Neal

Although I flew just over 25,000 miles in 1998, I just received a UA Premier Emeritus card and freaked out!! But fortunately,
Mileage Plus tells me that a regular Premier card is on it's way.

Anyway, I didn't realize that Premier Emeritus status also enables you to upgrade
24 hours in advance. I always thought is was just two hours. To me, the ability to upgrade is the most important perk of having any Premier status. That's not a bad deal!

Neal

Catman

Neal, be warned... You may be Premier Emeritus but that actually DECREASES you chances for upgrading.

One year I missed Premier by a few thousand miles because of changing jobs and I got this card. Of the time (about 8 months) I was Premier Emeritus, I was upgrades ONCE in 19 flights (that was because first class was empty.)

Premier Emeritus ranks below Premier and puts those members LOWER on the upgrade list. It allows you some of the benefits of elite status but not all.



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CATMAN

Neal

Catman,

I was told that I do indeed have Premier status in UA's computer and that a new card is on it's way. My last flight of 1998 that put me over 25,000 was on Dec 31st. Apparently, since it wasn't posted until Jan. 3rd, it classified me as Premier Emeritus.

Yes, I realize you're virtually the last one on the totem pole to get upgraded with this status. But at least UA gives you some kind of compensation as an X Premier member rather than stripping you completely of Premier perks.

Neal

MileKing

Catman's experience getting upgraded as a Premier Emeritus (about 5% of the time) is probably correct. Emeritus status is basically worthless on UA except you get to check-in using the Premier line. My limited experience based on flights I have requested upgrades on since receiving Premier Exec status this year has been 5 of 6 (or about 80%). In my opinion, if you don't plan on hitting Premier Executive on UA, you're better off on another airline (for upgrades). The number of 1Ks is quite amazing - they seem to be everywhere.

Neal

Apparently there are quite a few 1Ks and Premier Executives from what I've read on this board alone. Things really have changed in the past two or three years. I live in Chicago and used to check in at ORD's Premier Executive counter. (I had that status for two years.) There were never more than 2 positions open and the line never had more than 10 or so people waiting.

Also, I first became a regular Premier member 5 or 6 years ago. There were relatively so few regular Premier members back then, that I got upgraded on roughly 24 out of 25 flights one year!

Those were the days!

Neal

[This message has been edited by Neal (edited 03-14-99).]

Rudi

number of 1K's on my last week's weekend trip (I or on SJU-ORD together with Matt = we checked the list which is posted at the stewardess' working place:

* UA Duesseldorf - Chicago: total of 4 (2 in International First, which included me, being upgraded without asking for it, and travelling on a special promotional prize "booking class D" and as we discussed elsewere, UA policy is to never upgrade to international first business "D", but luckily business was overbooked, 2 in business).
* UA Chicago - San Juan PR (3, 2 in first (one of them = me), 1 in eco)
* UA San Juan PR - Chicago, into the snowstorm, holding hands with Matt (3, 2 in first, 1 in eco)
* UA Chicago - Duesseldorf (3, 1 in first, 1=me in business, 1 in eco).

If I look back on my 1998 itineraries with UA, ALL (about 50) flights in US/Canada/Mexico were upgraded - ALL - about 40% using either one-way confirmable upgrades, 40% using the 100 hrs in advance confirmable 500-miles vouchers, 20% as part of upgraded international connections.

But yes - I plan and book and request upgrades very early (about 5 months in advance).

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 03-14-99).]