About this time of year, or before, many FF's
achieve the top category of their respective
airline's top FF category. Would airlines achieve more loyalty from their top flyers if
another category was created, or if incentives were increased so that one would not want to qualify for a competing airline's top FF category?

I think that the incentives in place are already quite strong, especially once you reach the highest elite levels.

Between milage bonuses and free first class, what else could you offer these flyers?

Personally the 100% milage bonus Delta gives me is a pretty strong incentive not to fly another airline for a lot of miles.

A new category of "Elite Supreme King Road Warrior" could be established for the single highest mileage-earner for each airline. Benefits would include:

1. catered airline meals from your favorite restaurant

2. SUPER-SIZED McDonald's kids meals on United Airlines

3. On-demand stopovers while in flight. Flying from LAX to JFK and want to stop to visit grandma in Alabama? No problem!

4. Complimentary Louis-Vutton carry-on steamer trunk

5. Solid 24k gold frequent traveler ID card

6. In flight movies? Nope. Live broadway productions instead

(hey, this is fun....)

Anyone else have some suggestions?

Other suggestions:

Your own section in first class with your
own flight attendant and your favorite meals,
drinks and shows already on file and ready
on call.

You get to board the plane FIRST and get your
own overhead space (so you don't have to check your luggage!)

No waiting in line to check in....

ON your birthday -- you and 50 of your closest friends get to go to your favoriate
place in teh world (for me its a tossup
between Paris and Las Vegas.)

Like your ideas too Mileage Addict... Sometimes I dream of this happening to me,
but only in my dreams... CATMAN

In all seriousness, guys. CO gives me 125%
mileage bonus for being Gold, but I have to
qualify for that each year. I have qualified for Gold for 1999 already and have received 125% bonus up to now in 1998, because I qualified in 1997 for 1998. So, basically, for the rest of 1998, I can achieve
nothing else but 125% bonus miles. What I would like to see is something more on the
incentive side, like 150% bonus after achieving the top category before the end of the year. Or, the airlines could make it 200% and really attract some "Elite Supreme King Road Warriors".

some of your ideas/dreams (like Jules Verne) have been realitiy some times ago (15 years?). With Swissair first-class (paying a fortune, and their was no business yet) you were allowed to ask for your favorite steward/stewardess to be on that flight (and they did their best to accomodate you) and entering the plane - your seat and your luggage compartement had your name "printed" on - and my steward knew my favorite drinks, wines (from our company) and meals - GOOD OLD TIMES (but without the fun of mileage-programs).

At that time I asked for my military-adjudant (sorry that's french, I don't know the english word for it: something like "military-male-secretary"?) who happened to be steward with Swissair - and it was fun (on the flight and at the destinations) for both of us.

Jaws there used to be such an incentive, it was called "plateau" or "threshhold" bonus but the airlines eliminated them this year.
I have heard of a very frequent flier getting a complimentary elite status in a second airline and flying the two airlines precisely for the reason you mentioned that after a certain point there is no additional incentive.

treshold-bonus: sometimes I have the impressions that the airlines have a still understanding (and they will know how to do it without being bothered by any antritrust-"police") - and if they mutually agree that if everybody gives up treshold-bonus at more or less the same time, the frequent-fliers changing airlines to get another maximum-status with a second one, do (overall) equalize: I loose one, you win one - You loose another one, I win this other one.

its at the point where if you don't make "super elite" status there are no upgrades available. I have chairman's preferred at USAirways (100K) and can upgrade 7 days out. by the time the preferred plus (50K)folks get there (3 days out) the inventory is gone. as for Continental, they are a joke. there are so many golds they cancel each other out. silver and bronze are in the "forget about it category". I am also gold on CO, so I speak from experience.

deelmakur, I have been Gold on CO for 7 years and I couldn't agree with you more.
I missed "Gold Infinity" because it was cancelled the year before I made 5 years.
Seems to me US Airways has what I am discussing in this thread. Even if CO would
permit a 3 day advance for UG's, instead of
the stupid "ELTC" certificates that no one can seem to use, I believe things would be better. If the other airlines would recognize
the "worth" of Chairman"s Preferred, I believe they would conclude that another
top category is needed.

