Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread

[dgies9156]

United putting a final bullet in the last vestiges of 1K as a frequent flier program as we knew it.  Starting in 2027, there will be no flight segment qualification metric, solely $32K in pure spend (PQP) to qualify for 1K.  This is up from $28K this year or ($22K with 60 flight segments).  Spend on United credit cards can qualify for PQP, but its $15 per PQP, so $480,000 in spend to qualify based on that.

Unless there is a substantial starting bump given to 1Ks (historically its been $3-4000 in starting PQP), will likely signal the end of my 10+ year 1K journey.  It survived COVID, a nearly 2 year halt on my international work travel, and the near death of my business in general...but it won't survive the new era of the Big 3 US airlines as credit card company conduits.

I spent close to $5,000 (partial out of pocket, partial creative business expense accounting) to qualify 2 years ago when I realized I wouldn't have enough segments due to some family health issues.  Last year, I only qualified because a customer paid for business class airfare for a special launch event (and even then I did "mileage runs" of random 4 segment flights twice to make sure I had enough).  This year will be a similar situation.  Next year, even if I got fortunate with travel and expenses and got to the mid 20s in airline spend for the year, no chance I will have $150K in United CC spend, both personal and business combined, to make up the gap.

I'm under 200K miles left to 1MM level with United, so will chase that cause Star Alliance Gold is good to have, but will probably becoming a floating free agent after that, which will be weird, but that's the landscape now.  The irony is that this year has been the best service I've had internationally on United (after years of bitter old vets  and the new seats they are adding to their international fleet are going to be fantastic, so naturally that coincides with this BS.  Oh well

Brother Wags:

I was 1K for more than 15 years until I retired about 1.5 years ago. Toward the end, I found the status essentially worthless. When I gained Million Miler status, it meant the airline was more respectful to my wife, who shared my 1K status, but even that is gone to 1K members, as the new Million Miler share status is Gold.

To be candid, status on airline has been so devalued that I wonder sometimes why airlines retain loyalty programs. And, with credit cards (I have separate cards for American, Delta and United), there is no way they can make loyalty programs meaningful given the number of members and miles accumulated.

FASB needs to get tough and make the airlines recognize a liability for accumulated loyalty points. That will end them really quickly!

I live in Florida, so like you, I've become a free agent.

[jesmu84]

Hope no one relying on air travel today

[tower912]

Maybe this trip could have been handled by e-mail.

[GB Warrior]

I'm sure this is nothing https://avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-expands-ai-assisted-traffic-management/

[tower912]

Coincidence.

[Uncle Rico]

Maybe, just maybe, we don't put Fox News hosts in charge of government operations

[MuggsyB]

My sister has been on the tarmac at DFW for 2.5 hours.  She's gotten ZERO information other than planes are grounded.  But apparently international flights are going now. 

[Pakuni]

DEI hire?

[Uncle Rico]

DEI hire?

Remember when Biden did this?

[Uncle Rico]

https://bsky.app/profile/zingherpolisci.bsky.social/post/3n2a2boapq227

[MU82]

My daughter, SIL and grandkids are on Oahu now, and they're supposed to go to Maui tomorrow. Hopefully things are back working again by then.

[Uncle Rico]

My daughter, SIL and grandkids are on Oahu now, and they're supposed to go to Maui tomorrow. Hopefully things are back working again by then.

Straight up, what did you hope to learn about here?
If I was someone else, would this all fall apart?
Strange, where were you when we started this gig?
I wish the real world would just stop hasslin' me