Doc Savage

Agreed, it is only a matter of time until all FF programs institute this, and almost no chance it will be changed back.

worldwidedreamer

So, the facts
•a MileagePlus mile is an accrued discount based on distance travelled.
•United is unable to obtain a price premium for its product versus competition

Here is what I don't understand:
•With competitors earning a higher RASM, why on earth would United reduce one of its few tools of positive differentiation?

nikolastojsin

I am NYC-based, so plenty of options for domestic travel; however, I fly to Eastern Europe (mostly BEG) regularly, several times a year, which eliminates OW (and ST TATL product is not very good). Several flights to India as well (GPUs have always had a very good value on direct EWR flights to India, IMHO). So United and *A made a lot of sense for me.

However - and although my mileage earnings will go way up with this change - I do not like the direction this airline is taking, and I do not think current management knows what they are doing. I probably would be able to live with a bad product (though not with a horrible one - and UA is currently pretty close) or a bad FF program, but not both. I have enough trips already booked on UA metal to keep 1K status for 2015, so I will use the rest of the year to sample competition. I have already booked a B6 Mint transcon, and my next bookings will be on DL and AA (I did swear some years ago not to fly AA ever again, so that may or may not come to pass).

If EY-run JU starts flying JFK-BEG direct (as they are promising - and, btw, new JU's intra-Europe J is excellent), or B6 starts having Mint on all its routes, or VX expands to LGA (they got the slots), or... well, lots of ifs, none of which is happening anytime very soon, but you get the idea.

Bottom line: holding pattern, sampling, no loyalty (none is deserved any more). I am kind of hoping that current UA management will not last much longer, but that may be wishful thinking on my part...

nikolastojsin

^ +1 A $64K question! And I genuinely hope someone asks them that at the next conference call...

KLM671

I've switched from AF/KL 5 years ago thanks to what was then the generous OnePass program, then the upgrades disappeared, the devaluation of miles (I use miles to fly my family around on vacations) and now this...

When I add in the fact that I have no way to accrue miles with a UA credit card as I am not a US citizen and not living in the USA, there is really no reason for me to fly UA anymore, especially as I pay all of my trips out of my pocket!

I suffered bad service and transiting through EWR for 5 years to enjoy the miles with the family, but now is time to switch to Euro/ME3/Asian airlines that actually provide good service, maybe less miles, but good service!

Will keep MileagePlus only if Copa does not switch to the same way of earning miles!

Bye bye United, it was not a pleasure flying with you!

Mike Jacoubowsky

If UA continues its PQD waiver for CC spend, I'll remain a UA Plat, possibly drop to Gold, for the foreseeable future. Why?

• Reduced RDM earnings just barely rise above the level of background noise for me, since most of my RDMs come from CC spend.
  
• MP remains a solid way of earning and using miles.
  
• MP remains a solid way of earning and using miles.
  
• MP remains a solid way of earning and using miles.

Seriously, MP is a huge attraction to UA. It works (for me). Out of SFO, I have no issue getting award flights for the family, especially if I can remain Plat and pick up last-second saver fares (and cancel out previously-booked standard fares w/o penalty).

If MP was severely eroded, I don't know that I'd move to any other particular program, but rather become a Kayaker and use a CC that allowed me to book on different airlines, not just United.

So if PQD waivers continue, I see no changes in my future. I will continue to look forward to the frequent cancellations and horrid service that has affected nearly everyone but me.

briank1973

Will be at 800K lifetime miles at the end of this year, and I really wanted to go for 1MM by 2017/18. I just want to never worry about qualifying for Gold again and burn RDMs and avoid buying tickets (for personal flights).

The new changes do the following for me:

1) Platinum seems almost negligible now above Gold when on cheap tickets. The 2 RPUs are nice and a few other benefits, but it's not worth chasing and spending money on to get crap miles in return on lower fare tickets. I'll kayak when it comes to miles beyond gold qualification. I don't fly enough to make 1K (although I will this year), and I buy the lowest fares possible, so rarely do I have a chance to use GPUs.

