Crystal Ball: Better Service for 1K's?
Nov 28, 2007, 5:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SNA
Programs: Sixt Platinum, Avis Preferred Plus, Hertz President's Circle, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,557
Crystal Ball: Better Service for 1K's?
With the economy souring a bit, airfares on the rise, companies cutting back travel in favour of doing it via the internet, outsourcing, and United not offering incentives to double-dip or even helping one boost EQM's, I am looking forward to being a 1K next year. I remember spending only $3,500 to hit 1K, and it's now nearly double that.
The general consensus is that there will be less 1K's next year. I am guessing maybe 15 to 20%. I know on FlyerTalk, it'll be more than that. Now, what better service should I be expecting? I had the feeling United would not be offering incentives this year and would be trying to focus on real 1K's, not 1K lites.
The general consensus is that there will be less 1K's next year. I am guessing maybe 15 to 20%. I know on FlyerTalk, it'll be more than that. Now, what better service should I be expecting? I had the feeling United would not be offering incentives this year and would be trying to focus on real 1K's, not 1K lites.
Nov 28, 2007, 6:10 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
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Nov 28, 2007, 6:14 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,732
With the economy souring a bit, airfares on the rise, companies cutting back travel in favour of doing it via the internet, outsourcing, and United not offering incentives to double-dip or even helping one boost EQM's, I am looking forward to being a 1K next year. I remember spending only $3,500 to hit 1K, and it's now nearly double that.
The general consensus is that there will be less 1K's next year. I am guessing maybe 15 to 20%. I know on FlyerTalk, it'll be more than that. Now, what better service should I be expecting? I had the feeling United would not be offering incentives this year and would be trying to focus on real 1K's, not 1K lites.
The general consensus is that there will be less 1K's next year. I am guessing maybe 15 to 20%. I know on FlyerTalk, it'll be more than that. Now, what better service should I be expecting? I had the feeling United would not be offering incentives this year and would be trying to focus on real 1K's, not 1K lites.
Nov 28, 2007, 6:18 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,663
Nov 28, 2007, 6:20 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,732
Even if that were true, I cant believe you can do that for 7k.
Nov 28, 2007, 6:21 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SNA
Programs: Sixt Platinum, Avis Preferred Plus, Hertz President's Circle, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,557
Ha ha, I wish!
What helped me was LAX-IAD-HSV for $178, and four LAX-JFK's at $138 a pop. The rest... $600 or so from LAX to Europe. I miss the $350 fares!
What helped me was LAX-IAD-HSV for $178, and four LAX-JFK's at $138 a pop. The rest... $600 or so from LAX to Europe. I miss the $350 fares!
Nov 28, 2007, 6:22 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Purgatory
Programs: Too many to list. Status is a half dozen.
Posts: 9,235
10 R/T's US to Europe for an average $700 a pop? Roughly 8k to 12k miles depending on city pairs, right? There's one example, assuming no status to start. Good Asian sales I imagine would get you to 1K for even less.
Nov 28, 2007, 6:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,732
Yeah.. I saw UA had IAD-PEK for 800 bucks. It was unreal. I didn't partake though. I guess full fair econonmy or refundble economy is the way to do it too. I know some people that book "economy" but since it's refundable they get insane EQM. Seems like a scam though in which UA participates as to flyers.
Nov 28, 2007, 6:43 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,333
I really believe UA corporate wants the 1K experience to be better... but if my experiences over this last week are any indication, many(most?) employees haven't yet got(read?) the memo. 
Nov 28, 2007, 7:22 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: RMQ
Programs: UA 1K Marriott T.E. Hertz PC
Posts: 148
Maybe the memo said "wait until the rift raft 1Ks" (aka RR1K) expire in March....of which I am one.
Nov 28, 2007, 7:50 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: UAL 1KMM,Hilton Diamond
Posts: 758
I am ending the year with about 95,000 miles. This weekend I am doing a MR SFO-PHL-FLL-DEN-SFO. 6000 miles for $233 less than 4 cents a mile. Will make the 1K barely. If I had done 17 of those during the year I would have made 1K for less than $4,000.
Nov 28, 2007, 10:10 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SNA, LAX
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 123
UA must hate 1K's with an annual spend of less than $4k. I will just barely make 1P this year with a spend of of over $15k on mostly short haul full fare tickets.
Nov 28, 2007, 10:12 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SQL
Programs: SPG Platinum; Hyatt Platinum; UA 1K
Posts: 3,170
Many (well-planned) domestic mileage runs can be done these days for well under 4cpEQm (and jumping on a fare war, or fare mistake can make the EQMs come a lot cheaper). Even with the extra expenses of parking, etc. It should be possible to get 1K for about 4K.
That said, you will spend a lot of time flying and not necessarily going anywhere interesting.
That said, you will spend a lot of time flying and not necessarily going anywhere interesting.
Nov 28, 2007, 10:19 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 2,671
Yeah.. I saw UA had IAD-PEK for 800 bucks. It was unreal. I didn't partake though. I guess full fair econonmy or refundble economy is the way to do it too. I know some people that book "economy" but since it's refundable they get insane EQM. Seems like a scam though in which UA participates as to flyers.
Also, how do you figure the COS bonus EQM's to be "a scam"?
Craig