cova

What is the status of the Avis President's Club and Hyatt Platinum benefit?

No mention of it.

For me the reason for the card was:
1. 25% mile bonus
2. Avis PC
3. Bonus EQM counting towards the 100K level
4. Hyatt Platinum

I have Lifetime PC - but then only pay $100 for the card.
Infinite status gives me the other benefits. I don't use miles for domestic flights which have EUA - so no need for reward upgrade.

If all four of those go away - no reason to keep the card (1 and 3 are going away).

I have two other Chase cards which give the foreign transaction fee exemption - a Marriott card and a British Airways card.

Upgrading my AmEx card is looking more appealing.

cova

Is this an announcement of a 75K tier in MileagePlus?

I can't see existing CO PC lifetime members not getting continue lifetime membership in the new United Club.

United gives lifetime RCC at 2MM -CO never gave a free membership.

NYCFF

i hope. i won't make 1k and i'd like to see more benefits than gold.

Xyzzy

I'm in the same bat -- other than not having infinite status. While I've not needed to use any of my FEQM, having them around is a nice just-in-case cushion. As someone who has earned well over 100k EQM the last few years, they are now likely to be of zero benefit to me.

I've been meaning to ditch my Amex Platinum card. Now I'm not so sure which way to go (though $100 for the PP as a lifetime PC member is still a lot less than $495 and I really don't need both).

tarheelnj

Here’s my current plan, assuming CO doesn’t relent on the FEQM/25% bonus issue or come up with a higer-tier oriented card.

The “out of pocket” renewal rate for an annual PC membership for a Presidential Platinum member is $250. (You can see the reference to a special price at
https://www.continental.com/web/en-U...virtual_expert, but you have to call the PC Service Center to get that price.)

I usually stay at Marriotts and barely make Gold each year. If I dump the PPlus card and switch to the Marriott VISA card, I'll get 1 elite night for every $3,000 in purchases. Even with the 15 elite nights bonus annually, it will be more than enough to get me to Marriott Platinum. All this, plus other bonus points, etc. for $65/year.

I'll spend a total of $315 (vs $395 for the PPlat card) and get some benefits I can acually use.

Thoughts?

~tc~

It gives them essentially the same benefits as Gold (club membership - actually better than gold, baggage fees, etc). It's pretty conceivable that you could spend $60k, and have 12,500 EQM to bridge the gap from midway between silver and gold - which means a big jump in benefits on other *A airlines.

If you fly purely domestic economy, the club membership can be a huge deal, and if you only travel monthly, say, you're going to be hard pressed to make the upper tiers on miles (maybe on segments if you don't live in a hub town).

deltame

Its possible they want protect hard core 1K (those qualify by BIS miles) but only time will tell since UA would probably get more profits from cash purchase of EQM if that option continues to be available.

Big spenders are good/best customers to Chase; the best customers for UA would be GS and those 1K/1P or even general members who routinely pay higher/top fares. I don't like any of the changes to the PP card, but I can understand where the airline comes from; if it were me, my disappointment would be directed at Chase.

SS255

I don't fly quite as much as that, but I fly enough that a few thousand FEQM's could mean the difference between Platinum and 1K. For people who have demonstrated long-term loyalty, it sure is a slap in the face for CO/UA to say, "Sorry, but it's not our problem that you had a down year and only flew 80K miles, even though you have 40K FEQM's in your bank which under the old terms you would have been able to use to bridge the gap to 1K."

manneca

I am not happy with the changes and will probably drop my card. The non-expiring EQMs are really important to me. As is the ability to use them to reach 100K.

~tc~

But the "throw down 25000 FEQM at the beginning of the year" plan might take care of that if you have a pretty good idea how much you are going to fly

Minnesota Bruin

Any word on the MP Club Card? Last I heard, the EQMs earned on that card still count towards 1K...

rjque

It remains to be seen whether that will actually work. I'd wait for UA Insider to clarify before relying on it.

And the key is having that good idea of how much you are going to fly. I never do.

J.Edward

What's there to clarify?

CO/Chase have taken a great product and "socialized" in favor of lighter travelers* to the detriment of those who actually gave a damn about trying to learn and work with the system.
Chase/CO all you had to do was grandfather in existing customers to their benefits! Seriously! That was it! Change whatever you want going forward, but honor what people signed up for back in the day.

Guess I'm turning my PresPlus into something else (guessing Hyatt) and using my classic UA Visa card going forward for UA purchases and car rentals.

*Although I do agree with UA's move to protect 1K in requiring 75,000 -- 100,000 to actually be flown, rather than FEQM'd.

7182713

I was among the throngs of people that switched 100% of my spend onto this card - from Amex Plat - I assume that is the idea when a new card is introduced. Well done Chase, you created a card that went right at the Amex Plat crowd - and you succeeded! Being Houston-based, I, personally, convinced MANY other Amex Plat holders to switch spending, as well.

I'm sickened by these developments. It is such classic bait and switch. Amex Plat was reeling - adding benefits like crazy over the past couple years - fantastic benefits, I might add. But, in the back of my mind I always felt the Pres Plus card was "too good to be true" and never got rid of Amex Plat - it helped that they kept offering significantly more value for the annual fee - plus I REALLY like Amex, in general.

The Pres Plus card was introduced when the economy was in the tank and they had to be aggressive in their offering to attract the spend. I think they were too successful, quite frankly, and are now pulling in the reins. I, too, will be pulling in the reins - as in zero spend going forward...pathetic move by Chase/Conti.

UA-NYC

Benefits on that card (as well as the glorious MP Plat Signature Visa many of us still use and love) should continue on indefinitely I think...unless they cancel all legacy cards out in circulation. THAT would be awful.