MasterCard Midwest --> Frontier
 

Email regarding the Midwest MasterCard and the transition to Frontier MasterCard:

Each cardholder can go to a personal site w ww.myname.NewFrontierCard.com to select the preferred new card design. There are seven animals available (including the badger) plus a card with a Frontier plane on it. If you don't choose by 9/20 you automatically get the badger card. The new card will come by late October.

The site is a very smoothy done flashplayer site. The card selection page is nice enough, then once you've chosen that you get to a page which looks like an airplane tray table. A notebook with three sticky tabs lets you easily navigate through some information and FAQ's, a napkin (with a cookie sitting on it) holds a to-do list which helps keep track of what you've already reviewed, and an image of the card design you've chosen lets you go back if you've changed your mind.

I hope there's something as professional and useful for the FF consolidation itself!

I thought the Badger looked silly, so I went the Frontier aircraft.

I didn't especially like how any of the animals tails looked because it doesn't really identify the card as an airline. So I went with the plane as well...

As a Midwest loyalist of many years, I enjoyed seeing the Midwest 717 proudly displayed on my card, That's why I went along the same route.

The Badger has somewhat of a Midwest accent. I'm not sure I like the voice they picked for him. Very cool website.

Yup...I kept some of my older-style cards just because I liked the plane image. If the animal tails looked a little more clearly like an airline, I might have gone with the badger. But the card image is essentially a trapezoid with a wildlife image and the word FRONTIER across the top, and I think a lot of people would have no clue it was an airline.

I didn't not like it at all the first time I heard it. After messing around the site for awhile I listened to it again and found that I didn't mind it too much. The badger is male and appears relatively young and tame, so the quality of voice fits. And the midwestern accent and phrasing...well...I liked it better the second time I listened to it. It wasn't exactly Fargo (thank god) but it definitely is going for upper midwest.

The only thing...it's okay for something like this, but if they use the voice for commercials (like they use Larry and Jack) it probably would come off as more annoying than endearing.

Accents and local dialects in the USA fascinate me but it seems like Hollywood and the advertising industry get Wisconsin accents wrong. Wisconsin isn't all that big of a state, but there are different regions of distinct accents. Take the Direct TV commercial about the Green Bay family not getting along with their new neighbors from San Francisco. The woman spoke with a Minnesota accent! Still, it was a funny commercial. I was happy to hear the Badger did not have a Fargo type accent too... I guess you are right about the voice being of a younger male. That makes a difference after I listened to it a few more times. Not so irritating now. :)

I was not impressed by the voice and did find it annoying. I think that some of the other voices are much better suited to their animals and help create the personalities - or should I say animalities. Buddy's voice is way too meek - not what you would imagine for a badger.

Since the email came from Barclay, I imagine that the linked site was put together by Barclay's ad agency, and not Frontier's.

I wanted to pick the badger but thought the voice was too wimpy, so I opted for the plane as well. However, I will miss my blue Midwest card! Somehow taking that out of my wallet makes the YX demise final!

You might have the answer, but my memory fails as to what was on the Midwest cards prior to the addition of the 717s. I can only guess it may have been the MD-80.

I believe it was the DC9-30 taking off toward you, upward and to the viewer's left, in an oval.

It's the picture near the top of this timetable cover image:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

I'm almost positive that's a D9S and not an M80.

Thanks, Knope. Now, that brings back memories.

Anybody else remember when the Midwest Express MasterCard came from US Bank, with a decorative tin of chocolate chip cookies sent to the card holder, upon renewal of the card?

Nice touch!

Yup! I also got a different tin of cookies the first time I hit Executive status.

I've got a few tins laying around the house somewhere. IIRC, I even received one as a Christmas gift one year. More of the Best Care of the past.

Love the frontier mastercard site
 

I think you guys are crazy. This site is so much fun. Instead of the same old boring credit card, you get to interact with the animals, etc. I spent about 10 minutes at the site exploring and laughing.

Personally, I don't care if the card "looks" like an airplane. I know what it is, and I get the miles, etc.

I used to be a Midwest loyalist. But I find Frontier much more engaging.

I picked the Rabbit. I think the badger was okay, but I think he was probably there to appease us Midwesterners. I would have preferred that they didn't make the accent or character "midwestern." The other characters are just fun. Their voices and accents seem random (based on the character, not where the character is from). I think they should have done the same with the badger.

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

I agree. ;)

I still haven't seen or heard the badger yet out here in Colorado. But, I agree with you, the accents should be random. To me, that's what makes Jack, Larry, Flip, and Griz fun. They aren't tied to a particular regional dialect.

The Badger
 

Now that I've finally heard the Badger's voice, I have to agree with mke9499 "too meek" and Wisconsin "wimpy".

The Badger is a rough and tumble critter and his voice should reflect the same. I think they should have done him up in a "tough guy" voice. Then, he'd fit in better with the other cast of characters that I find pretty funny, i.e. Larry, Flip, Griz, and Jack.

Just received the "Amendment to Your Cardmember Agreement" in the mail, for the Midwest/Frontier MasterCard.

Eff 12/01.2010, the "automatic common carrier travel accident insurance program" will end. If tickets purchased in full prior to Dec 1, current terms will apply to coverage.

Suggestion is made to visit www.BarclaycardUS.com for further info.

Article from JSOnline re switch to Frontier MasterCard from Midwest MasterCard...

