US Trashes Dividend Miles--Eliminates the 500 mile minimum

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

I just joined DM a few weeks ago, since US flies to DAB (again). I did not get an email from them mentioning the changes.
I may be flying them more often, even though I haven't flown US since they pulled out of DAB originally back in 1997.
Now that they are back, I will probably fly them again coming home from college if FL doesn't work out with the times.
Also want to try flying through CLT instead of ATL for a change.
The 500 mile minimum being thrown out seems like a first. I know DL hasn't done it...at least not completely. Why would US do this if no other competitors are doing it?

[Art at ISP]

JBAF,

That is the $64,000 question. They are doing it because they think it will save money. Basically US is the only major airline which is at war with its best customers. They have been nickel and diming us ever since the merger to cover up for lost revenue due to issues they could have fixed but didn't--like a deficient reservations system, operational issues just now being partially addressed, and failiure (or lack of desire) to agree to new labor contracts which could have provided some degree of savings.

The current team is a regional airline management trying to operate a major airline and failing miserably. So when costs go up, they don't have the guts to raise fares, so they take more from the customers.

As stated before, at least UA did something, while distasteful, is targeted at less frequent travelers, and those who usually contribute less to the bottom line. What US has done here is to again penalize the bread and butter passenger, who spends the most and provides the highest yields in the system.

I understand their email servers are near overload, and I think the backlash from this is going to be something much worse than they could have imagined in their worst nightmares--and basically it looks like all the other airlines will not match-they are happy to hang US out to dry.

I think Forrest Gump got it right---stupid is as stupid does.....

Time will tell, but this is one for the textbooks.