ozstamps

For 1Ks and GS, hard to imagine anyone could make things WORSE?

$smi$ek and Amigos will be gone after 2 more Q of bad figures. They'll be in Chapter 11 otherwsie.

Hopefully they'll then hire someone who can untie the knots these clowns have made.
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TWA Fan 1

Not to fan the flames here, but isn't that what many were saying about Tilton, even though a number of us (including Channa, notably) tried to warn you repeatedly about the PMCO "system?"

gegarrenton

The game has never changed, the airlines are just still figuring out how to play it, and they have a long way to go. CO has zero idea how to play the full service international airline role, and that is showing right now. They may or may not figure it out, who knows.

What? There is a trickle compared to those going the other direction. I actually don't know any personally, and i know of a .... ton of folks who are neither FTer's or 1K's who are in mass exodus because not just the FF program has cratered, but so has the airline in general.

dgcpaphd

Sorry to disagree, but it is the million-milers (BIS) that took the biggest hit from the new UA management.

Take a look at the million-mile thread in the UA forum if you want confirmation.

BIS million-milers flew UA equivalent to about forty times around the world. Star alliance partners did not count for the original million-milers of UA. In other words, all flights had to be on UA aircraft in order for a customer to be a million-miler on the PMUA program.

What did the million-milers get from the new UA management for their promised "lifetime" benefits, for their loyalty, time and money spent?

They got severe demotions to those promised "lifetime" benefits.

Moreover, they were furnished with canned and/or false statements from the new UA management (or staff) when inquiries were made concerning the breached promised "lifetime" benefits.

While all MP members took a hit, the million-milers, who relied on promised "lifetime" benefits, were thrown under the tracks, so to speak, by the new UA management.
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halls120

Well, since 1K's don't "cost" UA as much in perks as do golds and silvers, we'll have to agree to disagree. And as far as bearing the brunt of changes, did UA have a dedicated Silver call line they junked? Dedicated Silver boarding and check in lines? Did Silvers lose meal choice preference? UA moved 1K more towards Silver than they moved Silver towards 1K.

majortom

Nope. It was only used for 1K/GS/F passengers, so it was always clear anytime after. That meant that I could walk up at any point without having to wait. Now all "elites" use the blue carpet, which means it there is no clear boarding lane (as there are always enough Silver/Gold/Platinum using the blue carpet, and GM/Kettles using the other side that neither is free).

LarkSFO

Global Entry for free?
Channel 9?
Extending E+ fleet wide? (If they only made this one change, that would be enough for me to dedicate the majority of my flying to UA.)
Continuing many of the other elite friendly policies (flexibility with award miles for example)?
New service to places I want to travel?
Unmatched route network, getting better and better?
In flight wifi starting in August? (I concede, they are late to the game here)
Improved boarding process?
100% success rate with upgrades to F? (yes, my experience only)
The 787? (Maybe I am a geek, but this does get me excited)

gegarrenton

I do find this irony hilarious. When I started seeing "Tilton was alright" type post, I laughed, literally.

FWIW, UA has been on the down since Tilton, it's just gotten worse. I hopped ship 3 years ago over his crap.

LarkSFO

OK, I'll go read that thread.

I thought that MM'ers just lost the two annual CPU's, but I will go learn more.

(And, yes, I will concede that as UA reviewed the numbers they probably determined that they were being overly generous to MM'ers in return for the amount of value the airline receives from this segment, just like they were being overly generous to 2P's and 1P's...)

SFO777

+1
Perhaps chinatraderjmr means status matching which is quite different than "switching".
I recently was "Status Matched" but to Platinum after UA claimed that my EXP was the equivalent to PP.
We flew one roundtrip SFO-DEN on UA. And even though we are moving to DEN at the end of the month, I have no intention of flying UA to/from DEN again any time soon. Indeed, I booked our SFO-DEN flight next week on F9.

TWA Fan 1

I hate to be such a contrarian, but I think UA was actually improving tangibly under Tilton.

Despite the fact that PMCO had such a stellar reputation, they had been largely coasting on the considerable goodwill generated in the Gordon Bethune days.

With a few notable exceptions, virtually everything Bethune's successors have done diminished the product at PMCO, while under Tilton, the PMUA product tangibly improved.

halls120

GE - ^
CH9 - given how it is increasingly turned off, no real improvement
E+ - ^
More elite unfriendly changes than friendly changes
There isn't a single place I want to go that the competition doesn't have options
When W-Fi is actually on board, they get a ^
You really regard fixing a boarding process they initially broke on their own accord something positive????
My UG rate is worse than it was pre-merger
I won't be riding anybody's 787 in steerage if they install 17 inch seats.

YMMV.

LarkSFO

DEN777: ()

When your spite for a company damages your own self interests, then I think you are taking it too far...

Take a breather, let things settle down. Depending upon your travel patterns, UA will probably be your best DEN option, and it will only get better over the next couple of years.

desperationsearch

The topic was what could be worse, but OK, I'll bite:

Global Entry for free? - Doesn't help domestic Transcon travelers
Channel 9? - spotty availability - can't rememebr the last plane I flew where it was announced - none this year
Extending E+ fleet wide? So are the other carriers - perhaps late to the game as you say but not a differentaitor
Continuing many of the other elite friendly policies [such as awards] ? Have you tried booking a trip for a family of four, one paid, three award. Find three award seats anywhere. Find a time when award seats are available when the paid fare isn't double the norm. Try finding standard 1st availability for three on transcon or east to Hawaii. Try getting your family into e+ with you when they're on an award and yours is a paid 1K supposedly entitled to that benefit.
New service to places I want to travel? Show me an airport only served by COdbaUA. Not a differentaitor
Unmatched route network, getting better and better? Same as above
In flight wifi starting in August? I'll believe it when I see it.
Improved boarding process? In who's delusional mind?
100% success rate with upgrades to F? On what routes?
The 787? With COdbaUA's sardine can interior design?

majortom

I agree completely. What is funny is that for all intents and purposes they have made Premier Platinum equivalent to 1K for most people.

1. No fees to standby.
2. No Same Day Changes Fees
3. No phone booking fees.
4. No close in award booking fees.
5. Free mileage recredit.

Given how badly they have devalued GPUs, the only 1K-exclusive benefit left is not worth that much.