2) Once I make 1MM, I'm only going to be a mileage burner on UA, not a cash ticket purchaser, IF AA's program is clearly better. Not as many options for me in MEL, but one can buy AU-US flights on AA.com (qantas metal), pay a bit more, and get 100% AAdv miles and avoid the crappy return in partner miles from Qantas.

I am eager to see the updated partner charts. Looking forward to trips to Europe on SQ or TG and earning miles on distance.

tom911

Was that the free 1K to EXP challenge with 25,000 points (not miles) over 90 days?

Always Flyin

It was for me a few weeks ago.

Note that the points have to be on specific carriers, not just any oneworld carrier.

The challenge still doesn't make much sense to me. They gave me EXP until the end of Aug. If I earn 25,000 points, it is extended to the end of their status year (end of Feb, I believe). But then I have to fly 75,000 points between the end of Aug and the end of the calendar year or my status drops down in Feb.

So I will be EXP until Feb and will then drop down to a lower level until later in 2015 when I have hit 100,000 in that calendar year, when I will rise back up to EXP.

Poorly designed status challenge program, IMHO.

freeflyin

As a former 1K,now gold due to MM status, I have dropped to ~10k PQM with UA so far this year.

I had already thrown away any loyalty toward UA, so these changes will not measurably impact my decisions going forward.

My general plan is to relieve some stress in my life and not focus on mileage earnings, but rather make my choices based on routes and revenue only.

tom911

I think the trick with AA challenges, and I believe it's covered in the AA forum wiki on challenges, is that if you start the challenge after July 1, or possibly late in June, that it will carry you all the way out through February, 2016. If you start earlier in the year, you'd have to meet the normal status requirements to keep it past February, 2015. If anyone is looking at a challenge, worthwhile to read the fine points in the AA forum wiki and also to double-check with AA.

Madone59

Oh ya. I have a few TCons sub $300 R/T and I am not taking MR's I just plan months, and months in advance. Both work or personal travel....it's never last minute.

cruisr

Next month 1mm and lifetime gold. EWR based so UA has the greatest market share but I will look for the lowest price now on other carriers. Freedom to book better carriers TATL and TPAC if the price is better. Why bother with giving UA any more of my retirement income LOL. I will burn the rest of my miles and if I do fly UA domestic at least I get my exit row aisle seat at time of booking as a gold. Never check luggage so the benefit of free checked bag doesn't matter either.

Delta3MM

I'm 75K away from 2MM. Going to try and do it by the end of the year to get 150K miles in this year (and hit the 10K dollars). Then I will have 8 rpus and 8 GPUs to use next year. Will take two international trips, along with a companion, and likely use the RPUs to take two companions to Hawaii next year.

So, I used to spend 6- 11K per year on united and try for the 100K. I won't do that any more. I'll pay to fly whoever has the best service and times.

I'm only 600K away from 4MM on Delta, but I won't intentionally try to get there, Gold is good enough.

If AA keeps its program, I may move my 100K/year flying to them, but they just don't have much to Asia. My favorite place is BKK, and I would typically fly there about 3 times per year. Only US option left is DL, and I am not going to try for DM for just 4 upgrades not to mention the fact that I'd be earning so few miles.

So, next year, for the first time in over 25 years, I'm going to fly less than 100K miles. And I am not looking back.

For the airlines, I think the demand for long haul flights will diminish. I know for me, I don't really do MR per se (I spend some time where I go), but I no longer have to plan so many trips, nor go for as long a distance. If enough of us do that, airlines will likely have to go to smaller aircraft and lower frequency. I think it will really hurt Hawaii.

It will be interesting to see if AA is going to be a lemming too.

Oh well, it was fun playing the FF game while it lasted. Now the airlines will have some HVF's but no loyalty anymore.

Billy

AndyInSaigon

90% of my flying is SGN-IAH so I'm not going anywhere unless TG starts IAH (never going to happen.) UA's C fares are just too attractive. And if they'd server better wines I'd not care about any bad experiences.

If I had my druthers it'd be SGN-BKK-FRA (TG)-FRA-IAH (LH) all in F.