CIT85

For what ever it's worth, I just got the 'Welcome to Silver Preferred" email today.

I flew on US Air once in 2010 RIC-FLL, and credited my miles to UA. I was CP for many years and had 1MM when I switched to UA in 2007. So I've had no status 2009 and 2010.

For those who are worried about unearned elites, this Silver will be happy to stay with UA flights and enjoy my 1K perks.

ccm241

Lucky SOBs! My coworker who is also Silver just got his email welcoming him to Platinum. I got mine shortly thereafter welcoming me to Silver (again) for 2011. He flies more international than I do but I know he doesnt have the miles to reach Platinum (or even Gold), so maybe that has something to do with it?

Oh well - Congrats to those who are considered "more valuable" to US.

Fanjet

I got the e-mail as well. I haven't had a flight credit to my DM account in almost 2 years! In fact, the only activity I've had (aside from the Grand Slam) was the redemption of 4 tickets to Europe on LH. When I find out how close I am to Million Miler status (I started with PSA, was Priority Gold/Priority Gold Plus for basically every year in the 90's, as well as at least Gold Preferred for much of the past decade), I might start to credit flights back to US. I actually need to find my old Flight Fund account number. I actually had their elite status (Chairman's Club?) for a couple of years (20 years ago). I never merged it into my DM account because those miles I had left expired. If I'm not close to 1 Million BIS miles, I'd be very surprised.

glueguy

Sitting in a club listening to two people talk, both mysteriously bumped 2 levels. One was suppposed to be silver and is now platinum, the other was gold and is now chairman.

Grrr.... I know it is still BIS miles, but really, how many people did US give 2 level bumps to?

masonuc

Here's an interesting data point.

My wife and son flew the exact same flights and fares every single time last year and fell well short of SP. My wife was GP for the year, having received a courtesy bump up in January 2010. My son was no status (just turned 2) but I gifted him SP since I am CP.

My son got bumped up to SP this year (on his own).
My wife got no status (which is no big deal because she's GP until 3/1/2011 and I'll nominate her to SP after that).

But their 2010 flights were identical.

Not sure what drives the decisions. I don't begrudge them for bumping people up though, so long as it is not to CP.

gottaluvNW

You've gotta assume that all of this is diluting the value of DMs in the long run. Dont value them based on today's system - value them based on what you think they will be worth when you decide to use them.

For example, all the Preferred members, earning extra miles - well, these miles have to be redeemed somewhere right? Rather than have this additional liability on their books, they will soon enough (opaquely or otherwise) dilute the value of DMs to equal those of Delta's SkyPesos...

Consider yourself warned

flyerb

I am currently Platinum, but still haven't received an e-mail re my 2011 status (based on miles, I fell just short of Gold). My husband and daughter received e-mails two weeks ago with a comp to Silver (they were Silver in 2010 but fell well short on miles for 2011). Are e-mails still going out?

mrredskin

you gotta wonder about the thought process behind this. i sure as heck do.

granted, i got my gold status from the free trial and h/s/j, but i earned those based on the terms outlined in each. i'm not complaining about those who got the free status

now, if i had come up a few thousand short of silver or gold last year and NOT been bumped up to silver or gold, i would have a gripe for sure.

the only way this really affects me is when you go to book a flight early enough and the exit rows are already taken with 90% of the cabin still unsold