This clever new 30-second video from Virgin America hits the nail on the head when it comes to traveler irritation with frequent flyer programs. The video uses the popular “crane game” to depict how travelers feel when trying to redeem miles for trips or perks. It arrives at a time when we’re more frustrated than normal due to summer blackout dates and the seeming impossibility of ever getting that “free” round trip for 25,000 miles.
Today Virgin launched a new campaign to play off frequent flyer frustration. The #loyaltymademedoit microsite asks: Has loyalty got you trapped in a dysfunctional relationship?
I would say “yes” based on the way many TravelSkills readers seem to have a love/hate relationship with their airline of choice. I see it on the blog’s comments and I hear it almost daily in emails.
The angst came in loud and clear when giant programs like Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus announced that they would be tying loyalty programs to spending instead of miles flown earlier this year.
I hear it about this time of year when people try to redeem those hard earned miles for trips home for the winter holidays.
In the business section of the New York Times this week, the headline read, “Fliers facing fewer rewards” and was full of angry words like these:
“I was like, ‘Seriously, you’re taking another thing away?’ ” Ms. Martin said. The changes, she said, have left her frustrated, but she feels that she has no choice but to take whatever miles she can, “mostly to pay for upgrades so we can get back some of the perks like more legroom that we used to get for free.”
So I think Virgin’s on to something here.
Do you love…or hate your primary frequent flyer program? Why? Please leave your comments below.
–Chris McGinnis
Disclosure: Virgin America is a sponsor of the TravelSkills blog
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I used to have American Miles but never traveled enough. I started earning Virgin America miles 3 years ago and this is the first year I’ve had Silver status. And now i don’t want to give it up. Pros: shorter line at security, free checked bag, ability to get “express” seats for no additional charge (normally $30) which are up front, boarding early. I love it. I even got randomly upgraded to first class on a recent trip because they had to shuffle seats around. Only 2 cons – (1) i can’t use miles to upgrade to first; (2) since I want to keep earning status, I really can’t use my miles on Virgin flights. I looked at using them on a Virgin Atlantic flight, but the taxes on international flights are so ridiculous that I’d end up paying a few hundred dollars and using a lot of miles. my best option is to use the miles on Hawaiian.
If you travel frequently for business you should love your FFP and do everything you can to show it (pay the premium fares, take use the credit card, etc.) thus demonstrating your love. You’ll generally see that the smarter airline programs, like Delta SkyMiles, will indeed reciprocate as that’s the perfect match. Otherwise it’s not (as) good for either of you.
Ditto on MJ’s comments. Plus Delta gave my wife first class treatment on our last award flight.
yuck – bankruptcies and smoking – true that.
My hypothesis is that as an industry airlines will collectively constrain inventory first if the economy goes bad… they will not increase perks. This is what they collectively figured out in the last down cycle – and finally made money.
Supporting this is that the inventory of passengers is largely static at a given price point – and most of us that do fly – have to, it’s not a choice. I flew some 50 cycles on UA 2 years back, in packed planes – the average number of empty seats was ~1 (yes, I counted) – in non-peak. Zero upgrades, even as a 1M/1K.
Next cycle is coming up soon, we’ll find out!
Hey Mac! Thanks very much for your comments. As one who flew weekly for work back in 1990, I have to say that the experience was pretty horrifying then, too… smokers, old noisy planes, airlines going bankrupt right and left, no inflight entertainment, and more frequent crashes You got a meal, but rarely wanted to eat it. You are right about the emerging two tier system and it will be interesting to see that play out over the next few years….esp when the economy tanks, which of course, it will…and the airlines will loosen the reins to bring back business –chris
The thing lacking in this discussion, is scope. The flying experience on every single airline is horrifying when compared to the experience of ANY airline in 1990. 10+ years ago, I gave up 300K miles/yr travel for a local job traveling 50K a year. We’re having a discussion comparing essentially no service with crumbs on domestic airlines. The only reason I’m still flying UA after flying 99% of my miles on domestic flights, is the availability of seats that I can actually fit into (EconPlus).
We now have two tier system – for those who fly constantly (business 100K+), and for everyone else – which is designed for the “occasional” flyer, the tourist. This Tourist class includes someone who flies 25 weeks a year… I dumped all my Delta and American programs a long time back when it was clear the only way to get treated appropriately was to concentrate them all.
We are asking the wrong questions.
Sure, I’d like more, easier, and better. Who wouldn’t?
