THAT is hilarious. I too will be looking to "enhance" my United business spending next year. I wonder if SMI/J will enjoy his stock price being "enhanced" when earnings struggle to maintain the inflated current stock price.

I honestly haven't read this whole thread, so my apologies if the following has already been mentioned:

It was this time last year, actually, that United nearly did away with Confirmed Regionals all together. It was 11/17/09 when they 'reversed' their plans to eliminate them totally when UDU started.

So... while my pattern of flying will require more EQM to achieve the same 8 I got this year, I guess I have to be a little thankful they're still there. I love using those on ps flights.

Agreed. They must have known the firestorm of ill will they were generating.

I was really upset a couple of months ago as a career change was going to probably not mean making 1K status in 2011 for 2012 (already secured for 2011). Now it doesn't look like it will matter too much. I haven't used SWUs on an international flight in a long time, as W fares are crazy. I have used CR1s, and SWUs from SFO-HNL and some PS. I was going to fly 10K per quarter just on MRs in 2011 to earn the CR1s, but now I won't have to worry about doing that.

If UA decides to make the new MM just be *silver then I'll be really upset - as I'm at 1.5 million miles and that would be a real slap in the face for sticking with UA through all the difficult years. At that point I would no longer have any loyalty to United.

Via IAD is a almost a unupgradeable route.

If I read correctly, the new (presumably 4 tier) program would match USAIrways' in terms of EQM and EQS...not that parity with US is anything to be proud of necessarily.

As 1P, probably my personal top benefits are *G lounge access, free E+, RDM bonuses, and baggage allowance (the last one mainly for vacations w/ family). UDU is great but given how often I seem to be on CR2 and ERJ, not sure how much it matters... seems I'm on mainline mostly for international where UDU isn't a player anyway.

Wonder if in addition to scoping out AA, should look at other *A programs to credit? Past my bedtime but will have to look around a bit tomorrow. Who knows if nothing else changes for the worse, may stay with UA but it's as good a time as any to shop around I suppose.

You'd might actually do better on PS op-ups than via IAD.

For those that say that the only people who make 1K on segments, and they are all the expensive hard way, here are (2) current threads, the 1st, has people posting their EQM and EQS: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...est-miles.html Most of them don't have enough miles to get 1P plus (the 75k)

Then the "how much did you spend" thread, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...010-spend.html shows for some, a more cross sectional view, although the stats aren't in there for everyone.

Like I said, It all depends on where you fly from and to. Cities without LCC service (or nearby) it can be very expensive via segment. Cities with either a LCC, or an LCC at a nearby airport, it can be done very cheaply.

Remember, as part of this "improvement", you got the option to fly on either UA or CO going forward, you got UDU recently (a la CO), you got 1P+ for those that hit 75k, but not 100k, you got extra instruments for the true road warrior at over 150k, and you lost instruments for a subset of the population that is not at the top tier, as well as a different timing of those instruments.

The sky has NOT fallen. For the 1K and 1P that are not using their CR1 because their UDU's are clearing, the loss isn't so bad, as the CR1's go farther. For PS, one can always go via IAD, and use no certs to UG.

I'm not dAAring AAnyone to go fly the competition, but I am going to bookmark this thread, and look back in 6 months time to see who is still posting here that said they were leaving.

Remember, the grass is always greener, until you switch, then the honeymoon is over. FF programs are competitive. Whatever airline is giving out more that the others, will most likely either a) reduce those benefits, b) charge more for them, or c) be matched in some way by the other carriers.

E+ is the only real game changer. Without it, all those (domestic flyers) that are leaving are going to go to a carrier that a) may not serve your markets so well, b) doesn't have E+ either and c) doesn't have a far superior product or FF plan than UA (one can argue individual benefits, but no one in the US has a far superior product of the network carriers.)

