Quick Ascent Status Matching Question...
 

Q: When you status match with the QuickAscent program on Frontier in the 2H of the year, is the comp'd status valid for a) only the remaining part of this year or b) the remaining part of next year and through next year as wel.

When I moved to Houston and status matched my American status to Continental in October 2002, I was given elite status for the rest of 2002 as well as for all of 2003. In order to keep elite status for 2004 though I had to earn my status in 2003. My understanding is that they follow this practice to allow comp'd elites a full year to re-earn elite status.

Also,
Q: I know you earn elite status bia mileage per calendar year but when does the status expire? Jan 01? Feb (like CO)? March (like AA)?

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Now that my GF has moved temporarily back to DEN for the next 6 months, I plan on doing quite a bit of travel on Frontier from SJC until May or June of 2005 (esp during ski season). I've read about how status matching works on Frontier but it doesn't get into this level of detail online.

I can pretty much state that even with the flights I've taken to DEN YTD, I'm not likely to achieve Ascent status for the remaining months (she just moved out there and ski season opens in Nov).

If I'm not going to be guaranteed elite status in 2005 if I status match in 2004, I might as well wait until Jan01. Otherwise, I'll go ahead and get those extra miles and free Direct TV (when available).


Thanks in advance,
-g

I just did Quick Ascent. Status lasts until December 2005 according to the email confirmation:
____________________________________________
Dear 2Tall,

Congratulations! You have been upgraded to the EarlyReturns Ascent level.
You will be guaranteed this status until December 31, 2005.

Ascent level benefits include the following:

Priority check in and boarding
Priority security lines at most airports Complimentary DIRECTV on Airbus flights Exclusive offers to Ascent members

Please use this exclusive Ascent toll free number for any assistance you may
need:

Sincerely,
Linda Wagner
EarlyReturns Team

For anyone else who cares:
I applied for QA on 9/30/04 and received confirmation via email on 10/6/04.
The Ascent status is valid through 12/31/05.
-g

Just another quick update. I just did the QuickAscent status match and it is good only until the end of January 2006. :td: Only 7 months...not so good. I might e-mail them back and ask why....

-Mike

Status is good until Jan, so if you qualified for status in this year (2005) by flying you will be granted status until Jan 2007.

I would think that they would only grant it for a few months, so that you will actually fly.

Just yesterday, I emailed my NWA Gold Elite credentials and within 20 minutes was comped Ascent status until January 31, 2006.

Yeah, but based on other people's experience last fall (getting comped through the end of 2005) I figured to be comped through at least the middle of the year. Big difference between 15/16 months and my 8 months....

I did send them an e-mail - nothing harsh, just asking why it was such a short comp. When I comped to UA from CO many years ago, the comp was good for almost 2 full years (comped in April for rest of that year as well as following year and since their "years" go until Feb....)

-Mike

Is Quick Ascent available more than once?

I was completely denied in my attempt for an Ascent comp. I offered up comparable elite status faxes, but they said "We don't do that." I know it's a lie, but whatever. I even offered to buy 3 MCI-SEA roundtrips on the spot. No dice.

I had already bought 1 one-way MCI-SEA. Looks like I'm one & done on F9. All I want is to be able to book an assigned seat when I pay for my ticket - don't really care about the other perks.

Did you try emailing a copy of your statement to [email protected]? This was the address I used when requesting their Quick Ascent match.

Yes. Nobody responded at all, so I called.

I specifically waited until January of last year to do QA. I would up with about 30K miles on F9, so I'm good for awhile. This year, I will probably work for just 15K.

Per a company memo, QuickAscent ended officially on 12/31/05.

I'm guessing that with the introduction of the More Store, they no longer wanted to dilute the benefits of Ascent/Summit with matching.

Dropping the QuickAscent program in the face of Southwest Airlines coming to Denver has got to win the bonehead of the year award for Frontier Airlines.

United, not known as the smartest airline in the air (nor are they really the friendliest either!), knew what to do when Southwest came to town. Offer more bonus points to keep their customers. Consider the United offer of flying 32 segments and getting 90,000 bonus miles, plus other lessor awards. Add to that that they give double segment credit for flying on Southwest's routes.

But.... I ask Frontier for QuickAscent and they say we just discontinued that program with Southwest coming to town? How stupid is that?

QuickAscent costs them virtually nothing. I had QuickAscent last year and flew with them 3 times. I got 6 free Direct TV's and 25% bonus miles on about 4200 miles flown. I checked in on the preferred Ascent line. For that, they got a total of 5 purchase trips (because I took my wife and daughter with me at XMAS). A total of $1500 in revenue that otherwise would have gone to United. They don't want my $1500 next year? You can bet that Southwest and United do!

Meanwhile, I paid United $200 for the Double EQM/EQS bonus. Think I'm not going to get my money's worth out of that? No way. I'll be over at United with a lot less incentive to take a quick hop on Frontier.

Now, in 2006 they won't repeat the same deal? Get real, Frontier. Those animals are cute, but dollars and points are the primary decision drivers. Either I'm going to fly with Southwest and save money and earn double credits, or I'm going to fly with United, at reduced prices and get mega bonus miles. Frontier isn't offering much of anything, and now without QuickAscent they are offering less.

Again, give QuickAscent to anybody that asks for it -- even if they don't fly a lot with Frontier. As a matter of fact, those are the ones that Frontier should want the most. The get incremental revenue with virtually no cost.

The market in Denver just got a lot tougher. Wake up Frontier!
PS -- I've never bought anything in their MoreStore.

I have been wondering myself about F9's non-response to WN's arrival to Denver and UA's great new promotion. The dolphin thing is cute, but I am going with UA this year. Frontier really needs to come up with something good or I predict that they will lose business. I already know of one earned ascent who is going back to UA for the Denver promo.