2008 Elite Choice Team Competition Status Master Thread
Jan 13, 2008, 6:34 pm
#46
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SFO/SAN/Ganado Arizona
Programs: Affilated with the orders of I need to rest, doctor's orders!
Posts: 1,400
i'm interested in playing, but not ready to commit just yet.. want to see united formally announce it, with no mention of taxes added to the T&C's. if i'm going to get a 1099 for winning $50,000 worth of stuff, i'm definitely out, and given the stated ARV of the 1K circle of friends sweepstakes, that's a concern...
also, i meant what i said -- i have no idea what 2008 will bring. i made 1P in 2007 on segments, earning only 42k EQM, including the 2500 mile carryover. i'm starting this year with a CRWSTAR1, and will have over 38k by the end of january (again including the 2500 mile carryover, since i was on the 2P version of elite choice last year..)
i lose my AA EXP this year as a result of too much UA/US/AC activity in 2007, and i think 1P is a lot more pleasant than AA PLT, so the plan is to stick with UA/*, and hope i can fly enough to make 1K. but the flying is whatever work needs it to be -- i'll only do MR's if i'm stting between 90k and 99.999k going into the end of the year..
also, i meant what i said -- i have no idea what 2008 will bring. i made 1P in 2007 on segments, earning only 42k EQM, including the 2500 mile carryover. i'm starting this year with a CRWSTAR1, and will have over 38k by the end of january (again including the 2500 mile carryover, since i was on the 2P version of elite choice last year..)
i lose my AA EXP this year as a result of too much UA/US/AC activity in 2007, and i think 1P is a lot more pleasant than AA PLT, so the plan is to stick with UA/*, and hope i can fly enough to make 1K. but the flying is whatever work needs it to be -- i'll only do MR's if i'm stting between 90k and 99.999k going into the end of the year..
You don't need to escape to other worldly destinations?
Don't you want to see the Sox's play in Tokyo?
C'mon! There is always a reason to fly! You just need to pick one and go for it.
Jan 13, 2008, 6:37 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, UA MM Lifetime Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 451
I'm willing to play and would be happy to be drafted. I had over 225K EQM's last year. However, I can't promise a great increase in EQM's but you never now. I have 2 transpacs and 2 middle East trips booked as of now. And I'm already sitting on 3K EQM's.
Jan 13, 2008, 6:39 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, UA MM Lifetime Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 451
Why don't we form a UGS team? Us guys/gals who did 200+ EQM's last year. I realize that it may not be the best combination, but it would be fun anyway.
Jan 13, 2008, 6:45 pm
#49
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boulder, CO
Programs: UA, AA, WN; HH, MR, IHG
Posts: 7,054
Also, I didn't see that the rules specified a date by when the team has to be formed... so we might be able to wait until near the very end of the contest to form teams, by which point we'll have a really good idea of who is likely to win.
Of course, I have no idea what my travel plans will be... but whatever they are, they won't be worse than last year, when I had only 10K EQMs! 
Sadly, I won't come anywhere near 1K... though I could sure use those prizes! 
Jan 13, 2008, 6:51 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: Various
Posts: 6,526
I would like to throw my hat in the ring as well. I had 0 EQMs last year (US PP), and I've switched over to UA this year. I will have ~40k EQMs by early/mid-February, and I anticipate easily making 1K this year (though probably not until October/early November, as my travel slows down a bit in the summer).
Jan 13, 2008, 6:58 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: UA, AA, LH, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Hertz
Posts: 1,759
Online registration is required for this contest and must be completed by September 7, 2008.
Jan 13, 2008, 7:06 pm
#52
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Wilmington, DE, PHL
Programs: UA MM Gold, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 278
Alternatively, since there are going to be 50 winners, we could try forming something like 20 or 25 equally-rated teams, because even then, I suspect FT would still do better.
