US offers me "Buy Up to Preferred" to PP and CP
Feb 20, 2012, 4:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
US offers me "Buy Up to Preferred" to PP and CP
I was PP the past year and only qualified for GP for this year. I had 52,879 PQM in 2011. I just received an email offer from US to Buy Up to PP for $920.00 and to CP for $1394.42. Both amounts are pre-tax.
Anyone know how those dollar amounts are calculated?
BTW, it would seem to me that if I were going to buy-up to PP, I might as well buy-up to CP for the extra $474.42.
Anyone know how those dollar amounts are calculated?
BTW, it would seem to me that if I were going to buy-up to PP, I might as well buy-up to CP for the extra $474.42.
Feb 20, 2012, 4:42 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: BGM/ PHL
Programs: US (Silver, *A Silver), AA, Starbucks (Gold)
Posts: 2,242
I was PP the past year and only qualified for GP for this year. I had 52,879 PQM in 2011. I just received an email offer from US to Buy Up to PP for $920.00 and to CP for $1394.42. Both amounts are pre-tax.
Anyone know how those dollar amounts are calculated?
BTW, it would seem to me that if I were going to buy-up to PP, I might as well buy-up to CP for the extra $474.42.
Anyone know how those dollar amounts are calculated?
BTW, it would seem to me that if I were going to buy-up to PP, I might as well buy-up to CP for the extra $474.42.
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...preferred.html
The prices in the e-mail do not include the Federal Excise Tax (which is included on the DM website)
Feb 20, 2012, 4:48 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 386
Did it actually quote the dollar figure in the email? I just got my email and it mentioned buying up from PP back to CP, but no price. I figured I had to log in to the site to see the dollar amount.
Feb 20, 2012, 4:52 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Purgatory
Programs: Too many to list. Status is a half dozen.
Posts: 9,235
They're really pushing the buy-up. If I do it, it'll be March 1st or later so I can actually buy back a LOWER level. They forget that part in their marketing.
Feb 20, 2012, 7:58 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Feb 20, 2012, 8:01 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
(Or are you being facetious, joking that you will "buy" whatever level you already have for 2012 for zero dollars?
)
Feb 20, 2012, 8:36 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Programs: SPG/Marriott Gold, National Emerald Executive
Posts: 66
"On March 1, 2012 you’re going to lose your Gold Preferred status. This means you’ll drop down to Base."
Not a good sign for those of us hoping for a soft landing.
Not a good sign for those of us hoping for a soft landing.
Feb 20, 2012, 9:17 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
It's based on how many miles short you were:
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...preferred.html
The prices in the e-mail do not include the Federal Excise Tax (which is included on the DM website)
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...preferred.html
The prices in the e-mail do not include the Federal Excise Tax (which is included on the DM website)
Feb 21, 2012, 6:03 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
Most carriers won't do it. UA dropped me from 1K to Premier. Had I not qualified, they would have had no problem dropping me to gate lice - without an easy way to keep any sort of status.
Feb 21, 2012, 6:19 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Lawrence, KS
Programs: AA Gold, UA, DL
Posts: 270
It's not quoted in the email. It's a little trick to find. The email will get you to this page. Once there, click on "Buy up to Preferred today" and you'll be prompted to fill in three items. Do that, then your exact amounts needed to buy-up will be shown.
Feb 21, 2012, 6:42 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,663
Both my wife and I are CP but we will both drop to GP. Yet, neither one of us has received an email about the pending change. Anyway, I think I will buy-up one of us to get the CP certs for European travel this summer.
Feb 21, 2012, 7:01 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: BGM/ PHL
Programs: US (Silver, *A Silver), AA, Starbucks (Gold)
Posts: 2,242
Feb 21, 2012, 7:27 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: AVL
Programs: AA EXP ; Cunard Plat
Posts: 4,211
Feb 21, 2012, 7:30 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
I am currently platinum but with limited travel last year I received the email that I would be dropping down to silver. Given the option to buy up and when I go through the steps I only have 2 options: buy up to platinum or CP. What happened to gold? Is there any benefit to buying up NOW or just waiting until after Mar 1st?
Unless I am missing something, there is zero benefit to buying up before 1 March ... and potentially some costs (at least for those who are getting soft landings -- see above).
Feb 21, 2012, 8:13 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 273
Not sure marketing and IT are in sync ... The IT is conditioning everything on where you are at a given moment, so as a Platinum there is no ways to "buy up" to Gold.
Unless I am missing something, there is zero benefit to buying up before 1 March ... and potentially some costs (at least for those who are getting soft landings -- see above).
Unless I am missing something, there is zero benefit to buying up before 1 March ... and potentially some costs (at least for those who are getting soft landings -- see above).
There's a possible benefit of buying up now as opposed to later in that one could get more bonus miles if one needs to travel during the first week of March, e.g. if I were to drop to GP I would only get 50% bonus miles for my travel on 1st of March. On the other hand, I would get 100% bonus miles if I were to buy up to CP from now till 1st of March.
It's fun to see the marketing department being so creative in trying to wring every dollar out of its customer base: few hundreds for the lounge access, few hundred (or thousand for some) for the status...