Krakowgator

Hello,

I apologize if this has been answered at some point but I have searched quite a bit and can't a thread for a MP 1k level situation.

I am being relocated to Germany and will continue to travel quite a bit globally. While I will certainty have flights back to the US (easy United flights), I will also be traveling Asia and South America as well (so mostly likely LH or SA operated flights) - all business class.

So the question is should I stay United MP and continue 1k or should I move to LH MM since my base while be Germany. Given that I am SA Gold already with 1K, I am not sure if there is much benefit to going MM, plus with the new MP dollar based awards, the United purchased tickets will give me about twice the award miles starting March 1st.

Is my logic sound or am I missing something?

Any thoughts or experiences would be very appreciated!

**one note, while HON might be possible it would be stretch to get 300k

Lack

If you're getting ahead with Mar 1 changes, I'd suggest sticking with MP.

Rambuster

Probably best to stay with UA MP IMHO.
Additionally, I'd go for status in Oneworld (probably BA) or one of the ME3 (EK,QR,EY).
That will give you the best option heading east.

totti

Another vote for MP at least if the recent MP changes do not bother you. And as Rambuster suggests, status with another alliance is always nice. Even with the recent changes BA is a good option.

oliver2002

+1, but really study the March changes!

steveman518

x-posted in the UA forum as well...

UltraRant

I suggest MP. As you don't live in the US of A anymore you'll even face lower requirements to remain 1K than when you'd still be living there, as there's no financial minimum you need to spend. You will need to give UA some proof that you have indeed left the country, though.

I furthermore agree that, especially for trips to the US on UA, you'll earn more reward miles anyway. Earnings on M&M are very bad nowadays, not just with LH but especially with most *A partners.

I also recommend you don't fly SA to South East Asia, as it is an enormous detour. Try SQ instead.

NewbieRunner

The OP says he/she flies to Asia, not necessarily South East Asia. I can't agree SA (assuming you mean Star Alliance as the OP has used the acronym) means an enormous detour to Asia. SQ is fine for SE Asia but for anywhere north of HKG, flying SQ from Germany could mean a long detour.

fassy

@NewbieRunner

He was just joking... SA as in South African Airways

NewbieRunner

Yes, but then the OP used SA twice to mean South African Airways and Star Alliance.

weero

I'd say so too.

But the real trouble is that no one knows what the March changes are and will be.

You fly SQ, TG, OZ, or SA ... you will earn an amount of miles UA deems suitable at the moment of purchase. For some carriers at the moment of credit.

Maybe UA will lower itself down to us mortals to tell us with 7 days notice what's the game gonna be, then maybe not ....

hdogan

Given the current state of M&M earning, I would stick to MP. I switched from M&M to MP some time ago, and never regretted it.

On my last trip to SFO, my inbound flight somehow managed to get credited to M&M (although I presented my MP card at check-in!), and that was a real eye-opener: Outbound FRA-SFO on UA in booking class Q ; inbound SFO-MUC on LH in booking class Q. MP mileage: 5699 base miles + 5699 1K bonus. M&M mileage:2932 base miles + 1466 bonus. Total PQM on MP: 5699, total status miles on M&M: 4398.

Benefit-wise, I managed to get both a UA flight and a LH flight upgraded with SWUs this year already... so far so good. I also booked a last-minute intra-europe award flight. Exact same flights on M&M asked for 30000 miles and 180 Eur fees, on MP 25000 miles and 69 USD fees.

weero

You do realise that comes March, UA Golds, Plats, and 1Ks do earn more - a lot more - RDM on el cheapo LH tickets than on somewhat more expensive UA tickets.

This plus the fact that UA dishonours upgrades, serves no real meat, and no free booze will trigger an avalanche of an exodus of a scale that it'd turn Moses and Christian Bale purple!
There is no chance in hell that UA will in the very, very near future cripple earnings on LH.

While I too would never switch to M&M, leaving MP is a nontrivial decision if you live in Europe.

hdogan

That works for me too. Only a small fraction of my tickets issued on UA stock, and I tend to fly UA just enough to get my 4 mandatory UA segments. That'll probably change, as I'm relocating to SIN, but I'm hoping to use my GPUs for occasions when I don't manage to book SQ to the US.

True. When that happens, I'll reconsider my FFP strategy. In my case, I think I'll just abandon FFP loyalty, as making an effort to be loyal to an FFP will be too much trouble.

But for 2015, in Europe, MP is in most cases (especially if one doesn't fly UA a lot!) the program to use.

weero

Quite a wise approach. I also keep crediting to MP until earnings will be slashed.