Will/should UA do further status extensions/promos?With limited international travel?
#226
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sacramento
Programs: UA Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 261
I don't expect UA to continue to rollover my status, but I do hope the 2x PQP will be extended throughout the year or at least Q3 of this year as any flights I may be able to take are limited still.
#227
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,761
Agreed blanket extension without rollover for this year's earn would not be fair to those who took advantage of the 2x PQP promo. On the other hand, people like myself who cannot even fly due to (unreasonable?) travel restrictions and will probably continue to be unable to fly for most of this year will unfortunately need UA to extend or have further promotion to have any shot of keeping status. It's hard to please everyone here, I remember someone mentioned extension based on individual cases / location, but there are pitfalls there too.
True, but people make various decisions based on the programs - flying UA vs AA, upgrading to a higher fare class, etc. If the airlines didn't think the programs changed behavior, they wouldn't have them.
#228
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,761
... I nevertheless agree that those who fly this year should get more recognition if there is an extension. It will encourage the behaviour I reference in my previous paragraph - which would be good for the airlines. Carrying over earnings into the following year as AC will do is quite reasonable. Hilton Honors did this last year.
I don't mind extensions considering the circumstances, I just think fliers who have continued to do so (and putting money in UA's pocket) should be above those who haven't (extendees) for upgrade purposes. Example - a 1K who is 1K via extension should be behind 1Ks who have qualified normally, but ahead of all Plats. They still get the perks of status.
Unless UA wants to abandon its past elites and release them to the free market, a bad idea and no one in their right mind would suggest that route, UA needs a way to have those elites remain connected to UA. Such as extending status (but not providing new PlusPoints if they have not flown).
An issue is what about the extended PlusPoints, should they be extended again. This is a tricky area balancing the benefits for those that have flown recently and the adhesion of those you have not flown. One comprise could be is to extend those older PlusPoints a bit but not a full year. Say April 2022? Enough to retain the preCOVID crowd but not so much to discourage those that did fly and did earn new PlusPoints
Remember UA's goal is to get as many elites as possible back in the air on UA metal. This means finding the right comprise -- but if disappointing 1 flyer who has flown in 2021 but getting back 5 who did not, that choice is clear.
So agree those who have flown should be recognized and PlusPoints seems to be a reasonable way to handle without adding new complexities.
#229
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,012
Unless UA wants to abandon its past elites and release them to the free market, a bad idea and no one in their right mind would suggest that route, UA needs a way to have those elites remain connected to UA. Such as extending status (but not providing new PlusPoints if they have not flown).
#230
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: YVR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 975
Where would those elites go? Free agency, start anew in a different program? And what if AA\DL doesn't extend status? People leave will UA for 'greener pastures' as will AA/DL elites. Lose some and gain some. From my experience on FT, the majority of the "I am leaving UA.." crowd never leaves or returns because the other pasture wasn't that much greener.
#231
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,352
UA already recognizes those who have flown this year, they are the only ones that can earn new PlusPoints -- that is a significant benefit. Messing further with the upgrade prorirty is just going to make a complex system much complex -- more prone to misunderstanding, confusion and potentially errors.
You might be able to get DL to match you based on 2019 travel (but, why, if you're flying 'as little as possible'?). But UA isn't going to match you based upon your matched DL status. To get a status match, you normally have to show a log of qualifying flights, not just "I have this status."
#232
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: YVR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 975
This x1000. There's simply no way UA could do this properly.
Match with what?
You might be able to get DL to match you based on 2019 travel (but, why, if you're flying 'as little as possible'?). But UA isn't going to match you based upon your matched DL status. To get a status match, you normally have to show a log of qualifying flights, not just "I have this status."
Match with what?
You might be able to get DL to match you based on 2019 travel (but, why, if you're flying 'as little as possible'?). But UA isn't going to match you based upon your matched DL status. To get a status match, you normally have to show a log of qualifying flights, not just "I have this status."
#233
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: DL, UA, AA, VS
Posts: 5,226
Do the recent high traffic volume for spring break make it less likely UA and the other US3 airlines will extend status again?
Is it realistic to expect that people can qualify only with domestic flights?
Is it realistic to expect that people can qualify only with domestic flights?
#234
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: YVR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 975
Personally I don't think so with low business travel and cheap domestic ticket prices. And with international travel heavy reduced / nonexistent for some destinations due to travel restrictions some just can't go where they need / want to go, another debate debate is should international elites be treated differently this year.
#235
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,417
UA already recognizes those who have flown this year, they are the only ones that can earn new PlusPoints -- that is a significant benefit. Messing further with the upgrade prorirty is just going to make a complex system much complex -- more prone to misunderstanding, confusion and potentially errors.
