stemme

I spend about 75-80k a month on a United card. I fly paid very little- maybe once or twice a year. They gave me a free upgrade to Silver last year- I use the service very little, and it offers me few benefits as I use the miles to travel in business or first. I just got downgraded back to no status.
Can anyone tell me what I yield in $ to United every year- in other words, how much do they make out of me? How does that rank with someone that is actually flying? On the face of it, at 3%, my gross is $30,000 per year.
The reason I ask is, it seems counterproductive to downgrade me, as I owe very little loyalty to United- I don't get to experience any face to face contact with anyone, or to experience any stellar in-flight service as a result of my loyalty. Printing a card and offering me a few benefits that I rarely use seems an inexpensive way of keeping me from moving to another program.

Yoshi212

I'm surprised you've stayed with the Chase UA card considering how the card works and it's limited earnings.

UA offered you Silver and you didn't requalify because you don't fly revenue much or at all. They have the revenue from the miles purchased by Chase and any revenue share they have with Chase so no reason for them to continue extending benefits to you when they don't have to. It could be a way of retaining you as a customer but it doesn't seem they need to do that so why should they.

mia

Welcome to Flyertalk

Merchant fees do not average 3%, and the fees are shared between VISA, the merchant's bank, and the card issuer (Chase). Chase buys miles from UA and they award one per dollar spent. What value do you assign to the 900,000 miles per year that you earn using the card? What benefits would you value from Silver status? There may be other ways to obtain the same benefits.

blitzen

Use another card!

freedom Unlimied 1.5 points per $1 > as you could transfer to UA a 50% better deal (keep the UA card if you need the. Executive when flying paid united)
or depending on your spending and point using pattern the Amex Platinum or Chase Reserve might be a better fit (higher multiplier on travel)

Need

Depends on which United card he got. If he has the United MP Club card, then it is also 1.5 miles per $1. I agree that 1.5 UR ponits > 1.5 United Miles. BTW, OP, you could also get United Silver from Ritz Carlton card. All you have to do is spend $75K on it in one year and you get Plat Ritz Carlton which also gives you Plat Marriot and Plat SPG and Plat Marriot will match to United Silver.

stemme

Thanks for the comments; yes, I do have the MP United so I get 1.5 per $, and I do get unlimited miles- 1.4-1.5 million annually . I travel to South Africa once a year, and AA is not as good an airline for that. I don't know what the actual value of the miles I earn is- I pass a percentage of my business' expenses through the card, and travel is an insignificant expense. It's not that I need silver, more that I assumed- incorrectly it seems- that United was the beneficiary of my spend, not Chase

Explorer789

You should diversify your cards.

There's really no reason to have MP Club card and pay $450 AF for that. Instead, opt for Chase Sapphire Reserve for any food and travel bonus.

Chase Ink Preferred will let you max out the 3X office bonus up to $150k a year.

Freedom Unlimited gives you the same 1.5x for no AF for all other expenses that don't fit into one of the above two card bonuses.

odin99

if you don't travel much, consider a cash back card.

philemer

^ Or find the best airline that flies to SA and get a card that will earn you miles on that airline.

garykung

Surprisingly, nothing.

Flying with miles is the obvious sign that UA earns nothing from you. Then since your UA miles earned are through Chase, so Chase buys those miles instead of you, in a big discount.

It is obviously that UA earns more from GS/1K, compared to you (Given that a person can potential get Premier Platinum by using FlexPQM).

I hope I read this correctly - But it sounds like that you are trying to complain something that you should not have in the first place?

Allow me to be blunt - except for the invitation level, status is earned, not granted. When it is granted, you should never expect it lasts long.

Beside - even UA has granted you Silver in the past, you are still required to earn your way.

mia

Flying infrequently on paid tickets is not the same as not traveling much.

UA does benefit from your use of the card because Chase buys award miles from them, and those are deposited in your MileagePlus account. The value of the miles is (approximately) the fares you did not pay when flying an mileage tickets. The miles are probably worth more to you than they cost Chase, that's the arbitrage that makes these cards work.

stemme

good point;


I am getting good value from the card- we fly business or first consistently. As far as the routes US to SA, One World is a poor second to Star Alliance, and skymiles is also a poor choice on this route.

Need

Now I am actually confused. If you are already flying business or first for your travel, the United MileagePlus Club card and the United Club access doesn't really give you much. The 1.5 miles per $ used to be really good value but now there are many alternatives.

Chase Freedom Unlimited pairs with Chase Sapphire Reserve is the same fee as the United MPC. CFU will earn you 1.5 UR points which could be transfer to CSR and to United for 1.5 miles exactly the same as MPC. Since you are already flying business+ you don't need United Club/free luggage or Priority boarding from MPC. And with the CSR, you get another set of lounges to choose from outside of United Club. And so many more places to transfer the points + using UR portal for travel for 1.5x UR points making it 2.25%.

I only have about 1/3 of your monthly spent, but I am cancelling my MPC this year. I already switched my spending to CFU and got a CSR late last year.

mia

To my knowledge the USA based legacy carriers do not typically include lounge access when flying first or business on domestic itineraries.

blitzen

and how would having the United Club access help you in these situations (carrier other than UA)?Most of the time UA Club is far away or in another terminal so the Priority Pass is most likely better/easier to use.
if the carrier is UA daily lounge passes are $20 on eBay (or less in higher numbers)