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Loyalty Programs Creating Two Tiers of the Same Status is an article written by the AFF editorial team:
You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.
You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.
Maybe, but PC/ PC+ vs. Gold is a good example of multiple tiers already in place. You get a benefit with PC+ (or QP paid) but it doesn't go as far as SG on lounge access, let alone other benefits. I would think Qantas already have the balance largely right on this one (for their purposes).Pulling the thread of the article, will we eventually see PC provide an alternate route to PS, SG or higher status levels?
To be fair the article says "Overall, that’s a great thing as it makes status more accessible and means more people can benefit from the perks" which is not an unreasonable argument. The 2 tiers seems a necessary step and here to stay.I'm surprised the article describes this development as a welcome one. For most people on this forum who are actual frequent flyers, they almost certainly hate it.
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True, I’m also not a fan personally. The article briefly mentions this- my main gripe is that it devalues the actual benefits if every Tom, Dick and Harry gets status just by means of having the right credit card.I'm surprised the article describes this development as a welcome one. For most people on this forum who are actual frequent flyers, they almost certainly hate it.
By contrast, in the US forums I frequent, they love it.
That's not too far away from the current model of the chain being the "brand" and the hotels being operated as franchises - e.g. Hilton, with >95% of their properties being franchised (source). It's a contributor to some of the inconsistent treatment elites get at different properties.As an afterthought, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a hotel chain to offload heir properties to a completely separate operator. What was the hotel chain, is now merely a marketing & booking & "loyalty" company which purchases capacity from suitable property operators.
Conversely allows a hotel chain to readily expand into markets eg DTs appearing in Oz overnight through a combo of rebadging and operators in new builds. Before that, HH was a bit of an overpriced proposition domestically.That's not too far away from the current model of the chain being the "brand" and the hotels being operated as franchises - e.g. Hilton, with >95% of their properties being franchised (source). It's a contributor to some of the inconsistent treatment elites get at different properties.
Air Canada's Aeroplan has affiliated credit cards, and (amongst several things they offer to holders of these cards that non-holders don't get) in a queue for an upgrade, someone with one of these CCs will rank in front of someone else with the same FF status but no affiliated CC - and that's even if the latter has million-mile status, attained only by actually flying on AC services. I hate this, and an AC employee has told me they don't like it much either.Loyalty Programs Creating Two Tiers of the Same Status is an article written by the AFF editorial team:
You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.
Not so sure of this is still the case post-Covid. With companies getting stingier on business travel and more savvy with remote meetings, I get the feeling that this mix is shifting. Lots of self-funded travel these days even “up the front”, whether for pleasure or as small and medium business owners.As for people being unhappy with these sorts of programs "devaluing" their "hard work" to attain status, let's be real here: The majority, or at least a plurality, of Platinum holders got there primarily through work funded travel, it's not as though there was any massive sacrifices at play here.
Definitely agree the ratios are changing at least somewhat in the last two years (have experienced the same personally) but it is still definitely a thing (just go into any domestic lounge on Monday morning; Stevie Wonder could see it is mostly business travel)Not so sure of this is still the case post-Covid. With companies getting stingier on business travel and more savvy with remote meetings, I get the feeling that this mix is shifting. Lots of self-funded travel these days even “up the front”, whether for pleasure or as small and medium business owners.
I myself originally attained Platinum status through work travel but these days it’s all self funded and I find that I bump into more and more similar cases when chatting to fellow travelers.