I'm not saying it is great news for you all, but no one kidnapped your baby here, they are reasonably small changes that don't put UA at a disadvantage to the other alliances. YMMV, and the individual choice is yours. I think those that claim "loyalty" and are going to run, need to look up what loyalty is. Loyalty isn't self serving behavior, it is fidelity/faithfulness. Frequency or membership in an affinity program by itself is not what loyalty is. I'm not saying that anyone in particular isn't loyal, but perhaps those that claim loyalty and are threatening to jump ship should use a more accurate term, such as "frequent/primary/preferential" instead, as they are more accurate words. A dog is loyal when you don't give him a treat, he still gives you the love. I am loyal to the Cubs, yet they continue to disappoint (Sox are cheaper, they may have a better season, yet the truly loyal don't do a status match, they remain loyal. The "fair weather fan", he, jumps ship to the winning side...that is NOT loyalty.) That is the embodiment of the word, not "You didn't reward me better than the others may do, so I am not with you." That to me, has very little in common with what loyalty is. Not that the word matters...but when people write letters stating years of loyalty...you take away my e+ and I will call you very bad names that I only alluded to so far..."

They used to be called "affinity" programs...that is a better description than "loyalty" given what I have seen here today.

And "loyalty" by it's origin isn't a 2 way street, it is from "legal" (your loyal servant=your lawful servant)

Flame on!

By the way, I do sympathize, but not to the extent of the over-reactors. I sympathize in moderation as I see benefits of the merger that seem to be overlooked by many today (forest/trees)...life is a trade off, and each person makes their own decisions, be they based on true loyalty, or self serving behavior.

SFO-IAD in either direction is showing 60% or better cleared for 1Ks per www.udustats.com

BTW, I do sympathize the employees' benefits got cut but not to extent of
the over-reactors.
I wish when UA cuts more employees' benefits, you will stand out and speak for your company.
Employees do have a choice to switch job as we can change our loyalty.

Been sippin' on the ol' SMI/J COol-Aid?

+20 CO's rule is not friendly at all. A lot of us spend a lot of time away from home. When momma goes with me a couple times a year, the trade off is that we get to sit up front, together.

As a CO Plat, the grass is not greener at DL Plat unless you dont care about SWU and award ticket at low level (either J or Y).
speaking from a perspective of a CO PM and DL PM. my upgrade % is similar in both DL and CO. but i do try to avoid the tough route on both DL and CO. it does help.

i will reach 100K status miles on CO for 4 SWUs with no fare class restriction, and i am looking up some W fare on UA on the route I need, it is not the cheapest, but still reasonable. as long as I can use the SWU cheaply, i am reasonably happy because DL SWUs is useless for me.

Got the mileage program email from CO but nothing from United where I am a Premier Exec.

So far it does not look anything out of the ordinary but remains to be seen how this changes.

So this is what they call "brand loyalty." Thanks for the memories United.:td:

I think in the terms you are defining, anyone who is "loyal" to an airline is just foolish. I am the airlines fair weather fan as much as they are my fair weather fan. It is actually much wiser to be a cherry picker or bandwagon'r in the FF game. I have a choice every time I fly. Why wouldn't I make that choice based on my best travel experience: from booking, to check in, to boarding, to in flight service, to bag claim. Period.

I am not really very emotional about it.
Do I wish they would improve or maintain the MP program as it was? Yes. Do I hope they keep E+? Yes.
Will this be a far less preferred/enjoyable/best in class program once Continental is done making "enhancements"? Yes.

Reality is the writing is on the wall, and this is the beginning of the end of the best affinity program in the skies. None Pass by any other name is still the same. *Go ahead and record me as one who is prophet of doom- I hope I am wrong. I'll gladly be wrong if they keep the 1K benefits at least where they are now (they won't).*

BTW, I agree E+ is the game changer. Also agree re: being a Cub's fan. GO CUBBIES! But alas, probably will NOT renew my season tix this year. Too hard to get to games from DEN.:(

As you are 1p, your upgrade priority will be downgrade to the 4th.

I'm in

I would prefer the $1000 once if say $800 of it was profit, vs the $10 a day for a year, if only $2 of it was profit. I would also prefer the $1000 once if I thought that there was demand to backfill the other 364 days with other people willing to pay the $10..that way I get the best of both worlds.

