MJonTravel

Haven't seen this posted yet. Moderators, please delete or close the thread if this is already posted.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070119/cgf025.html?.v=77

HeathrowGuy

Puts Mileage Plus in closer alignment with OnePass, which has an idential policy...

haddon90

i kind of agree with the policy. i thought 3 years was wayy too long. i'm sure others will lash out at me, and i apologize, but as a business decision, why not make it 18 months? puts pressure on those to fly within 18 months instead of 36.

dcgators

Seems like the race to shorten the expiration date of mileage balances is heating up.

I know US did the same and I think Delta too.

Yikes !!!

I am going to have to start buying stuff in order to keep my orphan miles on US, DL, NW, CO and AA alive ...

MJonTravel

I am not bothered terribly by this change. It's not that hard to have some kind of activity in your account once every 18 months.

dmodemd

I dont see the harm to United in leaving those miles out there. I always have less that 25K miles in my account on other airlines and I constantly have to watch out for losing the paltry 10K miles or so in each account. Its not a lot of miles, I cant use them for anything useful so why not let me hang on to them? Some of those miles I earned 15 years ago!

I guess this only helps United by dumping miles of people who dont remember to use them until between 18 and 36 months. Is there really a lot of them? I think most of the outstanding miles are sitting out there by miles hoarders that are still flying.

Then again maybe there are some retired mileage hoarders they are trying to get at? I dont know, I dont really get it I guess...

MrAOK

i personally think this policy is despicable and stupid too. it puts united on a par with southwest and jet blue and jet blue is often cheaper.

It will cost united some customers that way, but it will really, really tick off a whole bunch of united customers and cost far more that way

it also is probably illegal to give customers less than a year's notice that they will lose their miles. If i remember right this is less notice than other airlines gave and probably would be viewed by state attorney generals as insufficient.

haddon90

i guess that's the logic. get the miles expired that have been sitting there for a few years. miles do cost the airline. even though when it all comes down to it, it's loyalty. but i fly UA about 10 times a year at most, so they could make it a year and it wouldn't affect me.

tjl

So what happens if your account currently has 19-35 months of no activity? Mileage instantly gone now?

warreng24

Southwest gives you 24 months before Rapid Reward credits expire.

MrAOK

we probably should post the notice so everyone doesnt have to go to the link

Jan 19, 2007 15:29 ET

United Airlines Announces Important Change to Its Mileage Plus Frequent Flyer Program

New 18-month expiration policy preserves award seats for United's most loyal customers and reduces the company's frequent flyer mileage liability

CHICAGO, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines today announced that Mileage Plus frequent flyer miles that are in accounts which are inactive for 18 months will expire. By shortening the amount of time a Mileage Plus account can remain inactive, United's most loyal customers will compete with fewer people for award seats, making it easier for them to redeem their miles.

"This change makes our Mileage Plus program better for customers who are most loyal to United, reduces our operating costs and brings our program in line with major competitors," said Dennis Cary, senior vice president - Marketing. "We offer several ways our customers can easily stay active in our Mileage Plus program and enjoy the benefits that come with earning and redeeming miles with United."

Mileage Plus accounts that have not earned or redeemed miles since July 1, 2006 will have associated miles expire on Dec. 31, 2007. There are several ways customers can keep their Mileage Plus accounts active:

-- fly on United or one of its 28 airline partners
-- use or sign-up for a Mileage Plus Visa credit or debit card
-- purchase products or services from more than 100 travel and retail
partners
-- use miles by taking a trip to one of the 841 destinations United and
its partners serve
-- use miles for merchandise, hotel stays and dining
-- transfer miles to another Mileage Plus member
-- donate miles to the Mileage Plus Charity Miles program



United recommends that its customers go to united.com and update their Mileage Plus account information to receive additional information about this change.

humanoid94

From the press release:

Mileage Plus accounts that have not earned or redeemed miles since July 1, 2006 will have associated miles expire on Dec. 31, 2007. There are several ways customers can keep their Mileage Plus accounts active:

Random_Flyer

As I mentioned in the other thread, I don't see this as a problem at all.

Really, if you have -zero- activity for 18 months you're trying pretty hard to avoid United. After all, one could not fly for years and still have activity simply by buying groceries as normal.

18 months is nowhere near excessively short.

mahasamatman

It's for accounting purposes. United has to write all those outstanding miles off on the bottom line. Fewer miles means lower liability.

MrAOK

you're thinking of people who closely follow frequent flyer stuff. I have a lot of friends who do it once in a blue moon, but who will be very angry if they think they have miles and they arent there