Just got the email, and wow, 180 posts already

What a demonstration of world class whining

I knew that "enhancements" will be forthcoming, but I am one of those who are taking a wait and see attitude. For me, the sky is not falling yet.

And what's all this moving over to the dAArk side? What about Delta? I'm going to do a status match of my 1K with Delta soon for 2011 just in case.

Thank you for the clear concise and simple summary. Remember, to post on FT, you do not need to be the "road warrior" or even the "yield king", rather most come here to utilize the system to maximize their benefits for the least spend. By that argument, FT poster's behaviors have already been modified away from standard flying patterns to self maximizing patterns. There are many many flyers out there who fit not in the "I just barely made the threshold to get the most I can get under the current rules", but fall into the "I fly a lot, and this change may help me." Of course there are many many flyers who it will not help as much.

Just remember, that you are not a representative sample of "elite" flyers, but are an educated, self serving (not that there is anything wrong with that, our economic system is based on that kind of behavior) group who does, as a whole, the least to get the most.

Maybe this change makes you fly more to get the increased benefits, maybe you fly less once you hit the lower threshold of 75k, maybe you switch, but for a few groups of people, this change helps...most likely their ranks will grow, and the ranks of those that this change reduces benefits...well, their ranks may shrink.

As SWUs will now post as soon as you reach 100k, it looks like if 200k flyers credit 100k each on UA and CO in 2011 they will earn 12 SWUs instead of 10 they would if all miles are credited to one program.

I really can't believe the whining on here today. I certainly don't see these changes as positive, but I didn't realize FT was only open to those between the ages of 4 and 12 today.

Sheesh. We wanted [and received] many changes over the past few years. Much lauded by the FT community at large. Such as, IPTE with lie-flats, keeping our CR-1's at least temporarily, a merger resulting in a HUGE network, etc etc. Hey, we even got UDU that we don't have to support with instruments. The value of CR-1's dropped after that anyway.

We're keeping 1K 1K. And without a stupid DEQM this year, it actually might mean something now. We're keeping our 6 SWU's. Although everyone is complaining about their value right now, they're still WAY WAY better than any CR-1 will ever be.

Folks, this could have been much worse. Take a deep breath, relax, and take the over-inflated emotion out of all this vitriol.

Lastly, for those shopping for a new airline, have fun over there. You will be happily upgraded from any fare into a crampt, crappy, angled lie-flat the 4 times you fly internationally on your EVIPs. As for your domestic travels, you'll get the same [OR WORSE] and no options for CR's at all.

^^^

Also beware of any of the usual market fluff they might try to pull to disguise this stuff.

And another unhappy 1KMM.

The only + it seemed CO had was SWU's on any fare. If you were going to screw all of us UA folks so bad at least you could have given us that benefit.

I remember years back when they made SWU's good on W and up again that S was the only fare class below W on 99% of all international fares. In fact if I bought an International E Fare special (which was basically the lowest fare you offered) it booked into S. Now that would book into L or K. So the W is basically 3 steps up from S. I'm sure next year you will add another fare below W so you can jack up the $$$ you get for upgradable fares yet again.

You have added basically nothing over the last few years and taken away a lot.

This merger is good for CO people, BAD for UNITED flyers. Up the Vaulue of "None Pass" and devalue Mileage Plus.

Overall UA Mileage Plus was a good program. It is starting to suck. One more of these "enhancements" and I think it will finally be time to give AA a try. After all you have yet to announce that E+ is staying and AA I get 8 that�s right 8 SWU good on ALL that�s right ALL fares.

Glen you may not have been that bad after all...

I can't say that I am surprised at this announcement. I was expecting a new addition to the program like rollover EQM. I don't see this as much of an upgrade.

Not that big of a deal to me. I status matched to Alaska earlier this year, and will reach Premier Executive and MVP this year. I have joined the crowd with divided loyalties, and I think that it actually works a bit better that way.

As someone to tends to fly around 70,000 EQM a year, this is a huge improvement for me, and will give me lots of encouragement to make a few extra flights per year in order to reach 75,000 and get two CR-1s as well as higher upgrade priority.

Without DEQM, 1K is usually too difficult for me to reach, though I got it last year with DEQM.

People who fly 175k+ and people who fly 70-90 should be happy.

+1 on that. I'm re-attaining 1K on segments this year and I sure don't have an appetite for twenty additional flights on United CRJ's next year. The changes in the program are starting to make Frontier and Southwest look more attractive for my regional travel, which accounted for just over half of all my flights this year (hence 1K on segments). For the 2012 status year I may decide to target 1P-.

Indeed. So as a 1K the first 70K flown in '11 means ZERO CR1 accrual. That is a major downgrade. Today, I can fly 10K and accrue a CR1 to use for a p.s. flight a few weeks later...that scenario just vanished.

It wasn't just about preserving the Tulip. It's about preserving what it represented, an airline with a very good Mileage Plus program, that is being hollowed out from the core by the smary Jeffrey and his ugly beachball.

If you only fly 70K a year, I don't think it will affect you that much, since you aren't or wouldn't be 1K. In that case, one is still going to be WAAY down the totum pole for upgrades as a 1P, behind GS, MM1K, Priority 1K, 1K, MM1P THEN 1P. You'd have the CR1's, but they might be very unusable.

Well Said! You hit it right on the nose. Especially the part about customer service.

It's obvious from the web page the worst is happening

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,53656,00.html

That lady looks to be wedged in a E- window seat.

Agree 100% ^

Mogulskiir. Sorry, but I think you are wrong. For CO ffs, this is basically a sideways move at best. I would actually argue that it is a slight devaluation overall. Yes, UA ffs, especially 1ks are getting hosed the worst, but as I said a little while ago...let's see what happens with the YBM ups. If that's implemented, you will beg for today's changes to be the only ones to be made.


AA is an excellent airline IMO. I actually believe it is the very best elite treatment in the US from start to finish. And for a 1k, it is certainly a good option. AA will poach tons of business from UA given today's announcement, and I might add that it is largely high volume and high yielding business. All of which is good for AA. That said, if there's too big a migration, it will hurt the current effectiveness of the program.