I suggest you use a different line than the one you're using to try to get "upgraded to Premier Exec."

IMO, this thread is becoming "rude" between the two of you (kv and tuf). . .

I have to wonder, would you talk with each other this way if you were seeing one another in person instead of via virtualness?! Wow. . .

And as far as not comping, I agree with UA on this. You were comped once, you didn't fly the required miles, you haven't booked all of your trips, and yet you want them to comp you again? They could have definitely been nicer, but then again, why ask for a privilege that you really haven't earned??

Perhaps you can go back and ask for Premier and when you reach your 50K this year, you are automatically upgraded to PremEx.

Sorry!!!You're correct, I'm "outta here"! As you have noticed, this "LITE" stuff really upsets me. My apologies!!! This thread was started because this "gentleman" couldn't get his way. Now he says UAL was rude! Perhaps they were & perhaps they weren't, so what! All of his conversations were logged and everytime he calls his "rap sheet" will be looked at. You may win a battle some day, but you're probably going to loose the war in the end. In any case, "good luck!!!


[This message has been edited by TUFBEAR (edited 03-01-2002).]

I'm surprised she (the CSR) didn't laugh in your face. People always seem to want something for nothing. You both knew that it was a ridiculous request ... so you were deliberately wasting her time. It's just amazing how some fliers exaggerate their self-worth on the phone.

Maybe if you were a 1K, then things may have been a little different. Of course, that does involve flying more.. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

A few minutes of me surfing on the UA board is all AA needs to keep my business. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Well, reasonable people can disagree on that one. It's not the way I'd phrase it, I'd probably say something along the lines of "that's your choice, sir" but I do not think what the rep said was rude.

Plus, given the comments of the guy who made the complaint in the first place, I'm not sure that he didn't do something to deserve much worse. He's *****ing and screaming at someone here, and it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't do the same thing to the rep.

I've also heard a joke from my friends in the military that you can say whatever you want as long as the first and last words out of your mouth are sir =)

sorry everyone -- i did not intend to **** and scream at anyone on the board and my sincere apologies if that's the way it came across.

for the record, i was perfectly nice to the united rep in this case. maybe my request was irritating (it has certainly seemed to anger many people here), but my manner was not.

in any case, i will now go into my corner and hide.

Love-Ya, Man!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif



[This message has been edited by TUFBEAR (edited 03-01-2002).]

I don't understand why, if you are so disappointed with UA, you want to remain one of their elites? Sign up with LH and you can get STAR miles flying them to DEL, and UA in the US if you must. Or go over to oneworld and sign onto AA's program, doing the Platinum Challenge flying AA to LHR and BA to DEL.

You are a US Gold, so why not stick with them domestic US, and go LH or AA or even BA overseas as noted above? You just want to have your cake and eat it too. UA was quite correct in how you were treated. You got a comp, failed to fly them enough to even requalify at the lower status level, but they kept you on for another year. You still did not fly them enough to qualify for PemEx, but insist they grant you that status.

As for being unaware that matched comped elite status is a one time affair, this is quite standard for all carriers that offer widely available comps.

kv - Did you just get off the phone with UA? At least the caller described the exact situation your are in. Hmm.

no it was at least one week ago.

kv99, did you cal the UA Customer Relations published number (from united.com) or did you call the unpublished Premier Customer Relations number?

If you called the published number, the agents that take those calls ALWAYS say NO!

That call center is located in another country South of the US.

I would consider calling the Premier CR number.

I was in a similar situation as the original poster here - UA PremEx thanks to a comp 2 years ago. In reaction to UA's May 2000 announcement about buying USAir, I split my travel between UA and US assuming (poorly as it turns out) that by the end of 2000 (or maybe soon thereafter- hope springs eternal!) that the two programs would be combined. As a result of this blunder on my part, I didn't do enough travel on UA in 2000 to legitimately requalify for 1P (did something like 30K on UA and 51K on US). But somehow UA kept me as a 1P in 2001. I kept doing the same approach the first half of 2001, again thinking this deal would maybe happen. Long story short, after 9/11 changed everything and I got a letter from Larry DeShon telling me I'd be demoted to Premier for 2002, I wrote back pointed out the conflicting signals UA had been giving since May 2000 and asking for reconsideration. I heard back from a DeShon staffer who ignored the whole USAir issue and said I'd be 2P in 2002 unless I did 50K in 2001. I didn't like this response BUT at least they responded. As everyone here knows, the whole USAir acquisition idea was a big mistake - witness Goodwin's current state. I don't feel bad that UA refused to give me 1P in 2002- they're right that I did not earn it. While I won't avoid UA because of this issue, I'm not exactly "loyal" to them - I'd fly DL or AA if their schedule or price was 5 minutes earlier or $5 cheaper. It's not a big deal overall, but UA handled the US issue very poorly.

Hold on. Let me get this straight:

1999/2000, comp'd to 1P
2001 1P lite (ie: flew 42,000->49,999 miles in 2000)
2002 2P (flew 35,000 miles in 2001)

and you want 1P again?

Why?

you want 1P and you never once even flew the 50,000 miles period. If I was UA I'd give you 2P and I'll assume that's what they did.

So you did not get several trips to DEL which would have taken you well over 50k - okay, that sucks, but many people had similar situaions. That you had "customer relations issues" with UA is actually irrelevant. We all have them from time to time.

Rudeness is another issue, but I won't touch that one in this thread, plus it is very subjective when someone is forthright and someone else reads it as such, or whatever.

I don't see why UA would grant you 1P considering that actually is a considerable potental cost to UA to provide (For example, if you use a * Alliance lounge UA pays, if you redeem upgrades, UA pays, etc).

IMHO the much maligned "2nd qualification" criteria was used to weed out the lites, and sorry to say but you well and truly were a lite. (I feel justified in saying this as I was a 1K lite in 2001 also).

I'd say the only way UA might consider a 1P comp is you showing them that you booked x trips to add up to > 40k miles worth, or had several full fare Y/C/F trips in the system. Until then you're just a wannabe with his hand out like everyone else.

Sorry if you think this is sounding rude, but I think it's a bit rich to expect 1P status after you started with a comp (which we all know are 1 time only) and then failed to fly 50k on your own on UA (or * partners) ever since.

IMHO.


------------------
RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.
* * *
Ansett Australia: In memory of "One of the world's great airlines"
Feb 17, 1936 - March 4, 2002. R.I.P