FrequentHopper

I cannot believe people are complaining about the online booking bonus being taken away.

It was on life support for years.

Hell, it was first started by TWA -- an airline that hasn't flown for six years now. That's how old it is!

It was an effort to get people to start booking directly with the carriers, rather than through travel agents or travel sites, since it cost the airline less in fees and administration than other channels.

However, since the fees to travel agents and travel sites have been instituted, and most of us are old pros on the web sites, there's no need to give us an incentive to use the web site anymore. Everyone already does.

It's a long, long way from the situation that existed when TWA was trying to convince frightened travelers to book through Netscape Navigator rather than call their American Express travel agent.

me4yankees

I have to agree here. The booking bonus, once 1000 miles and then 500 miles, lasted longer than I thought it would.

And believe me, it used to be sort of "scary" to book online back in the late 90s! I remember one time Travelocity issued me two UA ticket numbers and charged me twice for one ticket/one click! It took me forever to get that worked out and this was before all of the agents were outsourced!

ByrdluvsAWACO

Yes. Especially when it could have been modified as a bonus for elite members only.


You're assuming that all ticket sales qualify for the 500 miles bonus. While I don't know the numbers, I'm sure there are plenty of bookings with no associated US FF number. Then there are sales via thrid party sites like Orbitz, and corporate travel that won't qualify.

That doesn't make sense. A less frequent flyer won't earn many booking bonuses to begin with. Also, the "less frequent flyers" are more likely to lose miles to expiration, especially with the new 18-month rule.

FrequentHopper

Does any major still offer a booking bonus online?

I don't think any do.

Why should US be any different?

I'd rather not flood the market with extra miles to dilute the availability of seats for people who actually earn miles by sitting in them. 1,000 DMs for an online booking bonus is equal to the amount that one gets for FLYING popular segments like PHL-BOS or LGA-DCA round trip.

GaryZ

Considering that 500 miles = 5 dollars, really, people that's not even a good tip for lunch!

BostonMark

You're assuming that elite flyers would rather have 500 paltry bonus miles rather than upgraded elite services - it's a trade off. Where did this entitlement mentality come from? Elites already get bonuses based on their status - do they need another one that may rob them of other benefits since the 500 miles, however cheap, do have a cost?

As for the number of tickets, how many people does US transport a year? That million tickets was a conservative estimate as to how many bonuses would have been awarded - at least in my opinion.

And it does benefit the less frequent flyer - the faster they collect points towards a bonus ticket, the faster they can use it. Someone who flies 3 times a year gets 1,500 bonus miles a year - summer vacation, thanksgiving and xmas - it may mean it takes them 3 years of collecting points instead of 4 to get that bonus - and when they're eligible, they're competing with you for saver award tickets. Make it harder for them to get to award levels and they're not competing with you.

Bottom line: it's an expensive cost to US that they have to carry on the books, it does nothing for frequent flyers who are going to fly without that bonus, helps less frequent travelers get to the 25,000 mile threshold faster and costs money to US that could be better spent on other elite perks.

FrequentHopper

And last but not least, it's a benefit open to anyone -- including the "Kettles" (i.e. any US passenger who doesn't log Chairman's Preferred status by March in a given year). You'd think lots of people would be all excited about kickin' those guys. :P

ClueByFour

Perhaps because they are so pathetic in product and delivery compared to the other majors that it might be useful to have a positive differentiator?

Really. So you think that the FTD nonsense last year, buying status, challenges and such should be done away with? Parker and company pimp miles to anyone breathing in any format--they just won't give people miles who actually do them a favor and book online.

BostonMark

The difference is that US makes a fortune selling miles to FTD - FTD has to pay through the nose for those miles and for the right to promote to US Airways customers.

In the case of the booking bonus the cost of the miles is a financial drag on the balance sheet because there's no revenue associated with it, just a liability.

Finally, if US product is so bad, do you really think a lousy 500 bonus miles is going to get people to buy US?

aztimm

I was reviewing my miles yesterday and noticed the total was a little higher. After looking through the miles posted, I noticed a 500 Mile Web Booking Bonus for a trip I did on 12/8/07 (this just posted on 12/21). Strange thing is, the trip I completed the week prior (started on 12/1) did not get the bonus.

dstan

Our Christmas flights just posted (purchased 10/17, before the 11/30 expiration of the booking bonus) and I did receive the 500 mi, so AgtMulder should be ok.

aztimm - when did you purchase those flights that received bonuses vs those that didn't?

aztimm

Purchased both flights (those that received bonus and those that didn't) within 5 minutes of each other. I'm not complaining, just commenting.

dstan

Well, there goes my theory!

fairviewroad

United still does:

http://www.united.com/page/article/0...2Fbookingbonus

The fine print says "For bookings made on or before January 31, 2008". I don't know if this means they will discontinue the booking bonus at that time, or whether they will extend it as they have done in the past.

aztimm

Well I was reviewing my miles over the weekend (had a trip last week, wanted to make sure it posted ok), and low and behold, now both of those Dec trips have the 500 mile online booking bonus. One posted on 12/27 for travel 12/1, the other posted 12/21 for travel 12/8.

Either the system fixed itself, or there's a lurker on here.... I have noticed a bit more 'cleanup' with some promo miles posted, including some iTunes/Shopping Mall, and Dining miles now showing.

Speaking of promo miles, does anyone else notice that status bonus miles are always rounded downwards? Not a huge deal, but I have the following recent examples:
PHX-KOA: 2861 miles, 1430 gold bonus miles
PHX-PIT: 1813 miles, 906 gold bonus miles
PHL-MUC: 4135 miles, 2067 gold bonus miles
You'd think they'd either give you the benefit (an extra mile) or somehow every other time give you one. These are just a few examples, but every time it is an odd mileage, they give the lower bonus miles.