Wow, for a second I thought it was April 1. No, not because someone was playing a bad joke on me, but rather because that’s when my 1K kit from the previous year usually arrives in my mailbox. 😉
Anyway, if my calendar isn’t lying to me December just started, and I already have my 1K card good through 2011! While it’s not an extravagant kit, I’m just happy to have my card this early. As usual it came with ten drink chits, a few “Going the Extra Mile” certificates, and some advertisements. I wish United would just have “currency coupons” instead of drink chits which could be used for snackboxes, sandwiches, etc., but at the same time I usually get sandwiches and snacks for free anyway.
Now you wanna know what really hurts? The mileage meter (in the picture above)! Notice how it stops at “1K status.” Now I realize my balance is so big that it would go off the page, but seriously, how about stroking my ego just a bit and making my jumbo jet go off the page? 😉
Do you use your card often? I only use mine to get through security when I fly on an airline I don't have much status with which is not very often.
@imm2b - Wow, I wants me one of them salads. If I could get a salad for all the video issues on USAir, I'd be turning in salad !! Wait... US Air has no video. Or sound. Or power.
@BMI .... That's funny. I also got my new Gold kit this last week (fancy black box with decent cards. Lanyards are cheap plastic instead of the blue & metal they had last year). However I...
@imm2b - Wow, I wants me one of them salads. If I could get a salad for all the video issues on USAir, I'd be turning in salad !! Wait... US Air has no video. Or sound. Or power.
@BMI .... That's funny. I also got my new Gold kit this last week (fancy black box with decent cards. Lanyards are cheap plastic instead of the blue & metal they had last year). However I ask the same question: Who cares since the status will expire 2/10 anyway and I haven't posted a single mile to the account this year?
@United: Turned 1K in Aug. Haven't received my 1K kit from them. Have asked twice, have been told it was mailed, twice. Nada. Reminds me, I never got a Premier Exec kit either. In fact, I don't have any UA credentials ..... 'cept for that classy Chase credit card and of course the RCC pack somehow arrives yearly like clockwork (Magic, I tell ya, that they pull over in Elk Grove in those white buildings, with the postal wizard..).
@American. Of course I've received EXP kits yearly, almost immediately after qualifying.
Lucky - I agreed about the usefulness of the chits for non-drinkers. On my flight last week ORD-SFO, I asked to exchange a chit for BOB. The FA said she can't do it, but, she asked me what I wanted, she handed me a snack box gratis. The 2 FAs working on my aisle in Y were amazingly nice, the best I have ever seen on UA in Y, and it's not because she gave me a free box. :-). I saw her gave a lady a couple rows up a free salad for a video problem (we're on 777's).
Don't fret about the mileage meter. Mine also stops at 1K and I am GS :-)
I'll take those drink chits off your hands if they bother you so much. ;) My fiancee received his 2P kit today and he was thrilled, he said, "wow, you can redeem miles with hotel and car partners!" - ha! Nothing in there about award surchages but I guess that wouldn't be listed as an "Exciting enhancement to the 2010 Mileage Plus program"...
The UA kit is perfect, IMO. The excess waste in the BD kit just seems silly :(
Yeah - I always enjoy the advertising that comes with UA kits, too. Sheeeesh. Can we keep it a bit classy, UA?
@TLR and your point? Totally off topic!
I received my 1K *kit* yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to have received it this early.
@Gary -- the card looks good to me (and it doesn't matter anyway in my case since it's exp date is the same as my golden one, and I won't keep the -- matched -- status since I didn't credit any flights to BD). But I really meant the entire kit with luggage tags, cardboard sleeve, card stock program information cards). It just looked a lot more impressive than UA's "kit". Not that I really...
@Gary -- the card looks good to me (and it doesn't matter anyway in my case since it's exp date is the same as my golden one, and I won't keep the -- matched -- status since I didn't credit any flights to BD). But I really meant the entire kit with luggage tags, cardboard sleeve, card stock program information cards). It just looked a lot more impressive than UA's "kit". Not that I really care -- as long as I get the card, I am a happy camper -- just give me a URL to read the rest online...
@Oliver, really? First person in my office with a new bmi card had theirs arrive today. I hate it. Almost makes me wish I wasn't going to be BD *G for another year. I worry that the black will ocnfuse UA RCC agents.
@TLR -- nice off-topic rant, eh?
@Lucky -- after getting my fancy BMI kit the other day (but why? my Gold status will expire in three months and I had a card that was valid until then), the UA kit will look rather cheap and bland.
In my opinion as an aviation industry person for over 20 years United has the worst service of most us based airlines. my last venture in business class to japan the flight hag began her sentence with "do you want" instead of would you like. Their customer service skills are obtuse.
United - wishing them out of business as soon as possible.