Sorry for the question
Sep 10, 2003 | 6:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Baldwin, MD
Posts: 8
Sorry for the question
I'm sure you've had this question before, so please bear with me for a scond. I'm a Gold USAirways FF who flies out of BWI. Life on USAir has become brutal with "everthing" being forced to or through Philly. My question is this how does one go about switching programs. I know you can't take the miles with you, but I'd like to keep my status. Looking at either Delta, American or Continental. Any suggestions.
Sep 10, 2003 | 7:00 am
#2
Flyertalk Evangelist and Moderator: Coupon Connection and Travel Products
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Milton, GA USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Hyatt Discoverist, Radisson Elite
Posts: 19,216
Welcome to Flyertalk BWI Blues!
I used to live in Odenton, Baltimore and Greenbelt... so great to see another Marylander!
Most airlines will offer a one-time complementary matching of status from a competing airline. You just have to usually send them your current statement that indicates your status to them with a request for matching status.
However, you want to make sure that you will be flying them in the following year or you used up your one-time request for nothing.
Also, most airlines, as people here have indicated will not normally comp to their top tier... ie United 1K. Of course, if you can commit to bringing in many thousands of dollars, I am sure an exception can, and will, be made...
William
I used to live in Odenton, Baltimore and Greenbelt... so great to see another Marylander!
Most airlines will offer a one-time complementary matching of status from a competing airline. You just have to usually send them your current statement that indicates your status to them with a request for matching status.
However, you want to make sure that you will be flying them in the following year or you used up your one-time request for nothing.
Also, most airlines, as people here have indicated will not normally comp to their top tier... ie United 1K. Of course, if you can commit to bringing in many thousands of dollars, I am sure an exception can, and will, be made...
William
Sep 10, 2003 | 7:04 am
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CH-3823 Wengen Switzerland
Programs: miles&more, MileagePlus
Posts: 27,043
for status comping with other US-carriers: Do it late in the calendar year (novembr(december), that way the comped status will be valid for the next full year and not only until the end of the current year.
Sep 10, 2003 | 9:54 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA 2.996MM & Plat Pro, DL 1MM, GM & Flying Colonel
Posts: 25,034
Some airlines have unpublished criteria for who they'll comp and who they won't. If you have a regular travel agent or corporate travel coordinator, ask him/her to arrange the comp through his/her airline sales rep. They have more leverage than you do. Makes it smoother.
To the degree that AA is an option, their agents will usually try to talk you into the Challenge - a fast track to status based on flights during a 90-day period. (More details in the AA forum.) It beats the standard qualification process but isn't as good as a comp. I'd call back at least three times for a comp before signing up for the Challenge. If you complete a Challenge this time of year, your status will be good through the March 2004-Feb. 2005 program year. You'll have calendar 2004 to requalify on your own.
I'd check out the three airlines' Forums to see what their frequent flyers think of them, too - not just in terms of their FF programs, but relative to the overall experience.
To the degree that AA is an option, their agents will usually try to talk you into the Challenge - a fast track to status based on flights during a 90-day period. (More details in the AA forum.) It beats the standard qualification process but isn't as good as a comp. I'd call back at least three times for a comp before signing up for the Challenge. If you complete a Challenge this time of year, your status will be good through the March 2004-Feb. 2005 program year. You'll have calendar 2004 to requalify on your own.
I'd check out the three airlines' Forums to see what their frequent flyers think of them, too - not just in terms of their FF programs, but relative to the overall experience.