what are your FF program plans/strategies for 2003?
 

My plans:

1. Continue to fly UA and make 1K once again. Take advantage of Winter low fares to get a lot of int'l travel in early in '03.

2. Pursue the AA PLAT offer as a backup. I am flying 10K miles in January on AA.

3. Fly NW/CO/AS/KLM for at least Silver once again.

In 2003

1) Fly NWA with CO as backup -- All flight miles to go to WP

2) Fly Delta if the NWA/CO Alliance is approved.

Fly the heck outta AA before they change the program and stop me requalifying for EXP.

After years of being a loyal DL customer, I am switching most of my business to NW.

Challenge to PLT on AA, and fly at least 50k to keep PLT until Feb 2k5. Maybe do EXP if I'm feeling insane.

I had a good strategy until now. I just made EXP, and suddenly have a huge amount of free time to travel. The problem is, do I burn the zillion miles I have accumulated, or take advantage of those VIPOWS they just gave me on paid tickets? I now understand the marketing genius of VIPOWs. Also considering a paid RTW ticket originating in Australia. Or should I just burn miles the whole way around the world? I'm sooo confused!

Stay home.

I am still undecided if I should go for status on a OW carrier or stick with LH as my status is good thru 02/2005

Tim

I will continue to fly Star airlines(mostly SK) and credit all miles into Air Canada Aeroplan. My goal in 2003 is to reach at least 70.000 miles in Aeroplan.

Continue to fly CO to maintain Platinum status.
Undecided if I want to accumulate miles on UA or US-- currently Silver on US (zilch on UA), and my job necessitates lots of travel EWR-CLT, but do I want US or UA status now that I have the choice????

Will redeem like crazy and am moving to cash rebate credit cards. Best deal I have found in on John Adam's page at www.money99.com. Effective rate is 1.64% cash rebate after factoring in "tiering".

Edit: (Additional info) The Fleet cash dividend rebate claims a 2% rebate, but the rebates are tiered. According to Jon Adams, it works out to 1.64%. You are limited to $500 in a calendar year (spend $30,500). Jon Adams is a talk radio guy in Atlanta who does a consumer finance show. When you apply, they wont' give you the specifics on the tiers until you get your cards. Let me know if you find any information that is contrary to what I have or if you find a better cash rebate credit card.

[This message has been edited by LemonThrower (edited 12-26-2002).]

Currently re-evaluating all airline, hotel, and credit card providers for next year due to various FF program and industry changes. Won't be able to maintain UA 1K and feel that financially they are in worse situation than US, so likely that most business will move to AA (where I am Lifetime Gold) or whoever is the least expensive for a given route.

Not as concerned about status anymore. There is no doubt that the value of status has dropped at most airlines and will likely continue to drop for a number of reasons:
1. Increasing use of RJs (no FC to upgrade into)
2. Increasing use of kiosk machines for check-in at even non-hub airports (less lines so no queue benefit to status)
3. Decreasing FC amenities (food has been cut, hot towels have been cut, even snacks are not as plentiful or as good)
4. Move to eliminate FC entirely (replaced with Business Class in many cases, thus fewer amenities - see #3)
5. Mileage devaluation (when miles were worth 2.0 cents each, PE 100% bonus would get you a 2 cent bonus on each mile. Now that miles are worth less, maybe 1.2 cents each, that same bonus is only worth 1.2 cents.)
6. Status for sale - Over the last 3 years many airlines, including UA, have offered some type of extension, waiver, discount, or outright sale of some levels of status (why fly when you can buy?)

Also, with mileage valuation tending towards 1.0 cents, I am also re-looking at my Starwood AMEX to assess if it is still worth keeping. Will have to check out LemonThrowers reference to that credit card...1.64% cash back is better than a mile.

The beauty of cash is there are no capacity restrictions or blackout dates, you can earn interest on it, and its generally does not depreciate unlike the devaluations in many programs.

I think status is still important, depending upon the airline.

It is easier to get upgrades with status, one way or another. Even on cheap fares.

You are less likely to wait in long lines.

You can use the elite security line when there is one.

It depends upon the airline of course.

The bottom tier on NW has proven valuable to me because I get a lot of domestic USA upgrades free. But the bottom tier on UA, Premier, doesn't seem to mean much on UA.

LemonThrower, we are now using the Citibank Driver's Edge card. We get 2% cash reserve built up on all purchases, subject to certain limits.

The cash is mailed to us when we buy or lease a car.

I think there is a $1500/year limit or $3000 total, something like that. The amount of rebate reserve appears on our statement each month. When we get to the limit we will start using a different card.

