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Lifetime Member Edition: UC access changes Nov 1, 2019 (same day BP on UA or partner)

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Old Nov 2, 2019, 11:43 pm
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Last edit by: zebranz
So, is anything happening with this? Just curious (Oct 3, 2019)



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Related thread: Club member/one-time pass access changes Nov 1, 2019 (same day BP on UA or partner) Original thread -- focused on the basic access issue, most lifetime membership posts have been moved to this lifetime thread







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Lifetime Member Edition: UC access changes Nov 1, 2019 (same day BP on UA or partner)

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Old Oct 1, 2019, 2:38 pm
  #271  
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1,777
No it's not a problem at all for United I am sure. American is giving it another look and hopefully they'll do the right thing. Will United?
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Old Oct 1, 2019, 8:07 pm
  #272  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
Originally Posted by PanAmWT
You are right, but even if the number stays the same it is not much a problem for UA. It cannot be more than a very small percentage of the total membership..
And of that tiny percentage, an even tinier percentage is flying on non-*A carriers at any given time. UA doing the right thing by lifetime members will have no effect on the over-crowding in the vast majority of UC’s the vast majority of the time.
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Old Oct 1, 2019, 9:26 pm
  #273  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS MVPG100K, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,488
Originally Posted by Mikey
Come on United do the right thing and take care of your lifetime members like you said you were going to.

As I've stated before this is a self-correcting problem. The number of lifetime memberships goes down as time goes on. The problem will solve itself eventually.
Originally Posted by PanAmWT
You are right, but even if the number stays the same it is not much a problem for UA. It cannot be more than a very small percentage of the total membership..
Originally Posted by Mikey
No it's not a problem at all for United I am sure. American is giving it another look and hopefully they'll do the right thing. Will United?
Originally Posted by SS255
And of that tiny percentage, an even tinier percentage is flying on non-*A carriers at any given time. UA doing the right thing by lifetime members will have no effect on the over-crowding in the vast majority of UC’s the vast majority of the time.
Those of us who are UA legacy Million Mile Flyers and those of us who are "lifetime" Silver Wings members made the same points. Still, UA fought no fewer than three class action suits launched against the loss of benefits from these two programs and prevailed.

UA hasn't suffered any loss of business on account of this, and people continue to fly them.

As I wrote quite a few posts ago, I sincerely wish you well, but I've learned that neither appealing to the good will of UA nor attacking their practices in court offers any realistic hope of success.
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Old Oct 2, 2019, 12:52 am
  #274  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Originally Posted by Fredd
Those of us who are UA legacy Million Mile Flyers and those of us who are "lifetime" Silver Wings members made the same points. Still, UA fought no fewer than three class action suits launched against the loss of benefits from these two programs and prevailed.
On this I agree. I don't know what it costs to fend off a class action lawsuit - I know the million miler lawsuit went to the Court of Appeals - but I suspect it isn't a trivial amount of money. On the million miler lawsuit, what was it - just over RPU's? It might be more, not looking it up. I think many argued it cost nothing to UA to continue the issuing of the RPU's since they are almost impossible to use anyway. But UA has decided they want to set precedent against lifetime benefits.
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Old Oct 2, 2019, 2:02 pm
  #275  
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1,777
And that is the crux of the problem for lifetime members!
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 1:18 pm
  #276  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Central New Jersey
Programs: UA-Platimum 2 MM, HH-Gold, MR-Lifetime Gold, Hyatt-Discoverist
Posts: 6,238
Does the Class Action only have to do with Same Day Access ? If so, not really affected here. I paid for my Lifetime Presidents/UA Club membership, but only use it when flying UA, so not an issue. If it affects other benefits, then not sure.
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 1:37 pm
  #277  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
Originally Posted by mauld
Does the Class Action only have to do with Same Day Access ? If so, not really affected here. I paid for my Lifetime Presidents/UA Club membership, but only use it when flying UA, so not an issue. If it affects other benefits, then not sure.
Yesterday it was that flying was required.
Today it's flying *A.
Tomorrow it's need to be flying J.
The next day it's no guests allowed.
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 2:10 pm
  #278  
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1,777
The fact remains United is drastically reducing the value of a lifetime club membership. It's neither necessary or helpful for them to do this.

the incremental cost of servicing a few lifetime members at clubs is so small it's well beneath the noise level.
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 2:16 pm
  #279  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
Originally Posted by Mikey
the incremental cost of servicing a few lifetime members at clubs is so small it's well beneath the noise level.
I suspect the main cost is training all of their staff to require a boarding pass EXCEPT like once every few months someone with a special card will come and those people don't need a boarding pass.
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 2:20 pm
  #280  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
Originally Posted by threeoh
I suspect the main cost is training all of their staff to require a boarding pass EXCEPT like once every few months someone with a special card will come and those people don't need a boarding pass.
How hard would it be to program the system to allow other boarding passes for lifetime members?
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 3:09 pm
  #281  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
Originally Posted by ctownflyer
How hard would it be to program the system to allow other boarding passes for lifetime members?
And how hard would it be to update the T&C’s on the website and in UA’s internal correspondence to include an exemption for lifetime members? I mean, if the UC card in your app shows an expiration date of December 31, 2099, you’re in, right?

I personally think that this has far more to do with UA not having the capability or desire of splitting out members who purchased their membership with those who received it as a PMUA 2MM benefit than it does with UA intentionally trying to screw us out of something we paid for. I could be wrong, but it’s my gut feeling. UA simply doesn’t want to allocate any resources to this. The easiest thing to do is to punish a small group of people.
Last edited by SS255; Oct 3, 2019 at 8:12 pm
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 3:34 pm
  #282  
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,446
Originally Posted by threeoh
I suspect the main cost is training all of their staff to require a boarding pass EXCEPT like once every few months someone with a special card will come and those people don't need a boarding pass.
UA trains its UC staff on entry rules? I seriously doubt that. There's staff at IAH still applying pmCO rules.
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 3:40 pm
  #283  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SFO, TPE, HNL
Programs: UA GS 4MM, RCC life member (paid), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, CLEAR
Posts: 1,822
I wrote again about my lifetime membership. Different from the first time, this time I got a response: UA will credit my account 10K miles for my inconvenience. I think a similar result was posted earlier.
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 7:25 pm
  #284  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
Programs: DL 1MM Annual Silver,AS 100K 22-24, AS 75K 15-21
Posts: 4,278
Originally Posted by PanAmWT
I wrote again about my lifetime membership. Different from the first time, this time I got a response: UA will credit my account 10K miles for my inconvenience. I think a similar result was posted earlier.
I would be scared to accept this as a compensation payment as mere 10000 miles is nothing in comparison to lifetime of lounge visits. Hopefully, you are pressing forward and joining the ranks of unhappy lifetimer.

Jiburi
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Old Oct 3, 2019, 7:41 pm
  #285  
nsx
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
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Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,620
Originally Posted by threeoh
I suspect the main cost is training all of their staff to require a boarding pass EXCEPT like once every few months someone with a special card will come and those people don't need a boarding pass.
DL was willing to absorb the cost of doing right by their paid lifetime members.
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