New member intro/ Question
Jun 23, 2006, 11:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA LAX
Programs: UA Gold, United Club, HHonors Diamond, Starwood Gold, Hertz 5 Star
Posts: 212
New member intro/ Question
Hello, I am a new member, a friend from Toronto turned me on to this place recently. I have just started browsing the forums and have not figured out all the abbreviations or terminology just yet, but I look forward to doing so.
I have about 10 years of primarily flying UAL and Star Alliance parters under my belt, I have made Premier Exec for the last 3 years. I usually do about 70,000 miles a year , mostly short hops on the west coast of the US, with occasional trips to Boston, Chicago, Tennessee, Florida and elsewhere. I have not had a flight longer than 6 hours for probably 5 plus years, so I have a hard time approaching 1K.
I keep getting these offers for Ameniti travel club, which I keep shredding because of all the restrictions that they seem to have on what class of service you can use your companion ticket in. Does anyone else belong to this club, because It sure looks like a waste of time from what the offer letter says.
I have always held that UAL is the best US airline for all around service, quality of experience etc. The only gripe I have is with their offers, like the Ameniti thing, having way too many restrictions. Some time back I took time to write a letter about a free ticket offer I got for making so many flights in a specified time etc, which had so many restrictions on it that it was essentially useless. Anyone else think that UAL could work on this area?
D
I have about 10 years of primarily flying UAL and Star Alliance parters under my belt, I have made Premier Exec for the last 3 years. I usually do about 70,000 miles a year , mostly short hops on the west coast of the US, with occasional trips to Boston, Chicago, Tennessee, Florida and elsewhere. I have not had a flight longer than 6 hours for probably 5 plus years, so I have a hard time approaching 1K.
I keep getting these offers for Ameniti travel club, which I keep shredding because of all the restrictions that they seem to have on what class of service you can use your companion ticket in. Does anyone else belong to this club, because It sure looks like a waste of time from what the offer letter says.
I have always held that UAL is the best US airline for all around service, quality of experience etc. The only gripe I have is with their offers, like the Ameniti thing, having way too many restrictions. Some time back I took time to write a letter about a free ticket offer I got for making so many flights in a specified time etc, which had so many restrictions on it that it was essentially useless. Anyone else think that UAL could work on this area?
D
Jun 23, 2006, 11:25 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 20,404
Welcome!
If you run a search for Ameniti in this forum, you'll dig up plenty of threads discussing the topic.
My take on it all: I have probably received AT LEAST 10 "last chance to sign up" emails. And I cannot wait to get my eleventh.
If you run a search for Ameniti in this forum, you'll dig up plenty of threads discussing the topic.
My take on it all: I have probably received AT LEAST 10 "last chance to sign up" emails. And I cannot wait to get my eleventh.
Jun 24, 2006, 2:35 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Since the BoSox and ChiSox won it, now it is the Cubs turn to take the Series. Go Cubs Go!
Posts: 3,685
Welcome, Dsybock. You might keep in mind that you are close to being a 1K travelling 70K miles per year. In the past several years, United has run a double EQM promotion near the end of the year typically from October 20 to December 15, but please note these dates I am giving are general and not exact. You would pay a fee of $150 or $200, and then every flight you take would earn you double Elite Qualifying Miles. Instead of needing 30,000 miles to reach 1K, you would pay the fee and only need 15K actual flight miles to earn the 30K EQMs. Keep looking to the United forum in September and October to see if they run this program again this year.
Jun 24, 2006, 9:31 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,602
I agree with your feelings about targeted offers. The Ameniti stuff stinks, especially when I seem to get them after buying a first class ticket somewhere (but I'm usually buyng QUP fares which STILL work out to be cheaper than Ameniti's 2 for 1 offer).
I saw another offer recently that restricted the fare codes that could be used for the promotion, effectively making it useless for me and just plain silly to try to get due to too many hoops.
I saw another offer recently that restricted the fare codes that could be used for the promotion, effectively making it useless for me and just plain silly to try to get due to too many hoops.
Jun 24, 2006, 10:31 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RNO, NV, USA.
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 5,061
Dsybok - Welcome to FlyerTalk! chitownflyer offers some excellent advice. You may wish to attend the Remembrance Day / Veterans Weekend London DO in November. This is described on the CommunityBuzz page. If UA offers their double EQM promotion again this fall, then LAX-LHR return will be worth 10,912 x 2 = 21,824 miles. 
Jun 25, 2006, 4:19 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: We got lucky9876coins
Programs: Life IS good !!! ®
Posts: 3,180
Welcome to FT!
And if you have some free time to fly to exotic locales, why not monitor the Mileage Run forum for fare errors to Europe or Asia for a cheap way to boost your elite status to 1K.
And if you have some free time to fly to exotic locales, why not monitor the Mileage Run forum for fare errors to Europe or Asia for a cheap way to boost your elite status to 1K.
Jun 25, 2006, 8:21 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: IAD, DCA
Programs: UA-Plat, Marriott-Plat, AAI, AAII
Posts: 3,758
While the FT search function is pretty lame, it will work for certain one word topics such a Ameniti.
Also, check ot the Glossary under HELP and the UA-specific Glossary under the UA FAQ sticky. For that matter, check out the whole UA FAQ, there's so much valuable info in one place.
Finally, I think you'll see that the basic attitude here is that if you can make 70k miles you can make 100k miles and earn the coveted "1K" title!
Also, check ot the Glossary under HELP and the UA-specific Glossary under the UA FAQ sticky. For that matter, check out the whole UA FAQ, there's so much valuable info in one place.
Finally, I think you'll see that the basic attitude here is that if you can make 70k miles you can make 100k miles and earn the coveted "1K" title!
Jun 25, 2006, 8:38 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,602
Originally Posted by gre
Finally, I think you'll see that the basic attitude here is that if you can make 70k miles you can make 100k miles and earn the coveted "1K" title!
OK... there are promos, like the double EQMs or the 15k EQMs for platinum cc purchases that can whiddle the 30k down to 7,500 BIS miles (or even 5,000 if the ticket is F) to make 1k, but... well... the OP says he primarily flies domestic and on relatively short flights. Does 1k actually do much for someone in his shoes to make it worthwhile? I'm not so sure.
Jun 25, 2006, 9:58 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: IAD, DCA
Programs: UA-Plat, Marriott-Plat, AAI, AAII
Posts: 3,758
Originally Posted by emma dog
I used to agree with you and up until 2 years ago, I would do MRs to make status. However, I started to ask myself on me during a 28 hour IAD-ORD-SEA-ANC-SEA-LAX-IAD run a couple years ago, "why am I doing this to increase my mileage 20%?" Sure... if it's a couple thousand miles I'm short, it's worth it, I guess. However, 30k miles for the OP?
OK... there are promos, like the double EQMs or the 15k EQMs for platinum cc purchases that can whiddle the 30k down to 7,500 BIS miles (or even 5,000 if the ticket is F) to make 1k, but... well... the OP says he primarily flies domestic and on relatively short flights. Does 1k actually do much for someone in his shoes to make it worthwhile? I'm not so sure.
OK... there are promos, like the double EQMs or the 15k EQMs for platinum cc purchases that can whiddle the 30k down to 7,500 BIS miles (or even 5,000 if the ticket is F) to make 1k, but... well... the OP says he primarily flies domestic and on relatively short flights. Does 1k actually do much for someone in his shoes to make it worthwhile? I'm not so sure.
This stuff is better than (most) dope! Like I tell Mrs. GRE, "you don't have to understand, just take the good seat I get you in the front (well, middle if it's international) of the plane!"