The cash rebate makes sense although in the USA it is taxable unlike FF miles. 2% cash back is pretty compelling though.

My plans for 2003 are as follows. My travel profile is about 20k-30k paid miles per year, 30-40 hotel nights, about two-thirds personal, one-third business.

(1) Reach 1M lifetime AA miles. I should pass this mark by late 2003.

(2) Continue to give AA nearly all of my air travel business for two reasons: (a) their customer service is a notch better than their competition (they get a "C" in my book; everybody else gets a "D" or an "F"), and (b) MRTC is the most beautiful thing in the world for those of us who don't spend every segment up front.

(3) Redeem nearly all UA and US miles. I will spend about a quarter of a million miles in 2003 from these two programs. I'm not taking trips I wouldn't ordinarily want to take anyway, but I'm going out of my way to use these airlines and their partners for award travel. Then my only concern with these two airlines will be how they burden my mutual funds.

(4) Cease aggressive participation in hotel programs. Key word here is "aggressive": until recently, I have been an avid hoarder of Marriott and HHonors points, willing to pay higher-than-Priceline rates on leisure stays and stay in less-than-optimal properties on business stays just to accrue the points. In 2003, I will no longer do that. Where Priceline is not a suitable option, I will continue to participate in the programs, but I will spend more time understanding the near-term promotions (i.e., Take 2, FFN, etc.) and which properties I actually *want* to stay at, and less time worrying about earning hotel points. The result is that I will probably begin to earn some SPG and HY points along with MR and HH, but I will never again pursue an ALOA or MR 713 type award.

(5) Redeem a GLONP and a MR 087 as part of a 3-week vacation in late 2003. Same trip that will blow through those UA miles...

(6) Switch from the Citibank AA Mastercard to the Rapid Rewards Visa after I cross the Lifetime Gold level, earning Southwest roundtrips after every $16,000 spent - certificates that can be legally sold (for about $320), traded, or given to anyone.

1) Continue to fly AA and make Platinum again. Although I'm tempted to obtain Lan Chile's Premium Silver, I don't want to lose out on AA benefits (Exit row booking, immediate upgrade confirmation, seat block for elites, etc.)

2) I will start to accumulate more bonus miles w/AAdvantage (Will have to cancel Amex Plat and Amex HH, and concentrate spending on AA MC card)

I'll try to requalify for AA Plat, but won't spend as much time at hotels as I did this year. All this on leisure travel, no business travel). Also I'll probably keep trying to earn more AA miles via other means, if only to work toward AA's 1MM/2MM.

Overall, I'm trying to cut back on my travel a bit while maintaining my AA status.

Hi,

Staying with VS FC ( to retain Gold and enjoy the benefits of lounge access even if flying Y ( and free haircuts at LHR!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Also staying with HH ( Gold)- I enjoy the benefits and get 1000 VS miles per stay

Regards
TBS

As it stands right now - I go from PLAT to GOld Mar 1 on AA.
Game plan is to wait till after June 16th - the take PLAT challenge. That will carry me as PLAT till Feb of 2005. Such a deal.

------------------
TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.

Air:
1. most short-haul work trips (0-750 miles/segment) on United, goal is 60 segments in 25 trips.
2. everything else on American, goal is 50,000 miles in 25 trips.

Hotels:
1. Work should get me 22-24 Hilton stays, I'll pick up the others at some point on one-night stays.
2. Priceline 3*/4* for everything else

Cars:
1. Budget and Avis depending on price
2. Hertz/National have gone from 100% to 5% of my business

Affinity - key point of reevaluation later this year, don't want to touch anything right now as I'm looking to buy a place to live this spring.

Well I'm already about half way to PM again on DL (thanks to their early qualifying bous holdback thing for PM's), and about halfway to KLM PE, based on a bunch of flying since the end of October.

Richard, do you have a link to that credit card? Is it a full 2%, or is it tiered (e.g. first $10,000 at 1%)? Also, I do not believe credit card rebates are taxed in the U.S. since they are considered a purchase discount rather than income. BTW, the card I am using is based on a strict calendar year spending and maxes at $500 per year (spend about $30,500).

Air
1.) LH: status is valid until 02/2005; only some flights planned in 2003
2.) KL: status requalification planned

Hotel
1.) Marriott, Starwood: requalification planned with stays mainly in Europe. I will choose where to stay on current promotions, place, price, or mood.

LemonThrower, the card is not tiered, the 2% applies from the first dollar charged. There is a cap as I said. They mail you a check when you buy or lease a new or used card, it is apparently that simple.

It is called the CitiBank Drivers Edge card.

