I saw the headline this morning in USA Today, and almost could not believe my eyes. But in some ways, I wasn't surprised. Delta has done a similar move, and it was only a matter of time before other airlines begin to do the same.
Here are the crux of the changes - also available here:
Beginning in 2014, customers will need to spend at least $2,500 on United-issued tickets in order to qualify for United's lowest tier of elite status. Passengers still must fly 25,000 miles per year to reach that "Premier Silver" threshold.
How will this affect you? If you use a program like Mint.com, you can easily go back and search for how much you spent on airfare in the last year and compare that total to the amount you may need to reach status. Sadly, most of us who have done a lot of mileage earning to gain status will be out of the mix for top-tier status unless prices drastically change.
It's also guaranteed to thin out 1K numbers.
I may seriously consider trying to requalify for 1K status this year through mileage runs, etc, just so that I can make sure to have it for next year before all of the craziness starts. After that, I probably will never get 1K status again.
Here are the crux of the changes - also available here:
Beginning in 2014, customers will need to spend at least $2,500 on United-issued tickets in order to qualify for United's lowest tier of elite status. Passengers still must fly 25,000 miles per year to reach that "Premier Silver" threshold.
How will this affect you? If you use a program like Mint.com, you can easily go back and search for how much you spent on airfare in the last year and compare that total to the amount you may need to reach status. Sadly, most of us who have done a lot of mileage earning to gain status will be out of the mix for top-tier status unless prices drastically change.
It's also guaranteed to thin out 1K numbers.
I may seriously consider trying to requalify for 1K status this year through mileage runs, etc, just so that I can make sure to have it for next year before all of the craziness starts. After that, I probably will never get 1K status again.
Matthew Yglesias says this is related to the business cycle so in the next recession, you may get your perks back again.
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