onefatsurfer

This announcement is a particularly sad one for me. It specifically targets me. I fly a lot of inexpensive flights because I'm a leisure traveler and don't have much $ to spare. I qualified this year for silver with something like $600 spend. After my status expires, I honestly have no real reason to continue seeking out UA flights to try to earn status, because it won't happen. I'll be a "whichever is the cheapest possible carrier to somewhere I'm interested in going to" traveler. This will most likely push me to cancel my UA card, too, since I won't be flying them as much, I won't recoup the annual fee with the free checked bags.

fly747first

Well, UA has been quite the UnderAchiever for almost two years now and aren't underachievers loathed by all anyway? I guess Smisek's dream has finally come true.

username

Not every United problem is caused by SHARES

SHARES does not manage your frequent flyer accounts. Fares are stored with the e-ticket in whatever currency and sometimes I think there is a "neutural" currency that is used for airline fares....

I guess the Average Achiever would be somewhat better?

FlyDeltaJets87

It's based on the bid by the contract carrier through the GSA, known as GSA City Pair fares. If you get further into the details, the tickets are actually "YCA" which is somewhat different than Full "Y". YCA fares earn the same miles and elite points as a Full Y but usually won't offer an instant upgrade. They're flexible and refundable. They also cost the same whether we book them 300 days out or the day of the flight.

YCA fares can be really expensive or dirt cheap. All depends on what the bids are for that route in a given fiscal year. I've seen domestic YCA fares for $79 one-way (before taxes). I've also seen domestic YCA fares for $600+ one-way (before taxes). Some routes have a couple different fares - CA and YCA. CA books into a lower fare class and is a reduced rate, but just like all cheaper fares, is also capacity restricted. Other city pair have no contract (or YCA) fare at all and we're at the mercy of what the travel booking system gives us. Sometimes it's good (you can sometimes get a better deal than flying a route with a GSA City Pair fare) and sometimes you have more flexibility in the airline you choose. Other times the tickets can be pretty pricey.

We're required to book with the GSA City Pair carrier if we're flying a route with one. Not doing so requires justification (such as "all flights on that carrier are full" or "the latest flight on the contract carrier leaves at 4 pm and I can't get to the airport until 5 pm"). Technically, finding a cheaper flight (even through our booking system) is not a valid reason for selecting an alternate carrier.

jlivengo

I think a great compromise is to provide EQM on award tickets. Not RDM, just EQM. Take a little, give something back.

bob_the_d

that's a nice dream to have.

jlivengo

I know, a big pipe dream. If we have PQD's, why not though? Reward the big spenders when purchasing other fares. Throw me a bone once in a while.

bse118

That's just it, though. Benefits are about what you and I as the individual flyer can make of them. Utility and value will vary. But to say point blank that elite status is of no benefit anymore, as some in this thread have is just false.

Yeah - this change isn't going to change my United purchasing habits one iota either way, with the likely exception of eliminating the once a year MR. I'm certainly not going to be buying more tickets from them because of it.

From UA's perspective the CCs aren't really about the individual holders. From the airline perspective the purpose of the loyalty program is to keep your best customers happy. For UA, Chase is one of it's best customers - maybe the best. If UA can keep Chase's customers happy, it keeps Chase happy, thus the increasing gearing of the program towards CC holders. My theory, anyway.

bldr1k

Do you really think they will do that to the lifetime multi-million mile fliers?

The benefits associated with Gold are pretty thin (not much better then a credit-card holder) so I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble. The number of people above 2M miles is pretty small and many are retired.

Vulcan

I predict the big problem for UA will come on 2/1/15 when MP members who think they are safely 1K (or PP, Gold, Silver), find out they are not.
I would not want to be answering the phones at UA on this day.

mduell

As Aaron made clear, carrier-imposed surcharges are included in PQD.

So you're earning 1290 PQD (774+516) on a $1440 ticket, or 90% PQD earning.

mkrecek

Very good to hear...I just hope they show some clarity when it comes time to purchasing ticket. However, looking at the breakdown, is sure does not look like UA is imposing any of those charges.
Correction: Got it: International surcharge is UA I am guessing. (confused face).

Kacee

A quick review of my currently booked flights shows PQD averaging 88-95% of the total fare. So worst case scenario, I need total spend of approx. $11,300 to sustain 1K. I'm already at $14,800 for the year, so don't see this being a problem (assuming same basic flight patterns next year).

zombietooth

Same boat as you, brother, and I am convinced that they will do away with the "lifetime" benefits.

My initial gut reaction would be to say, "screw UA", and just buy the best fare on any *A airline. I could still use my "lifetime" PP status to get international club access, free bags, etc. and likely save a lot of money too by always buying the cheapest, most-direct flight(s). But, my bet is that UA is already onto this and won't take kindly to excessive use of the PP privileges without a certain amount of revenue to UA. So I believe that the next of the "changes you will like" will be a minimum PQD spend to maintain your "lifetime" status.

They'll probably couch it in terms of an "activity" requirement with UA to maintain your status, just like with miles expiration.

Mark my words, it's coming!

GUWonder

Hotel programs have done the above sort of thing, in choosing to allow award nights/stays as contributing for purposes of elite status acquisition/retention. Starwood, Radisson, Hilton, Choice are examples of that.