I offer this line from the response I just received:

Also, please know that we provide miles as goodwill gesture to our valued customers to express our apologies for the inconvenience you experienced with our service.

In other words, if they reinstated the 500-mile minimum, how would they have enough miles to pay us off when they screw up? :D

Your request to reinstate 500-mile minimum credit for all the flights is understood.

Mr. Fredd, I can certainly understand your and your wife's disappointment with our change of policy regarding the minimum mileage accrual for the flights. Please know that your candid comments will be shared with our management teams responsible for decisions about products and services our customers most value. Your feedback will help us evaluate our decisions that impact your choice of airline.

Also, please know that we provide miles as goodwill gesture to our valued customers to express our apologies for the inconvenience you experienced with our service. Your understanding is appreciated.

As a 1K member of our Mileage Plus Program, you are especially important to United. Your feedback - whether positive or negative - makes a difference. It lets us know what we need to consider in order to earn your future friendship and support. We look forward to serving you again.

Joking aside, I do appreciate the fact that individuals who write appear to be getting personal responses, even if some of them are uniquely phrased. ^ :)

I received an almost identical response.

Dear sshank

I regret to learn from your email about your dissatisfaction with our new Mileage Plus accrual policy for flights less than 500 miles.

sshank, consideration you regularly fly out of Philadelphia with a connection at Washington Dulles, I am sympathetic to your situation and can understand your frustration. I realize how such policy change can be disappointing from your point of view and cause concern. Nonetheless, we recognize we have many complicated rules and processes associated with EQMs miles. We agree some are difficult to understand, and we often review our policies.

As you are a 1K customer, you know us better than anyone, and we focus tremendously on your observations. We do want you to know that our operations teams and senior leadership spend a good deal of time reviewing comments from you and other elite customers. It's from feedback such as yours that we put together a set of improvements and, going forward, we are committed to providing you the products and services you expect, and deserve. While I can't undo the disappointment you have expressed at this point of time, I have forwarded your valuable comments to our Mileage Plus Department for their internal review and will help us evaluate our decisions that impact your choice of airline.

As a 1K member of our Mileage Plus Program, you are especially important to United and I appreciate your taking the time to let us know your thoughts. Your feedback will make a difference and help us improve our service.

Regards,

XXX XXX
United Airlines Customer Relations

E-mail sent.

Maybe we should organize a SMF 1K do? :p You, me, Kevinsac...good times! :D

Done. :)

Here's what I said in my e-mail to 1K Voice:
As one of your best customers (1K, Million Mile Flyer) I would like to request you restore the 500 mile minimum for elite qualifying and redeemable accrual. Your competition continues to offer this minimum benefit, and United should too. During this difficult time in the industry, it would seem to me that United would be doing everything it could to retain high value clients.

Here's their response:
I regret to learn from your email about your dissatisfaction with our new Mileage Plus accrual policy for flights less than 500 miles.
Mr. XXXXX, considering that our competition continues to offer this minimum benefit, I understand your perspective and can understand your frustration. I realize how policy change can be disappointing from our customer's point of view and cause concern. We recognize we have many complicated rules and processes associated with EQM miles. We agree some are difficult to understand, and we often review our policies.
While, I can't undo the disappointment you have expressed at this point of time, yet, I have forwarded your valuable comments to our Mileage Plus Department for their internal review and will help us evaluate our decisions that impact your choice of airline.
As a 1K member of our Mileage Plus Program, you are especially important to United and I appreciate your taking the time to let us know your thoughts. Your feedback will make a difference and help us improve our service.

I think there may be two changes that UA can make to mitigate their financial need and the elite's wants:

1) keep the RDM & RDM elite bonus as actual miles but give minimun 500 EQMs (then there is less RDM in the books but do not affect people qualifying for status)

2) Elite should be able to qualify for e-500s, CR-1s, extra SWUs by either EQMs or EQS.

For a 1K who earns on EQM, that would be a 100K+ RDM/yr 'hit'. No thanks, we don't need to go the way of US Airways.

My response was along the lines of "we are sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction with charging for meals in United Economy," and that United will begin charging for meals in transatlantic economy in October.

I wrote them back and told them they used the wrong template, and that the info in the (wrong) template they used was also inaccurate.

:rolleyes:

The only reason I bothered to write back is because each time a template is used it tallys up another customer who complained about the same issue. It's the tally marks that WHQ is most interested, not what customers actually say.

Finally got my response today:

Dear Mr. ExCrew:

I am sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with our new Mileage Plus accrual policy for shorter flights. Please accept my apology for the delay in responding to your e-mail.

We are committed to refining every aspect of our service including making sure we are meeting the needs of our most loyal elite Mileage Plus members. Mr. ExCrew, I have forwarded your valuable comments to our Mileage Plus team for their consideration and internal use.

As a 1K member of our Mileage Plus program, we value your business, and thank you for your support throughout the years. We hope you will reconsider and allow United to continue serving your travel needs, Mr. ExCrew.

Sincerely,

xxxxxxx
UNITED AIRINES
Customer Relations
---------

Hello...boiler plate much?

Sent e-mails on behalf of wife and myself.

Just sent my letter to 1K desk.

If you don't mind diluting the ranks with a 1P, please let me know ;)

Are you mad? Of course you would be welcome! :D

Got my response about a week after I sent in the email. Interesting in that it was not addressed to anyone - just this message in a RTF document:

I appreciate your sharing your reaction to Continental's modification of its mileage accrual policy to award a minimum of 500 miles to its elite members. I will pass along your recommendation that United should emulate that carriers' new policy in order to regain your business for short-haul connecting flights of less than 500 miles. .


We are committed to refining every aspect of our service, including making sure we are meeting the needs of our most loyal guests. As mentioned above, I will give your valuable comments to our Mileage Plus team for consideration.


As a loyal elite 1K guest and member of our Mileage Plus program, we value your business and thank you for your continuing loyalty to United.


Sincerely,