cesco.g

Including 1Ks in the middle-tier your analysis sums it up perfectly! ^

CO_Nonrev_elite

The other thing that seems odd is their is almost unlimited PN bucket for the GS members to exclusively upgrade almost any flight. If these GS members are always spending HUGE money, then why do they need this upgrade bucket that is only for them. Basically it is whatever you want for the GS members PN bucket, and then everyone else is hurled together (1K, Platinum, Gold, Silver and general members) all pull from the empty R bucket.

I am unhappy with United on more or less every segment I fly them. They can fix this or fix that, but they are not fixing the poor attitudes of the employees.

For years Southwest offered more or less zero perks, and had the highest customer satisfactions scores around. United offers first class, they offer food, they offer wifi, tv, movies..., and they come last every time. Why ?, because they have rude employees who do the absolute least they can do without getting fired and a company who nickels and dimes their customers.

Nothing changes until the employee culture changes

Karl-MDW

I have not participated (voted) in the Freddie Awards in a few years - basically since my Million Miler status was downgraded.

When the Freddie's began at the height of the frequent Flyer era and the various programs were coming up with new and creative attempts to lure and to keep loyal customers, there was good reason to vote for the most beneficial program. Remember when even United advertised its Freddie accomplishments?

Times have certainly changed. While I do not hate Mileage Plus, I also do not feel that it is an award winning program. United and I each seem to use the program in a way in benefits each of us. Unfortunately..no more; no less.

bocastephen

Which is an interesting thing to have, since I thought all GS only buy the most expensive tickets, which would book them into the F cabin outright

Unless the majority of GS are not really high spenders, but high influencers.

WineCountryUA

Well -- not exactly 5% --- 5% do significant better, 16% a wash and 6% slightly worst -- the headline was 73% significantly worse. That I could believe.

And given Alaska's yield is lower (found 14.9 cpm consolidated, mainline 13.58 cpm in 10K - 11 Feb 2015) , one would expect UA be a bit better.

Clearly agree the majority and a significant majority are significantly worse for UA MP with a mileage program, but is not likely 95% are significantly worse -- maybe 2/3s or bit more scaling from the Alaska study.

BTW, I'm in the majority and not happy but some of the speculation on FT has suggested things the facts do not support.

kb1992

This sounds pretty accurate.

cova

Flew WN for the first time in 4 years and I was surprised with the service. Free streaming live TV on your iPad or iPhone via WiFi and some free music. You pay for movies or Internet Connection. But the WiFi is live while on the ground during boarding and anytime during the flight - including take off.

Free soft drinks and free peanuts and pretzels. No charge for bags.

No F - so everyone is on a even playing field. For Kettles WN really does offer a good product. The majors are getting the business travelers and Frequent Flyers and Kettles when the schedule and price are right.

Average person doesn't fly enough to care about FF programs. Others I know only fly a few times a year - but have high credit card charges which results in F/J international travel rewards.

sbm12

WN gets plenty of business travelers in the markets where it has commuter-type service. Look at California and Texas for several good examples. And it has more than a few in other markets where it provides the only non-stop service between cities or mainline service competing against only regional ops for OALs.

Your view that no F = no business travelers just plain silly.

BearX220

Correct. For the numerical majority of MP members the cost of chasing the "prizes" now exceeds their value. Add the three-card monte aspect of dynamic award pricing and the only way to win this game is not to play.

Thank you.

Flew a United 753 BOS-SFO this week on an award ticket. Theoretically wifi / streaming equipped. The cabin crew explained half a dozen times during boarding, taxi, and climb how the streaming thing worked, how to get the app set up, etc. About 30 minutes into the flight they got on the horn and confessed the system was busted, rebooting didn't help, and we could all -- including those who'd paid for Gogo -- just sit in the dark for 6h20m.

If you imagine business travelers only fly in first class, or avoid carriers that don't have F, you must be dreaming. Do you think business travelers are not on B6? Most business travelers buy economy and angle for upgrades, which on UA mostly ain't happening these days.

sbm12

That has been the case for a long, long time. Were it not then the program would not be profitable. I think what you're really bemoaning is that the number is even smaller and includes more like yourself.

What gogo did you pay for on a UA 753??

Or buy coach and don't care about the upgrade because they get where they need to be to get the job done and then get home.

zombietooth

Truth!

I listen to the Dr. Drew Pinsky podcast (he also has a talk show on CNN) and he always flies in either paid F on AA, or on WN. Oddly enough, he professes to like WN just as much as AA.

I also listen to Adam Carolla, and he flies whomever has the best connections and shortest transit times, period. He's logged over 200K miles so far this year, promoting his movies (his Paul Newman racing doc. is to be released this weekend) and doing gigs, and most of that travel has been on WN.

transportbiz

Is it possible he used 'gogo' as a generic term for paid wifi?

Always Flyin

I disagree, at least in my situation.

I redeem my miles for international F awards, which yes I purchase if I don't have the miles or there is no availability.

The airlines make money off the deal because they can limit availability to a seat they wouldn't otherwise sell and the incremental costs of the amenities given an F passenger can't exceed a few hundred dollars, tops.

From my perspective, the miles are buying me a seat that would cost thousands of dollars in cash if the mileage programs did not exist.

In my scenario, the mileage program is beneficial to the airline and to the passenger.

SwisherTown

At least since PQD. People claim to have made 1K on $5k. That's not a good rate for 6 GPUs and 200k miles? Not as good as triple/double miles but still good.

PolarRoute

I am not surprised people are unhappy, given the low number of program miles you earn for your flights on United.