How to change airline loyalty?

Question

I'm a frequent business traveller and the company I work for recently announced we're changing preferred airlines at the end of the year. My favorite airline didn't make the list so I have to pick another airline. I don't want to lose my status, though. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can "shop" my status around to the different airlines my company wants us to use, and get one of them to give me preferred status from my very first flight? I really don't care about the actual miles; if I lose them, it's not the end of the world. I just want to keep my preferred status.

I have about 45 segments so far this year so I am a pretty hardcore traveller but I'd love to hear some suggestions for someone who may have less, too, because all of my co-workers are now in the same boat.

Thanks!!!

Sonic, I worded my question carefully so that people who are not familiar with loyalty programs would not answer. I'm hoping to get good suggestions and not wild guesses here. But I will explain... loyalty is frequent flyer status; I currently have "Silver" status and will probably make it to "Gold" or the second-highest level at the end of the year. And I want to keep my status so that I can continue to ride in first class on all my flights instead of having to start over from a 0 balance again and have to take 15 trips before I can get free upgrades again.

DennisB, thanks for the good suggestions so far!!!

Answer 1

This is a hunch based on logic and some experience: Beyond (or above?) the bureacrats who mechanically run the frequent flier program by strict guidelines, you may find one or more executives or managers who have the responsibility to please and retain the best customers via real customer service. Find them by name and talk with them on a personal level about your situation.

For help in finding the person, consider chatting up:

1. Airline employees away from work
2. Travel insider newsletter editors. (NPR used to run a feature by a man named, I think, Rudy Maxa a.k.a. The Savvy Traveller.)

You can also try calling the loyalty program and just work your way up the chain of command until you find a decision maker. Not easy, but be persistent.

Finally, check out the various ratings of airlines by customer satisfaction. (J.D. Power may have such.) Start with Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines and work downward.

Finally, finally, if you can discuss this as representative of "all of my co-workers...in the same boat" who may want to join you at the new preferred airline, you may have some real leverage.

Answer 2

You can't really do this unless your very pally pally with some sort of manager with the airline. The airlines probley have the business you work for on a "priority list" or it's registered in there system.

To get better answers, for those out there that arn't to familiar with all this you may want to re word this question so people un-familiar with airline loyalty will understand properly what your talking about. :-)

UPDATE:
I appreciate your cold response in the additional details. I was only trying to help you out so you can get more answers. I am very familiar with the loyalty programs myself, as I work in the airline industry with a major airline, but you see many people are not, and im sure people who are not familiar with the program(s) could help out to the best of there ability.

But to add on to what I previously said, airlines are very strict regarding the loyalty programs. The best bet, is that the previous airline you flew with is related to the current airlines your company has selected through an alliance program, such as Star Alliance or One World.

For example, American Airlines has the AAdvantage program and American Airlines is part of the One World Alliance. AAdvantage can be used with any of the other One World partners:
Air Lingus
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Finnair
Iberia
LAN
Qantas

If your current airline is in the same alliance as your previous airline, you may want to look into that factor.

Hope this helps
- Sonic :-)