But there’s an interesting twist to Delta’s switching to tracking my spend. I guestimate that (my employer, mostly) will spend around $15K on airfare this year. That leaves me wondering: how much free stuff can I expect for $15K of purchases? And exactly how important am I, alone, in the scheme of things? It’s a bit humbling…
Ha. I love my God, my wife, and my mother. I like my miles and my airline, Delta. I know there is a lot of angst about forthcoming changes, but I personally think “revenue based” is long overdue.
I HATE both AAdvantage and MileagePlus! I am in the process of dumping my miles every way I can, and cutting up the mileage credit cards, having already closed the DirectBank mileage account. After watching my hard-earned miles devalued multiple times, perks dropping, and finding I just can’t use the miles for anything worthwhile, I’ve given up. I had many 100s of thousands of miles banked, but trying to use them for flights from SFO to major cities, even hubs, and getting routings with 2, 3, or more legs even at the non-saver award level of redemption, I give up! Seriously, trying to book SFO to JFK and getting routed on 3 legs? When is “free” first class not worth anything? I no longer fly for business, and my international flying at business class spending out of my own pocket of $25-40K per year barely gets me to silver status, and silver ain’t what it used to be. They just don’t care about me, so I don’t care about them, and will book whatever the cheapest fare I can get through consolidators on whatever airline on whatever program, or even stripped of miles. Plus even business class or first class service sucks on both United and American. Thanks for letting me VENT.
I have been a loyal United flyer for 17+ years, achieving the 100,000-mile level every year. Given my multiple business-class international trips last year (and the $75k+ in revenue), United put me in their Global Services category. Little good does the Global Services or the 100K status do me in using my frequent flier miles. When I want to use my global upgrades, I’m put on a wait-list. When I want to use frequent flier miles, there are no Saver-level flights to be had and very few even at full mileage rates.
Being based in Sydney, Australia last year, I got to experience how well Qantas treats its domestic travelers (free snack or sandwich to every passenger in economy) and the red-carpet service that Emirates provides to its business-class passengers. United lags behind in the dark ages in its services and its frequent flier reward program. I can’t even watch the welcome videos when CEO Jeff $mi$ek comes on.
My partner and I plan to use up our United frequent-flier miles and then, adios, UA. We’ll fly true global airlines in the future.
I live in San Francisco, and SFO is a United hub, so I am wedded to United’s FF program for better or worse. I can go anywhere in the world on United or its Star Alliance partners. I love Virgin, but it goes too few places. So I consolidate most of my paid flying on United, and rack up miles using United credit cards and other promotions. While United keeps “raising the price” in terms of ability to us FF miles, there are more and more ways to earn miles to keep pace.
Like Bob, I miss the gold old days as a DL Skymiles Diamond with the upgrades and gratis club membership. Now retired and as a 2 million miler, I’m a life time Gold. There is some benefit to this as I don’t pay baggage fees, get gratis economy comfort on domestic flights, if available, and 1/2 price economy comfort to international destinations. However, whereas I would sometimes pay a little more for tickets in order to use DL, I’m no longer tied to them. The use of miles to pay for flights has gone up considerably. Domestic upgrades for Gold members are few and far between. I now shop all airlines for tickets and no longer feel the benefits are worth the price of using only DL.
Not unless those travelers also hold a credit card that carries the airlines name. I find myself behind the credit card-low mileage people. Too much emphasis on the dollar, not enough on the actual flying passenger and I consider myself a true frequent traveler at 8-16 segments a month.
Yes, after 20 years or so, I am leaving my United FF program behind. The VP in charge of this program must work for the Taliban, or out of an insane asylum. I now will search my flight options with all airlines and selectively chose what I need. Since United was allowed to monopolize with Continental, back in 2010 I believe, the airline industry, led by major US carriers, has descended into the garbage can. Are they serious? Oh sure, it’s fine if your company pays for your travel, and you get to fly business or first, but for all others except the rich to whom byzantine-scam ticket pricing systems mean nothing (“Mildred just write the check!”) the average flying public is getting screwed with each modification of what is being charged to fly and how we are restricted in what tickets we can access and in the totally worthless FF plans that formerly actually had some redeeming graces. That one now must pay double for a one way ticket, twice as much as for a RT on the same routes, is active and glaring testimony to just how out of control the airline industry has become. It’s greedy. It’s perverted. It’s broken. They no longer seem to care about the average Joe who needs to or likes to travel, leisure included, so I no longer care about loyalty to them. It’s tit for tat. It’s simple math. It’s basic logic. It’s really quite simple. The airlines mindlessly tinkered themselves into a greedy stupor and think we will all just keep on booking and marching to their lemming’s drum. Hello! Nope. Au contraire. It’s good bye United! It WAS nice knowing you – but no more. My wife also says “good bye.” You managed to make a horrid mess out of a formerly workable flying system (that had attractive flying perks) and a total garbled mess out of ticketing options. Rube Goldberg must work in your executive offices! So, knock yourself out Rube, good luck, and go suck eggs. I’m gone! I am using up my final miles then it’s no looking back. P.S. There are WONDERFUL alternative options out there. I am saving lots of money $$$. Hundreds on trans-Atlantic flights. You blew it Big Guys. You once had a true Star Alliance purring along, but now it has become the Star Collusion Club. Adios, farewell, adieu. I am getting all I need without you. Free at last, free at last, thank God I am free at last! Did I say “go suck eggs?”
