgrades lately you'll hardly notice. Just remember, you can always board "early" by selecting a seat in the rear of the plane (and you're more likely to have an empty seat next to you than in the "premium" section).
Feb 10, 2009 | 8:45 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,529
Sort of true. I find it better to check in at 24 hours, and grab the exit rows that an upgraded Plat just had.
Feb 10, 2009 | 1:23 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold (Current Platinum), United Mileage Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 850
All Silver elites are automatically granted a 'soft landing' down to the next lowest status, if they fail to make silver.
Feb 10, 2009 | 8:56 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Houston
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond, UA 1.56MM (fmr UA1K)
Posts: 5,774
Feb 10, 2009 | 9:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Izamal, Yucatan
Programs: Previously 5 year AS Gold 75, UA MM Lifetime Gold
Posts: 787
Feb 10, 2009 | 11:06 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Programs: United LT-GS, AA LT-Plat, Hyatt LT-Globalist, Hilton LT-Diamond, Marriott LT-Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 15,830
Feb 11, 2009 | 11:22 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 7
Silver is virually pointless for getting upgrades. The only real benefits are the baggage fee waiver and the in-airport "EliteAccess" perks (security line, blue carpet)
For that, I think it makes more sense to give up on chasing Elite and just buy the Presidential Plus credit card, which still gives the EliteAccess benefits noted above, PC access, Hyatt Platinum, Avis Presidents Club (double upgrades!)
For that, I think it makes more sense to give up on chasing Elite and just buy the Presidential Plus credit card, which still gives the EliteAccess benefits noted above, PC access, Hyatt Platinum, Avis Presidents Club (double upgrades!)
Feb 11, 2009 | 2:34 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Gold; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 7,145
The problem with soft landings is that they tend to tick off the elites who earned their status by flying.
I can understand if a longtime Plat has an extenuating circumstance, but I think that these situations should be handled on an individual basis. But why should someone who qualifies as a Plat for one year due to an extended project (but is no longer regularly flying CO) drop to Gold, when there are others who have earned Gold year after year?
I think that longtime loyalty should be rewarded, though, so perhaps CO could offer soft landings to elites who have 500K lifetime miles, or something along those lines.
I can understand if a longtime Plat has an extenuating circumstance, but I think that these situations should be handled on an individual basis. But why should someone who qualifies as a Plat for one year due to an extended project (but is no longer regularly flying CO) drop to Gold, when there are others who have earned Gold year after year?
I think that longtime loyalty should be rewarded, though, so perhaps CO could offer soft landings to elites who have 500K lifetime miles, or something along those lines.
Feb 11, 2009 | 3:46 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
went from a 100K per year PLT to an accidental silver (made the change to UA in Feb, and already had the miles as a "31 in plat" sfo-EWR, plus a few random flights), but last year it was one flight on CO, a few on DL, so back to nothing...
perhaps with the tie in with UA I will fly them again some time.... i miss the 31" pitch oh so much....