Elite Levels: Has their time passed?
 

I'm elite on Delta (Gold), and have been elite on Delta, United and/or Alaska for about 15 years.

Looking over my last 4 airline bookings (one trip I didn't take, and one is coming up this week), I'm seeing less and less value in having an elite level -- mainly because of the recent advent of discount first class and business class fares.

SFO-VIE: Booked AF discount business class fare, a few hundred dollars more than the upgradable fare (except, upgrades are hard to get on this route). Confirmed business class seats, lounge access -- my Delta status didn't matter.

SJC-LAS: On AA -- I flew coach, but checked later and found First Class was just a small amount more. I could have flown up front, got priority boarding and the security line bypass at LAS -- all without being elite on AA.

LAS-DCA: Checked out the DL "A" (discount business class) fare, going through ATL -- very competitve with coach. My trip was cancelled, however.

SJC-PHX: Booked on America West. They only had a middle seat in coach, so I upgraded to F for about $100 each way. I guess an elite would get it for free... but I just jumped ahead of them!

I realize this isn't on every route, and I'm more motivated by sitting in front than by free tickets (and I don't mind dipping into my own pocked for a reasonably priced upgrade)...but is anyone else noticing this? I feel no urge to try for a higher elite level (even though, ironically, double MQM's on DL will get me there twice as quick at this rate), since it seems F or C are always within reach on most airlines.

The "Super Elite" is Upon Us
 

I agree with you and I think the airlines have created a de facto "super elite" status. For example, Exce Platinum on AA.

When I first became an AAdvantage memeber back in 1981, a simple Aadvantage member would be pulled from Y after the doors close and be brought up to F if there was an empty seat. Now, with so many FF members and 3 different tiers of "elites" in most airlines, it is only the top level of elite status in the different programs that truly gets distinction when flying on a consistent basis. Mind you, I am not talking about program awards.

The product of flying a person from point A to point B has become such a commodity on almost all airlines through their pricing and service structures and the FF programs have so many ways to accumulate miles without "Frequent Flying" that it is only when someone puts their butt in the seat for 100,000 miles a year that an airline will consistently bestow meaningful travel recognition and rewards.

I would suggest that the lower tier levels are now considered by the airlines as little more than a carrot to give you a taste of what is at the top of the elite structure which they hope you will aspire to achieve and thus actually fly with their airline or syndicate of airlines.

As long as I get a shorter check in line, and get to board early, then I hope they stay.

Real competition?
 

If the OP is right, then this means significantly increased competition, which is great for the passengers. FF programs are highly anti-competitive, which is why AA introduced them.

Frequent flier programs may have an anti-competitive effect but that does not make the programs anti-competitive. In many regards they are the product of competition, for if one airline offers a better program than the other airline, the former gains at the latter's expense until the playing field is levelled again. These programs do give airlines some pricing-power (arguably an element of oligopoly/monopoloy power) but the barrier to entry of providing a frequent flier program or some other award program is not so high that I would classify it as anti-competitive.

Ditto that! All I want from my AA Gold status is humane treatment. I want to be able to check a bag if I need to, I want to be able to call AA and not get put on hold if my flight gets canceled, I want to be able to select a decent coach seat online, and I want to preboard.

Bonus miles and the occasional upgrade are nice, but they are low on my list of things that are important from an elite status.

Elite status definitely is still important to me. If I can't fly AA (my only elite status), I look to redeem an F award on another carrier because I still have several hundred thousand miles left over from those airlines. If I can't do that, I look to fly YX because with them, elite status doesn't matter. Finally, if all else fails - I can't believe I'm saying this - I think I'd rather fly WN than fly coach on a major carrier with no status. At least with WN, everybody gets treated roughly the same.

SE not all its cooked up to be
 

The difference in treatment between Super Elite and regular Elite on Air Cda isnt all that much. You fly 3 times the amount and what you get is the opportunity to use an upgrade coupon 3 days earlier and some dedicated check in counters at Canadian airports. AC does not do free upgrades. The use of Biz class check in and lounges are now extended to anyone who pays $300 for an aeroplan amex or a CIBC aerogold, so having a dedicated check in lane is pretty good.

"The difference in treatment between Super Elite and regular Elite on Air Cda isnt all that much."

Actually the difference is HUGE. Super Elites on Air Canada get unlimited access to any seat for reward travel provided the plane is not oversold. Ask how many Elite members have been able to book to Hawaii or other popular destinations without invoking double miles requirement to access economy seats. Super Elites have their choice of Executive Class or Economy Class for basic points. Also, the bonus points that you get for achieving Super Elite (100k for all thresholds crossed to get there, vs 5K to get to Elite), are a definite benefit. Concierge service is available to Super Elites and that has been a big plus on occasion for me. In fact, Super Elite status seems unique in the frequent flyer world. Not just no blackouts but access to any class on non-oversold flights!

There are other benefits as well as you will see on the comparison chart but I will agree that on other aspects of the program, things are fairly similar.

A competitive market would be each flyer considering schedule, service, and price each time they book flights and then picking a carrier. Most FFers don't do that now because the FF programs provide an anti-competitive lock-in.

I consider the FF programs, elite benefits, and the miles themselves as part of the package that I'm buying - along with the schedule, routing, price, and other factors. Therefore, I view the programs as simply another piece of the competitive puzzle.

For example, even though AA is my favorite FF program (because it is the only one that gives me lifetime elite status), my last two trips have been on YX and WN. All of the cities involved had AA service, but YX and WN were competitive in other ways, so I passed on my preferred airline to fly two airlines on which I have few miles/credits. My next three trips will be on AA, because the fares/connections were roughly equal, and AA Gold status was the difference-maker to ensure that all of the trips are on AA.

So I would say that FF programs are certainly a competitive tool - how high you prioritize them against routing, aircraft, service, and fares varies person to person and trip to trip.

Frequent flyer programs may be anti-competitive in theory, but they can't be in practice. Otherwise there would be no JetBlue, no AirTran, no Frontier, and Southwest would be limited to flying in the Southwest US.

Fact is, most people don't care about frequent flyer programs when choosing an airline for a particular trip. Most people choose based on either schedule or price, depending on who's paying.

I agree 100%.

Most people in this country will never be an elite member of any frequent flyer program. Elite status is the airlines' way of trying to entice the very few true frequent flyers to stay loyal and choose one airline for all their travels. And like I said, very few people in the USA will ever experience elite status.

2 or 3 years ago, I probably would have connected in SLC to get Delta status miles and the first class upgrade.

Now, I'm flying HP SLC-PHX on the non-stop, since the first class price is reasonable. And I'm saving a lot of time.

I've never flown HP before, so I have no miles in their program.

Again, it depends on how you define "competition." If you want competition on a per transaction basis that's fine but as long as carriers compete for FFs with their FF programs, its competition. I know quite a few people who have jumped from one program to another.

Sorry, I don't follow. Does this mean you fly Delta to SLC and then HP to PHX?