Are you currently being upgraded at the 5 day mark for most flights? If not, why is it that significant when your window opens? Either way you're waiting for IM to open the NF space.

NRT-ICN/TPE/HKG included in the CPU scheme is huge, particularly for Asian flyers. As it is, I do know Samsung employees on the NRT-ICN can get upgraded at the airport.

If anything, this does make Skypesos seem more worthless than it currently is.

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What happens when a 2P is also a cardholder? The "first bag free" wording in the card features seems to imply the benefits don't combine (you just get entitled to the first bag free in two different ways), but it would be nice if they interpreted this generously to allow two bags.

I agree. I feel totally ripped off after paying extra to fly United for my flights this year. What a scam!

I chose two years ago that to fly United because of the Economy Plus seating. Being 6 ft 3, it really makes a difference. But now that I cannot pre-select E+ as a 2P, I might as well fly the airline that serves my home airport the best: AA. Plus they give their AAdvantage Gold members exit rows and 2 bags free. Next year is going to look grim as a 2P (since this decision, I also do not feel inclined to do a mileage run for 1P).

I rather they get rid of the extra benefits they gave 2Ps this year like priority bags and exit row seating, to maintain the E+ pre-booking benefit.

Point taken. However (at least in my case) the the "2P-soon-to-be-GM" to describe Mrs Cricketers is the key. She hasn't flown a mile this year because we haven't taken a family vacation. If and when she flies next year, it will be four of us together, and in all honesty it's unlikely to affect anything. Unless my kids are going to get 1K status too, we're not going to separate the PNRs for upgrades and therefore my wife's status is not going to result in anybody being trumped.

On the SWU (or GPU or whatever) -- I wasn't referring to the ones that you currently get for MM, but the ones you get as a 1K. If she becomes a 1K too, will she get 6 SWUs? that's something I don't see clarified anywhere. That, plus the waiver of fees etc, are the perks from her becoming a 1K that would actually get used.

Of course, I'm just one case. I'm sure there will also be 1Ps who get a bump as a result, and therefore do end up trumping plats on the upgrade list, so as I said, I do get the point...

Sounds good on papper, but I wonder when will all these flights in addition to the hkg ones will be operated by air mike? You know something has to give. I won't be surprise going forward, all widebodies are doing TPac turn and switch to all 738 on intra Asia. The arrival timing in NRT is perfect for doing just that.

I agree. I'm in the same boat - just got my GE this year. At $20 per year, in effect, for me it's worthwhile insurance even if it's only one trip a year on which I use it. In my experience, immigration at SFO is about 50/50 (I'm always coming in from LHR, NRT or HKG), so I'm onto a winner.

I'm out. An AS+DL strategy will work better for me. With F upgrades now a distant fantasy for a sub-1K, I'd rather ride an aisle front-of-cabin or exit row seat on AS/DL than have a slight shot at a middle seat in E+ on UA... and more likely than not end up in a middle seat at the rear in E- because the seatmaps are all blocked up at time of booking.

The new 2P is effectively worthless. If you fly 49,999 BIS miles or less there is nothing for you in this program, no more incentive to put up with UA. And if you fly 50k-99,999 miles you have been kneecapped.

It's cute to see the parade of 1K/UGS FTers proclaim how pleased they are that the (comparative) riff-raff is being hosed away from the airline. But Flyertalkers are a non-representative, highly skewed sample of elites. 1Ps and 2Ps represent the serious majority of elites, and they've just been effectively fired as UA customers.

We'll see. This is a shrinkage strategy -- shrink the loyalty program to focus on far fewer higher-mileage, higher-revenue fliers, and free most former participants to be Kayakers. As I said in another thread, I don't think UA appreciates how many semi-frequent customers stuck with UA solely because of the FF program, and will now bolt.

Yes. The credit card now gives most benefits of Silver at a fraction of the cost and effort.

Like with hotel programs. I have a Marriott Visa card that comes with gratis Marriott Silver membership. It's a pretty worthless, pointless benefit that doesn't increase my loyalty to -- or interest in -- Marriott at all. It just comes in handy about twice a year. That's where the sub-1K United customer now stands.

Thank goodness I went out and made AS MVP this year when this writing started to appear on the wall. To think of how good life was as a CO Plat about five years ago, before the roof began to collapse... and now I fly about as many miles, but mainly have Jeff Smisek's pee all over me as my "reward."

UA/CO screwed themselves in many ways with these changes. Foremost, they now have angry lower tier FF members that will reconsider their loyalty and spending habits. Additionally, they became less attractive to FF's that were looking to switch to the new UA/CO. I fall in the latter category but why should I leave one airline who's FF benefits are not attractive to another airline that now is inferior?

The playing fields for Silvers is now pretty level with all airlines. At least my current program (Delta) as a Silver allows me access to all premium seats (providing better seat options closer to the flight) so that to me gives Delta a leg up...For Now

More on Star Alliance mile credits
 

I hate to keep riding my own hobby-horse - I post this mostly in the hope that UAInsider might chime in directly on this. Scott, any insight?

After mulling this over, it seems that one thought along the lines of not including future *A partner mileage (either for premier or MM status) is a throwing-down of the gauntlet to other *A partners to match UA/CO's minimum 100% mileage credit. Other airlines (particularly LH, and its other airlines - BD, OS, etc.) have rather lousy credit policies on many booking classes. Perhaps this is so much "the end of *A" as a mileage earning alliance as a challenge to the rest of the alliance to adopt a fairer stance? I.e., when the other airlines offer parity on this, UA will bring back counting their mileage? Right now, it seems UA is "fairer than most" with its 100% policy.

Any thoughts, Scott? Thanks for your hard work!

To be pair, there is no E+ in Delta on domestic, the premium seats that you get only include exit row seats + a few in front. given a bigger selection of E+ seats across the entire UA fleet, it should be possible to get E+ at check-in.

Also, EC costs $$ for silver and gold on Delta on International flight.

1P's downgrade of 50% bonus RDM is the biggest blow to me!

For overseas based MP members, say PVG based, who primarily accrue MP miles through *A partners, then this 4 UA segment minimum is another turn down. Now it seems to me that they are trying to turn some overseas loyal flyers who credit miles to MP away from this program.

In brief, I don't quite understand the philosophy of this 4 segment minimum on UA flights.

Not a sufficient reply in my opinion. Yes, it addresses the possibility of a subscription, but ignores the larger problem - the wholesale hosing of low-level elites.

Hey...I see where you are coming from...the changes work for me since I am right at 4MM lifetime for GS....As I mentioned before, if you are silver or gold in this setup, you are hosed......Plat premium's are a wash.....1K's make out ok...and GS is GS....with my GF now getting the status as well, yeah...people are not happy with it...but....oh well....:(

PBD - I agree that Delta doesn't have E+, however, with E+ now not available until day of departure on UA/CO, that leaves E- when looking at seats prior to DOD. On Delta, the whole plane except First is available to me as a Silver Elite and that means I have more options in E- seating up to the time of departure. More options in Delta E- for the type of seat I want trumps less options in E- on United. I am not yet convinced that all that many E+ seats will be available on day of departure for Silvers with the new rules....time will tell on that. One can hope.