Randy Petersen

Truthfully, United Mileage Plus does care for their best flyers and in a move to further aplogize, will soon announce the following qualification levels for 2001. These new levels are one-time only and I believe are designed to adjust for any service disruptions that occured this summer. They are fairly generous and should make a difference in what you need to fly on United from now until Dec. 31:
1K qualification: 84,000 actual flight miles or 90 segments;
Premier Executive: 42,000 actual flight miles or 54 segments;
Premier: 21,000 actual flight miles or 27 segments.

And a reminder that Premier members are still earning double miles as an additional bonus (though the extra bonus is not elite qualifying, the base miles are, as they are with any revenue flight on United). I don't believe there are differences between qualifying (first time) and re-qualifiying since both types of members would have been equally inconvenienced.

[This message has been edited by Randy Petersen (edited 10-23-2000).]

transpac

Wow, now I can't wait to hear about the rewards for those who really qualified 1K this year. Extra Systemwides please. Thank you.

Punki

I am glad to see that they merely lowered the requalification bars rather than dropping the new qualification bars for everyone.

That would have bothered me considering all the careful planning that I know many people have done to assure that they make PremEx or 1K this year.

And, yes, I too would like to know how they will acknowledge those who hung in there through thick and thin.

[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 10-23-2000).]

BIM

I suppose that this is good news, but the timing stinks. It means my mileage run next month (booked and paid for) is now unnecessary!

doc

Seems that QL was right!

Eastbay1K

BIM, you will still get at least triple account miles for all the travels... Personally, I'm not too upset with this even though I also am taking an "unnecessary" trip later this month, SO LONG AS IT IS MERELY REQUALIFICATION and not for first-time qualification. I doubt it will materially affect those of us who have "earned it" and for the myriad of "it isn't fair" replies I anticipate will be forthcoming, what UA did to a lot of dedicated flyers this year wasn't fair, and life isn't fair, either.

LAX 1K

Very interesting indeed... LOL! so the new bar is 90 segments... United.. sheshh.. keeps me guessing...

Punki

If life were fair, we'd all be in coach.

richard

Well, as someone who qualified for the first time due to my mileage run earlier, now at 103K, I am pleased that UA has done this for requals also.

Now the other airlines should *raise* their qual levels due to that extra traffic that otherwise would have gone to UA this year!

mrbally

There is a way for United to please both groups - those that will be close to requalifying but will miss through no fault of their own, and those that qualified despite the summer from hell.

I propose the following:

1 - 2001 qualifying levels remain unchanged.
2 - All 2000 IK, 2P, and 1P flyers are given an electronic "status maintainance certificate" good for 1 use at anytime in the future. These can be coded appropriately and easily tracked in the new "electronic upgrade system".

The 1 level upgrade can be used for a one time, one year maintainance of your status level. In other words a 2000 1K who fails to make 1K for 2001 (but does make PE) can use the certificate for a one year reprieve. Again, this can be done ONCE at the holders discretion as long as he/she is in the program.

One restriction (ala no double upgrades) - you can only use it for one level - if a 1K fails to qualify for PE but does qaulify for Premier then he/she could only use the certificate to maintain his/her status at the PE level.

Comments?

kokonutz

Bad news: More 1ks next year.
Good news: I have already requalified for "1k, Adjusted."
Bad news: I already hold tix that will take me over 100k for "real."
Good news: Those tix include DUS.
Bad news: Now I see what you 200k fliers mean about reaching 1k before the end of the year takes the thrill out of the chase.

Bottom line: I think I'll buy back some UA stock, since UA clearly is putting the interests of the shareholders over the interests of the most loyal pax...

[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 10-23-2000).]

AnnaS

I do have a small question on this...

Are these requalification thresholds only for the current status you hold or will it also work for moving up to the next level? In other words, I'm current at 97 segs & about 88K status miles, does this make me a 1K or would this have only applied if I was short of Prem. Exec?

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Regards,
- Anna

transpac

AnnaS, were you 1K this year (miles/segments in 1999).? If so, you are RE-qualifying and yes, with your current stats (as I understand it) you would be 1K for 2001 (2/02). If you were not 1K this year then I assume you'll have to get 3 more segments or 12 K more miles? But who knows until we see all the RULES.

The title of the original post ("...qualification levels...") and the text ("...re-qualification...") is a bit confusing, I guess. Let's see.

[This message has been edited by transpac (edited 10-23-2000).]

Catman

Thanks for the information, Randy. I had a feeling United would do something like this.

I am happy though that IF I was unable to fly my favorite airline that I still would requalify as PremEx.

Anna: good luck. If you can do the last few segments, go for requalifying for 1K the old fashioned way: flying and more flying.

And thank you United for working for winning us back. Personally, you NEVER lost me. But thanks.

AnnaS

transpac:

I'm currently Prem Exec and working my way up to 1K. I still plan to make it the old-fashioned way of over 100 segs. I've got one trip set and 2 more in the making so it should be no problem. I was curious though...

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Regards,
- Anna