Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2014 for Elite Status in 2015

Old Dec 9, 2014, 5:13 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Print Wikipost

[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2014 for Elite Status in 2015

Old Sep 9, 2014, 9:51 am
  #1  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,273
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2014 for Elite Status in 2015

Hi,

I'm going to be 50 EQM short of silver. I'm taking all my business to American (for the time being until they change their program), so don't want to travel on UA this year.

Any suggestions. I'm fine on the $2500 PQD requirement.
inpd is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 9:53 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,889
Try buying a JST-AOO ticket, then buying Award Accelerator and Premier Accelerator, then refunding the trip within 24 hrs. Let us know what price you're offered as I've been curious!
mherdeg is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 10:32 am
  #3  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SEA or BGR, Lower Earth Orbit
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 17,216
Originally Posted by inpd
Hi,

I'm going to be 50 EQM short of silver. I'm taking all my business to American (for the time being until they change their program), so don't want to travel on UA this year.

Any suggestions. I'm fine on the $2500 PQD requirement.
Then why are you bothering to get Silver on UA if you're not going to fly them? Seems pointless to spend the funds to just get a card that you'll never use.

MKE-ORD is 56 miles oneway, buy the EQM multiplier on it, and then cancel the ticket.
WIRunner is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 10:34 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,889
Originally Posted by WIRunner
Then why are you bothering to get Silver on UA if you're not going to fly them? Seems pointless to spend the funds to just get a card that you'll never use.
Hedge. If AA publishes a frequent-flyer program devaluation to match UA+DL, it may no longer be worth it to fly AA in 2015 and preferred carrier might become UA. If UA becomes preferred carrier in 2015, might be a better experience with 500-mile minimums on PQM and free E+ at T-24.
mherdeg is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 12:04 pm
  #5  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SEA or BGR, Lower Earth Orbit
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 17,216
Originally Posted by mherdeg
Hedge. If AA publishes a frequent-flyer program devaluation to match UA+DL, it may no longer be worth it to fly AA in 2015 and preferred carrier might become UA. If UA becomes preferred carrier in 2015, might be a better experience with 500-mile minimums on PQM and free E+ at T-24.
Yeah, but if they announce it in the second half of the year, going back to UA would require a potential of flying a lot in a short span. Their status is only going to be good through EOM Feb 2016 no matter what.
WIRunner is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 1:49 pm
  #6  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,273
Originally Posted by mherdeg
Hedge. If AA publishes a frequent-flyer program devaluation to match UA+DL, it may no longer be worth it to fly AA in 2015 and preferred carrier might become UA. If UA becomes preferred carrier in 2015, might be a better experience with 500-mile minimums on PQM and free E+ at T-24.
Right I'm hedging. AA has said they aren't going to be any changes in 2015 since they are focusing on merging with US. But if they do change in 2016, expect the announcements in early 2015 which gives me plenty of time to compare UA with AA and put all my spend on one of them.
inpd is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 1:51 pm
  #7  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,273
Originally Posted by mherdeg
Try buying a JST-AOO ticket, then buying Award Accelerator and Premier Accelerator, then refunding the trip within 24 hrs. Let us know what price you're offered as I've been curious!
Just so I understand. I buy the cheapest ticket I can (doesn't have to be JST-AOO). Then buy the Premier accelerator (is it always offered?) and then cancel it.

What is the typical cost to buy 1000 miles (I presume that's the smallest increment).
inpd is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 8:00 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
Originally Posted by worldwidedreamer
Silver is not really worth it anyways.
I have noticed that some of the high status flyers know nothing outside their own world.

I can tell you that if you from my own experience that if you are flying IAH-SAN on a Saturday evening, you will be bumped into first with Silver and so will your family. And there will be empty seats all around you.

I flew SAN-SFO-LAS and the SAN-SFO part had 50-60 people in boarding group 1. The SFO-LAS part had 8 people in boarding group 1. I flew MEX-IAH on Sunday afternoon Labor Day weekend (August 31) and there were empty seats in First and about 50 people in the back. There were entire rows empty in E+, but the FAs would not allow anybody from E- to move up there.

