FF Program "Comps"
 

I'm a MVP Gold on Alaska Air, which works great for me 90% of the time. Recently I've occasionally been frustrated by lack of "cross-program" benefits. I've seen reference to people being given "comp" upgrades to elite status on other airlines based on an "earned" status. Is this sort of accurate and how would someone go about requesting this?

Decide which program you want to be comped in and go to that airline's forum here in Flyertalk. Comping is a very well discussed issue, and so a simple search for 'comp' should yield all the threads you could ever ask for on the subject.

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More Room Throughout Coach: the Website of Free Miles and Free Markets

AND bear in mind most are strict that a comp is a "ONE TIME" deal, so choose carefully. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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Airlines don't comp you as a reward for flying a lot with someone else in the past. They do it in the hope that you'll fly a lot with them in the future. It can help to have a credible story as to why this will happen. It can also help to have a travel agent or corporate travel coordinator request it through his/her airline sales rep.

(edited to clarify wording)

[This message has been edited by Efrem (edited 09-23-2002).]

Also helps to have flown the airline you want to switch to.

Depends on the situation. However, I agree it is very rare and I feel fortunate to be an exception. I just checked my account and saw Premier Exec status. This is the second UA comp for me. FWIW, I do have two rt booked on UA next month.

Note that you get one comp and that's it per airline. One time to cash in on a reciprocity deal.

Though I suppose if you can show you've changed your buying behaviors to a high rev status (F/C/fullY) then I s'pose that you might have some leverage to purse a comp on a different basis, or maybe a second or challenge basis. (versus the typical one time status match.)

I've been 'dinged' by at least one airline that comped me once when I tried again to go back to the well...

[This message has been edited by gregseattle (edited 09-23-2002).]

Sorry for the second post...

But no, it really doesn't matter if you have flown the airline you want a comp on.

As long as you can prove your elite status on a major you will have no problem switching. If you can prove your POTENTIAL on the other carrier that is what matters, not your history.