spc354

Hi All:

I have decided to give up my fidelity to NW after being a top tier elite member since 1995. I will still continue to fly (approx. 100000) miles a year, but will make choice of carrier on the basis of best fit with my needs at the time of ticketing, rather than trying to maximize elite qualifying miles.

I am close to PHL/EWR (about 120 miles) and have even closer access to ABE (80 miles), BGM (80 miles) and AVP (15 miles). I have been factoring a 160 mile road segment (RT between my home and ABE) into all flights since 1995 in order to fly NW.

I would like to hear from any and all of you who may have some experience with a similar strategy. I will keep my FF membership in all possible carriers and will simply use miles accumulated as a form of cash-back rebate.

Any suggestions/cautions that can help me refine my strategy of "one-flight-stands?

Cheers,

Satya

UpgradeMe

I hope you enjoy coach.

QuietLion

You fly 100k miles per year and are 80 miles from the nearest airport? Yikes! That sounds painful.

I applaud your decision. You'll have to figure out which airlines and routes you can take with less than top status and still get upgraded. I would guess that you'd have the most success with Northwest and America West.

Consider getting comp upgrades on other airlines to ease the transition. You may still want to shoot for second-tier status on at least one.

QL

Efrem

I'm not sure I agree with (or perhaps don't follow) your reasoning. I find the benefits of concentrating (on AA, in my case) to more than justify paying a bit extra sometimes. These include not only the tangible value of double miles, and the intangibles like better service, but also things like having my hotel room paid for when held up at a connecting point due to weather when non-elites (or first-level elites) had to pay for their own.

On two occasions, once from LHR (this past Feb.) and once from ORD, I got one of a handful of available seats on the only plane leaving for Boston that day due to weather. I would not have been on either of those flights if I had split my miles among three or four airlines. How much are two days of my life worth?

Granted, I didn't choose AA at random. They tend to have the best or near-best service from the Boston area to places I go often, and their prices are usually competitive. If I couldn't find an airline with such a good match, which makes the required compromises acceptable, I might feel (and act) differently.

channa

CO and DL both serve AVP. Why not use those and keep your NW Plat status? CO will even continue to upgrade you on mainline segments.

Or, being based in PA, US is probably your most logical option. That opens the door to US and UA. Both serve AVP as well.

Wiirachay

I second this. Stick with earning the ff miles with NW. Then, take your pick among DL/NW/CO.

(Now time for my signature blabbering.)

I am in a similar situation. I live 5 miles away from ITH (Ithaca, NY), which is served only by US. I can take a taxi for $10, use a bus using my bus pass, or bum a ride from my friends.

However, I travel 60 miles (one-way) to SYR (Syracuse, NY) to fly NW (mostly) and CO (sometimes). A shuttle service from my place in Ithaca to SYR costs $50 one-way / $75 round-trip and a car rental costs $50 one-way.

I have valid reasons for this:

• I fly to DTW quite often (to annoy my parents). NW offers non-stop service between SYR and DTW 4 times daily.
  
  If I fly out from ITH, I have to use US and connect via PIT or PHL. Door-to-door time is longer if I fly on US because of the connection.
  
  During bad weather, US tends to cancel flights to/from ITH, busing pax to SYR. Note that all planes flying to/from ITH have seating capacity of less than 50 pax. Since fares are about the same as NW, I do pay a premium to fly NW because of the added ground transportation costs.
• I fly to Asia about once a year. NW and CO do. Before I left for college, NW had the best deals to Asia, so I've always flown NW to Asia.
  
  US doesn't fly to Asia. Even though I can earn miles on US by flying NW internationally, redeeming miles from a US ff account for Asia travel on NW is harder compared to using miles from an NW account. I've gotten the most bang/buck by using my mileage for int'l award travel on NW/CO.

With my situation, this is the most economical. During my first 3 years living in Ithaca, NY, I was just a NW base member! I've consider having the NW elite status for the past 3 years as a bonus.

I can mention other benefits; but the two reasons above applied even when I was a NW base member.

So, you should think carefully about what's the best in the long-run for you.

- Pat

[This message has been edited by Wiirachay (edited 06-15-2003).]

zvezda

On a domestic flight, I wouldn't drive an 80 miles each way for an upgrade. I think the original poster is making a good decision.

------------------
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

[This message has been edited by zvezda (edited 06-16-2003).]

