The other shoe drops ...
Jul 7, 2003, 9:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 3,062
The other shoe drops ...
milesrus was right. I was just browsing around the GP site and found mountains of new details and T&C's in the Customer Guide. While I couldn't locate any award charts, it hardly matters given the statement I did find:
Note: Only 50% of Bonus Miles can be used for SuperAwards.
Even with the terrible grammer, I think we all know what this actually means. It means that unless you have a substantial stash of non-bonus miles or are willing to trust GP enough transfer some in, you won't be able to use Southern Winds, Spirit, Tam, or Cayman Airways (or USAir, Copa, TWA, or Saeta). Your only options are TACA, Aces/Avianca, Aeropostal, and (if you are very fortunate) KLM. Of couse even these partners are presumably still subject to the 250k/year limit and mandatory fees. Add all this to the way they changed/reinterpreted the expiration rules to wipe millions of miles off the books and it becomes nearly immpossible to find any positives. Please help me out here because I'd like to believe there is still some redeeming value (no pun intended) left in the program.
It all makes me wonder if the AP would be interested in doing a follow-up story on how poorly LP/GP followed through with the promotion that put them on the FF map.
Note: Only 50% of Bonus Miles can be used for SuperAwards.
Even with the terrible grammer, I think we all know what this actually means. It means that unless you have a substantial stash of non-bonus miles or are willing to trust GP enough transfer some in, you won't be able to use Southern Winds, Spirit, Tam, or Cayman Airways (or USAir, Copa, TWA, or Saeta). Your only options are TACA, Aces/Avianca, Aeropostal, and (if you are very fortunate) KLM. Of couse even these partners are presumably still subject to the 250k/year limit and mandatory fees. Add all this to the way they changed/reinterpreted the expiration rules to wipe millions of miles off the books and it becomes nearly immpossible to find any positives. Please help me out here because I'd like to believe there is still some redeeming value (no pun intended) left in the program.
It all makes me wonder if the AP would be interested in doing a follow-up story on how poorly LP/GP followed through with the promotion that put them on the FF map.
Jul 7, 2003, 11:13 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,055
Hmm, this is unfortunate. Perhaps indicative of LP/GP's state of affairs.
I suppose we'll all have to be content with trips to Central/South America on Taca or Avianca.
I suppose we'll all have to be content with trips to Central/South America on Taca or Avianca.
Jul 8, 2003, 7:26 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 3,062
Until the next change that they won't tell us about until its too late.
Jul 8, 2003, 9:54 am
#4
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,762
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dhacker:
[
Note: Only 50% of Bonus Miles can be used for SuperAwards.
</font>
[
Note: Only 50% of Bonus Miles can be used for SuperAwards.
</font>
Jul 8, 2003, 10:43 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 3,062
I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it means that at least half of any superaward must be paid for with non-bonus miles. Hope I'm wrong and you are right!
Jul 8, 2003, 12:15 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
no real surprise by me. Dont you remember when Distancia wouldnt let miles transferred from LP to be used for tkts on their partners, like AA etc.. Dis said LP miles could only be used on its core airlines which were the same as LPs although the miles needed were slightly less.
So here too, theres no question that if LP had a choice it wouldnt have done the whole shabang. So all they are trying to do is remain in business and draw new people into them. I got 480,000 left over and dont mind sending them to go to Latin/South America. Id like to get to Iguazu Falls in AR, spend some time in GUA, back to UIO , and Costa Rica. Now that Ill need 2 tkts each trip and hopefully not in coach I just might be able to get it done.
Dont take the above as its OK to SCR-W us, ITS NOT. but its better than having the miles and not being able to use them. for some it might mean instead of a winter vacation in Florida having to go to Costa Rica, which aint so bad!!
So here too, theres no question that if LP had a choice it wouldnt have done the whole shabang. So all they are trying to do is remain in business and draw new people into them. I got 480,000 left over and dont mind sending them to go to Latin/South America. Id like to get to Iguazu Falls in AR, spend some time in GUA, back to UIO , and Costa Rica. Now that Ill need 2 tkts each trip and hopefully not in coach I just might be able to get it done.
Dont take the above as its OK to SCR-W us, ITS NOT. but its better than having the miles and not being able to use them. for some it might mean instead of a winter vacation in Florida having to go to Costa Rica, which aint so bad!!
Jul 8, 2003, 12:49 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
If this is true, I am really SCR**D, as I felt for my and LP's benefit I am not rushing to cash in awards, make it easy to both.
Further, I do not find an award chart anywhere on this site. Pretty hard to plan travel this way.
Further, I do not find an award chart anywhere on this site. Pretty hard to plan travel this way.
Jul 8, 2003, 12:59 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: BOS, SEA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, DL Gold, LP ex-Millionaire!
