Update GlobalPass
 

For the past few days, I've been in constant contact with Guy Booth and GlobalPass (thanks to heads up from milesrus and Shelley) and some of you should now be seeing results from them to try and resolve the ticketing problems with TACA. As an partner, GP would not have known what the requirements are for ticket stock during their changeover and these situations have happened before in the past with other partner arrangements involving several of the hotel and airline programs you are likely to be members of. At the end of the day, no one wants to take ticket stock back since you have to pay up front. This stuff does happen. GP got caught short and while they could have simply let this change ride over, they did get the advice they needed and have worked with TACA for more ticket stock which is what you are seeing from several posts today. Obviously TACA is guarding this well since the arrangement they likely have with GP is at a rate less than "market price."

Now, there will likely not be enough stock available for all requests to be handled, but attempts are being made to honor "most" of them. I think in reviewing many of the posts here that a few of you are likely to be on the short list - most likely anyone trying to sell your awards. Their rules strictly forbid this and whether you like it or not, that's the rules. (In the past, i do know that some of you have sold your awards anyway, so please stay off the soapbox.) As long as your award request are in your name or family member names, my guess is that you'll get first attention and then they will work on down the line.

I'll continue to try and work with GP and members here to find resolve on this. Guy is now on vacation and a few loose ends may need additional attention later on, so be patient.

In the next few days you'll see on InsideFlyer.com a really interesting interview with Guy on the topic of GP. Frankly it's amazing that he has been able to hold any of this together when partner airline don't renew partnership contracts. While nearly all the critical posts here blame GP, and they certainly have earned some of it, there's also the matter of how the industry is changing. Ever try to get an upgrade on an RJ?

As well, I will soon be moving the GP forum from the airline sector to "Other Programs." It's clear it's really not an airline programs anymore and frankly never was. It has partnerships and things that resemble coalition programs, but GP is not an airline. So if you suddenly see it gone, look in "Other Travel Programs."

That's it for now.

RANDY,
THANKS ALOT, especially if what milesRus posted that you indeed lost you Mil miles. Either way IMO you have gone to bat for US once again.

Although I find myself fortunate to have burned off the last of my GlobalPiss miles in February, I've been lurking and watching this drama unfold.

Randy, your passion and involvement in assisting the members of your online community sometimes goes beyond the call of duty. Good job with Guy Booth and GlobalPiss! ^

Many Thanks!
 

Randy, thank you very much for all your efforts and your update! ^
Now keeping my fingers crossed to get those ticket numbers.

Thank you very much!
 

Randy I reall appreciate what you have done for us. I do not believe anyone wanted this to get ugly and you have saved the day. You have also saved me a lot of postage!

Thanks Randy for the update and the help. I've just made a sticky out of this thread.

I knew as soon as the news hit several weeks ago that my days as moderator of this mostly sleepy forum were numbered. Even with all the recent outrage, I'm proud to say that I never had to delete, move, or edit any posts here whatsoever (at least none that I can remember). Thanks to the LP/GP FTers for keeping it civil. ^ ^ ^

GP releated discussions will no doubt continue in the Other Programs forum to detail the ultimate handling of our last award requests and the understandable reactions of members who learn of the changes too late and are left holding large balances of arguably worthless bonus miles. Let's hope GP finds a way to do right by these folks as well.

Edit: I may have to continue the hard work of moderating this unruly place for a while longer. ;) I mistakenly thought Randy was planning to fold this forum to a non-branded forum like "Other North & South America Frequent Flyer Programs". "Other Programs" is a category, so it looks like the LP/GP forum may live as long as GlobalPass remains in business!

Tickets in Names of Others
 

Randy,

Another thanks for your getting involved to help resolve all of this. I hope that when GP takes a look at the ticket reservations, they will honor award requests for others who are clearly traveling with a GP member. I have one set of reservations where others with different surnames are traveling with us on on the same flight itinerary, and yet another set of reservations where others will be joining us at the same destination, but flying in from a different location. I would hope that GP would realize that it is unlikely that I'm trying to sell tickets to someone else and coordinating flight dates to join them at some common destination!

Kudos
 

^ Thanks "Randy" for all you do and helping us out!

Randy, thanks for getting involved and helping get this situation resolved.

I also thank Randy for his involvement. I wonder how many unused miles he has (or HAD).

However, I think he is a bit genereous in his support of GP.
1. What kind of company would drastically change the rules and not notify its customers?
2. What kind of company would only give 3 weeks notice?
3. What kind of company would have its President (apparently the only one who can make decisions) be on vacation during a major change in its strategy?
4. What kind of company would "run out of ticket stock" without knowing it would do so (or at least not letting its customers know the situation).

I could go on and on, but I think GP has always been on the lowest end of the Customer Satisfaction scale. Its poor service and, especially, lack of posting good information (such as steps to get tickets) on it web site, leave customers in the dark much of the time.

As to selling of tickets - I think that was rare. Maybe some to friends, etc. But with the difficult schedules, communication issues, etc., many would not buy these miles. I do think many gave tickets to friends and relatives (by the way, many relatives do not have same surname as the customer). Is it right they will issue a ticket to my son, but not my married daughter --without at least checking with me first? (No, I really only used my miles for myself and my wife, but you get the point)

I guess we need to be thankful they did not just "shut down" without notice, although that is what many expected to happen someday.

On the other hand, I do not understand why those that took the Mileage Run bonus did not use all their miles by now. Especially with the concerns everyone had about the program and the company. I know that there were restrictions, but with transfers, etc. - it was not hard to get rid of your miles in the 5 year time frame.

I will be interested in seeing the responses from Guy. The Program was one of the high points for the FF group. And the attempt to put together a FF program with "loose end" airlines was a good idea. Unfortunately, I think the Bonus program was too much of a good thing (not thought out too well) and in the end resulted in GPs demise. Yes, I know they are still around, but doubt if they will last another year.

Good to "meet" everyone, it's been a GREAT TRIP!

The InsideFlyer interview with Guy Booth can now be found on InsideFlyer.com at http://www.insideflyer.com/articles/o2.php?key=87

This conveniently 'forgets' that there was no mention of the 50% rule at the time of the bonus and that the rule was invented and applied retroactively. It also forgets that 1/4 bonus per year was usable without any matching requirement.
Very selective example. For air travel, GP is a waste of time and most certainly not 'better in terms of return than American Express and Diners' . It might have been if ticket prices using the GP travel agency were not inflated to the point of destroying anything that you might gain from it. Heck, you can't make it work even with the 100% extra coming from the LP bonus miles, let alone on its own.

Guess I'm gonna need a translation because everything was so vague it was hard to follow. Can anyone explain the point he was trying to make with the 40%, 60% comment?

Not sure. Does he mean to say that 60% of C class pax on Taca are on awards?

Interesting interview.

"Membership Rewards has a AmEx shop, they have a $199 iPod lets say, which you could also buy for 39,800 Membership Reward points. Simple mathematics tells you that it's .005. In our case if you translate $199, it requires $26 dollars and 500 GlobalPass miles. We're giving you four miles on the dollar. But, we don't want to rock the boat with American Express."

Does anyone understand this paragraph? Are they saying that for $26 and 500 GP miles I will, in return, receive a $199 Ipod?