Firewind

Still concerned. Still writing to Mr. Foland. Still watching here.

Anyone else who hasn't written here in a while doing similar?

PanAmWT

What about the 2 annual CR1s we got when reached 1MM before? Will we continue to receive them in addition to the ones we earn reaching 75K?

xFF

Well, to a large degree that is the source of much of the outrage on this thread: that benefit is, under current proposal, to be rescinded in the new program.

The crux of the issue is that MP is offering the spousal status match. By some, that's viewed as a "win" and by others as a "loss." But to any reasonable observer, the management of information up to that announced change in benefit was clumsy at best, and deceptive at worst. For many, that is assigned more serious negative implications than the loss of the certificate benefit itself.

PanAmWT

Agreed.

uastarflyer

The removal of lifetime club benefit is a huge devaluation. No spousal perks can make up for it. Especially for singles.

dgcpaphd

Very well summarized. Thanks -

And, let's keep those e-mails of protest going to [email protected]
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1k650

I agree. Remember there will be a large increase in people using the club because UA will probably close overlapping CO/RCC clubs.

UA-NYC

There really aren't too many of those - SEA, LAX, LGA, EWR, probably a few others. Since there aren't likely huge capacity cuts at those airports, tough to cram everyone into 1/2 the lounge space.

mre5765

The PC does not represent half the total UC lounge space at SEA. Once CO and UA are in the same gate area, the tiny PC is toast.

Similarly, the EWR RCC cannot represent half the total UC lounge space, but I've read in these forums that there's no way for PMUA flights to be moved to the PMCO area, so I'd expect the RCC to be retained. No idea about LGA, but hopefully when the CO and UA gates are combined we end up with at least one air side lounge.

LAX, I agree with your prediction; the PC will be retained. The PMCO gates, while in an adjacent concourse to the PMUA gates, are too far from the RCC, and if there was room for PMCO flights at the PMUA mainline gates, the UX flights would be leaving from the main gate area. I wonder if the UX gates could be relocated to the PMCO gate area?

KathyWdrf

So you're finally spitting up the Kool-Aid?

As I've stated twice before on this now very long thread, the new MM rules suck, at least from my perspective as a single (unpartnered) individual.

I'll reach UA1MM in about one week (i.e., after the first weekend in December 2011). We shall see what I get.

dgcpaphd

Thanks again for your support on this joint effort to encourage the new United management to reconsider its position on demoting the million mile benefits.

As a reminder, if we continue to send e-mails of protest to the man in charge of Mileage Plus (Jeffery Foland), he might rescind some or all of the discriminatory changes now proposed to go into affect next year. If he does not receive complaints, he could incorrectly interpret silence to mean approval of his demotions to the program.

At a minimum, he should grandfather those who make million-mile status before the two programs are merged. Additionally, those who are widowed or single should be given a choice of the spousal benefit or the former two regional upgrades. With some replacement except for a spousal benefit that is useless to many, the changes are unquestionably discriminatory against United's single passengers.

Writing to Customer Relations is a waste of time because those people of powerless to make any changes. Only if the man at the top is contacted would any possibility of a rescission be considered. Again, his e-mail address is: [email protected]
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PaulMCO

In September I wrote to Jeff Foland. I had 1,959,000 lifetime BIS miles and was expecting to end the year at 1,989,000 miles 11,000 short of 2MM.
The rest of my flying on the year was on code shares (LH). Indicated in my letter that I was very upset at the loss of a promised benefit with only a 3 month notice.

Needless to say that I was surprised that the response was == we have granted you lifetime RCC/United Club access due to your past loyalty to United.

So I guess writing to UA does have an impact.

guyin4B

I know this is going to hack some people off here, but one of the reasons old United flew old planes, gave poor service, and was forced into bankruptcy is that the airline lost its focus. The same thing happened twice to Continental until it finally changed its way of doing business. An airline is not a welfare agency that caters to past loyalty. I can see why United and Continental would want MM's to have the freedom to take their spouses or domestic partners with them since they spend so much time on airplanes. I do not understand how additional complimentary upgrades on top of advanced elite status would add anything to the relationship, certainly not to the airline's profitability. The only way you elites are going to keep those cushy benefits is if the airline is doing well - with loyal customers who are driven to do things that help the airline do well.

So I say focus on benefits you can get that also help the airline profit.

Okay. Take your shots.

And have a great flight today.

halls120

I agree that an airline is a business and not a welfare agency. That said, if you are going to offer a frequent flyer program with benefits that are designed to reward customers who fly your airline and provide an incentive to keep flying on your airline, you ought to grandfather changes to those that have already earned a particular level, even if you can no longer afford to offer a given benefit to those customers who reach designated milestones. And when you design your new FF program, when you try and reconcile the merger of two separate programs that offer different benefits, you shouldn't end up with such a stark difference between the two customer groups you are merging.

dgcpaphd

I see by your profile that you just joined flyertalk and that this is your first post. Let me say, welcome.

I have some comments about your post.

First, I notice that you are a Continental million-miler rather than a United million-miler. I assume you are aware (from reading this and other threads) that the general consensus is that the Continental members are making out like bandits with the changes to the program and that the United members are being shorted and demoted, big time.

Second, your comment about “freedom to take their spouses or domestic partners- - “ does not address the fact that this spouse “benefit” is discriminatory against widowed and single people. In other words, the former two annual regional upgrades (that were promised in writing) have been discontinued and replaced with a useless non “benefit” for widowed and single passengers.

At a very minimum, there should be a choice between the spouse benefit and/or the two regional upgrades that were summarily taken away despite being promised for life. As it now stands, United's position is for us to take the useless spouse benefit or take nothing to substitute for the removed regional upgrades.

Not one post in this very long thread stated or implied that United was “a welfare agency” as you stated twice in your post - once in the title and one in the body of what you wrote. I am at a loss to understand how your comment concerning a “welfare agency” relates to the major discriminatory demotions to the combined frequent flyer programs. Many of the demotions were promised as lifetime benefits until recently.

No one passenger is exactly the same as another passenger. We all have different likes and dislikes. The fact that you “do not understand how additional complimentary upgrades on top of advanced elite status would add anything to the relationship - - “ does not address the issue that those two regional upgrades were promised to all million-milers for life “at the end of every year.” As previously stated, those lifetime upgrades have been discontinued by the new United management.

The discontinuance of those upgrades does not yield additional revenue to United. In fact, the withdrawal of the upgrades causes a reduction in future revenue because many loyal passengers intend to leave United for other carriers.

I am baffled by your comment “The only way you elites are going to keep those cushy benefits is if the airline is doing well - with loyal customers who are driven to do things that help the airline do well.” Your comment may mean something but I cannot see how it relates to the demotions already announced by the new United management. Loyalty programs reward loyalty. A well run company does not reward loyalty by demoting and abusing its most loyal customers.