Remember this article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-1...tml?cmpid=yhoo states "One of Peter Philipp Wingsoe’s employees at a Los Angeles marketing firm recently waited five days for a business-class ticket on a United Airlines jet home from Beijing because planes were so packed" and "Profit for the Asia-Pacific airline industry probably will be $5.2 billion this year, more than double an earlier forecast of $2.2 billion, IATA said in September." In just (2) months they have doubled their profit expectations.

Also you state "Look at WN as the success model.... high frequency short hops with modest fares have a much better revenue yield than infrequent long hauls." Last I saw, WN's advantage came not from higher yield (it has been lower than UA's for the majority of the past few decades) but from a lower cost. In a vacuum, without low cost competition, short flight=higher yield, but short flights also=higher costs...distribution costs are fixed (divide them over shorter distances and the costs go up/mile), taxi costs and climb costs are fixed (although longer flights climb higher) and the same logic applied. Labor costs are higher, per mile...so yes, yields are usually higher on shorter flights, but so to are costs...in an industry where costs have over time exceeded income, reducing costs is as valuable (longer flights) as increasing revenue. I am sure the yield on ORD-PIA for local ticket is insane. I doubt many people buy is that way though, most short haul flights are part of a connection with a longer segment, thus bringing the overall yield down.

Pigx, "BTW, I do sympathize the employees' benefits got cut but not to extent of
the over-reactors.
I wish when UA cuts more employees' benefits, you will stand out and speak for your company.
Employees do have a choice to switch job as we can change our loyalty."

True..I sympathize with them too, but I know that I still have a good job that I like, even with reduced benefits. Most of us don't quit and go apply at AA (or even dream of asking them to match out seniority in the move.) Some do over-react (employees) and I agree with you...put it in perspective...the alternatives really aren't that much better.

ExCrew "Been sippin' on the ol' SMI/J COol-Aid?" nope been on www.iam141.org and I don't drink anyone's cool aid. I take a deep breath, step back, and evaluate everything based on known facts and realistic possibilities. He hasn't done anything for me yet, except continued in the way of his predecessor. Sure he put on a nice road show dog/pony performance, but he did that to most of you all as well.

count me in^ AA goes everywhere out of Denver I need to be.

Don't be surprised when the upgrade doesn't clear, that is the problem.. I'm on an "H" fare HKG-ORD the start of January, it is booked to 9 in business, but we've been waitlisted for 2 weeks already and doubt we'll clear.

I'd rather have 4 on any fare than 6 on UAs fares because in the end you might clear 2 or 3 out of 5 times and then you've blown money on the others.

I heard a rumor that the boarding proirity will change too but I don't know will be CO way or UA way.

Except.

1) At 150k, it's 8 for both and more importantly

2) No lie flat seats in business on AA TPAC

Bliss, are you going to do this? PM me if you are. I'm interested. We may have a shot with AA if we can gather enough 1K's.

As someone heading for 3MM to try and lock-in 1K for life I have a few observations:

- Based on the CO email I suspect 1K will be gone, and we'll all just be Premier Execs and our flown miles in a given year will determine upgrade priority. CO email says:

- As we now get the SWU's at 100k I assume this means that 1K's for life, IF they do continue will never earn any unless they fly 100k in the past year. This effectively means there is no point earning 3MM IMHO.
- It also looks to me that if they are basing the upgrade priority on miles flown in a year, someone who flies 100k in 2010, but only 15,000 by travel date, would be behind a Prem Exec from 2010 but who had flown 20,000 miles in 2011 at flight date.

This is aweful. I feel for the 1K's. I've made 1P for the past 3 years on my own dime. No corporate travel here. Now I'm gonna be 1P lite. The wife and I barely make 50 EQM. If E+ is gone so am I. I got lucky and bought UAL shares at $8. Probably time to cash out. I tried to read all the posts here and couldn't keep up. Every page I read, two more showed up. Shame on you United.

1) It only shows devalue, if they want to attract people to fly more, they can just add every 25000 miles after 100K get 2 CR-1s.

2) No gambling upgrade and wasting money on W on AA.

It's amazing how this entire board throws a temper tantrum and threatens to run off to AA. Some of the posts on here have really made me LOL.

