Well, well, well. According to this post on FlyerTalk, one member has spotted the following message on the “My Itineraries” page of United.com, (written, of course, in United’s clumsy, stilted corporate-speak – can’t these people take writing classes? But, that’s neither here nor there):

2010 elite credentials – watch your mail
Elite card expiring January 31, 2010? Qualify for the same level or higher by November 30, and your 2010 elite kit will arrive in December. Remaining 2010 elite kits will mail through January. Current card expiring January 31, 2011? If you’ve earned the same status level for 2010, continue to use this card.

Indeed, United’s downright inconsistency and astonishing incompetence in mailing elite cards following qualification has been a prominent gripe among United’s frequent flyers. In the many threads on Flyertalk, posters detail receiving their elite cards months after qualification or, in many cases, not at all. According to the report, though, United is apparently attempting to make a change, and trying to atone for – or at least mitigate – their deplorable track record. I hate to be so pessimistic, but we’ll see if they actually follow their proclamation. I base my pessimism on United’s terrible record with mailing my particular elite cards in the last year and a half. I have not received any cards this year, despite re-qualifying for 1K in June, and before I lost it, I had not received a 1K card for 2009, and had to call United to request it in February. I’m still using my Premier Executive card I received in 2008. And, yes, the cards are helpful for using the Easy Check-In machines to locate your reservation, and absolutely necessary for our friends at Lufthansa who absolutely require a card to verify your status when entering a lounge, despite your status being printed on the boarding pass. I forecast a bit of improvement with supplying elites with their rightful credentials, but sadly, still many frequent flyers without their 2010 elite cards.

I’m just not sure why United fails so miserably to mail elite status cards in a timely fashion. Other airlines act with admirable alacrity in mailing cards. My friend, a Continental Airlines elite flyer, received his updated Continental Gold card with the new Star Alliance designation days after Continental made the switch out of Skyteam. I’m not expecting to receive my new 1K card in December.