The website says 1% rebate, up to $500 per year. They called us and offered us this card for 2% rebate and $1500 per year, so there is some flexibility. I would call them and see what you can get.

http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/cardserv/drivers/



[This message has been edited by richard (edited 12-27-2002).]

Don't know if I'll qualify for an elite level, but I think I am gonna try and shift some of my flying with DL to AA. In the long run, I think that's who I would rather have miles with. However, I will continue to use my DL AmEx at every opportunity, especially the many bonus opportunities!

yorock

Spend at least as many miles as I earn. When I have a choice, fly Midwest Express, Continental, Northwest (in that order). Concentrate more on price and schedule and less on loyalty. Probably will slip to silver elite next year as a result of flying YX more and flying more reward flights on CO.

Go for 1K on United. Fly NW but earn the Onepass Miles to keep my CO Plat. Stay at *wood and Hyatt. Cash in my HHonnor points before the changes in June 2003.

My strategy has always been to fly as far on United as I can and go the rest of the way with *A rewards tickets. Using this strategy I have gone to every continent except Antarctica, in business class, for $600.00 or less. I always stay at *wood and almost always get upgraded to a suite. As long as it is still working I see no reason to change.

Start buring DL miles; start earning AA and NWA miles. Encourage those in this office to do the same!

Continuing flying the same way, EXP for AA and about two Asian trips (w/bonuses) away from MM and keeping my MVP Gold on AS - especially with flights to EWR and DCA all confirmed in F when booking! Best of all, as an MVP Gold - no change fees!

Hotels- Hyatt and SPG

However, I would like to see my home, dog, partner and cat more this year.

lala

Air :
- LH : SEN until 02/05. A few trips to Austria & Germany
- AF : I should requalify by end of March, and will continue to accrue miles on F+
- Qualiflyer/Swiss : burn the few miles I have
- AA : accrue miles from double dipping with HHonors

Hotel :
- Hilton : requalification
- SPG : requalification
- SCC : should reach mid-tier
- Marriott : take opportunity of a promotion to remain Silver, or drop to non-elite

[This message has been edited by JOUY31 (edited 12-28-2002).]

In my view, there has been and will continue to be a huge devaluation in the worth of miles. UA's autumn, 2002 increases were in some cases a 50% increase in the miles needed for awards. Other airlines of interest to me such as Delta are already tough to get saver awards with and others like CO are just about impossible.

I think this pattern will continue and increase as airlines come face to face with the financial reality of most of the industry. UA Mileage Plus miles won't disappear in the bankruptcy but they won't be worth what they are today a year or two from now.

My strategy runs from this view and is to use as many miles as I can for travel I would otherwise take. I may begin using free travel to Europe rather than buying coach and upgrading, since on UA the upgrade to business class now costs 120k rountrip for 2 and the free travel is only 160. I'm booking domestic trips based on price, not loyalty, and hotels and car rentals are almost all on price unless the difference is only a few dollars.

Funny-I just read my words above. Using miles and not caring much about accumulating more. Sort of the start of thinking frequent flyer programs are worth much anymore.

I think hotel points are becoming less valuable also.

But for me, elite status means upgrades and to the extent I can upgrade I am far happier. This is less important in hotels for me anyway.

Fly CO domestically for PLAT;
choose CO vs NWA based on schedule;
choose CO vs (NWA ticket on CO metal) based on price;
Fly NWA to asia.
Maintain CO Onepass Gold, expect PLAT.

Also fly AA to UK/Europe, may get minimal
elite status with AA.

CO's expanding use of ERJ **Enhanced Regional Jets***
makes elite upgrades useless on STL-EWR
and STL-IAH runs.


Hotels:
Marriott on business, Priority Club (or worse) for pleasure.

Cars:
Have leased my own BMW product, no points,
but driving is much better than any rental
car I've had in the US. When needed, Hertz
rental becasue Hertz Gold check-in is so
efficient; Often enterprise when arranged
and directly billed to clients.

[This message has been edited by squid (edited 12-29-2002).]

[This message has been edited by squid (edited 12-29-2002).]

Heavy concentration on AA.
1. February Mileage Run
2. LGA-MCO-LGA in Summer with family
3. Atleast four LGA-DFW-PHX or PHX-DFW-LGA trips (college traveling).
That should keep my Gold Status intact
USAirways is practically giving miles away so myself and I LOVE EWR might take some shuttle flights.
I also might try some new airlines, im thinking about a quadruple whammie.
Fly PHX-BOI and get
a. A new airline (Alaskan)
b. A new state (Idaho)
c. A new plane (CRJ)
d. AAdvantage Miles
Its going to be one fun year!
DC-10's Forever