Also, I didn't see that the rules specified a date by when the team has to be formed... so we might be able to wait until near the very end of the contest to form teams, by which point we'll have a really good idea of who is likely to win.....
Also, I didn't see that the rules specified a date by when the team has to be formed... so we might be able to wait until near the very end of the contest to form teams, by which point we'll have a really good idea of who is likely to win.....
Jan 13, 2008, 7:11 pm
#53
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boulder, CO
Programs: UA, AA, WN; HH, MR, IHG
Posts: 7,054
Either way, that's pretty darn late in the year - very late into Q3 - so my recommendation would actually be for nobody to form teams until sometime in, say, July or August, at which time we'll have a much better idea of what the final 2008 tally should be for each participant.
Jan 13, 2008, 7:14 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Tucson - Seattle
Programs: UA 1K;
Posts: 2,474
Jan 13, 2008, 7:48 pm
#55
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 2P
Posts: 257
i'm in if people need another team member
last year i did 45k BIS
this year i will make 1K easily ... I have a honeymoon trip to PKT from SAN already bought 4 transcons already booked etc. pm me
this year i will make 1K easily ... I have a honeymoon trip to PKT from SAN already bought 4 transcons already booked etc. pm me
Jan 13, 2008, 8:08 pm
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
i'm interested in playing, but not ready to commit just yet.. want to see united formally announce it, with no mention of taxes added to the T&C's. if i'm going to get a 1099 for winning $50,000 worth of stuff, i'm definitely out, and given the stated ARV of the 1K circle of friends sweepstakes, that's a concern...
Jan 13, 2008, 8:23 pm
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,339
Post #1, 3, 4 have been updated!!
I wonder if UA will contact FT to shut this thread down. From the above, it appears UA may not want to make year-to-date numbers public...otherwise, if all teams update their numbers on this thread, we will know who the winning will be before UA annouce it to the public in 2009.@:-)
A valid e-mail address with opt-in designation, which will be used to email the team captain updates of his/her team’s 2008 year-to-date EQM totals (in or around March, June and September 2008) must be established at time of registration if the member does not already have one on record with united.com.
Jan 13, 2008, 8:29 pm
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,086
Does anyone else think that this is one of the dumbest things UA ever came up with? 
With the exceptions of a few people I know
will the average UA flyer even care about this game? Is UA really targeting Flyertalkers so that they can track you. 
UA, just send me a couple of drink certs and a few e-500's, and I'll be happy. @:-)
FYI, I came in at 68k in 2007.
With the exceptions of a few people I know
will the average UA flyer even care about this game? Is UA really targeting Flyertalkers so that they can track you. UA, just send me a couple of drink certs and a few e-500's, and I'll be happy. @:-)
FYI, I came in at 68k in 2007.
Jan 13, 2008, 8:31 pm
#59
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
In post #3, it would be good to include a time zone if you're going to timestamp it. The world does not run on EST... (In fact, you don't even need it, because FT timestamps when you edit a post anyway.)
Jan 13, 2008, 8:34 pm
#60
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NYC/SFO
Programs: UA 1K*MM, AA PP
Posts: 1,097
Interesting. I'm actually in good position as after flying 200K in '06 and crediting most of it to UA (and making no status in other alliances) in '07 I got smart and credited only just over 100K to UA giving 50K to AA and spreading the other 20K-30K among a dozen other airlines).
Now, this year my travel is supposed to go back up a bit, so I could maybe make 200K on UA if I steered all my flying to them, but I'd have to have a pretty strong incentive as I'd be wasting the hard-earned PLT status on AA and I fly some places UA just doesn't go conveniently...
But I'm game to run the numbers and join a team... whenever.
Now, this year my travel is supposed to go back up a bit, so I could maybe make 200K on UA if I steered all my flying to them, but I'd have to have a pretty strong incentive as I'd be wasting the hard-earned PLT status on AA and I fly some places UA just doesn't go conveniently...
But I'm game to run the numbers and join a team... whenever.