Holy friggin cow! If they don't run a DEQM, y'all want to jump to AA. If they don't upgrade the IFE, y'all want to go to AA. If your upgrade IAD-SFO on a Friday afternoon doesn't clear, y'all want to go to AA. Seriously guys, there is a pattern here where you all throw a hissy fit if things don't go your way.

Clearly 1Ks don't utilize their CR1s, especially since UDU took effect. All you have to do is go the CC here at the end of the quarters to see this.

100k - 149k is not top tier? :confused:

Gosh, the new Continental Airlines is sure making a bad first impression. :rolleyes:

Nope. GS is tops.

Not when compared with 150,000-174,999 who get the same benies, nor the 175,000+ who get more, or GS which is the top tier.

It's like threatening to go to Canada.

yup. Bummed, but turning out I was wrong about the merger. Thought maybe the best of both would survive. Not looking good. If I had wanted to fly Continental I would have. Now they are forcing me (or trying to). So far this 1K and RCC member is:
+free bud light@RCC's
-CR1's
-good UDU % (anyone else noticing lately it is tougher and tougher?)

I am not one to cry "AA"! whenever, I have been as loyal as ever UA. But I know UA when I smell it, and I know CO when I smell it. We are being suffocated with CO and it isn't going to stop. The only question is timing at this point in my mind. Soon the above list will be longer with -'s. Funny, NonePass is worse than UA MP, so in the end it will all look about the same to CO elites, with a few slight modifications. We will all be fighting battleground "unlimited waitlist" slim and no chance, paying for W fares in false hopes of using a SWU, sitting in E- when our upgrade doesn't clear, paying for premium cocktails in F....and all this as so called top tier 1K or whatever they name it. sound bad? That is all SOP@CO right now. It will feel normal to them, and we will have been CO-erced if we stay...

It is tougher because you now have the CO flyer in the pool who flies on UA sometimes. Before, they were not in the pool, but just got to board with *G or *S, but now, they are competing for your upgrade. I would assume that on CO, with UA's flyers now competing, it is a bit tougher than before as well. But of course if you are a CO double elite diamond platinum president, and you are ticketed on a UA flight for a change, the % of UDU on UA for you just went up from zero, likewise a GS flying on CO chances have increased.

Of course as a UA 2k, you should still trump them if you book before the UDU window.

I wonder, as a UA 2K, why do you say you get less CR1's? If you fly 200k miles on UA, you now get MORE CR1s, so this should be a "+" in your column.

That's not the problem.
JSlo is 1K and for now he get higher priority than any CO elite on UA metal.

Or the questions were phrased like 'would you prefer we took your left arm or your first born.' Well obviously I wouldn't want my child harmed, so take my arm.

Good luck with that.

But there is nil scientific value in that site.

For the purpose of that quote (from you), it is top tier.

This is what I quoted from you:

There is no difference in instruments earned with or without GS for this purpose, for those earning 100k - 149k, which is what you were referring to, correct?

If not, I have no idea what you meant in the last part of that sentence. It doesn't make sense.

And BTW, I will never forget meeting you in ORD that day a few years ago. :) (fastair looked after me and then ran off before I could say thank you.)

I ended up writing an email and sending to 1kvoice about the CR1s and I also mentioned the segment qualifications, even though I've never qualified on segments. I listed all the things I like and the things that have kept me loyal to UA through the last decade.

-David

Good ?'s. Answers:

1. That is not why it is tougher. It is tougher b/c UA is selling F seats at OLCI or time of booking for low low prices. I don't begrudge them this, it is just good business. But it is tougher and tougher to clear at all, let alone in advance using an instrument.

2. I should change my signature. I am 1.5K right now. Last year was 2K. Won't cross 2K this year. But yes, if I cross 1.5K again I will make out OK. But I am flying alot of additional miles to keep pace with the program devaluations!

The bigger issue is the clear steps being take to devalue the program.

I couldn't find anything in the search and I'm not going to try and read thru the entire thread, but I didn't see this discussed.

Anyone know if we still will get 2 additional SWU's at 150K and 200K?