This may vary considerably from airline (-program) to airline.

I (UA 1K) just counted: I had in 98 with UA (and partners) so far 52 segments - all of them booked in eco. 28 segments were flown with UA in USA-Canada-Mexico-Puerto Rico. For all of those 28 segments I did request upgrades: 500-miles-vouchers (confirmable 100 hours), twice "buying" upgrades with miles (and putting different segments on a line together, as long as my stopovers are shorter than 24 hours), and 6 segments using 6 instant confirmable upgrade vouchers (free as 98-welcome present from UA).

ALL 28 segments were actually, without any problem/insisting at the gate, automatically by the system upgraded - and in add I got 2 free ad-hoc upgrades at the gates (without asking - they just called me) for 2 transatlintic segments (both flights had overbooked eco).

In add my partner-award-tickets, international first-class, to Orange County (for the Superbowl-weekend, with flights heavily booked otherwise) worked perfect from ZRH right trough Orange County (that was the only concession - I had to go trough SFO to SNA instead of going to SAN, and I took a rented car there).

I admit that my bookings were made early (about 4 months in advance).

So till now I am completly satisfied looking how my 1K status worked out for me in 98.

May be that things look a little different with all those Star-Alliance-Partner-members reaching the same level/advantages for 1999 (but they don't get any of those 500 vouchers for upgrades, they can only use either miles or, for a limited-time, the Star-Alliance-Partner-upgrade-vouchers, at least until now ...).

Jaws...don't feel bad. I am infinite elite, but it took me an extra year because one of my 5 was during the Eastern strike, and I made the gold that year by "buying up" the last few thousand miles needed with banked miles from my account. so they wouldn't allow that year, and recycled me. I never forgot that. It was incredibly petty. that's why I switched to US. following the uproar at CO with reduced elite benefits a few years ago, the new management promised the restoration of these. on paper, they exist again, but CO is extremely agressive in the marketing of full fare tix, which as you know, provide an automatic upgrade. it worked, and their full fare business is strong. as a result, while we theoretically have our upgrade benefits, go try and use them. they have every right to make money, but so do we have the right to find other carriers who give the high mile flyer a better shot at seat inventory. as for "infinite gold", what do you bet that goes away once the onepass program merges with NW!

I wish I had the options that y'all in the Eastern U.S. have. Being in Houston, where 80-85% of the flights are CO, I find it
difficult to get non-stop flights on other airlines. They go to DFW, Atlanta, Memphis, or Charlotte. Unless, of course, I
get on the Southwest Cattlecar, which I refuse to do. I guess I could look at it as more segments, but connect time is awful and "time is money". So, I just keep on
truckin' to CO and hope they do something positive for OnePass. I think you are right
about merging with WorldPerks, the future
looks dim.

I wish they just had automatic upgrades built
into to the highest tier elite programs. It
would be quick, painless and in my case I
would nto have to carry pieces of paper all
over the place (My briefcase is heavy enough.) With my company refusing to stick
with one airline for long I will ahve to wait
for years to reach the highest tier in any
program.

ALso don't like it that the threshold bonuses are gone. HOW do the airlines expect to keep
their most frequent flyers from "jumping"
airplanes (with parachute of course!)

Jaws43 ... you brought up an intersting topic at end of your previous message so I'll create a new tread for it. CATMAN

Rudi, your argument about win/lose also holds true for the base frequent flier. I have heard an argument that the frequent flier programs are not for the majors to be competitive with each other, but are rather a way for the majors to shut out upstart low cost airlines.

Anyway guys keep on dreaming. I would be perfectly happy if the airlines did not cut benefits and raise award levels (and not add a single additional benefit). Maybe I am dreaming too.