I received the following question from Peter and he (and I) would love additional feedback beyond what I provided. First, his question: I fly 200K – 250K for business (mostly China) and try to divide it between UA and AA to keep my top tier status with both. I will turn 40 soon and don’t want…
elite status
Tag Archives for elite status.
A Very Generous ‘Soft Landing’ to American AAdvantage Platinum
While not an officially advertised benefit, American Airlines has for years provided “soft landings†to elite members who fail to qualify for status the following year. And even though it’s a known program, I was a bit surprised that American was generous enough to grant me Platinum status through February 2014 given I barely flew…
Buh-Bye Upgrade Phobia: Rediscovering the Joy of Coach Travel
I believe it was Matthew over at Live and Let’s Fly who first coined the term “upgrade phobia†– a condition of nervously worrying about whether your upgrade will come through, constantly checking your position on the list, etc. And I have admittedly been deeply phobic most of the time, which results serious disappointment when…
Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: February 21, 2013
United Airlines is pulling all Boeing 787 Dreamliners out of service until at least May 12, at which time they intend to launch Denver-Tokyo nonstop flights. A company spokesperson said other 787 flights will be held until June 5, pending successful resolution of Dreamliner issues. Southwest Airlines has expanded its live television programming to all…
A Look at Cheapest vs. Upgradable United Airlines International Airfares
My travel goals on United have changed this year due to several factors, including a move to a more expensive cost per mile (CPM) originating airport and the increasing likelihood that all U.S. airlines will add some type of elite status revenue requirement to their frequent flier programs. My goal on United this year is…
What the New American AAdvantage Program Might Look Like
With a merger announcement between American Airlines and US Airways imminent (tomorrow morning by all accounts), we’ll finally put some speculation to rest, but open the door on months of new supposition. [Edited 2/14/13: And it’s official] Of particular interest to me (and many of you, I’m sure) will be the changes to American’s AAdvantage…
Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: February 1, 2013
A lawsuit filed by a United Airlines Million-Miler will proceed, as a judge threw out United’s request to have it dismissed. Well… parts of the lawsuit were dismissed, but others are still in play. The judge said, “At this stage of the litigation, the court finds it plausible that defendants had a contract with Million…
My Thoughts on Delta’s Likely SkyMiles Program Changes
Delta Air Lines published upcoming changes to the SkyMiles program earlier today. Whether it was deliberate or an error, the page has since been taken down from Delta’s website. But not before an astute Flyertalker captured the details, as shown below. [Updated 1/17: Delta has indeed announced the MQD portion below this morning] Earning Medallion…
Stick With United as a 1K or Switch to Virgin America as Elevate Gold?
Reader Elizabeth emailed me the following question yesterday: I am a 1k flier on United. I’m thinking of leaving them for Virgin Atlantic, as I moved from California to the UK in 2011 and have grown increasingly unhappy with their service. I fly back to the US from LHR 6-8 times a year. I have…
United’s Premier Accelerator Rates Have Dropped… But Still Pricey
I never really paid attention to United’s Award and Premier Accelerator program until just recently. If you’re not familiar with it, the program allows you to purchase redeemable MileagePlus miles with the option to add Premier Accelerator giving you an equivalent amount of Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs). The offer appears on each of your ticketed…