UA thinking of eliminating ff miles on cheap tickets
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,404
UA thinking of eliminating ff miles on cheap tickets
Along with other perks, like free checked baggage.
This would certainly be a very negative development for most flyertalkers.
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4826081
This would certainly be a very negative development for most flyertalkers.
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4826081
#2
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
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Unbundled pricing is long overdue in the airline industry. Why should the passenger who does not accumulate miles subsidize those who do? Why should a middle seat sell for the same price as an aisle or a window?
#3
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Atlanta but Washington DC will always be home.
Programs: Marriott LTP, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold, Hyatt Explorist,, Delta Plat,
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Um...I accumulate miles and generally fly on the cheapest tickets. It's funny I've just switched from AA to UA for most of my flying. If they institute this I'll be switching again. Why would it be fair to penalize those who buy cheap tickets because most of their travel is leisure and can be planned far in advance (or can be done on short notice when a sudden sale appears)?
#4
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Wynnewood, PA USA
Posts: 2,325
Um...I accumulate miles and generally fly on the cheapest tickets. It's funny I've just switched from AA to UA for most of my flying. If they institute this I'll be switching again. Why would it be fair to penalize those who buy cheap tickets because most of their travel is leisure and can be planned far in advance (or can be done on short notice when a sudden sale appears)?
You can be sure that if one airline adopts this policy most others will too.
#5
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
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Did you read the article? You will still be able to earn miles on the lowest fares, but you will pay for them. Everyone pays for them now, they are bundled into the price of the ticket. The proposed system would break out the non-essential elements of the ticket and price them separately.
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
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You'll be sure that if the airline applying this is losing customers and others are getting them, they won't follow. Anyway airlines have a lot of power on FFP, they can restrict award availability even more or they can ask for more miles per award. doesn't make sense not to give miles.
#7
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US airlines going to a British Airways type model wouldn't surprise me. Killing the frequent flyer programs, however, would be a Halloween nightmare scare.
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K MM, BA-S HH-D, MB-G LT Sil, IHG-Plt, Nexus, Global Entry
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AC is the innovator in the world of de-bundling. Robert Milton has been on this kick for several years now. The lowest fare (called Tango) has not earned status miles for several years now (but you still earn miles flown).
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#9
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Atlanta but Washington DC will always be home.
Programs: Marriott LTP, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold, Hyatt Explorist,, Delta Plat,
Posts: 2,070
Did you read the article? You will still be able to earn miles on the lowest fares, but you will pay for them. Everyone pays for them now, they are bundled into the price of the ticket. The proposed system would break out the non-essential elements of the ticket and price them separately.
#12
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,458
How far could this be taken? Would the FA's have to check your ticket before you used the lav to make sure your ticket covers that "extra"? And what would be the price difference between the coach lav and the first class lav?
I don't like this idea.
I don't like this idea.
#13
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,458
Yes, but I bet the tickets won't get any cheaper. I'll just pay my usual fare + the ff charge and any luggage charge. I can't see UA going well since we're no longer allowing checked bags or ff points on that fare we'll lower it, and then once you add the new fees it'll be right back where it was.
#14
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Flights on some other Star Alliance carriers' flights credited to UA's program already earn fractional mileage (if any) on some tickets operated by those Star Alliance carriers (such as LH, SK, etc.)
#15
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,716
UA can do what they want. They treat domestic elites so poorly that I won't fly them. I have no idea why a FF would bother with them. I know many say it is for certain routes, but connecting, especially when you're not dealing with ORD, is really not that bad.
"AC is the innovator in the world of de-bundling. Robert Milton has been on this kick for several years now. The lowest fare (called Tango) has not earned status miles for several years now (but you still earn miles flown)."
AC may be the leader, but they really are in a monopoly position. UA doesn't have such a luxury. The airline is already getting by on its legacy international routes. I don't think they would want to push their frequent travellers onto NW or CO more than they have already done. Domestic companies are more often allowing only the cheapest tickets so it isn't as if companies will want to pay more for employees so they can accrue miles.
"AC is the innovator in the world of de-bundling. Robert Milton has been on this kick for several years now. The lowest fare (called Tango) has not earned status miles for several years now (but you still earn miles flown)."
AC may be the leader, but they really are in a monopoly position. UA doesn't have such a luxury. The airline is already getting by on its legacy international routes. I don't think they would want to push their frequent travellers onto NW or CO more than they have already done. Domestic companies are more often allowing only the cheapest tickets so it isn't as if companies will want to pay more for employees so they can accrue miles.