Pick an airline you won't likely fly, get comped to them, and then use that status to get comped to NW.

Pick an airline you won't likely fly, get comped to them, and then use that status to get comped to NW.

Does not work. NW will require you to submit documentation showing flights on the airline you are requesting a comp from. Status alone is insufficient. Trust me.

Add TACA to the list:

(based on my request of a match of my Executive Platinum status with AA.)

Dear Mr. Snorkmaster,

Thank you for contacting us. It's a pleasure to greet you. Indeed we have a "Level Match Program". We need a copy of the statement and member card of the Program you are enjoying at the time.
We have 3 levels, PLATA , ORO and our highest level is PLATINO.
You need to go through a 2 month period evaluation which will determine the level you will be invited to through out year 2004.
The 2 month period starts the day you request to be considered into the process.
Since you are already enrolled in DISTANCIA, the next step is to send the information once you have your flights scheduled.
If you would like to be invited to PLATA you need to accrue 4 international flown segments (segments within Central America
do not apply for this evaluation period). For ORO you need 6 international flown segments and for PLATINO you need 8 international
flown segments. During this period of two months, you will be treated as an Horizonte de PLATA, this will not be shown in your DISTANCIA
account, but Operaciones Programas de Lealtad, which is the Department in charge of this process will have all this information available to them.
For you to be given the Upgrades, you will need to e-mail us the reservation record locator and your frequent flyer number to
[email protected], we request you specify you are in the process of obtaining a level Match in DISTANCIA, at least 72 hours before
departure of the flight, since we review the upgrades to be given 24 hours before departure because of the level (PLATA).
We review the Horizontes de ORO 48 hours before departure and the PLATINOS up to 72 hours before departure.
Once the period has ended we will review how many segments were credited into your DISTANCIA account and depending on the
amount you will be given the correspondent member card.
For the level you will enjoy in 2005, we will consider all the flights credited in 2004, including the flights within Central America.
You will need to credit the following amounts depending on the desired level:
Horizonte de Plata- 20,000 Miles or 25 segments accrued in flights operated by TACA during a calendar year (Jan 01 to Dec 31)
Horizonte de Oro- 40,000 Millas or 45 segments accrued in flights operated by TACA during a calendar year (Jan 01 to Dec 31)
Horizonte de Platino- 80,000 Millas or 85 segments accrued in flight operated by TACA during a calendar year (Jan 01 to Dec 31)
Our fax number in El Salvador is (503) 267-8230 to the attention of Jacqueline de Avendaño.
Any further questions please contact us it will be a pleasure to help you.

Sincerely yours,

Customer Service Center
Loyalty Programs
TACA

[This message has been edited by snorkmaster (edited Jan 22, 2004).]

I am a Platinum with Starwoods and in December I requested Hyatt a comp to Diamond. No response. I assume they are not interested but I expected at least a reply.

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Priority Club will match the major competitors. They ask for a copy of your current competitor card to be faxed and that's it.

I have not been traveling for a couple of years but I am back at it. I thought I would share what I was able to accomplish in getting my old status' back.

The first thing I did was contact AA. I used to be Platinum. When I did not travel for a year they sent me another Platinum card for the following year anyway, but the year after they only sent me a Gold. When I contacted them they put me on a Platinum challenge, which I met, so I got my Platinum status back at AA through Feb '05. (An unexpected bonus... they gave me the 100% mileage bonus on the trip that qualified me... I thought the 100% bonus would start the flight after).

Then... I called UA. "Will you match AA?". They told me to fax in my activity and they would evaluate. They also advised me they would only match once per member. I did not have the heart to tell them they already did an AA match for me back in 2000. Two days later I logged into the UA site and it said I was Premier Executive--and I have not even flown a single flight on UA for three years!

NWA also gave me a FAX number to send in a copy of three months of AA statements. I only really have two months of activity this year. I faxed that in but so far no change (FAX# 218.254.7566 ATTN Emily)

Then I read this thread and I decided to start calling the hotels. Here's what happened.

At Hyatt, where I used to be Diamond, they put be back at Platinum without a blink.

At Hilton, where I used to be Gold they put me at Silver, but they blinked.

And Starwood, where I was Gold, put me at Preferred Plus.

Not bad for a few phone calls, thought I.

[This message has been edited by pushback (edited Jan 22, 2004).]

Given at least the stated policy of several programs not to comp but once per member, why would one seek so many comps all at once? (Or is it all in the name of research?)

The reason I tried to get NWA and UAL to comp my AA is because, although I have been able to keep all my flights on AA so far, my company said I will have to start using the company travel agent instead of booking through AA.com. I figure that means I will be doing some flying (to Asia) on NWA an UA.

As for the trying to get the hotels to upgrade me... why not!?

Does any one have any recent experience requesting a status comp from UA? I faxed them my latest CO onepass statement reflecting Platinum status, 105K+ eqm last year etc. (I've had it with CO) I have not heard anything in a couple weeks from them one way or the other. Typical? How long have others had to wait on average for UA?

I am currently AC Elite which is Star Gold. I wonder if any(yes any) airline will comp me to their highest level due my status with AC?

Alaska, I'd guess.

gleff, thank you for this.
I was comped CO Gold this past year (from AA Plat) and flew 9 segements and was not upgraded on a single segment. Per past FT discussions about CO's upgrade policy I emailed CO that I was considering moving my business back to AA because I didnt "reap what I flew." They extended me CO Gold through 2/05.

United gave me PremEx last year without me asking probably because they saw my AA statement when I faxed it to them for a promotion. Like CO, UA also automatically extended my PremEx through 2/05.

Is it very common that UA and CO will extend status so freely? AA certainly doesnt seem to be doing so.

Happy Travels

Renard - I've found that UA is very slow to give you any mailed nofication. I think it took 3-4 weeks before I got anything. However, if you log into your account, they will reflect it in a short amount of time (1 week?).

When did you request the comp?

Late year comps (and the dates vary by airline, as much as July 1 through November) will be good through the end of the current program year AND the following program year.

So if you went to Continental for a comp in August 03 it's entirely possible that your Gold status was automatically given to you through Feb 05. That's because it's not all that reasonable to expect you to requalify in only 4-5 months.

But like I said, the exact date during the year where the airlines change over from granting status through the end of the current year to granting status through the end of the next year varies by program and may even change year to year.

Jaimito,

I did log in and over two weeks later it still says 'general member' under my status.. so nothing even online.