BearX220

Having been Plat, Gold and Silver on NW and CO, I don't think you get enough additional upgrades with Platinum status to warrant channeling another 50k miles worth of business in CO/NW's direction.

As a Plat I batted about .950 with domestic upgrades; as Silver I bat about .800.

So if I were the original poster I would preserve mere Silver status on NW, freeing me to choose the majority of my flights based on price and schedule.

guidoface

consider using your NW status to get comped on US. with the generous promotions offered by US (see the posts at this website) you should hit chairman's quickly.

upgrades then will be a snap

star alliance membership helps on international.

a 15 minute drive on 315 is better than an hour on the pa pike.

fly out of avoca.

seat 50J

I no longer let ff mentality dominate my life. Choose the flights based on what makes life easier. Then modify it toward one airline if the change makes sense for the particular trip. With 100k miles per year, such strategy will put you at least silver, most likely gold in one airline. That's fine. I'm no longer so greedy to get miles and suffer in the process.

FCfree

I have to concur with BearX220 above. From 1999 to 2001 my travel needs called for frequent DEN-DTW flights. I earned SILVER for these flights every year. I was about 95% for upgrades. The only time I missed an upgrade was during ski season. I'm not sure that being PLAT that day would have got me an upgrade.

My travel needs have changed since then. I wish NW flew from DEN to LAS/RNO as I miss those upgrades and United doesn't give unlimited free upgrades.

Remember, the idea behind upgrades is to make your travel as PLEASANT for you as possible. If the time and trouble of going to a more remote airport isn't worth the first class upgrade, why do it? OTOH, if driving 60 miles gets you to your destination faster because you don't have to go through a hub city, then that makes sense -- and even more so if you get a upgrade to boot.

I'd try 50k miles on NW and partners and 50k on another airline. At least with NW, the difference between GOLD and PLAT doesn't seem that great -- and maybe even between SILVER and PLAT.

If you are going to continue 100K miles per year in the future, why not drop back to 25k (SILVER) on NW and see what kind of upgrades you get. If you don't like it, you can always shift more business back next year.

You might even get it back faster simply by writing a letter to NW, with printouts from all of your travel for 2003. Tell them to look at your travel for 2002 and they will see your 100k miles with them. Then, have them look at your travel for 2003, including travel with their competitors. Tell them, truthfully, why you switched. Tell them that you will switch back if they comp you to GOLD.

The key is to plan a strategy that give you the maximum benefit for your flying habits, giving your own weighting to the value of upgrades vs. ease of getting to the airport.

I am flirting with the same issue right now as there is an airline that will start service August 1 that will fly from an airport closer to me. However, they have limited service. Shifting some of my business may endanger my SILVER (PREMIER) at United. But then again, United doesn't give me much in the way of upgrades. So, why am I being loyal to them?

[This message has been edited by FCfree (edited 06-17-2003).]

holland

Upgrade? Continental's seats are ALL first class! (barbie dream jets)

I'd bet money anything in/out of AVP is going to be a regional jet.

Superd1

I realize each airline is a little different but here are a couple of things to consider.

Bonus miles for status.
Are the bonus miles for the top tier versus second tier being taken into consideration? Go back through last years flights and calculate how many bonus miles you earned then calculate how many you would have earned at a lower status. In my case the bonus is 100% with top tier and 50% with second tier. Minimum 500 miles per leg minimum 60 legs per year. So the difference in the bonus is 250 miles per leg times 60 or at least 15000 airmiles.
More importantly is the priority screening line for top tier at the airport which can only be used by top tier fliers. Frequently 5 to 10 people versus a line with upwards of 150 people in it. That alone is almost worth it. In my planning I can arrive at the airport at least 30 minutes later.
Lastly is the opportunities to upgrade. Since I am on the stout side First class seats are important to me. Maybe more so than they are for some others.
When all taken together I'll concentrate my flying on one carrier even if it cost a few $'s more. I think it's a better value in the long run.

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"A day without Points/Miles is like a day without SUNSHINE"

[This message has been edited by Superd1 (edited 06-18-2003).]

hb1

The best strategy seems to be to exploit the new airline alliances and seek mid-tier (50k) benefits with two of them. Keep your NW membership but use it to fly NW, CO, or DL as needed. Then use either a UA or US account for all UA/US travel. You won't be a super-elite on any carrier, but you will still have decent status on five major airlines, which should create a nice balance between elite benefits and flexibility.