I think what the company is trying to shoot for here is that: If you are wanting all the extra perks -- free upgrades, bonus milage, club access etc -- you should be willing to pay more. Chairman Preferred will become just that...and elite status of flyers wanting the extra perks and willing to pay a little more for them. It doesn't make much sense when you can have a 18 year old flying around on cut throat fare and then attain elite status and get the perks that a businessman is getting from flying an equal number of routes but paying a much higher fare.
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FYI.....USAIRWAYS and a few other airlines LOWERED the requirements to obtain Chariman's Preferred, Gold and Silver status after 9/11/01 to encourage the flying public to get back to flying.
By 9/11, I had already acquired 80 segments and I knew I would be reaching the required 100 to gain my US1 status before the end of the year. I infact did surpass the 100 segments at the end of 2001 (total segments flown for 2001 = 107). Do you want to know how many bargain basement flights I took last year to help obtain my preferred status? Only 1. And that was a special USAirways was having to Europe in the spring of 2001. I had to cancel my reservation and vacation because of personal reasons and I kept my ticket for future use. I used this ticket to fly from PIT to LGW at the end of September, 2001 and paid the service fee and additional cost of the price difference from my original purchased date to the date of my actual travel. So I paid an additional $275 to the original price. I was thankful that I could use this ticket for future use and knew and understood the conditions required for future use. I am also very glad I flew USAirways to London. The flight attendants were great and the flight was very enjoyable.
99% of my travel is for business purposes. I have had many refundable and non-refundable tickets that I have been able to use towards my future travel on USAirways. Now I am not going to be able to rely on the ability to use these tickets for optional travel. I know my schedule weeks in advance usually and purchase my tickets accordingly. But I do have occassions that my pre-purchased tickets have to be cancelled because my customer is not ready for me to arrive for me to do my job. So this ticket is used towards the purchase of another ticket because I'm being sent to another city for another job instead. But now I am going to loose a majority of my pre-purchased tickets because of USAirways new policy about non-refundable ticktes. This is a shame. And my company will not allow me to fly USAirways anymore because of this policy. I wonder how many other northeastern US based companies are going to do the same?
By October 1, 2002, I will have flown 100 segments. I know this because I have already prebooked my flights until that date. But from October 2 until Dec. 31, I will not be flying USAirways anymore. I have already booked a flight on United and another on American.
What I guess I'm getting at here is, I've paid my dues for all those perks that I get with US1 status. Want to really know what I get? Hopefully a first class seat on my flights if they are not already taken by other preferred members or a pruely purchased first class ticket. Nothing special. USAirways domestically offers nothing special in first class other than a bigger seat and a bit more leg room. I will say my experience in Envoy Class to London last year was nice but it was the same as my experience on United's business class to Tokyo and Taiwan that I had in July, 2000. By the way, you have to purchase your Club membership or you can redeem frequent flyer miles too. Being US1 doesn't automatically gain you access to ANY USAirways Club. And I'm not like a lot of other US1, 2 or 3's I've witnessed. I don't ask for a glass of wine or champagne as soon as my butt hits the seat. I don't say to the Flight Attendant, "here, hang my coat up" as soon as I board the plane. I've actually been told my a few flight attendants over the last year or 2 that I'm one of the nicest US1's they've ever met. I don't demand anything from them during the flight unless I'm really thirsty. And I always wait until the F/A asks if they can hang up my coat and I make sure I say PLEASE and THANK YOU. I was taught proper manners by my parents. Something that I've witnessed is lacking by some passengers lately.
Guess Mr. Seigel is getting his loyal customers ready for the arrival of the RJ's. No first class to worry about in those. But I'm sure I will be paying first class prices because I had to cancel my reservations and book them for another flight last minute.
Don't quote the....."if you cancel in advance" line to me. I know, I already read that statement. I will be affected by the fare code when I purchased my advance ticket.
It's been fun flying USAirways for these last 6 years every week. I've meet a lot of nice USAirways employees in PIT and the various other cities I spend a lot of time in. It's a shame upper management is proabably taking you out of the skies.
.........................
FYI.....USAIRWAYS and a few other airlines LOWERED the requirements to obtain Chariman's Preferred, Gold and Silver status after 9/11/01 to encourage the flying public to get back to flying.
By 9/11, I had already acquired 80 segments and I knew I would be reaching the required 100 to gain my US1 status before the end of the year. I infact did surpass the 100 segments at the end of 2001 (total segments flown for 2001 = 107). Do you want to know how many bargain basement flights I took last year to help obtain my preferred status? Only 1. And that was a special USAirways was having to Europe in the spring of 2001. I had to cancel my reservation and vacation because of personal reasons and I kept my ticket for future use. I used this ticket to fly from PIT to LGW at the end of September, 2001 and paid the service fee and additional cost of the price difference from my original purchased date to the date of my actual travel. So I paid an additional $275 to the original price. I was thankful that I could use this ticket for future use and knew and understood the conditions required for future use. I am also very glad I flew USAirways to London. The flight attendants were great and the flight was very enjoyable.
99% of my travel is for business purposes. I have had many refundable and non-refundable tickets that I have been able to use towards my future travel on USAirways. Now I am not going to be able to rely on the ability to use these tickets for optional travel. I know my schedule weeks in advance usually and purchase my tickets accordingly. But I do have occassions that my pre-purchased tickets have to be cancelled because my customer is not ready for me to arrive for me to do my job. So this ticket is used towards the purchase of another ticket because I'm being sent to another city for another job instead. But now I am going to loose a majority of my pre-purchased tickets because of USAirways new policy about non-refundable ticktes. This is a shame. And my company will not allow me to fly USAirways anymore because of this policy. I wonder how many other northeastern US based companies are going to do the same?
By October 1, 2002, I will have flown 100 segments. I know this because I have already prebooked my flights until that date. But from October 2 until Dec. 31, I will not be flying USAirways anymore. I have already booked a flight on United and another on American.
What I guess I'm getting at here is, I've paid my dues for all those perks that I get with US1 status. Want to really know what I get? Hopefully a first class seat on my flights if they are not already taken by other preferred members or a pruely purchased first class ticket. Nothing special. USAirways domestically offers nothing special in first class other than a bigger seat and a bit more leg room. I will say my experience in Envoy Class to London last year was nice but it was the same as my experience on United's business class to Tokyo and Taiwan that I had in July, 2000. By the way, you have to purchase your Club membership or you can redeem frequent flyer miles too. Being US1 doesn't automatically gain you access to ANY USAirways Club. And I'm not like a lot of other US1, 2 or 3's I've witnessed. I don't ask for a glass of wine or champagne as soon as my butt hits the seat. I don't say to the Flight Attendant, "here, hang my coat up" as soon as I board the plane. I've actually been told my a few flight attendants over the last year or 2 that I'm one of the nicest US1's they've ever met. I don't demand anything from them during the flight unless I'm really thirsty. And I always wait until the F/A asks if they can hang up my coat and I make sure I say PLEASE and THANK YOU. I was taught proper manners by my parents. Something that I've witnessed is lacking by some passengers lately.
Guess Mr. Seigel is getting his loyal customers ready for the arrival of the RJ's. No first class to worry about in those. But I'm sure I will be paying first class prices because I had to cancel my reservations and book them for another flight last minute.
Don't quote the....."if you cancel in advance" line to me. I know, I already read that statement. I will be affected by the fare code when I purchased my advance ticket.
It's been fun flying USAirways for these last 6 years every week. I've meet a lot of nice USAirways employees in PIT and the various other cities I spend a lot of time in. It's a shame upper management is proabably taking you out of the skies.