The Top Ten Problems Members Have With Frequent Flyer Programs....
 

The cover story for the October issue of InsideFlyer is "The Top Ten Problems Members Have With Frequent Flyer Programs (and how to fix them)" We have our ideas and are working on that now but figured (in the name of research) we'd ask you.

What's on your list of problems with these programs?

P.S. I know we'll trump David Letterman on this list....

Trying to use the miles when YOU want to, as opposed to when THEY want you to!


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sftrvlr

Aside from the last suggestion -- Getting partner miles to credit. The partner blames the carrier, the carrier blames the partner. It takes forever and often isn't worth the effort for what you end up with.

I want to use my miles to upgrade, they want me to buy an expensive fare first... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

On OnePass, number one with a bullet I'd have to say is award availability. Except possibly on EasyPass, which then devalues miles by 50 percent.

Award availability

#1 Standard Award Availability
#2 Ability to follow their own rules
#3 Non-empowered employees


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Bob

1. Award availability.
2. Partner mileage posting.
3. CSRs who are not familiar with the rules.
4. Delay in posting of bonus miles.

Devaluation after having earned the miles/points (case in point - Hilton HHonors).

Another: Status comps that give others the "Gold" benefits you've worked for.

[This message has been edited by pdhenry (edited 08-28-2003).]

My recent experience is only with AA AAdvantage. Three biggest problems:

1. Getting consistent information from phone agents about program rules as they apply to your situation of the moment. Call 5 times and sometimes get 5 different
answers. Your only dependable recourse is to keep searching until you find something in writing. Flyertalk has been more helpful in finding out what the rules are than the telephone agents are.

2. Using upgrade certificates (called VIPOW's). Even though they are confirmable, they seldom will confirm when you make your reservations (even 6 months ahead) and make you wait until they're absolutely, positively sure they can't sell the seats - even if the seating chart the day before the flight shows the cabin is basically empty. Then they usually give it to you 5 minutes before takeoff.

3. Gradual inflation of mileage requirements for awards.

Otherwise, the program has been good and given us some great opportunities.

1. Partner miles posting.
My remedy? Avoid the partner (hotel or car rental) until the miles post.
2. Inability to upgrade cheap fares.
Bob

Doesn't # 3 contradict # 2 - If the rules were followed there would be no empowerment needed

#1 - Agreed - From Someone who just returned from hawaii on five CONTINENTAL STANDARD (2 FC 3 Coach) AWARD Tickets (yes they do exist. However had to use easy pass for a single R/T LAX/EWR

# 4 Continental Treating Hawaii as an INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION

God help us if they remember that Texas was once a sovereign Nation

[This message has been edited by FC_Dave (edited 08-28-2003).]

Partner miles posting, i.e. NWA Mall!

I can come up with 7...

#7 Sudden changes in program rules
#6 Lack of program knowledge within the airline
#5 Partner mileage earning rules and getting partner miles to post
#4 Lounge access rules and problems with lounge access
#3 Making sense of bonus and promotion offers
#2 Getting my miles to post on time
#1 Getting an award when I want it

Many of the so-called rules are written in long-lost strange and indeciferable languages known only to the secret undefined personnel the agents converse with after saying to you, "I am gonna put you on hold and get an answer for you on that". Somehow it always differs from what I imagine the rules state or dont state.

MisterNice

My biggest problem is the non-availability of World Business Class awards at the standard award level on Northwest.

Trying to use the miles when I want - even as a top tier. Invariably a segment or two has to be waitlisted, and then its almost impossible to plan a trip. Waitlists don't often clear until days or hours before travel.

The #1 biggest problem is the complete secrecy used in the award seat availability formula.

Even so called "standard awards" do not guarantee award tickets on flights that show available seating.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

Promotions that are only sent to certain members of the program and then the promotions don't post properly even when you're eligible for them. Make it consistent and make it work.

Never tried to redeem for free tickets, so I can't speak to that. I'm generally happy with the bonuses I get (though I've been seeing them diminish from one year to the next recently).

1. Difficulty in getting international business/first upgrades (much less awards) on days and routes you want them even if you call 11 months ahead of time and even if you pay for a more expensive base ticket

2. Inconsistent CSR information or inaccurate information given out by CSRs with a tone of confidence and authority

3. Having to carefully and repeatedly track your miles because inevitably something you've earned isn't going to get posted without a fuss

4. If more people earn more FF miles, your miles become worth less

I think one that hasn't been mentioned yet is:

1. In this environment of the Iraq war, Sars, and poor economy, many of us have had travel cut. Even though we are close to the same status as last year, hotels and airlines are not bumping us those extra 5 stays or 10000 miles to get the same status as we had before.

#1-Missing credits and the paperwork involved. Granted, I remember the "good old days" when you had to save your paper tickets and boarding passes for months, then submit them two or three times to get credited. But that was before everything was networked and computerized to the extent that it is today. Many airlines/hotel chains do it right. It seems NW and CO just can not be bothered to make sure that the credits post within a reasonable time, still.

#2-Deflating the value of your past loyalty by increasing award requirements or decreasing the seats/rooms available for award redemption.