no upgrades on virgin – that’s why it’s the worst. united is definitely an inferior experience but the occasional upgrade will keep me there vs. going to VA. main cabin express? please. just call it “seat towards the front.” big deal.
I gave up on FF programs years ago…with over 700,000 miles on Unites, 500,000 miles on Delta and former 1K and platnium flier for years, the loyalty and frequent flier programs are so de-valued that they don’t factor into my decision.
It is pretty interesting to see VA putting this forth – their loyalty program is not compelling either – i.e., what does Gold Elevate really get you as a FF.
Perhaps my biggest complaint about FF programs is that on many occasions, I am able to find one reward seat available for an itinerary at a “saver” level (25,000 miles for a domestic round trip), but not two (for my wife). In order to get two seats, there needs to be availability at the “saver” award level on every flight in the itinerary . . . which means 4 flight segments on a typical itinerary with one connection involved outbound and inbound. If even one of those four flight segments has only 1 seat available at a “saver” level, it’s a “no go”. This can be very frustrating.
Also quite annoying are the many fees associated with award tickets . . .like if it is for ravel within 21 days, or you want to cancel the trip and redeposit the miles . . .it can cost more to redeposit miles than those miles are worth. I know many of these fees are waived for elites, but due to a change in job, I am traveling much less than I used to so I have lost my status for the time being.
75%! As a DM, I only got upgraded about 25% of the time. I dropped to PM this year and I am running at about 5%. Also, I was recently discussing FF programs with several colleagues and comparing the different airlines since we all had different primary loyalty programs as we all live in different cities. They laughed when they discussed my “Sky Pesos” if that tells you anything about how they compare.
What is so bad? it’s straight forward, from the beginning. You know how much you points you will earn, and you know how much points is required to redeem. It’s consistent… unlike all these stupid mileage based programs. I have hundreds of thousands of miles, but I can only redeem them for high value awards (low value awards seem impossible to find). So value wise, it’s probably worse or about the same as Virgin. At least with Virgin, I know how much points I will get and how much I will need to redeem. Only a matter of time before UA, DL, & AA follow in the footsteps of VX, WN, & B6.
Well, it’s not! I’m probably running 75% or so. I fondly remember the “good old days” when I was PM (when PM was the highest) and I ALWAYS got the upgrade. I get that Delta wants the money, but I sure wish there was a better way for us “HVCs” – whatever that means to Delta these days. I actually was OK with the MQDs as I’m a big spender on airfares – but I still can’t get that coveted upgrade a lot of the time. Ugh – can’t wait to retire…
Thanks, Bob! Many of my long time readers are long time members of Delta SkyMiles living in ATL where it’s tougher and tougher to get an upgrade– but if you are Diamond Medallion, I’d think it would be easier for you! — Chris
Southwest’s new (ish) revenue-based program is a good example of how members screeched when it rolled out, but are now relatively happy with the results. I think the same will happen w Delta, United and possibly AA when they weed out the gamers and focus on the true frequent travelers. — chris
Southwest’s spend-based system isn’t horrible if you buy expensive last minute tickets for $$ and redeem points well in advance for leisure fares. If you have status, they have multipliers on those last minute fares, and their credit cards knock in some anniversary bonus points. It’s not terrible, and at least the math is fuzzy enough I’m not even sure if I’m getting a horrible deal. Plus, short-haul destinations are low points.
Well, I don’t *hate* SkyMiles, but I am frustrated with it. My biggest complaint is the fact that a DM, 5MM can’t get a lousy upgrade to first. Oh well, Delta sends a clear message…
🙂
In terms of being straightforward, Virgin obviously wins. But in terms of value, Virgin is still one of the worst FF programs out there. Of course, the other airlines are going downhill fast, if only to match Virgin’s spend-based system.
But of course!