United Downgrades Frequent Flier Program, Again

Published by AirlineFanatic | Filed under legacy carriers

This apparently happened a while ago, but it just came across my radar screen. United Airlines has “enhanced” their frequent flier program yet again, by disallowing 500-mile upgrade coupons from rolling over into your mileage account balance.

For years, Premier members of the Mileage Plus program have received “500-mile” coupons (now electronic) that upgraded your North American flights from coach to first class. (You get four of these coupons every time you reach 10,000 flown miles on the airline. One coupon can upgrade you for 500 miles of distance flown; thus the “500-miler” moniker.) If you couldn’t use your 500-milers, they’d expire after one year, but all was not lost: They converted to 500 redeemable frequent flyer miles in your account.

Not any more.

In another “enhancement” of the Mileage Plus program, 500-milers won’t convert to frequent flyer miles upon expiration anymore. They’ll just expire worthless if you don’t cash them in. (And let me tell you from personal experience, they’ve gotten harder and harder to actually put to use.)

And the march towards better customer service continues!

Via Upgrade: Travel Better

Technorati Tags: frequent flier programs, united

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