Yes, an airline is a business. But when they push out a statement that is an outright falsehood, they run the risk of knowledgable existing customers realizing they are being lied to.

Yes, United wants new customers. Evidently they don't care how many existing customers they lose in the process.

I didn't relise UA was telling outright lies.

Even if they aren't telling outright lies, many MM'ers and other longtime customers believe they have been lied to.

Are the mileage award charts going to go up???

They don't have to, thanks to the sleight of hand* of the new program, diminishing the benefits and the priorities of each level. Or, depending on how you look at it, moving the benefits and priorities up a level. And in the case of Premier, plain gutting it. It's what the program changes and this and the MM threads are all about.


* Prestidigitation ("quick fingers") or legerdemain.

I understand that they are a business and they are not going to come out and say "Our new mileage program sucks!" But, on the other hand, I think that for knowledgeable customers it comes off sounding a little ridiculous when they say that it is going to be even more rewarding to be a member, which is demonstrably a falsehood. Perhaps a letter to current members explaining that they simply could not afford the current program. I think most loyal customers would appreciate the honesty.

This is a perfect example of what food companies do. They keep the price the same but make the product smaller. With UA, they keep the award levels the same but you earn less bonus miles so you have to fly more to get the same number of miles to get that award that has not changed in price.

I'm a 50K+ flyer with DL (68K last year) and eye-ing a switch to either UA or AA ... the addition of a 75K tier is steering me toward UA since I'd rather mileage run an extra few thousand than have orphaned EQMs (not currently a problem with DL because of rollover).

I can say that I'd rather have 150/175% UA miles than 200% Delta miles, or even 200% AA miles. True, it is a downgrade from 200% (which DL and AA give for 50K+ flyers) but *A miles are very valuable to me. Still waiting for the merger with UA/bankruptcy with AA to play out before I status match though ...

I guess it matters on what perspective you're looking at this from :p

Disappointing
 

Disappointing for this 1P. Will go to Delta, where I can still get a 100% bonus.

Same thing happened to me. Still showing as Premier Exec on UA; I expected the system wides to take a while still haven't seen them but getting frustrated that my account isn't showing 1K. Called UA last week said it hadn't been 7-10 days so called today 16 days later and was told something was up because others had same problem and they took my number to email Chicago whatever that means.

Here's hoping it get fixed soon otherwise I'm forced to book CO metal for a better upgrade chance.

Do you really think any airline would do this?? Even SQ probably wouldn't!



Really, the new FFP is not entirely bad. There are new "owngraded things, and new upgraded things. Also, not everybody thinks it was a downgrade. Only a small group of people (mainly on FT) think the new FFP is the worst thing on earth.

Instant upgrade on YBM on UA yet?
 

Has anyone gotten the instant upgrade yet on a Y B or M fare (for 1K or higher) on a UA flight this year? Not sure if this is functional yet or part of the 'delay'

Thanks!

Old upgrade rules are still in-effect until March-ish. Instant upgrade is only available on CO flights until this program kicks in.

Who exactly has said the new FFP is the "worst thing on earth?"

You're right, I apologize, not having Starbucks coffe is the worst thing on earth.



But seriously, people act almost like its the worst thing on earth, the FFP and anything else connected to the merger.