entropy

Well, maybe they'll do the "CO style" thing of announcing an *enhancement* like this and then rescinding to the leaps of joy from the COOL aid chorus, falling over themselves to sing praise on their "Responsiveness" to customers, etc, etc.

The Chase Select card is better (aside from lounge access) than the new PPLus card, 3x miles on UA purchases, 1 EQM/$ up to 5k of UA purch, 5k more EQM @ 35k spend.

If they want a better card, they could always have the "Global Explorer card" with the 3x, unlimited EQM earning, RCC/IFL Access but only eligible for 1K/Global Services.

channa

Before the UA partnership, CO was even charging the SDC fee to Plats.

dinoscool3

Ok, for 1, belynch asked us to stop arguing, but, since you brought it back up, then that's a plus that $misek brought to all. And that's the last I'm going to say about it on this thread in compiling with belynch'es wishes.

InHouseCounsel

I just got this card a few weeks ago. I was thinking about whether it was worth keeping after the initial discount year. These changes make it clear that it is worthless for a 1K, so no renewal for me.

caseminole

tc - why do you think its still a good deal for silvers elites?

rishib

Not tc, but it's still the cheapest way to a PClub membership for a Silver.

woolfcross

Wow! Thanks, everyone, for this terrific information. With the CO-AMEX Platinum relationship ending on September 30th, I had just put in a call to upgrade from my One Pass Plus card to Presidential Plus (to get lounge access but also, importantly, for the 25% miles bonus and FEQMs-for this has been a low travel year for me, so I'm only going to reach Platinum and had hoped to "bump" to 1K.

Fortunately, I got a voice message, so the folks at Chase are going to call me back. When they do, I'm going to tell them that I no longer want the Presidential Plus card. I'll stick with my regular One Pass Plus card and AMEX Platinum with its useful Priority Pass access to over 600 clubs worldwide and lots of other benefits.

My choice now is whether to buy a PC Club membership on/before September 30th--or to take advantage of the email offer I just received to buy a USAir club membership ($375 for this Gold Level USAIr flyer; only $175 using $200 AMEX credit) and get 3,500 QUALIFYING miles for doing so. This gains me access to PC and Red Carpet Clubs; AMEX Plat gains me access to most of the others.

So: thanks again for the timely heads-up, everyone. Just more proof that flyertalk is the most useful and informative travel forum that exists! And if anyone has advice about whether I should buy the PC card or the USAir Club card, I'd love to hear it (any difficulties getting into a CO Club using the USAir club card, for example?)

PSU Mudder

For lower tier UA/CO flyers, the PP card is still the cheapest way to get a club membership, right? Or am I missing a cheaper way?

dinoscool3

Correct

Jake Gittes

This is where I'm sitting as well. I may make CO Silver in a year using only BIS miles, but that's about it. The PP card still a great opportunity for us lower-tier folks. (Though I can certainly see the argument of us "diluting" the benefits of elites.)

That being said, I'm still waiting for a mileage bonus of some sort to lure me away from AmEx Plat.

trojanman

Speaking as an AA EXP who spends $500K+ per year on credit cards, and has no status at UACO, I actually think this card is pretty attractive. I could move half of my spending to this card and enjoy mid-tier elite status & *G Lounge Access, even though i only fly *A a couple times a year.

Of course, since I only fly *A a couple times a year, that begs the question "Why would I want this card".

rjque

AA's new card apparently does not have any similar restriction on applying the EQMs:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/citiexecutive.jsp

10k EQMs for 40k in spend. Not as good a deal as the old CO deal, but at least people who fly more than 75k per year can use the EQM benefit. I may switch.

Xyzzy

I'd guess that Chase was thinking about #2. These are the same folks who at first also thought people didn't care about FOREX fees and then dropped them.

I guess a lt of people have forgotten that the 25% bonus miles (and this card I believe) were intrduced at the same time as the 125% elite bonus for CO Platinum members was reduced to 100%, the same as CO Gold members received. At that time we were told to get the card to maintain the benefit. I guess it's gne nw.

The inability to apply FEQM to get from 75k to 100k really makes FEQM inflexible and almost useless to many people here. UA wants to save the 100k level for those who actually fly. But for someone who doesn't fly much the wallet candy aspect of this presents a huge perceived benefit to the customer at not much of a cost to UA. For someone who just needs a little lift to get to 100k, the application of FEQM represents exactly the kind of push that the advertising of the card touts far and wide. I find these changes to be very troubling.

Oh -- and I've seen zero on the continuation of the Avis and Hyatt benefits. Have I missed that or has nothing been said?

RNE

Yes, but if you're too low, how much value is a membership?

Poppycock. We dilute nothing! We play by the same rules and on the same field as the big boys. Whatever perks we get are ours, fair and square.

sidestep

I called in to inquire and they mentioned no changes; however, they were reading off of a flier that supposedly we will receive within the week.