#3-Poor customer service on the phone, at the gate, at the reception desk or other point of contact. No business can survive if they must constantly replace their most loyal and profitable customers, because of an employee who forgets that the customer is the one who actually pays their paycheck.

1. Lack of notice about program 'changes/ enhancements' (I don't begrudge the programs needing to make changes for economic or other relevant reasons, but I don't appreciate being SANDBAGGED).

1a. Program policies/benefits for the following year should be announced by mid-year of the current mileage earning year, so we know what WHAT to expect. If we don't like announced changes, we still have a half a year or so to REACT and switch programs to achieve status on an alternate program better to our liking

2. Industry self-regulation
Programs should agree on a yearly CAP on how much an award redemption level can be devalued. For example, if there was a 10% devaluation cap per year, BA couldn't change their F award US-Australia from 125K to 420K in one year; they'd have to devalue much more gradually.

* administrativ rules that are impractible/impossible for (some) foreigners to be reasonably fullfilled (example: UA Mileage Plus asks me for transferring awards to do it in person with an UA agent - but there is none in Switzerland).
* little to no advanced info of upcoming rule changes (LH miles&more)
* bad wording (unsure rules, little training of employees) of promotions (example: StarAlliance promo: fly 5 and get 50'000 miles)
* 0 availability over a whole year of SQ first awards - I offered a flexibility of 365 days ... (tried with LH miles&more and UA Mileage Plus for ZRH-SIN and SIN-MEL)
* 'others' get comped status, for what I had to do it the 'hard' (flying/paying) way (US-carriers)

I'll have to join those who listed award availability as the biggest problem.

Solving that might be a tougher nut to crack.

More of an irritation than a serious difficulty is non-posting promo bonus miles such as for online booking, etc. The programs should put enough resources into software programming.

Lack of partner earning opportunities for non-US frequent-flyers.

To be precise:

1. Continental Award Availability!!!

For the last several years I cannot obtain a trancon award seat on Continental, First class seats on a transcon are never available.

Continental used to offer very good reward availability and outstanding service. Today they are a reflection of their leader: Totally Arrogant and Vulgar.

Posted by Randy Peterson:

*I can NOT combine/transfer with spouse (with BA I can)
*I do not get an award flight when I want it
*No or very limited ways to transfer miles to other programs, leaving me with plenty of "useless" miles in the 5,000 to 19,000 miles range in different Frequent Flyer Programs.

[This message has been edited by USAFAN (edited 08-29-2003).]

Incorrect miles deductions after finally getting an award ticket or upgrade.

Closely related to lack of award availability is...

Complexity of award availability. I have had some good luck in getting some awards, but it often involves checking availability on a daily basis. This is much easier to do using the Web (rather than having to call) but it is certainly annoying.

Another one...

Fees for issuing awards close to the date of travel. These make no sense in the e-ticket era!

1. Devaluation.

2. Devaluation.

3. Devaluation.

4. Devaluation.

5. Devaluation.

Also, they keep putting the award amounts up in points required. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Continental will give you an award ticket. That is if they can charge you 50K miles for a flight that should be 25K. This is one of their tactics.

Rob

So, to summarize: It basically boils down to the ton of rules and restrictions just heaped into each program. This results in many of the complaints listed above: poor employee training/knowledge, complex systems that are slow/unreliable, and frustrated consumers.

Every once in a while, you'll see a program come along that truly is crafted for the consumer (it may even win a Freddie or two!). But before long, that program begins to add more rules, more restrictions, more terms and conditions... and it ends up in the dumps (i.e. no more Freddie!). I guess that's a law of thermo-dynamics. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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"There are those who travel, and those who travel well."

It's actually funny to read this at the same time as others are saying the *same* thing about other airlines. Don't just bash CO, bash them all -- they all (except WN) deserve it!

Short haul flights have nothing but business seats available,requiring more points,when all I wanted was an economy seat.

When buying coach and upgrading with miles, no way to waitlist Int'l upgrade on UA or DL without buying and committing to much higher priced "upgradable" coach ticket.

This is a real "lose-lose" since I won't buy coach until I know I can upgrade, so I have to keep calling to check if anything has opened up. I make dozens of calls, wasting not just my time but that of the airlines-I doubt there's any profit left by the time I'm finally booked.

I find that AA award availability is far better than Continental's, and I have >350000 miles in each program, so I do have some experience in redeeming miles in both programs.

Come, now. Some programs are just better than others.

And some programs restrict award availability unless you're an elite.

My experience with AA is VERY good (no status). My experience with UA is PRETTY good (status more or less not an issue here - only extra coach inventory for 1Ks) .. and very good for partner awards. Experience with DL okay to good.

CO, on the other hand, is just sad. Sad, sad, sad. Award availability is a constant battle. The best thing about CO miles is the ability to MOVE THEM OUT OF A CO ACCOUNT. Even that is being limited with the cutoff of Hilton transfers. I just hope we hold onto Amtrak...

AS is good availability too, btw, even for AA partner awards to Hawaii. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I'm surprised noone took my bait about the biggest problem being Gordo, etc. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif