The reason GS exists as a special program is that United wanted to reward HIGH YIELD SUPER PROFITABLE customers...
its because there are 1Ks who aren't terribly profitable that they can do a big program for those who are valuable, with certainty.

It is clear that COdbaUA is clueless about what these guys want/need. CO never had to care/worry about competing with CX/SQ/QF/NZ/BA/EK. Now that they are running a huge international airline... they are in major markets that compete with other domestic airlines. LA, SFO, NY,BOS, ORD,NRT and now DEN all have serious domestic competition.

CO never had to really use their FFP/Elite treatment as a carrot to keep people on their metal internationally. MileagePlus rewarded people for flying UA metal above and beyond flying others. With OnePass, plenty of people ended up flying NW >80% of the time...

It was this epiphany that made me want to stop with the PMCO and PMUA nonsense. Things got a little better for most (not all) CO elites. Things got measurably "worse" for most UA elites. If I got new upgrade instruments and the like I'd probably have a calmer response to merger integration issues as well. Instead I had some taken away -- and I have to face the same issues as everyone else.

The GSs on this thread that are bailing are the only proof statement I need. Anyone who can rationalize that either:

a) GS don't matter to UA
b) That their expectations were created by anything other than prior service levels

are just being obtuse for the sake of being obtuse.

+1. If the GS's are getting treated like crap, what chance do I as a Silver have at being treated close to something human?

I was a Silver last year and requalified for this year. Didn't fly enough for gold. Cutting my benefits sent me packing. Before, I was at least treated relatively well. Sure, I didn't get the perks 1Ks and GS got, but I wasn't expecting them either.

Thing is, though, this year, my travel patterns are picking up, and so far I've successfully avoided UA. I challenged to Plat on US and I've already flown 25k miles on US. Unfortunately, they don't fly to Korea so unless I want Y on OZ due to some restrictions I have to work with, C can only be on UA. They grudgingly get some business since they're only show in town. I'll credit that back to US though.

Funny thing is, I'll get treated better as *G than I will as a UA lower elite. :rolleyes: UA could have had about $11k out of me this year already. They're lucky they're getting $6k.

Not that they care, though. If they don't care about losing the big bucks a GS spends. They certainly don't care about what I spend.

Absolutely no reason to be loyal to UA anymore.

The thing is, the March transition was really the icing on the cake.

Many of us saw the warning signs in the early stages of the merger... Lots of changes...for everyone except 1Ks and GS (I can't think of one new benefit that was added). The numerous downgrades for PMUA fliers (redeemable mileage bonuses, MM, E+ for 2P, Elite Choice) were a cause for concern early on.

Personal travel on UA was also getting more expensive... spending more on flights with connections no longer made sense. The time was right. YMMV.

I'm a 1K and along with Superguy, I know I have no chance on being treated well if GSes are experiencing this.

I feel for the OP, because I too would like to stay with UA (even if it is CO doing business as...) if it was worth sticking around for.

That said, I'm not wasting 'a year' while there are other carriers out there worth spending money on who will actually appreciate your business and abide by their own policies.

-jeremy

[QUOTE=SEA1K4EVR;18458670]I can definitely understand being frustrated. But I think saying "goodbye" because there have been some difficulties in the 6 week period following the most significant and complex systems event in the company's history.. is absurd.


So if the merchant you have dealt with for years, started selling you a lower quality product, while telling you how you are going to like the changes, you will continue do business with them?:confused:

I'm sorry but when the seller changes the rules that no longer work for me I'm find another merchant. Not in six weeks or months but on my next purchase.

I have since voiced my concerns to phone agents and ground staff, so I feel I've done all I can do. I don't have much faith that their escalation is doing anything. We just received an update email today and it just feels like too little, too late.

Hopefully UA will notice all the top-tier fliers who have 0 reservations booked. That's got to seem a bit out of the ordinary. Telling them directly that "I'm leaving" probably won't accomplish much, if anything.

My Commitment: no more UA metal for as long as I can
 

I have kept my promise to UA so far: I have not flown a single segment on them since mid February. I fly at least once per month on C or J fare international on some of their very pricey routes (SFO-FRA. SFO-HKG-SIN). All that business is now going to SQ or LH. Of course, they still get the rev sharing with LH which bothers me, but I am meeting my commitment to no flights on UA metal.

I expect to be able to complete the year without single additional UA metal flight. Sort of like a diet, however. I know I should do it, but I hope I do not backslide and end up on UA metal. I will feel sooooooo disappointed with myself if I do!

very cogently and well put in your factual descriptions of a disappeared culture -and valuations of many meaningful,extremely loyal customers.I want to believe it can be turned around but.....

I don't view my main airline of choice the same way nearly the same as a merchant who I buy things from. I've spent a significant amount of time and money over the years with United.. I'm a 1.5MMer and have been 1K since 1999. It's not that easy to just pick up and change airlines without incurring a loss of benefits and/or having to start all over building up loyalty with another carrier...not to mention learning everything about the new carrier from the ground up.. I know a lot about United...and very little about other airlines. It's not nearly as simple as going down the street to buy products from a different store because you had a bad experience (or a few bad experiences) where you normally shop.

I don't like many of the changes that have been made..like the reduction of benefits in the million miler program, and upgrade processing changes..but I do like some of the other changes.

For me, even though I could choose another airline right now I'm willing to give United time to fix their issues before making a big move that would inconvenience me significantly. Others might feel differently, but this is how I view it.

Only a 1P, but...
 

My last UA flight on my own volition will be on a U.S.->Asia award this summer.

I'm only a 1P, but in some ways that's actually saying more. I used to go to enormous lengths ($, schedule and otherwise) to keep 90+% of my travel on UA (not easy being BOS-based), even as a 1P. My u/g % used to look a lot more like what you see on udustats.com; now the only time I see a number that high is next to my name on the w/l. More than anything, though, I used to just feel "comfortable" on UA- I knew the rules, the unwritten rules, the quirks, and the loopholes, so 1P was in some (probably irrational) way worth it to me. Not anymore.

This whole thing is pretty liberating, actually. It feels good to not have to worry/think about status anymore, and I have more time now that I don't incessantly direct my browser to ual.com to see if my flights have posted. I book the cheapest/most convenient flights (short of WN), and I'm sticking to CC bonuses and whatever odds and ends I accumulate flying out of BOS to collect miles.

I have a deck of tulip-adorned grey UA playing cards from the early 90s on my desk to remind me of the "good old days." Thanks for the memories, UAL. Thanks for giving me the chance to fly the friendly skies.

US-AA merger may be just the ticket for you.

Suggest sending it to Smisek ... a good test to see if he only responds to rah-rah emails that rave about UA is the best since sliced bread.

That's because you are used to being treated like crap at CO and it can only get better for you :rolleyes:

Low Expectations
 

I am not avoiding UA and I am not seeking them out.

I only fly UA when it is either the cheapest, the most convenient, or both.

As long as they get me from Point A to Point B is one piece, I'm good.

Also, any day I don't get yelled at by an employee at EWR is a victory... :D

What a sad thread.
I feel the same way.
I joined United in 2006 to be my carrier for "wherever I go in life" and to read what's happened to them, just sucks.
And as a native Chicagoan, literally growing up with United.........it stings that much more.

If they can't even treat GS with the utmost respect, how else are they going to treat all of us down below? It was supposed to be their super special, semi-secret club for their "best of the best" and to hear GS folks tell these stories.........simply appauls this general member.

What sucks too is, now that I'm living in CT, there's very little other options going back home to ChiTown. American goes....but they're always at least $50 more, and NO mainline. Everyone else has to route through a hub to get home.
And forget Southwest, they're actually HIGHER than AA going BDL-MDW most of the time.
So....I'm kinda trapped in this misery, and when I decided to "invest" in UA with all the credit cards and MP stuff....I expected a little give-take.

I really hope it gets better. My experiences haven't been bad post- 3/3, but all it'll take is one IRROPS nightmare, and I'll have to go.
That's where PMUA really shined, even as a GM, IRROPS was wonderful and the staff always took ownership of my problem and worked at getting me where I needed, with whatever equipment they had.

Now all I picture are the PMUA staff, desperate to help us, but handcuffed by Smisek, laughing smuggly.