halls120

I agree that you can't please everyone, but in this instance (the companion benefit) UA gave it's single 1MM's a huge middle finger.

Karter

My partner is probably 100k under my lifetime balance, so it's not just a wasted benefit for single people. As an intl member, the loss of annual upgrades is a significant loss since I rarely get to participate in UDU anyway.

eltdog

As a 1MM, it would have been nice if United gave all of us Premier Platinum status for life.

Since it was so hard to achieve this when only counting actual paid flying miles, now we are only going to get Premier Gold after the one-time calculation and merger. 50% bonus miles and stuck behind GS, 1K and Platinum.

SS255

I personally think that the spousal benefit is a better benefit than 2 CR-1's. My issue is that UA has structured this benefit to exclude certain categories of MM'ers:

- Couples where both spouses/SO's are MM'ers.
- Couples where the non-MM'er spouse/SO actually earns equal or better status
- Singles

It seems to me that the only way to treat all MM'ers fairly is to either not restrict who can be named as the MM'er companion (i.e. can be a different address), or to allow each MM'er to choose either the companion benefit, or 2 CR-1's.

stimpy

In case it hasn't been mentioned in the previous hundreds of posts, I'll bring it up now. I recall many years ago speaking to a senior UA executive who told me over drinks that most MM'ers simply stop flying United once they reach 1MM. So they had very mixed feelings about the program. Later they introduced new tiers (or carrots) at 2MM and 3MM. Now they are reinforcing those tiers/carrots. So that is why you don't get Premier Platinum for life at 1MM. They want you to keep reaching for new tiers. And we've all seen what happens at 10MM!

Firewind

Graham told me the same thing, in a similar setting. Which has bolstered my several comments here that UA "backed into this", after DL introduced the concept. Perhaps we were more drinks along, but the inflection didn't give me the impression that the feelings were mixed.

BTW, in my view, it hasn't been until now that the million miles levels have been seriously aspirational. Mostly, recognition just arrived when it arrived, a wonderful gift.* It really would have been difficult to shoot for MM per se. A lot of life occurs in such a span of time, and wear and tear.

To be more explicit, this last comment really is to point up that it has been a gift. A thank you. We are seeing the effects of Word of Mouth Marketing quite active here in evolving the concept.


* Further to this, I do mean MM recognition per se here, and that's what I got, but it's important to remember that it actually rationalized and replaced a much less formal recognition process for extremely high and long-time usage. I can't find the threads from back then, but do generally remember that when it was introduced, there was a lot of FT discussion by who would be VERY old-timers now about what had preceded the formal program. (And I think they were some VERY sweet LIFETIME benefits.)

5khours

I think you are assuming these people have no children, parents, siblings or others who would benefit from the status match. How hard is to switch someone's snail mailing address to facilitate this.

I don't think the MM benefits (especially the higher tiers) cost the airlines much. IMHO, I think the MM programs are really important because they signal to the customers whether the airlines are being run by bean counters (e.g. DL) or whether there is a real sense of appreciation by the airlines for the loyalty of their customers. In my experience, this has been a pretty good barometer of whether you should expect to get screwed and lied to on a constant basis by your carrier.

SFO 1K

It helps to know the T&Cs. No parents, siblings or even children allowed:

Companion Eligibility:

• A companion is defined as your spouse or significant other who either resides at the same address as you, based on your MileagePlus profile information, or shares your last name.
• Your children, other family members, friends or co-workers are not eligible for this benefit.
• Your companion must be an enrolled member of the MileagePlus program under their own name and may not already be the companion of another Million Miler.
• The companion benefit is awarded on an annual basis and is non-transferable.
• Your companion will be sent their own individual Premier credentials and does not need to be traveling with you to receive the benefits of the Premier level awarded.
• Your designated companion will automatically renew each year unless you let us know otherwise by December 30 of the current year.
• You may change the companion on your account; however the change will not be in effect until January 1 of the following year. All change requests must be made by December 30 to be effective for the following year.

stimpy

Yeah, but how do they know your child is not your spouse?

nmenaker

yes, that would have been nice, but in this case with COOP and UAMP, it would have meant a DOUBLE upgrade of 1MM status for the COOP flyer, who was till now (till next year actually) a SILVER. UAMP was always gold and I guess we can only be thankful that will will CONTINUE to be GOLD. Platinum would have been nice for UAMP members in the new world order - but it would have been a huge escalation of benefits for the legacy COOP flyer.

@5khours

"I don't think the MM benefits (especially the higher tiers) cost the airlines much. IMHO, I think the MM programs are really important because they signal to the customers whether the airlines are being run by bean counters (e.g. DL) or whether there is a real sense of appreciation by the airlines for the loyalty of their customers"

As for "cost the airlines" I don't think there is much cost outlay, but there is a cost BENEFIT in the new world order. By making upgrade seating and free CR1 RPU available to the 1MM+ flyer (which are now gone) that is a very highly possible lost revenue from the lower status flyer who is "paying" with MILES and or MILES AND MONEY or MONEY. By leveling this playing field I think the the new UACOMP is going for MORE REVENUE or for LIABILITY REDUCTIONS and will get it from all flyers.

The lower end flyers will pay up with miles and miles and money and money. the 1MM+ flyer, based on the new upgrade process and clearing will PAY with MILES to guarantee an upgrade. While this doesn't present NEW revenue to the airline and loyalty program it DOES present a reduction in balance sheet liabilities - which is NEARLY as good.

Till now, they weren't really getting any incrementa revenue for upgrades from the 1MM flyer who only flew a few times a year, but NOW they WILL get revenue in the form of a reduced liability.

SS255

HOPEFULLY by the birth dates in your profiles.....except in Los Angeles, where your spouse or SO may actually be young enough to be your granddaughter.

kb1992

I like to see how MP will enforce that rule.

You can change the date of birth in the profile? Or leave it blank?

5khours

Thanks for the info... and I'm totally screwed. My wife has a different last name and a different mailing address. I wonder if a live in care-giver for my mother-in-law counts as a significant other.

Or in the case of Morgan Freeman, your spouse may actually be your granddaughter.

teddybw

I have a couple TK flights on 12/30 and 12/31 this year and I plan to credit them to CO for EQM, but they will probably not post until the beginning of next year.

If I understand correctly, starting 1/1/2012, only flight miles on UA/CO would count towards lifetime miles, even if I credit them to CO (I assume CO IT folks need to change the lifetime counter algorithm).

I am concerned whether my EQM based on 2011 activity would count towards the lifetime counter when posting early 2012? I hope UA Insider to clarify this.

WineCountryUA

credit year has always been based on scheduled departure not when the flights post -- I think you will have no problems.