Proposed Top-Tier Benefit- Program Stability
 

With the cacaphony of changes, enhancements, promotions, incentives, ad nauseum, there is an award benefit that would CLINCH my business and loyalty......STABILITY.

If I know that for the next 2-3 years, that a FFP won't be getting any better or worse, I would value the PREDICTABILITY to be able to plan my earning and redemption strategy over the medium haul.

I would only suggest that this benefit be in place for top-tier fliers (whether rev, flying or combo of both), because I think it would be an incentive for other top-tier members of FFPs to seriously consider a total switch from their existing program.

I think Northwest is in a particularly difficult position on this, as everyone expects it to go along with CO and DL and that recent round of moves that are running people off. UA and AA will likely get the vast majority, and NW will miss the boat because of the alliance, even if NW doesn't change its program as drastically. But it won't comp CO and DL elites, and even those considering earning status anew on NW have to be given pause by the uncertainty.

RustyC, that's certainly true in my case.

beaubo, I think you're really onto something. But I don't know if it's practical to run two simultaneous programs (one for general members and for elites and for new top tier elites and one for old top tier elites.. that those elites could opt into or out of depending on circumstance).

It sounds like a big set of shackles that's a bit much to expect a program to commit to.

Another version of the idea would be to give top elites X number of 'get out of jail free cards' per year. Those chits would be good for waiving any new restrictions/fees/increased redemption prices.

How about if a program promised ALL members that it would give at least 12 months notice of any negative change? That would be easy to implement and it would certainly increase my confidence a lot! Plus, for the program provider, it would probably make it impossible for anyone to suceed in a class action against them.

They don't do that, though, because if changes will chase flyers away advance notice of changes will chase them away sooner. So advance notice of negative changes costs more revenue.

And as flyers we're not good at punishing programs that fail to give notice of changes. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Continental moved this way when they backpeddled on their latest devaluation of the OnePass program and stated that tickets booked on continental.com thru 2004 would earn full eqm's.

This does not help the business flyer who is required to book thru the corporate travel department, or the computer non-literate.

SunLover

I don't know how many times I'm going to have to post this, but this just isn't true. I was comped NW Gold Elite from DL Gold Medallion just in August. My wife was similarly comped Silver Elite from Silver Medallion. It's still occurring, if you check out the DL board. It may be true for CO but not for DL.