PanAmWT

I hope you are right.

SF1K

I've thought about all this for a few days and I do now agree that if they made a simple adjustment only for those United Million Milers that are already over 1 Million miles then things would be fairer and happier.

Those of us that are already MM on all UA BIS should get Platinum Premier and 2 Regional Upgrades for every year. The only thing downgrade would be 25% mileage earning (100% down to 75%) which would be made up by the spouse/S.O. benefit.

If they can grandfather benefits for lifetime RCC members then why can't they do it for UA 1MM BIS flyers?

I've sent a note off to 1K voice. Maybe we'll all be pleasantly suprised for once. Not holding my breath, but who knows.

SF1K

Hi JDT1955, good questions. Your interpretation is actually correct. All 3 Million Milers in the new program will indeed receive 6 GPUs at the beginning of the year, unless they were already earned by flying 100K PQM/120 PQS. Similarly, 2 Million Milers will receive 2 RPUs each year, unless already earned by flying 75K PQM/90 PQS. I believe that the changes causing confusion are that the one-time gift of Systemwide Upgrades and the annual gift of Regional Upgrades that all Million Milers used to receive will be replaced with the spousal benefit. We will take a peek to see if we can clarify this a bit better on our website. As for getting an estimate of your re-calculated lifetime total, we’re working on the implementation for this, but, we’re not quite there yet. We will have more on this timeline in the coming month. Until then, thanks for your patience.

Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights and Metrics
United Airlines

Does this also mean that a 3MM liftime 1K will earn 2 additional GPU's when passing just 50K within a calendar year (meaning you don't have to hit 100K first)? With the same thinking that a 2MM lifetime PP would get CR1s once passing every 25K starting at 25K in a calendar year?

PanAmWT

+1

Also, when my wife reaches 1MM early next year her spouse has already reached 3MM. Actually she will have no chance of getting any benefit related to the MM program, as long as I am alive.

I read it to mean that 3MM life 1Ks will get 2 additional GPUs at 150K, just like annual 1Ks. Similarily, 2MM liftetime PP will get their first 2 CR1s on January 1, and 2 more at 100K, and every 25K thereafter.

mduell

Many, but not all, of them will as a result of making 2MM from the one-time EQM bump.

zabes64

+1 ^ Will send them an email too

lensman

I hope she doesn't decide to take action to correct that.

+1 to everyone who reinforces that the changes to the program are reflective of a business making choices that reflect the desires of the majority of its customers. It is unfortunate that the tyranny of the majority means suboptimal policy for the minority.

+1 to the minority for trying to get more out of the program though, nothing wrong with trying to convince UACO to give you some extra goodies.

-1 to those slinging mud at those (of us) in the majority, though.

I am pretty happy to be with all the cool kids now. I used to feel out of it at the DOs because all the cool kids seemed to be at UA and not CO. (yes, I'm talking about you)

PanAmWT

So a person would just flies two RTs to use the 4 GPUs instead 3 RTs with 6 GPUs. Not sure that helps UA's business.

And I wonder if a liftetime 1K who intends to build up credentials in AA anyway, is all that smart by flying addtional 80K miles just to get two more GPUs.

Those may have to stop flying UA are mainly because they are too old to fly for business. I know I am retiring. I stayed with UA as much as I could, sufferring from indirect routes, more expensive tickets, and inferior services the past several years not because of 1K qualification or the extra SWUs. Most of the years I had EQM 150K+, and I give most SWUs to families or friends or use for domestic as I fly Z fares overseas. I stayed with UA because I hope to hit 3MM BIS when I retire, when I have to fly EC fare tickets. UA is not dumb when they get me to buy 3 more RT BC fare tickets each year for many years and in return allow me the chance to UG three RT EC tickets in my retirment years. The GPUs will not hurt UA's bottom line when I retire as it does when a business flyer upgrading to, instead of paying for, BC; because after retiring I most unlikely will pay revenue BC any way. Doing this also assures that these three EC RT revenues will go to UA rather than some other airlines.

mre5765

If you have BIS 1MMer today, tomorrow you will be much closer to 2MMer, thanks to UA's generosity.

Interesting, unexpected, very generous, and at least prior to your post, very unclear.

I'm happy to be wrong.

Yes I was wrong, and am happy to be wrong. In my defense I wondered about the upgrades that UA Insider said the spouse would not get, until others, with reasonable arguments, convinced me otherwise. I even posted a followup to UA Insider specifically asking this question and was ignored. And UA's website and the previous posts from UA Insider are clear as mud.

At 2MM and 3MM you get both the spousal benefit and the annual RPU and GPU, respectively. Incredibly generous.

But we'll see on January 1, 2013 if it actually happens. What SMI/J giveth can be taken away, often within months, such as giving 2Ps access to reserve exit rows at time of booking. Or weeks, such as letting GMs in the back board before people who purchased E+ windows.

cesco.g

Thanks for the clarification, Shannon.

Putting the 1K MM on the same level with the regular 1Ks is a benefit which will be motivating for loyal overseas UA fliers. ^^^

Being one of them and talking to some close to me I can confirm that. Actually, this is a huge motivator to keep flying UA and maybe reach 4MM/GS for the latter years in life.

PanAmWT

Welcome on board. But you might be too cool even for us (giving creative ideas to my wife for offsetting the new MM program disadvantages).

Firewind

Some are saying that all *A EQM will count, subject to the usual restrictions. Stipulating that this is actually the case, these questions:

How will they know?

Shall we submit evidence of all flights taken with other *A members (ASAP for them to count as of 12/31/11)?

How exactly does this work if flights were booked directly with the other airline?

If we were not members of their FF programs?

If we were, and got credit in the other program?

Thank you.

GoingAway

Its all flights credited to your UA program account. It would exclude flights you took, but applied to a different program (or no pgm at all)

Firewind

OK. Thanks.

greg

Forgive me if this has already been brought up in the 1M thread (I looked but found no indication it had).

If United intends to recognize 1M milers with lifetime Gold status (a very generous offer), shouldn't they go ahead and extend anyone with 500K actual miles lifetime Silver status?

After all, what exactly would they be giving away anyway. Gold is worth double what Silver is worth, right? So for half the loyalty of Gold (1M), why not turn lemons into lemonade (United -- yes, I'm talking to you) and do something proactive and create a half-million miller equals Silver. Holly molly, United might even incentivise some of us who are pretty peeved about the dilution in Silver and Gold status to stick around long enough to get 500K (and that might keep us tracking to 1M).

Oh, and by the way, AA today gives their equivalent of Silver for 1M which can be earned with credit cards, netflix etc --- BUT they are changing that on December 1 to require actual flight miles.

United already trounced AA by offering Gold for 1M. United would further its competitive advantage over AAdvantage by offering Silver for 500K.

Again, my apologies if this has already been offered up. But wow, United, you ought to consider it!