As to extending plus points further, seems similar to me. If you earned more you have more to spend. And most people haven't been spending them this year because of easy CPUs and no international travel. So any requalifier this year would have additional plus points next year, assuming they didn't already use them and get the benefit.
#236
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 25 years/2MM, Honors LT Diamond, AVIS & Hertz Prez Club
Posts: 4,751
I don't mind extensions considering the circumstances, I just think fliers who have continued to do so (and putting money in UA's pocket) should be above those who haven't (extendees) for upgrade purposes. Example - a 1K who is 1K via extension should be behind 1Ks who have qualified normally, but ahead of all Plats. They still get the perks of status.
#237
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: United 1k, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Ambassador and LT-Gold
Posts: 1,632
Wine -
While what you say is true - if they are using PP as the "reward" or "incentive" for actual flying (or spending $$$) vs extending benefits then that really does not help much - especially those elites who want to use them.... Specifically, I know that some people have gotten good use of their PP - but I find that when I try to use them, it might bump me from 8th to 6th on an upgrade lists and hence it is rare that they are usable for upgrades vs the complementary upgrades......in other words, the more you need or want to use them, the less likely they are to be useful....although I am just speaking for domestic as I have not done any international travel.....
-m
While what you say is true - if they are using PP as the "reward" or "incentive" for actual flying (or spending $$$) vs extending benefits then that really does not help much - especially those elites who want to use them.... Specifically, I know that some people have gotten good use of their PP - but I find that when I try to use them, it might bump me from 8th to 6th on an upgrade lists and hence it is rare that they are usable for upgrades vs the complementary upgrades......in other words, the more you need or want to use them, the less likely they are to be useful....although I am just speaking for domestic as I have not done any international travel.....
-m
#238
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K | Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 459
UA already recognizes those who have flown this year, they are the only ones that can earn new PlusPoints -- that is a significant benefit. Messing further with the upgrade prorirty is just going to make a complex system much complex -- more prone to misunderstanding, confusion and potentially errors.
Unless UA wants to abandon its past elites and release them to the free market, a bad idea and no one in their right mind would suggest that route, UA needs a way to have those elites remain connected to UA. Such as extending status (but not providing new PlusPoints if they have not flown).
An issue is what about the extended PlusPoints, should they be extended again. This is a tricky area balancing the benefits for those that have flown recently and the adhesion of those you have not flown. One comprise could be is to extend those older PlusPoints a bit but not a full year. Say April 2022? Enough to retain the preCOVID crowd but not so much to discourage those that did fly and did earn new PlusPoints
Remember UA's goal is to get as many elites as possible back in the air on UA metal. This means finding the right comprise -- but if disappointing 1 flyer who has flown in 2021 but getting back 5 who did not, that choice is clear.
So agree those who have flown should be recognized and PlusPoints seems to be a reasonable way to handle without adding new complexities.
Unless UA wants to abandon its past elites and release them to the free market, a bad idea and no one in their right mind would suggest that route, UA needs a way to have those elites remain connected to UA. Such as extending status (but not providing new PlusPoints if they have not flown).
An issue is what about the extended PlusPoints, should they be extended again. This is a tricky area balancing the benefits for those that have flown recently and the adhesion of those you have not flown. One comprise could be is to extend those older PlusPoints a bit but not a full year. Say April 2022? Enough to retain the preCOVID crowd but not so much to discourage those that did fly and did earn new PlusPoints
Remember UA's goal is to get as many elites as possible back in the air on UA metal. This means finding the right comprise -- but if disappointing 1 flyer who has flown in 2021 but getting back 5 who did not, that choice is clear.
So agree those who have flown should be recognized and PlusPoints seems to be a reasonable way to handle without adding new complexities.
I imagine within United right now there is a chorus within MP advocating that it's better to extend status again and capture as much flying from former elites as possible on United over the next year as individual travel behavior and business travel timelines will vary widely. On the flipside a separate set will be advocating that this year will be a test of new go-forward loyalty near-term and given that travel frequency and loyalty over the next 2 years will likely vary significantly from previous business-driven trends, you'd rather this new set show you where loyalty is driven to understand how to adapt the program to that customer base. The biases of the executives, and how cogent either sides' arguments are will likely drive the decision (or should I say this behavior within Delta will drive it as any decision there is likely to be copied by UA ).
#239
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
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#240
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,761
This overused cliche is mostly a FT invention. Yes UA looks at it competitors, but during the past year UA has acted first many times ( and other times AA or DL) and much the shine has worn off DL due their lagging inflight service