Nov 2, 2019, 11:43 pm
Last edit by: zebranz
So, is anything happening with this? Just curious (Oct 3, 2019)
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If you received a lifetime Club membership from the UA MM program and would like to join a potential class action, please post your username here:
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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
If you paid cash for a lifetime Club membership and would like to join a potential class action due to this material change, please post your username here:
ctownflyer
hog Heaven
AAdmiral
nsx + 1
RichardInSF
Sykes
soartoday
lax2jfk2lax
libuser + 1
Xyzzy + 1
Buster CT1K
1K Student
Elitefreak
flyer austin + 1 (wiki-restricted member, added by IAH-OIL-TRASH)
Radonc1 + 1 (not a FT member but has LT membership)
Halo117
mikey
Mnmag
Vulcan
lateacher
kmersh
MazdaMP
bajong
sandiego1k
thesilb
HnlJay
nachosdelux
wtigerFF
a1bengal
benolaa
LeslieandDiane
SPN Lifer +1
YRKInsider
texd
IAHtraveler
nzpilot
zebranz
If you received a lifetime Club membership from the UA MM program and would like to join a potential class action, please post your username here:
deek
honmani2
lax2jfk2lax (recd 2nd lifetime for hitting 2MM which I gifted)
seacarl
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
Lifetime Member Edition: UC access changes Nov 1, 2019 (same day BP on UA or partner)
Nov 13, 2019, 5:49 pm
#841
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
A VP of UA specifically told me (to use the HKG RCC when I travel intra Asia on other airlines), but I didn't keep the letter. I reported this in one of my previous post.
Nov 13, 2019, 6:30 pm
#842
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
Nov 13, 2019, 6:41 pm
#843
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA MileagePlus (Premier Gold); Hilton HHonors (Gold); Chase Ultimate Rewards; Amex Plat
Posts: 6,679
I suspect this gets back to the argument of "you accept these terms by continuing to use the club."
I think you have to win that argument -- that UA can't unilaterally force you to accept new terms to continue to make use of the membership you've purchased -- before you can win any of the other arguments, because I doubt there will be many (any?) lifetime club members who haven't used the club since they announced the policy change -- and by the time that any lawsuit is resolved, the same would be true for the time period since they implemented the policy change.
I think you have to win that argument -- that UA can't unilaterally force you to accept new terms to continue to make use of the membership you've purchased -- before you can win any of the other arguments, because I doubt there will be many (any?) lifetime club members who haven't used the club since they announced the policy change -- and by the time that any lawsuit is resolved, the same would be true for the time period since they implemented the policy change.
And you brought up a new way UA could apparently resolve the issue, too, and put some folks here in quite a dilemma. They could force lifetime members to choose between original access rules -- but only at airports that had Club locations on the date the lifetime membership was sold (i.e. access denied at all other airports), or continued membership that's equivalent to the currently sold annual access that they're selling -- but subject to the access rules of the current year. In other words, they could say that if you take the updates to the program, you take all of them (expanded locations, but also access restrictions) at once, or you take none of them.
Nov 13, 2019, 8:59 pm
#844
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
If a court asked any UA executive from the 1990's whether they imagined denying lifetime members access to a United Club during operating hours, that executive would say no. Would that be evidence?
Nov 13, 2019, 9:48 pm
#845
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
And the theoretical UA Executive of the 1990's would probably say, At the time - probably not. But we never imagined it would become pervasive for lifetime members to use the club when flying a competitor. As we've seen this past 25 years, there are a lot of changes in the aviation industry that I or anyone could have imagined.
The more direct question would be: Did the contract between lifetime members and United ever contain a clause they could use the club at any time regardless of reason? That answer would definitely be no
Nov 13, 2019, 10:09 pm
#846
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 8
I am a lawyer and will be sending United a letter on this issue. Can anyone please let me know the contact info for the best people or departments to reach out to? Feel free to PM me if you have e-mail addresses for executives and do not want to publicly post them. Thank you.
Nov 13, 2019, 10:34 pm
#847
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
Nov 13, 2019, 10:46 pm
#848
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA MileagePlus (Premier Gold); Hilton HHonors (Gold); Chase Ultimate Rewards; Amex Plat
Posts: 6,679
Of course not - UA Executive from 1990's - did you imagine UA buying Continental? Did you imagine UA going bankrupt in 2002. Did you imagine the Red Carpet Club would be called the United Club. Did you imagine UA would stop flying 747's?
And the theoretical UA Executive of the 1990's would probably say, At the time - probably not. But we never imagined it would become pervasive for lifetime members to use the club when flying a competitor. As we've seen this past 25 years, there are a lot of changes in the aviation industry that I or anyone could have imagined.
And the theoretical UA Executive of the 1990's would probably say, At the time - probably not. But we never imagined it would become pervasive for lifetime members to use the club when flying a competitor. As we've seen this past 25 years, there are a lot of changes in the aviation industry that I or anyone could have imagined.
Nov 14, 2019, 9:04 am
#849
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
I think the lifetime members just got swept up in the tide. I don't think they were the target of this sequencing.
Nov 14, 2019, 9:12 am
#850
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
I doubt this; I think the "must show BP" requirement was a step to gather data about how many members and daypass users were flying United vs other airlines (before this requirement); turned out to be more than they wanted and the clubs are crowded, so they changed the rule with 1 year notice.
I think the lifetime members just got swept up in the tide. I don't think they were the target of this sequencing.
I think the lifetime members just got swept up in the tide. I don't think they were the target of this sequencing.
Nov 14, 2019, 11:40 am
#851
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
They may not have been the initial target, but they certainly are a target now. United is deliberately not exempting lifetime members, despite knowing that it's the wrong thing to do (as evidenced by United not officially notifying lifetime members in writing, whereas annual members were notified in writing).
Nov 14, 2019, 12:26 pm
#852
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA MileagePlus (Premier Gold); Hilton HHonors (Gold); Chase Ultimate Rewards; Amex Plat
Posts: 6,679
Pretty ominous sign for anyone who has lifetime status. If UA treats LT members who actually paid money to get the status like this, imagine how they're going to treat LT members who didn't buy their LT status...
Nov 14, 2019, 2:01 pm
#853
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,823
And not a small part of why United will have to be much cheaper than its competitors to get my future business.
Nov 14, 2019, 2:19 pm
#854
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
-James
Nov 14, 2019, 2:46 pm
#855
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
While I'm not part of your group, I'd imagine interviewing past agents regarding lifetime membership might be a good idea. I also think United, or Continental have extended bonuses for promoting and signing up lifetime members. If this was indeed a practice (which I believe it was), I'd imagine those agents's testimony could be valuable.... Just my thoughts. (finding those legacy agents willing to testify, however, might be difficult).
Jiburi
Jiburi