You can now buy your way into Seating Area #1, pay to have your luggage shipped door to door, accelerate your mileage earned when flying, and the latest one I’ve seen is buy Elite status.
Katy got an email offering her the opportunity to buy up her existing Premier status in 2008 to Premier Executive for 2009.
The offer goes to those within 15,000 of the next status level. Her 2008 elite qualifying miles were a few over 42,000. For the meager sum of $1,175 United would sell her the 8,000 EQM she needs to get to Premier Executive for 2009.
Isn’t that nice of them??? Hahaha.
She could have done two mileage runs for about $500 if she wanted the status. That is about 15 cents per mile for United and they don’t have to deal with her flights, the weather, equipment, luggage, employees… anything.
I wonder at times why they bother to fly the planes with all the scams they have going to fleece us at unreasonable prices.
What is the value of actually flying with an airline that will sell you status or your shortfall?
Maybe I’m just tired after a beautiful day in the California sun. It just seems if they spent as much time getting the flying part right, they wouldn’t need all the scams.
