The only way is not to feed it. ;)

Seriously, today is the last day I'm going to click on a speculative DEQM thread unless and until I see it's been offered. @:-)

Personally, I'd really like them to offer it as it's gonna be tough for me to make 1P this year. I'll probably make it either way, but options are always nice.

I think they should come up with the different pricing structure, something based on the number of EQM's you need to reach the next level. If I only need 10,000 EQM's I'm probably not gonna pay $499, but I might if I need 20,000 to reach the next level.

Those who actually EARN it.

Sorry, but if you pay the fee and make it that way you still earned it. I don't think UA cares very much what "we" think. If I had it my way I would be the only 1K, but UA doesn't seem to be listening.;):p

There are many ways to earn 1K. United decides what those are, not "we". IMO. YMMV.

Which includes taking part in promotions.

Exactly. Or taking advantage of a pricing error and fly to AKL in C for a low, low price. Or ...

You need to take it in context, I said in my original post that "we" (meaning people we earn 1k by actually flying 100K+), don't need a bunch of extra 1K-lites, and frankly I can't see any advantage to it.



I know the UA doesnt care what I think, but the topic of this thread was asking opinions.

What a great idea! ^ You should join the UA rules committee that, working from the top secret windowless conference room deep inside the home office, is charged with creating the complex web of mind numbing rules, exceptions, exclusions, types and categories to keep the customers (and employees!) in a semi-permanent state of confusion. For example, you could propose the following MP tier line-up:

Kick a** GS
Super GS
GS
I'm-better-than-you 1k
1K
1k-Lite
Wanna-be-big-shot 1p
1p
Mileage-run 1p
2P
2p-Lite
3p
General MP Member, also known as "Loser"

Doesn't anti-1K-lite animosity really just boil down to wanting the club to be as exlcusive as possible...right after you get in? I'll have about 80k EQM without the promo. So if I pay the $$$ to get Q$ EQMs doubled then I haven't earned 1K, but if I fly a MR to SIN on a T fare, then I have? What about the 1Ks who fly the miles, but all on seriously el-cheapo fares. Have they "earned" it in your book? I guess the point is that given how arbitrary it all is anyway, saying that DEQM promo-1Ks didn't "earn it" while others do seems kind of silly. Tell it like it is: You want less competition for upgrades.

No, meaning a subset of those people, because we don't all agree. Many of us don't get our way paid by someone else, so we need some help. I certainly wouldn't have made sure to maintain status this year through BiS if I hadn't made it last year with help from the promos.

More elites ==> more people happy with United ==> more revenue ==> solvent airline ==> we all get to keep flying.

If gaining elites with this program is the difference between UA remaining solvent or not they have far bigger problems

Well yes, I want less competition for upgrades, less people in elite security lines, less people in the elite check-in line.

As to those who fly el-cheapo MRs vs. doubling their EQMs I would bet less people will do the former than the later and at least they put their B in the S. Now I wouldn't be too surprised if UA followed other airlines in restricting EQM earnings on super cheap fare down the road, I know it would piss off many people but the result would be nice IMO.

Other airlines, like foreign airlines or US airlines?

My two cents on "earning" a status level and being "lite": What difference does it make? If you're going to bucketize people based on "earning" their status, then you'll need to add another catagory and new term for those who "earn" their status flying on the company's dollar and one for those who pay for their status out of their own pockets.

*shrug* YMMV.