CR-1s are incredibly helpful when you need to book yourself and a non-status companion on separate PNRs due to using an eCert. I can't use UDU, I'm not going to use a SWU (especially for the SEA-ROC my friend and I just booked), so CR-1s are the only logical currency.

Looks to me that CO/UA is shafting both sets of their 100k flyers. This CO 150k flyer isn't seeing much to like about 2011.

We are moving towards CO way.

Without CR1, you kiss good-bye for upgrading companion, family members.

Even yourself is in danger of missing upgrades under UDU for certain routes, e.g. BOS-LAX/SFO. It has been reported that CO bean counters is allowing people pay $69 to get the last F seat while elites sit in back so CO can collect some additional revenue of tens of dollars.

Then there are p.s. routes JFK-LAX/SFO that require CR1s unless you pay miles. Loss of 8 CR1s means loss of 120,000 miles, almost a saver C award ticket to Asia.

These are the reasons why people are upset about this "enhancement" after Jeff takes over.

I would consider this. AA has pretty good flights out of HNL anyway. I'm very disappointed about losing 2 or 4 CR-1's as I don't hit 150K EQM's per year. United

Um, no. I don't give 2 about CR1s. I care about the fact that UA has, after 5.25 (hundred thousand) BIS miles in 6 years, decided to up the ante on me...by 20%.
I'm one of those poor souls that requals on EQS every year. All for business, and mostly on Express. I've suffered plenty enough.
Now UA is telling me the following year I need to fly 20% more just to get to where I have gotten in the past? Um...something is wrong with that.
I've been super loyal to UA for over 6 years...and now...this cr@p. I'm not feeling it.

And sorry you think we're whining. But if we remained silent, don't you think UA would try to take it a step further? I know they have in the past...and most likely will again in the future.

I'm 1P based on segments. I had thought about trying to eke out 1K this year, but glad I didn't bother if the following year I'd have even less chance of making 1K with the new requirements.

And indeed my segments weren't MRs but lots of business travel, often full fare Y, typically on 3-leg one ways with heavy RJ time (think Devil's Chariot & ERJ more so than CR7 or E70). In fact most of the shorter haul flights happened to be quite expensive. A few leisure trips rounded out the count.

Whether it's good/bad or fair/unfair to raise the bar, I guess is a matter of conjecture. But the fact is it's a change and worth at least comparing to another airline to see what would work best for me.

I guess the CR-1s were never likely to be much of a factor for me, but I'd sure be miffed if I were a 1K now seeing the quantity drop like this. Worst of all, I doubt at the end of the day things will be better for me in 2011/2012 as a 2P, 1P,whatever they end up doing with/calling it. I've sure come to love E+ and UDUs, for example - would hate to lose those.

With several award trips on AA coming up over the next year or so, perhaps aiming for status on AA is worth considering more than maintaining on UA.

As a 1K who's flown around 130k EQM annually the last several years I am not outraged by this change but I am disappointed by the reduction in CR-1s. They are useful for upgrading on routes where UDU competition is fierce and for sponsoring upgrades for my wife when she travels on a separate itinerary. While this change is arguably a win for those who travel over 150k EQM it's a loss for those of us in the 100-149 range.

I sympathize with 1Ks who've qualified on segments in the past and are now looking at needing 120. I had year with 120 EQS of travel several years ago, and it was tough. I spent a lot of time waiting out delays sitting in terminals and on the tarmac that year.

I understand the concern that some 1Ks game the system, delivering little value to UA in exchange for the benefits they receive. But these changes don't distinguish between the folks who make 1K with an annual spend of $5k and those who spend $20k or more. Not everyone on FT is in the $5k camp.

I didn't feel good right from the beginning when I heard that the new CEO is going to be coming from he CO side!

Is the AA PR going to join this thread to let us know how they are going to provide status match starting Jan 1st? Any guess?

UA, thank you for helping me make my decision. This year I made AA EXP for the first time and I was trying to decide which top elite program should be my first prioriity to keep. Now it will be AA and I'll probably put very few miles on UA thanks to the new "enhancements". Looking forward to more of those 8 EVIPs that are good on all fares!

I'll bring six more 1K's with!

I know you said "excluding P.S.," but let me still make a comment. For those who fly P.S. all the time, CR-1 is vital. Yes we can use miles to upgrade, but unless you buy B fare it is 30,000 miles round trip. I fly P.S. at least 12-13 times a year (way more than that this year.) That is a lot of miles.

Under this new rule, we can't earn any CR-1 until we hit 75,000 EQM. Even when you hit the number, they only give you two. Then you have to fly another 25,000 miles (more than 5 round trips on P.S.) for another pair.

That is why this is a terrible news for some of us.

You can add me to the list of enormously disappointed 1Ks with this new "enhancement." I always really appreciated the ability to plan ahead for a few key flights that you wanted to confirm UG with CR-1 and now that will be, for me, cut in half. You can double the disappointment as my spouse is 1K as well.

We fly 80-90% on optional leisure travel. The unraveling of the MP program has had us considering other options for the last couple of years. With changes like this, 2010 may be the end our 5+ years of loyalty to UA.

I can't believe you would take a loyal 1k who had do EQS because I don't fly to China 10 times a year and throw me and my fellow EQS's out with the trash. I am totaly shocked. Thanks for watching my back. Anyone in DEN have an idea of who to switch to? I'm done.............10 years for what???

Chalk this one up as rather ho-hum to me. Frankly, my CR-1s frequently expired, as I wouldn't use them for trips from the midwest to East Coast and would only really use them for trips West. Whether I get 4, 6 or 8 next year doesn't really matter to me as I've had UDU clear on all trips except one since the introduction of the program.

I'm actually in favor of anything that reduces the number of 1Ks and GS members. Seems like there are already too many and that my boarding process on the Red Carpet is always quite full. So, I'm glad to see no DEQM / DEQS this year and the raise to 120 EQS.

Like others, I find the 1P+ / 1P- at 75K miles quite odd. I think I'd simply prefer to see a 3 tier program and pick a point at which 1P is going to exist.

For those thinking of making a switch to another carrier, there have been status mAAtches from both 1K and GS to EXP and Concierge Key.

After 440+ posts on this matter, what are we going to do about this "enhancement?"

As a "1K on segments" flier, this change hits me especially hard. I've been a 1K for 5+ years, and fear that 2011 will be my last. A 20% increase is just too much all at once.
We on the UA FT board have rolled back several changes in recent memory. A couple that quickly come to mind are:

- the 500 mile conversion for unused CR1s/SWUs

- restoring the 500 mile minimum for shorter segmented flights

I'm sure there are many more (if you think of them, post them, please), and it was because of us being so vocal that UA rethought it's decision on these.
Let's do it again. I don't particularly like the idea of searching out a new carrier. I like UA, but these changes are just silly. Let's show UA/CO that we're a force to be reckoned with. We are, after all, the reason they are in business.

Regardless of whether these changes effects you today or not, please write a letter to UA to let them know just how we feel. If we stand our ground, UA may (they have before) back down. If not...they will steamroller us whether we like it or not.

Seriously, let's get this rolled back! Thanks in advance to the UA FT community!