mdb

Given the new inflated award levels... Are you more or less likely to upgrade your ticket?

Domestic?

International?

How about WBC award travel - are you less likely to burn 100k miles than 80k miles for Europe? How about Asia's increases?

Western Airlines

Reaction: Disgust

Actions: Comped Silver on AS, now crediting miles to AS, NW SE expired 2-28-05.

Way to go, NW, a loyal Silver and supporter of NW now maintains status and banks miles on your partner.

MJLogan

Reaction:

Stuff happens. Given the financial state of the airline industry, I'm just glad the program still exists. I value my Plat upgrades and Int'l lounge access more than the actual, spendable miles.

Actions:

No change, really. I almost never use my miles to get free tix for myself (I'd never make Plat if I didn't pay for all my own travel), so that's not an issue. I upgrade B-class tix to Europe, and I get free tix for friends & family in need.

30,000 miles for a one-way UG still seems like a wise use of miles to me when a WBC seat would cost multiple thousands of dollars. I'm tempted to gamble on an op-up for an international flight next week with lots of J and C availability and oversold coach--but if an upgrade seat opens up before the day of the flight, I'm sure I'll hand over the 30,000 miles.

And when friends & family have emergencies, if I have the miles I will spend them, no questions asked.

doglover

Given that NW changes were for international trips... why does AS represent a better deal?

You get fewer opportunities for bonus miles and the international miles required are almost always the same or higher!

fromYXU

I'll upgrade the ticket. In the end, I have very little choice in who I fly. I just upgraded AMS-MSP for 30k but I feel that is a good use of my miles. Just hope I can upgrade the DTW-AMS also (now showing J9C9Z5).

PaulMSN

I use my miles for transatlantic flights. I was willing to use 80,000 miles to fly WBC, but I don't think I'll be using 100,000. I'm pissed about that.

goingforgold

I am not upset at all. Northwest is perfectly within their rights to change things. Plus, there is always a balance between award availability and number of miles needed.

I am like MJLogan - the benefits of status are really what I value. The EQMs are great for status, and regular miles for friends/family in need.

I will likely still use miles to upgrade, or on occasion for an international WBC ticket if my balance really goes high.

I am working hard to be in a financial position to "never fly coach" in a few years. The miles (and of course status) will still be one great tool in accomplishing that goal. Even though I will probably never fly enough to get Platinum again, NW has overall treated me well through my Silver-Gold-Platinum transition. They will likely get some of the higher fare tickets that are likely to come from me in my future. Since they are expanding service to PDX, this works well for me. The lifetime WC membership I got as plat this year with agents locally who know me and really help me out, will certainly help.

Hopefully soon, and over the next 5-10 years, I see myself being Silver most years, occasionally Gold with most fares earning 150% EQMs (ie, ones that pretty much guarantee a seat in FC for an Elite). Alaska will benefit by association as that is the partner serving the I-5 corridor which is the service I need to visit family. As Gold, I will have AS upgrade certificates, as Silver, I won't. The deal may change, and I will roll with the punches. NW would get a lot, if not most, of my business going east in the US or internationally.

Standby4321

* * *

The changes have almost no impact on me because of the way that I use the miles (which is never for upgrades and almost never for WBC seats).

Elite Addiction

Reaction was disgust... now it's resignation. If the award requirements hadn't changed, my wife and I would have both been happy customers for some time. But when the changes came, but I comped her over to Premier Executive on UA because we basically fly for the international awards. 90K on UA biz beats 120K on WBC any day. Meanwhile, I will still make Plat this year, so I wil presumably be able to use companion upgrade to take care of our domestic travel.

However, the possibility remains that my leisure travel will turn into paid business travel, in which case I may make the change to UA as well. I still like the AVOD transpacific over E+. We'll see. Bottom line, Northwest has lost one customer and may lose another. Hope it was worth the alienation.

channa

Since the NW change has trickled down into the CO program, I'll respond as well.

In the past, redeeming on NW was a "deal" since it was 20K cheaper to Europe for WBC. Now that it's priced the same as higher service carriers, such as Virgin, I doubt I'll even consider the 100K for WBC when the same 100K buys me Upper Class.

trd

as one who has used all the miles I have ever earned (2.5+ million) on BC or FC tickets to Asia (with one RT in Y to Europe) I am an unhappy camper. 200,000 miles for FC to Australia is a lot, and 60,000 miles more than my next (and probably last) trip to Aussieland. I hope that, at least, this will free up some more seats. While I may not be a happy camper, I really can't complain I have traveled to Asia/Australia 23 times and have only paid for 3 tickets !

sllevin

The only reason I stayed with NW following this change was that I expected my work to change such that I'd only be flying on cheap domestic tickets. Domestic F upgrades are a plus, but only if that's virtually everything you fly.

Being on track for 100k+ miles of international travel now, I regret not having moved to UA. I'm still considering it at this point, depending upon how travel finalizes. In another couple of weeks I'll have Plat for 2006 done. I'm seriously figuring that if I can get 50k EQM in from that point internationally (quite possible) that I'll go for UA even though I'd only make Premier Exec and not 1K.

Steve

troyintn

Yes the miles are devauled, but they have so many contests that make up for it. In the last year and a half I have earned/ won 400,000 miles with Mileagemania, milezilla etc, if you fly everyday on decent tickets Q, M, B & Y
you can make out like a bandit.
Troy

kb1992

I have been thinking about UA for several months now.

UA should comp you to Prem. Exec. but not 1k.

My biggest question is, will UA survive...... With oil price reaching $60, it does not look like UA will return to profitability any time soon.

If you have noticed, someone said that NW people are betting that UA will go out business.

stephem

I've got a good chunk of miles over at AS in addition to my Worldperks stash, the funny thing is that the AS awards on NW metal have NOT increased, yet. I posted over there asking if anyone knew the inside scoop on whether these would go up, no response last i looked. This is a great bargain for the time being.

We cashed out 2 Asia biz class tickets with WP miles on Feb 28 to avoid the increase. The increase in the Europe award really hurts us considering that out of SEA we would be flying on an old DC10! The increase to Australia is criminal, we were considering first class tickets on MH for 140k each, hard to believe they are now 200k each!!