Waldofriend

It's quite telling to me that so many of the threads (dating back through last year) seem to be MP members voicing concern (or outright dismay) about the perceived and/or actual devlauation of benefits/recognition. I, for one, have witnessed it personally and anticipate it will only continue that way. It's just the new UA, like it or not. The (now 50+ page) thread on the new boarding order is just the most recent example. People justifiably (or not, sometimes) feel the degredation of the program and hence the incentive to get to that next level continues to lessen - at least that's my experience (and I don't think I fall into the DYKWIA category). I would imagine UA and many other airlines would probably like nothing better than to do away completely with their FF programs - it would make their lives easier, but obviously they're not going to do that. I was talking with a friend of mine in marketing who knows a lot about branding, perception and expectation and we came up with a silly (but how much sillier than some of UA's recent ideas) idea to rebrand the MP program. The respective benefits would remain unchanged from what are now offered, but the levels (GS excepted, maybe someone else might have a thought) would be renamed and hopefully with renaming, would bring the expectation of what benefits would be received more into line with what is actually given:

1K will become OK (as in okay)
Platinum becomes Aluminum
Gold becomes Copper
Silver becomes Tin

If I'm OK, I'm getting by pretty well. If I'm Aluminum, it's alright (and I get to board now with OKs!) If I'm Copper, well, I guess it's alright if the credit cards get to board with me - especially if they're shiny!) And if I'm Tin, well, I'm Tin. Better than paper, I suppose. No more precious metals here. Just kidding and excuse the rant, but sometimes having realistic expectations makes a difference.

wildbill412007

Just because I am a nit-picker, copper is ~ 4x higher in spot price than aluminium. So you might be unreasonably raising the expectation level of those creepy credit card folks

Waldofriend

Ha. We thought that was the case, but were going for color continuity! Any other yellowish NON precious metals out there?

familyflier

I can easily provide such a substance filled with minerals from the vitamins I just took.

wildbill412007

Judging by the 50 page thread, you could go a little scatalogical for a non metal brownish substance.

Keeping it PG

FlyWorld

I enjoy complaining and pontificating as much as the next guy, but do we really need yet another thread on this?

I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I'm feeling a bit down from the level of negativity the past couple weeks.

Even by our own standards, it's been scathing.

Waldofriend

I know what you mean. This was started with an attempt to bring a little humor to the topic - hope it didn't read as mean spirited, that wasn't the intent.

wildbill412007

In defense, at least it started off going for the funny. Now we know the half life for humor in a thread is about 5 posts.

familyflier

Not to be a nit picker but wouldn't the half life of humor be 2.5 threads?

MrMarket

Beat me to it. +1

wildbill412007

Ahh, but you are making the assumption that it was originally more than half funny

FlyWorld

Not at all. I'm just trying to chuckle too.

aacharya

But there isn't a good way to 'negate' the negativity of such a title as "general devaluation". Suggest that OP ask to close the thread.

As you can imagine, I am totally sick of the negativity. It's gotten to the point that it emboldens articles like UA being 7th in some meaningless statistic, or that UA treats teenagers and young adults like young adults, not kindergarteners.

fadeforward

I don't know, I'm finding this thread immensely refreshing. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one sick of the negativity.

Flyer420

"Funny" ha ha

or

"Funny" peculiar?

Flyer 420
trying to be funny ha ha
in Seattle