What is your preferred vision of a revenue-based MileagePlus program?

Thank you in advance for your responses. Please feel free to share your thoughts in this thread.

 

Why this survey? ( Do you consult for UA?)

 

My preferred version is what we have today - where miles are earned based on distance, and there are bonuses for some fare classes.

 

Not meaning to hijack this but could you speak to Delta for me? I've them on hold...

 

I hope DL's decision shifts enough share to AA & UA to make it worth their while to keep awarding miles in the traditional way

 

Does the OP know that the thread title that shows up in the listings of threads on the right side of the home page here reads:

"What is your preferred vision of a....UA Outhouse"? I seriously hope that that's not what he intended. Gets kind of cold on the wing.

In answer to the intended question however, I hope the other airlines don't follow suit with a cost based FF miles scheme. Enough "enhancements" already!

 

Need none of the above as an option to vote. This is like asking "in a mugging, would you rather be shot or stabbed?"

 

Since you asked I'd rather be shot since the wound most likely will cauterize.

 

Distance is not subject to inflation. The awarding of miles/points/chits/doohickies based on spend will break down if there is any significant inflation. We will then see constant rejiggering of awards (see HHonors). Miles and fare class bonus can provide a more stable award base. Obviously economic changes, route and capacity differences and load factors will still pressure them to change awards, but I think Delta is making a big mistake.

 

I'd like to be Global Services with $2 USD in spend and no revenue flights taken with all nonrevenue flights taken in Global First. That's a change I think you're going to like or at least I will.

 

Earning percentages based on fare class are subject to inflation. It could be 50% now, and then 40%, then 30%, etc.

 

Whichever one will result in the less serious injury.

 

Hopefully after that status is confirmed upon you, you'll be able to quickly fly before the airline declares bankruptcy and liquidates.

 

X 2...I'm.amazed Steve keeps getting passed over

 

I am not sure I see that. What I do see is that in order to reward fliers who take shorter but more profitable flights Delta is going to a dollar spend reward system. This type of system will require periodic adjustments (raises) to the prices of its rewards as travel prices go up. This could make the 30K miles awarded to CC holders worth less over time which may be part of the point.
The current UA system of distance with a fare class bonus is not subject to general money inflation, but basically misses the point of rewarding frequent short distance fliers who are more profitable. I don't think it would take an advanced degree in Operations Research to tweak UA's fare categories to account for that discrepancy without adding the distortions that inflation brings.

 

Neither

 

Whichever one (if either) makes the stock price rise that's the one I'm for.

 

A copy and paste of BA's Executive Club (tier points and distance-based rewards, while still earning miles (not points)), but without the YQ on award tickets. On all but the longest segments and most convoluted itineraries, it would probably be an improvement over the most recent award chart changes (assuming identical redemption rates to BA).

ETA - The tier points could be entirely tied to revenue, like PQDs, rather than fare bucket.

 

Here's my preferred vision of such a plan:

 

+eleventy billion!

 

Personally... I take a bunch of short (sub 500 mile) flights every year and earn status through segments.

I'd love it if they moved to a pqd status system.

Spend:

2500-5000 = silver
5,001-10000 = gold
10001-15,000 = platinum
15,001-39,999 = 1k
40,000+ = gs

 

On further reflection, they could approach the inflation question that way.

Spend should be at least a backup for status. Someone who flies 20,000 miles but spends over $5,000 should get status.
In the 90's Continental may have been doing that without announcing it. My status was upgraded twice in the early 90's when most of my travel consisted of short segments and I did not meet the EQM requirement. One of the upgrades came with a letter explaining that they were upgrading their top 1% to Gold, next 2% to Silver and following 4% to Bronze. I always assumed they used miles, but its possible they used Dollars to determine eligibility.

 

Youre coming in low on the GS number...$40k would be awesome though

 

The problem is that the bonuses are not high enough.

Someone spends $1000 for a round trip TATL in coach. Someone spends $10K for the same TATL in F. The latter is getting fare less than 10X RDMs: it is 2.5X. And maybe the latter is not an elite, and the former is a 1K. The F flyer gets just 25 percent more RDMs than the 1K in coach.

This is not sustainable. The RDM bonuses for long haul premium need to be escalated. Since airlines haven't figured out how to do that, we are back to pure revenue.

But what this means is that airline alliances are toast. Well Sky and a Star are toast. If AA doesn't go,down the same brain dead path, then oneworld will live.

I am all for it if UA flew everywhere I need to go. I need to be in BLR 4x per year. So that requires flying LH. PQD crediting doesn't work. So I gave up and moved that business to AA. I get full EQP credit if the ticket stock is 001 regardless of metal. Simple. No drama. Done.

 

Does death by a thousand cuts count as a stabbing?