I hate to say it, but I have been scheduling my travels based on frequent flier miles in order to reach an elite membership level before the end of the year. Happily, in my case, the gathering of frequent flier miles and saving money have coincided, but not customer service. However, others I know are basing their choices strictly on the almighty miles.
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I guess I am as well. Though there have been sales on JetBlue and Virgin America, I booked on US Airways (US) and American Airlines (AA). Yes, the prices have been the same or less, but service levels with JetBlue and Virgin America are stratospheric compared to the pedestrian service, or lack of service, provided by AA and US.
On my flight last week from Boston to San Diego, via Charlotte, US Airways didn’t even provide songs to hum along to or movies on a drop-down screen. The airline did provide sandwiches for a fee. And, they are not yet charging for coffee or Diet Coke. My return flight will be on AA. But, customer service at US Airways and American pale in comparison to JetBlue and Virgin America.
Yet, here I am flying an airline to reach a level of eliteness that will allow me to enjoy some basic benefits that are not accorded the great majority of other passengers.
I am already, and have been for several years, a Silver Preferred member of US Airways’ Dividend Miles program. With their merger, there have been some issues. The frequent flier programs are not combined, thus miles earned on American Airlines do not count toward elite status with US Airways. So, I am going through a foolish and contrived, time-consuming and bureaucratic process of having miles released from American Airlines and then having them credited to my US Airways account to reach that magic annual milestone of 25,000 miles.
Why?
The benefits that elite frequent fliers receive are far more valuable than simply miles that can be used for free trips. Even lowly Silver Preferred members in the US Airways program receive dramatic benefits.
• Upgrades to first class when available. Elites even get notification three days prior to travel of upgrade availability.
• Elite frequent flier members do not have to pay for the first checked bag.
• Elite frequent fliers have a special reservation line that is free and is staffed by agents with more experience and imagination.
• Elite frequent fliers can select exit-row seats and front-of-the-coach-section seats without paying extra.
• Elite frequent fliers get onboard earlier so that there is always room for carry-ons.
• Elite frequent fliers can change to an earlier departure within six hours of their scheduled departure with no extra charges.
These benefits, flexibility and extra customer service make keeping my elite status, even the lowly Silver Preferred level, worth the effort.
I don’t believe that there is a business traveler flying today who is a member of frequent flier programs with the object of collecting frequent flier miles for free trips. They are all collecting frequent flier miles to achieve elite status — Silver, Gold, Platinum levels and some with names not even known by most travelers. The occasional “free” trip is an extra benefit that can be shared with their partners and families that they are away from while on corporate business.
However, this may be my last year to enjoy being considered “elite” only by virtue of flying many miles. But many miles soon will not be enough. Both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have changed their frequent flier programs to reward those who spend more money than most. And, their frequent flier programs will expand the difference between those with money and the rest of us.
The elite will become eliter. The cheap elite will be relegated to customer service levels experienced by the hoi polloi, packed tightly, elbow-to-elbow, folded neatly in slim-line seats in the back of the planes.
I, as a pedestrian traveler who watches what he spends and focuses on bargain travel, will no longer be considered elite in the cold corporate eyes of Delta and United. And, I assume, the same will soon be true for the new American Airlines.
So, I pray that airlines like Southwest, Virgin America and JetBlue keep up their good inflight customer service. I want to experience it next year when AA and US tell me I need to spend more to enjoy their non-service inflight. When I am cast away by the new airline behemoths that function without corporate souls in the strict pursuit of money, I will need the very airlines I am not flying today.