Flights on weekends, or with low fares, or to leisure destinations have very few status flyers.
eghansen is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 8:04 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
Originally Posted by inpd
Just so I understand. I buy the cheapest ticket I can (doesn't have to be JST-AOO). Then buy the Premier accelerator (is it always offered?) and then cancel it.

What is the typical cost to buy 1000 miles (I presume that's the smallest increment).
From what I have seen, the mileage accelerator takes whatever miles you would have earned on your flight and doubles or triples it. So if your booked flights is 247 miles long, you can get MP Accel for an additional 247 miles or 494 miles. However, it seems very expensive when it has been offered to me.

A better way is to just book a short trip to the cheapest place you can find and fly the trip. Then you will have the miles you need.
eghansen is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 8:59 pm
  #10  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,273
Originally Posted by eghansen
From what I have seen, the mileage accelerator takes whatever miles you would have earned on your flight and doubles or triples it. So if your booked flights is 247 miles long, you can get MP Accel for an additional 247 miles or 494 miles. However, it seems very expensive when it has been offered to me.

A better way is to just book a short trip to the cheapest place you can find and fly the trip. Then you will have the miles you need.
Bingo!
inpd is offline  
Old Sep 9, 2014, 11:47 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AA DULtArer
Posts: 5,549
Originally Posted by inpd
Just so I understand. I buy the cheapest ticket I can (doesn't have to be JST-AOO). Then buy the Premier accelerator (is it always offered?) and then cancel it.

What is the typical cost to buy 1000 miles (I presume that's the smallest increment).
about 14 cpm for PQM by the accelerator route presently (SEP)

It will double by DEC, roughly

Originally Posted by inpd View Post
Right I'm hedging. AA has said they aren't going to be any changes in 2015 since they are focusing on merging with US. But if they do change in 2016, expect the announcements in early 2015 which gives me plenty of time to compare UA with AA and put all my spend on one of them.

expect the announcements in early 2015
I would count on a revenue system for AA. I would not count on an early 2015 notification

Last edited by LaserSailor; Sep 10, 2014 at 12:13 am
LaserSailor is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2014, 9:54 am
  #12  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,273
Originally Posted by LaserSailor
I would count on a revenue system for AA. I would not count on an early 2015 notification
Your talking about award redeemable miles being based on $$ rather than miles flown right? I think its inevitable that AA will talk that route, but I hope its a bit more generous than United's scheme.

In United's scheme as a 50K flyer, I used get about 75,000 miles (including 50% mileage bonus). Under there new revenue based scheme I would get 40K miles (8 miles per dollar spent which is about $5K).
inpd is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2014, 8:15 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 55
DUe to travel restrictions at my work this year I will lose 1K for 2015. As it stands at the moment I am due to rack up just over 49K miles, so just short of Gold status (PQD does not impact me as an international member). Gold is important for me as it brings the SA Gold status with it (and > 50% of my travel is on non UA flights)

So I am lookign to do the trick of purchasign a flight, buying accelerator miles and then cancelling the flight.

However I need an option where I can buy 1K PQMs, and when I tried this with a LAX-SFO flight it was offering 5K & 10K only.

Any suggestions for flights/segments I can look at that might offer 1K?
TommyB1965 is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2014, 12:29 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,090
How about LAX-SAN/SBP/MRY/SMF/MCE/PRC?
gobluetwo is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2014, 7:32 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA S, Marriott P
Posts: 1,154
Originally Posted by mherdeg
Try buying a JST-AOO ticket, then buying Award Accelerator and Premier Accelerator, then refunding the trip within 24 hrs. Let us know what price you're offered as I've been curious!
suddenly found myself short 354 miles of silver status due to schedule/connection change. Bought one way JST-AOO for $104
The offer on EQM - 5000 miles for $95, and accelerator is $400 more :-(

I am 1k now. Is round trip going to make a difference here? Or is UA screwing me because of current status?

PS - tried a round trip IAD-JST - same offer of 5000 miles

Last edited by dsauch; Sep 21, 2014 at 7:49 pm Reason: update
dsauch is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.