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/103500054.html

Midwest/Frontier mile offer
 

I find this interesting. I just realized as I opened a credit card offer from Frontier airlines for 25,000 miles. That the Midwest master card I am using is higher in fee and is it obsolete?. Question is do I jump on the 25,000 miles from frontier? Am I going to end up with a master card from Frontier anyway? Any insight is appreciated

Thanks

Babs

Many questions are answered at

http://www.midwestairlines.com/Midwe...tion-FAQs.aspx

I see no reason why you can't get a Frontier MasterCard now; just don't renew the old Midwest card at its anniversary.

As far as the fee, longtime Midwest MasterCard account holders, including myself, are penalized by paying the higher fee that was charged at time of original sign-up. It is completely unfair.

Keep in mind, that if you close the old card and open a new one, your credit rating may be affected in the short term.

Update on replacement cards
 

There apparently has been a hold-up due to production problem with replacement cards:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/106786203.html

Just received the new Frontier MasterCard in the mail, replacing the Midwest MasterCard.

It's not crucial, but why does my card have Griz on the tail? Are they all that way, or did I just get lucky? :rolleyes:

I picked the "whole plane" card and I got Griz as well. Maybe they're all that way? BTW, what would happen if I just kept using my Midwest card? It has the same account number and doesn't expire for a couple years. I know they say to destroy it IMMEDIATELY but can they really tell which card you're using?

The 3 digit code on the back of the card is different, as well as the exp date.

Does your new card have World or Platinum at the bottom?

Sounds like a VERY frustrating snafu considering all the work and buzz that went into the "pick your own design" website.

The design on the card really isn't that big a deal, generally, and YX never gave us any options -- it was whatever the current artwork happened to be, some I happened to like more than others. But to go through all the effort of letting people choose a design and then not sending the right one is a big fail.

You've invited the customer to be engaged and involved, invest a little time, participate in the branding change of something they probably see a whole lot more than Frontier itself, and then disregarded that effort, invovlement and participation. Would have been far, far better just to send new cards out and everybody gets what they get.

Assuming this is a widespread issue and not just an isolated mistake or two, the cardholders deserve a letter of apology and the option to request a corrected card. I suspect many would just let it be, but it would go a ways in fixing the screw up.

So far, neither of our cards have arrived...I'll post what we get versus what we requested.

Has anyone called Barclay's about the snafu?

I haven't received my new card as of yet.

Just to be clear, I selected and received the airplane design. Does anyone recall if the image of the airplane showed any particular animal on the tail? Griz is on the tail of the aircraft on my card. I's not a card with just the image of the animal.

I called Barclay's customer service about this, as well as a couple of other issues; their customer service people provide inadequate/uniformed service to cardholders. They are not familiar with the different affinity cards' benefits and terms. The reps just read off of a help screen, repeating the same info over and over again, without answering the questions asked. Some of the information given to me was simply not accurate - I knew more than the CSR.

Is it true that their call center is in Manila? The call center I reached was clearly on the other side of the globe.

I haven't even received my card.

I placed a call to Barclsy's and spoke with a somewhat uninformed CSR who had to check with a supervisor each time I posed a question. I was able to ascertain the following answers:

Frontier Mastercards were issued on November 10, with "an animal".

Midwest Mastercards will be deactivated in mid December.

Should you desire a different logo you should call in a few weeks, as they don't have the current logo offerings available, yet.

Looks like Barclay's really dropped the ball on this one.

It has been my experience that evening and weekend calls seem to be handled by a third world country.

Calls made during regular business hours appear to be handled by qualified reps with good command of the English language.

I placed two weekday, normal business hour calls, with the same results. :td:

Apologies for what appers to be a misplaced rant. I thought people were reporting they had received a different card than they had selected. The image of the Frontier plane on the "plane" card did have Griz as the spokesanimal -- I have the web page bookmarked and verified it today.

The time change always does a number on me for about a week or so -- was a hell of a week at work and apparently it carried over to me jumping the gun on this earlier today.

No apologies required; sorry if my initial post was not entirely clear. I did not recall what spokesanimal was shown on the tail in selecting the card's Frontier plane design. Placing the badger on the tail of new Frontier cards, which replaced the Midwest Airlines MasterCards, would have seemed more appropriate. Though not thrilled with the new card's look, I guess I will just have to bear it. :D

I do, however, still have issues with the replacement card and trying to verify information. There was poor customer service experienced in two calls to Barclays to resolve concerns. I'll probably have to try again and ask for a supervisor, if need be.

Are you fluent in the language of the Philippines? :D:D

I received my new credit card today and it has Buddy the Badger on it. What I find strange is, there's no sticker on the card for me to call in and activate it.

Our cards both came today. We both ordered the card with the plane. Mine is a standard World card and Griz is on the tail. My SO's is a World Elite card, which has Larry on the tail.

Neither of ours has an "activiation" sticker either, which seems a little unusual.

I returned to find my World Card in the mailbox today. Griz is on the tail.

Overall, I think it is a pretty decent looking card. I'm going to add my Midwest Card to the rest of my Midwest collectibles.

I got an email today saying I have to activate my Frontier Master Card even though I've been using if for the last month on a regular basis. So I called the number in the email and I get someone with a heavy accent that right off the bat, I didn't understand when he asked a question "What can I do for you today?". I think... Isn't it obvious? I am calling to activate my card. When I asked "excuse me?" I could hear the frustration in this guy's voice. So I explained I am calling to activate my card even though there was no sticker on the card telling me to do so. Of course he says "I am activating your card right now as we speak and while that is processing can I sell you a credit monitoring sevice?" OMG! NO! I was thinking. I did keep my cool but I did cut him off and say "I already have a service." He still went on with the sales pitch and I repeated my last response. Finally he gives up and says my card is activated, please remove the sticker and sign the back of your card. Barclays is really asking for trouble with outsourcing their customer service. Vent over, now I feel better. :)