Posts: 565
I agree, cesco.g, that GP should post an award chart. It's way overdue.
But I don't agree that we are scr***d by this latest development. It will be disappointing if we can't use our bonus miles for the new airlines, but we can still redeem awards on the original LP airlines (though there are certainly fewer of them). There are still a lot of attractive opportunities with Taca and Avianca, both of which offer good service, excellent availability and many routes.
But I don't agree that we are scr***d by this latest development. It will be disappointing if we can't use our bonus miles for the new airlines, but we can still redeem awards on the original LP airlines (though there are certainly fewer of them). There are still a lot of attractive opportunities with Taca and Avianca, both of which offer good service, excellent availability and many routes.
Jul 8, 2003, 1:09 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 3,062
I just hope the next press release doesn't say, "As of yesterday, Taca and the rest of the original airlines will no longer be accepting globalawards" leaving only the superawards we can't use! Nothing would surprise me from these jokers at this point.
Jul 8, 2003, 2:55 pm
#10
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NJ
Posts: 3,335
No chart online, but you can log in, go to Award Manager on the top menu, then go to GlobalAwards on the menu on left, and you get a pop-up window entitled Global Award Table. If you put in the cities you intend to travel between, and search, it will tell you how many miles are needed for such an award in the various classes.
I too think that the new information means that no more than 50% of the miles for any of the particular Superawards can come from bonus miles.
Djlawman
I too think that the new information means that no more than 50% of the miles for any of the particular Superawards can come from bonus miles.
Djlawman
Jul 8, 2003, 2:56 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Coppell, Texas
Posts: 1,014
Does this mean that if I have 400000 bonus miles left I can only use 200000 for SuperAwards????
No, this means if an award is 40,000 miles you can use 20,000 miles and 20,000 flying miles which means most of us got less than a ticket. I received about 15,000 miles from flying the routes, some Avis miles, a few hilton points as well. If your willing roll some hotel stays their way then you have one ticket via this system. If you have a family you are toast unless you've traveled latin america on paid tickets and accrued a lot of LatinPass Miles.
My biggest beef here, is Bobby Booth said we will grow this into 30 airlines so don't roll all your miles to Hilton etc. It took them 6 months to post my million, had they posted the first 250,000 then the other 250,000 then the final 500,000 I could have used the Marriott and Hilton and reduced my amount. Unfortunatly, I got stuck by the 250K per annun and then TWA USAIR etc ended, I am down to 336,000 and Taca is the only carrier out of here. Many people now have a worthless program, if you don't live in a TACA or Aeropostal city your miles are worthless. Would you pay $300 to get to a city to make a TACA flight when for an extra $100 you could fly American and get miles for the trip. I always envisioned using TWA, US AIR and National Hilton and Marriott, had I know all five would be nonmembers, I'm not sure the math would be there. Look at Hilton they raised their awards 30-70% after I rolled them there. If TACA pulls out this program is toast as the othe airlines fly to maybe Miami and New York which eliminates 85% of the nation within a two hour drive of either side. For those who state well we still have Latin America that's true if you live close to a Airport that flies there. TACA flights from Dallas leave at 5:30 PM and all connecting flights from San Jose leave the next day so all trips become almost 24 hours not worth it.
No, this means if an award is 40,000 miles you can use 20,000 miles and 20,000 flying miles which means most of us got less than a ticket. I received about 15,000 miles from flying the routes, some Avis miles, a few hilton points as well. If your willing roll some hotel stays their way then you have one ticket via this system. If you have a family you are toast unless you've traveled latin america on paid tickets and accrued a lot of LatinPass Miles.
My biggest beef here, is Bobby Booth said we will grow this into 30 airlines so don't roll all your miles to Hilton etc. It took them 6 months to post my million, had they posted the first 250,000 then the other 250,000 then the final 500,000 I could have used the Marriott and Hilton and reduced my amount. Unfortunatly, I got stuck by the 250K per annun and then TWA USAIR etc ended, I am down to 336,000 and Taca is the only carrier out of here. Many people now have a worthless program, if you don't live in a TACA or Aeropostal city your miles are worthless. Would you pay $300 to get to a city to make a TACA flight when for an extra $100 you could fly American and get miles for the trip. I always envisioned using TWA, US AIR and National Hilton and Marriott, had I know all five would be nonmembers, I'm not sure the math would be there. Look at Hilton they raised their awards 30-70% after I rolled them there. If TACA pulls out this program is toast as the othe airlines fly to maybe Miami and New York which eliminates 85% of the nation within a two hour drive of either side. For those who state well we still have Latin America that's true if you live close to a Airport that flies there. TACA flights from Dallas leave at 5:30 PM and all connecting flights from San Jose leave the next day so all trips become almost 24 hours not worth it.