Madone59

Almost all of my flying has gone from personal spend to OPM...I guess that's a plus.

On another note If you have a CC, spend $25K (like I do) and fly 75K (like I do), but only spend around $4,000 (like I will this year) in 2015 you will get a whopping 36,000RDM - Wha Wha Whaaaa (sad trombone sound)

JNelson113

I'm a 1K and it does not benefit me at all. I will lose 90K+ miles a year.

I was just going to suggest that.

billnye97

UA does have more flights on a per day basis from CLE-LGA so if I need to switch it offers more options then Delta. However, with UA dehubbing CLE I don't have really any incentive to stay with them.

Singapore_Schwing

You realize that status is based on miles flown, right?

UAgeek71

I know there are some routes and travel patterns where there is the ability to do "Better" than we think we have now, but does anyone really think this is Better under any definition of the word? What percentage of flyers travel the same short route (mid con) daily / weekly?

For the rest of us who fly anything outside that scope, this is a bign


Also, the average flyer, is going to be pretty peeved, when they spend 600 dollars, on a ticket for a vacation, and expect 3k miles, but only get 2100 because of hidden charges that don't qualify. They likely won't spend the time to re-search why, they will feel cheated, then call, get angry, tie up the CS lines, get the answer they don't like, then never book UA again after the bad experience, especially if they experience the UA of today with dark cramped Rj's, delays, and sub par product to begin with!

snic

Not, it is not ludicrous at all. When is the last time you flew on a partially-empty plane?

Capacity has been cut a lot across all US airlines, at the same time that demand is increasing due to an improving economy. So, UA absolutely does fill its planes with paying customers - despite its crappy product. And the fares people are paying for that crappy product are higher than before, and getting higher.

That is the real reason why RDMs are going to be revenue-based.

kluau88

How so?

Say I fly from SFO-HKG RT.

As a 1K now I earn 27656 RDM.

Under the new program I would have to spend $2515 on that same ticket which is practically double what I pay now for a W fare as a leisure traveler and not an OPM traveler.

SFO777

Unless you credit a difference *A program in which case you can still get 50K or more per RT.

787fan

DL isn't allowing higher multiplier. They're phrasing it as X+2 pts because that's the miles you would earn from Amex DL card *regardless* of what you earn from flying. It's really stretching to truth to think it's a card bonus.

UA will have the exact same X+2 system, but at least their PR group isn't marketing it as such to confuse people.

Sez_Who

Over on the DL forum, they found it seems to favor those who purchase more expensive tix, > 20 cpm net of taxes. Probably helps those who buy expensive short-haul tix and of course, those purchasing F/biz class tickets. Anything less, expect to earn fewer miles.

DL took a lot of heat for this, including a WSJ article saying that this incentivizes those who purchase their tickets later because those are the most expensive. Probably true but if misery loves company, DL has to be feeling pretty good right now.

CashN

Smisek single handedly destroyed United Airlines.

Duke787

Bingo. Yes something like this weeds out the person that only does MR for status - but saying MRs hurt the airlines is silly. Mistake fares yes - those likely hurt an airline (especially one like the BOS - ICN F mistake fare), but MRs do fill seats that may have gone out empty.

Many people who do an odd mileage run or two (myself included) use them to top off a gap between work travel and the next elite level. Those people are still profitable overall to the airline and this just encourages them not to spend their free time and money flying UA and instead just walking away.

Plus UA seems to have a problem filling those seats these days whether they're filled with MRs or not unless they downgauge to an RJ

SFO777

Not doubt that that's why UA is making so much money.

sm71

The thing that I think is jacked up is in order to maximize miles, you have the incentive to fly a short flight with a high ticket price. But, in order to get qualification miles, the incentive is to book a long flight with a low ticket price. Not a good combination for most people.

edcho

IAH-LGA last month was half empty. I got exit row 20 and 21 to myself and E+ only had a few people. I thought there were weather issues somewhere -- but it was clear day across the US.