[CONFIRMED 1/27] Plats Get Two Free Award Redeposits; Y/B/M EQM Bonus remains in 2009
Jan 27, 2009, 9:10 am
#31
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: RST
Programs: Delta Diamond; Hilton Diamond; Accor Gold
Posts: 4,840
I do not like the changes a whole lot. I was comfortable with the NW system but I guess I have to work with the rules and see if I can come ahead somehow. Most of the reward issues do not apply to me. I have simple needs in that respect and the changes will not affect my ability to cash in miles for that purpose.
The PMUs look interesting. I spent 120k miles last year on 4 upgrades on B fares. I would be happy to use these instead and will have to wait and see if that are useful for that purpose. The net effect will be that I can save 120k miles for free flights for the family (usually easy redemptions). Also, the 120k saved may go a big way in making up for the 25% drop in elite bonus. So, for me it will all depends on my ability to use PMUs on TATL upgrades on B fares. Will see...
Jan 27, 2009, 9:10 am
#32
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: Free checked in bag on UA & DL. Free icecream at Marriott checkin.
Posts: 2,862
Sucks!
I will burn the rest of my 250K miles this year and forget about maintaining Platinum status with NW. What is the use of the status anymore?
I will burn the rest of my 250K miles this year and forget about maintaining Platinum status with NW. What is the use of the status anymore?
Jan 27, 2009, 9:33 am
#33
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SRQ
Posts: 2,168
If they work like Delta's they are good on M fares, which saves a bit but the reported 2 to 7 day window to use them is a deal killer for me. Once a year or so I treat myself to a TATL B fare and burn 60K miles. But I don't book unless I'm in WBC over water. Sounds like you can't do that with these...
Yup same here. Restrictions on fare class are one thing this 2-7 window BS makes them worthless.
Jan 27, 2009, 9:41 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: washington, dc
Programs: Delta Million Miler; NWA Refugee; Hilton Gold
Posts: 214
Jan 27, 2009, 9:50 am
#35
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: RST
Programs: Delta Diamond; Hilton Diamond; Accor Gold
Posts: 4,840
Thanks
Jan 27, 2009, 10:08 am
#36
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: MCO
Programs: DL Diamond; SPG Plat;
Posts: 358
Jan 27, 2009, 10:21 am
#37
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: USA, Europe
Programs: DL Plat, NW Plat(x2), BMI Gold, IC Ambassador, etc
Posts: 1,685
This is a mere pittance. We really need at least a few more than 2!!!! ....
We need to get our reasonable number of reissues back. And I don't care if they charge for redeposits, but routing changes on award tickets should be free (within reason, ok, but even if 1 or 2 changes a month is what DL does to our schedules, we should be able to make the same number for free! - and that number is FAR larger than 2 )
We need to get our reasonable number of reissues back. And I don't care if they charge for redeposits, but routing changes on award tickets should be free (within reason, ok, but even if 1 or 2 changes a month is what DL does to our schedules, we should be able to make the same number for free! - and that number is FAR larger than 2 )
Jan 27, 2009, 10:40 am
#38
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 447
My understanding is this: If I buy a trip that is on Delta with an M fare I will get 100% EQM if I credit it to my WP # and 150% if I credit it to my SM #? However, in doing so, I would not be eligible for upgrades on those legs as I am a NW Plat and a Delta Nobody?
Maybe someone smarter (or more attentive) than me can help me out here.
Last edited by shiner; Jan 27, 2009 at 11:21 am
Jan 27, 2009, 11:00 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Worldperks since '86. 2001-09 NW PE, Worldclub
Posts: 5
I fully agree! Think about it! This still does not address the real issue NW/DL claims is driving this decision. From NWSCOOP: "The statement that Platinum members will no longer be exempt from the award ticket redeposit and reissue fee effective March 1, 2009 is correct. This decision was made in an effort to preserve award seat availability for the entire WorldPerks and SkyMiles membership. We have found that many of these award seat bookings were held until the last minute and never flown. As a result, other SkyMiles and WorldPerks members, including our most-valued Platinum members, did not have the opportunity to use those seats."
So, if they were really interested in solving "the" problem, why not get more creative, like:
1) Charge these fees for redeposits of unused tickets
2) Charge the fees when changes are made within a reasonable time of departure
3) Don't allow the booking of overlapping itineraries from the same frequent traveler account for the same traveller.
I've only spent 10 minutes thinking about ideas. Certainly there are others.
They are truly taking away some of the major benefits of PE/PM. I fly over 100k per year and have always strived to reach PE status. I'm not sure they believe that folks like me will walk away from NW/DL without these perks.
So, if they were really interested in solving "the" problem, why not get more creative, like:
1) Charge these fees for redeposits of unused tickets
2) Charge the fees when changes are made within a reasonable time of departure
3) Don't allow the booking of overlapping itineraries from the same frequent traveler account for the same traveller.
I've only spent 10 minutes thinking about ideas. Certainly there are others.
They are truly taking away some of the major benefits of PE/PM. I fly over 100k per year and have always strived to reach PE status. I'm not sure they believe that folks like me will walk away from NW/DL without these perks.
Jan 27, 2009, 12:20 pm
#40
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: DL AA UA
Posts: 2,359
Jan 27, 2009, 12:52 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,679
Well, the NW SWUs (at least the EEP ones from last year) are "true" SWUs in that they can be used with any fare class as long as there is C class availability. DLs PMUs are kinda sucky because they can only be used on YBM (the more expensive) fares and as long as there is Z or G seats available.
Jan 27, 2009, 1:37 pm
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
This is a mere pittance. We really need at least a few more than 2!!!! ....
We need to get our reasonable number of reissues back. And I don't care if they charge for redeposits, but routing changes on award tickets should be free (within reason, ok, but even if 1 or 2 changes a month is what DL does to our schedules, we should be able to make the same number for free! - and that number is FAR larger than 2 )
We need to get our reasonable number of reissues back. And I don't care if they charge for redeposits, but routing changes on award tickets should be free (within reason, ok, but even if 1 or 2 changes a month is what DL does to our schedules, we should be able to make the same number for free! - and that number is FAR larger than 2 )
DL's fleecing of the sheep continues.
The title of this thread should not be "Plats get two free award redeposits", it should be that "Plats lose most free award redeposits".
Jan 27, 2009, 1:39 pm
#44
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
And since it is not good for same-day upgrades, it's possible to see a BusinessElite seat fly out empty while a Platinum with a PMU and a very expensive coach fare is told it's against DL policy to clear the upgrade and gets stuck in coach.
Jan 27, 2009, 2:00 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Posts: 471
Originally Posted by Bob Soukup
Along with these benefits, we recently announced the introduction of a tiered award ticket redemption fee for tickets booked within 20 days of departure - there remains no fees on Award Tickets redeemed 21 days or more from departure. Also, the Silver Elite mileage bonus will change from 50% of mileage flown to 25%.
I am an SE and I am livid.
I flew 30,000+ BIS miles last year to requalify and if I were to match that this year I would lose 7,500 RDMs ... NOT cool, NWA. You knock down the Plats 20% but Silvers 50%!??!?!
My experience being an SE so far is that it is not even really "Elite" (half the time I've flown I've ended up on segments that don't even bother to have a separate Elite boarding line) - this just further proves to me that SEs are the poor b*stard red-headed stepchild of the Elite world.