pegasus8228

one question since u mentioned red carpet.

in OW, if u r any elite tier member other than AA, u can access Adminral Club when flying domestic.

is this also true for *A? i.e. can SQ/LH member access RC flying domestic UA?

thanks

Chiangi

The answer is 'yes', so long as you have a *A boarding pass for the day of departure, I think.

pegasus8228

thanks chiangi.....so this is probably some benefit of being in a non-US FFP, or some incentive to keep 2 FFP tiers (since the US ones are more generous)...i

r they included in fewmile/blondblmmer's site?

RichardMEL

That is a great report... I was ROFLMAO at some points (ie: the agents having the passes ready after a few days "see you tomorrow!").

About using a STARLITE fare, you could do
this no problem if you didn't run out of mileage! Since a stopover is >24 hours, if you kept "stopping" in Chaing Mai for ~6 hours every night, it wouldn't count as a stopover (the applicable RTW rule being "no stopover in the same city more than once")... so you *could* do it *VERY* cheaply indeed... my god I am tempted... I am insane...!!!!

LOL


------------------
UA 1K MEL
Wannabe UA MELKA !

seawolf

What possible advantage does 1K give you that is worth flying 7-10 days in January that you couldn't accomplish at a more relaxed pace spread out over the year? (Assuming those newly qualifying 1K do not get the SWU loophole.)

You also mentioned that 1K status thru Feb 2003 is not certain at all if you qualify in January.

[This message has been edited by seawolf (edited 02-06-2001).]

FlyingRev

First off, if you qualify early in 2001 (Jan or Feb) there is the stong probability of receiving 6 SWU NOW. You also gain 1K status for ALL of 2001, AND 2002, and your status will not expire until Feb 2003.

AND if United still chooses to give away SWU's next year (2002) then you will of course receive them. Not to mention the Priority Upgrade Status, Free Shuttle Upgrades, and all these other stuff that goes with being in this elite tier level.

You can do it at a leisurely pace, but it will only delay receiving your perks which accompany 1K.

The choice is yours.

ka9taw

thanks for the report (and the e-mail tip ) Going to Thailand in 12 days!

seawolf

Typo in my previous message concerning the 1K expiration year.

The only real "advantage" I see for doing a Baht run in January from you post is the possibility of UA giving you the SWUs for 2001. Am I missing something here???

Compared with someone who was going to make 1K sometime in 2001, 7-10 days of nonstop flying and money spend on the run for a possiblity of 6 SWUs seems hardly worth it.

As for "delaying" 1K perks, I disagree with that. If someone with no status were to make 1K on their 2001 flying anyway, they are going to have suffer thru the first 100 segments or 100,000 miles as a non-1K one way or another. So, there is no "delaying" of 1K perks.

The threshold for 1K qualification is the same regardless of the time of year you fly.

it's simply a matter of paying more (cost of the Baht run) to "suffer" it all at once or paying less (no Baht run) to spread out the "suffering."

Let's me illustrate my point. Your average Joe is a shuttle king. His plans call for 100 segments on shuttle in 2001. He can do the Baht run and sit thru 100 segments in TG coach so that he gets his free 100 Shuttle segment upgrade after the Baht run. How does that make sense???? You're still spending as much time in coach.

What about someone who does transpacifics? Planning to fly 100,000 miles in 2001. He can do 100 segments on TG and get 50,000 miles (500 miles X 100 segments). His 100,000 on UA will turn into 200,000 miles (1K bonus). Total mileage, 250,000 miles.

Alternatively, he does no run and flies his 100,000 miles. At 25,000, he is 2P. His next 25,000 be subject to the 2P bonus. At 50,000, his next 50,000 would be subject to the 1P bonus. In the end, his 100,000 flight miles would yield 156,250 miles.

Difference between doing the Baht run and no Baht run in January is 93,750 bonus miles. You mentioned you spend $1800 on the segments plus $500 for hotel. You also need to factor in the transpac you took over to BKK (assume $700). Total cost: $3000. The 93,750 miles were gain at a cost of $0.032 a mile. Worst off than a good transpacific mileage run since these are not base miles and you just took a few years off your life by subjecting you body to all that flying a short timeframe.

In the end, the cost of gaining the possiblity of 6 SWUs in 2001 is a run done on inferior mileage economics (assuming my math is correct) and suffering thru 100 segments in a week's timeframe. If UA was definitely giving out SWUs in 2001 for someone with no status who does the run in January, then I can see a point. Other than that, I just don't get it.

There is no "delaying" of 1K benefits since you are still flying against the same 1K threshold as everybody else. Someone please enligthen me as to how making the run in January is a good deal.

FlyingRev

I will write a detailed explaination for you as to the merits of what I did and delineate further the benefits of such a run in my next post.

As to the TransPac flight expenses, I was already scheduled to be in MNL (Manila) and I took a hop over to Thailand for the same price, as my ticket was mileage based on fare. So I did not have ANY TransPac flight expense out of my pocket.

The Benefit was immense to me, and that is all that mattered to ME. If you do not feel it is a good scenario, then please do not travel on the Baht Run. However, understand that there were several of us who did undertake this and are satisfied, and we have our SWU's and were able to travel in J class on many of the TG intra-Thailand flights at incredibly low prices. It is possible to do the Baht Run for $750.00 if you ticket in Thailand.

If you already have business in Asia (Thailand) and have a week or so to spare, and are willing to spend $750.00 on TG tickets, then it is a worthwhile proposition. I cannot even begin to tell you of the way I have been treated by UA since becomming 1K. They have waived restrictions, and actually 'Made a Fare Up' for me. From a $1050.00 ticket down to a $141.00 ticket. This was solely because I was a 1K and was nice!

For me, becomming a 1K in quick fashion has (is) payed(ing) off royally!

I hope to see you on one of my travels soon...I'll be the one in 15H upstairs on a 744 because of one of my SWU's.

seawolf

My arguments are for someone who does the run in the beginning of the year.

I have no problem against people doing a Baht Run but I just fail to see the point of it being done early in the year. As the year progress, it makes more and more sense to do the run to re/qualify for 1K for next year. In fact, I might find myself doing such a run in November/December if I don't have enough to requalify for 1K.

I guess my question is this. Did you do the run in January 2001? You previous post of "finishing 2000 with 102 segment" suggest you did not.

If not, would you have done a Baht run in January 2001 for 2002 1K?

[This message has been edited by seawolf (edited 02-07-2001).]