It's ironic, isn't it?

Although for me arguably the most valuable 1K benefit these days is free award changes, and you can benefit from that even if most of your qualifying activity is on partners.

Damn, I really thought I could make Hainan work.
I've been playing around with all possible routes and combinations, but it really isn't easy.

UA. EWR. Hub. Monopoly...

Damn you, UA!

I'd just about have to move to get away from them....:(

I'm looking to join Delta, but I have a feeling loyalty is dead...

Can you switch to oneworld using their PHL hub? It can't be (much) worse than EWR.

Staying with UA as I prefer EWR vs JFK and expect the new program to be status neutral for me. I'll finish 2019 with just over 75k PQM and about $11k PQD (mostly leisure transcons and some expensive short haul flights on OPM). Adding in the extra PQD/PQP from upgrades, etc. should put me close to the $12k mark for Platinum again.

Did you try searching out of AVP? (Kidding! From a fellow Northeaster Pennsylvanian!)

Hehe..
I did. It's AVP to ORD, then connect to Hainan, but the connections aren't good. I'll probably do it once or twice this year just for the heck of it, and to see if it could be my travel pattern for next year. I somehow doubt it already though...

The option of PHL mentioned earlier is also something I will check out.

I have been keeping SE100K with AC and 1K with UA for a few years. No more. SE100K and if I need to fly UA I will just buy J/F.

You mean flying out of AVP to ORD at 5:50am or 5:25pm doesn’t work too well? :D

Ever look at the value of Sky Pesos redemption on a busy route?

Will book most new flights with OW (as I am top tier with BA,MH, and AA). Will credit all to AA in 2020. BA and MH to disappear in 2021. UA will get credit for any *A flights and whatever it ends up with it is. On domestic flights will try to route AA first if feasible (from PSP).

Staying with UA, no real reason or too lazy to adjust to AA/DL, but will likely re-qualify with 24,000 PQP on non-016 tickets as I have the flexibility to originate outside the US on some reasonably priced J tickets. It's also easier for me to get to/from EWR. I'm more disappointed about the every changing spend requirement. I wish there was a bit more notice so I don't have to re-adjust at the beginning of every year.

I doubt many of the US airlines were caught off guard by the UA announcement. Having worked in a corporate office of decent sized airline - you generally know what is going on with all the airlines because quite frankly you have turnover in the industry. This change would have required a small army of people to be involved ranging from the loyalty team, IT, legal, revenue mgmt, sales and marketing. UA certainly, in my opinion, floated this change to key strategic customers for feedback - and I suspect many would have strongly supported it based on spend. The only projects at an airline that tend to have a very small need to know circle are things that might be union impacting.

I'm more surprised this hasn't been discussed as a rumor for at least a few months - even if it was started by an unhappy employee.

With all that said, AS motivation to change the status match rules probably weren't motivated by the UA change. Probably more the loyalty team at AS didn't feel they were getting what they wanted regarding the status matching

I'm sure AS will be delighted to pick up UA refugees, particularly at SFO/OAK/SJC.

At Delta, you can just charge your way to status (via credit cards) without even stepping onto a flight.

Airlines never created loyalty programs; they created marketing programs. FFers committing themselves years after years brought into the allure. Loyalty is alive and well, but only from one-side.