Jun 10, 2014, 5:09 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Earning miles on United flights
Spend-based mileage (RDM) earning for all UA metal flights effective March 1, 2015.
Redeemable Miles (RDM) changes highlights:
Fare multipliers based on Premier status:
For example, a 1K would earn 1100 miles for a $120 (assuming $20 in taxes/fees) ticket while a Silver would earn 700 miles for the same ticket.
As there is a maximum number of miles per ticket earned - this disincentives purchasing any ticket (excluding government taxes and fees) over the following:
A way to avoid this is booking one-ways if the fare rules permit.
Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) are not affected by this change.
Announcement Site
Post 57: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23008349-post57.html
Answered Questions:
Spend-based mileage (RDM) earning for all UA metal flights effective March 1, 2015.
Redeemable Miles (RDM) changes highlights:
- Miles earned will now be based on the ticket price instead of the number of miles flown (see partner flights on non-016 tickets exception )
- Ticket price is defined as base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges (same as PQDs)
- Class of service bonuses have been discontinued (e.g. X% more on A fares).
- There is a limit of 75,000 miles earned per ticket (see below for spending limits by status)
- UA flights regardless of ticket stock will use the ticket price to determine RDMs
- Partner flight on 016 ticket stock will use the ticket price to determine RDMs
- Partner flights on non-016 ticket stock will use a flight mileage-based system to determine RDMs with a fare class multiplier (see the partner page for detials
- Speciality / Bulk tickets with PQDs will use a flight mileage-based system to determine RDMs with a fare class multiplier, see Specialty tickets
Fare multipliers based on Premier status:
- x5 General Members
- x7 Silver
- x8 Gold
- x9 Plat
- x11 1K/GS
For example, a 1K would earn 1100 miles for a $120 (assuming $20 in taxes/fees) ticket while a Silver would earn 700 miles for the same ticket.
As there is a maximum number of miles per ticket earned - this disincentives purchasing any ticket (excluding government taxes and fees) over the following:
- $6818.18 for 1K/GS
- $8333.33 for Platinum
- $9375.00 for Gold
- $10714.28 for Silver
- $15000.00 for General Members
A way to avoid this is booking one-ways if the fare rules permit.
Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) are not affected by this change.
www.mileageplusupdates.com
There is a tool on the site that allow you to enter how much you spent on a ticket along your premier status in order to calculate how many miles you will earn under the new system. The tool is aware of the miles per ticket limit.
There is a FAQ here: http://mileageplusupdates.com/faq.html
Relevant UA Insider posts:There is a tool on the site that allow you to enter how much you spent on a ticket along your premier status in order to calculate how many miles you will earn under the new system. The tool is aware of the miles per ticket limit.
There is a FAQ here: http://mileageplusupdates.com/faq.html
Post 57: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23008349-post57.html
Hi everyone,
Today we’re announcing changes to how MileagePlus members will earn award miles in 2015. We’ve posted complete details and a FAQ on united.com, but I wanted to share an excerpt of the key points with you directly:
As of March 1, 2015, the award miles you earn on most United and United Express tickets will be based on your ticket price (that is, base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges) and your MileagePlus status, instead of the distance you travel. The new criteria for earning award miles will look like this:
<portion removed for brevity>
The changes to earning award miles will apply to all MileagePlus members worldwide, and will be based on status at the time of flight on or after March 1, 2015. These changes will not affect the qualification requirements for 2015 Premier status. PQM and PQS will still be based on the number of paid flight miles traveled and the fare purchased. And where applicable, PQD will still be determined by the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges.
Today we’re announcing changes to how MileagePlus members will earn award miles in 2015. We’ve posted complete details and a FAQ on united.com, but I wanted to share an excerpt of the key points with you directly:
As of March 1, 2015, the award miles you earn on most United and United Express tickets will be based on your ticket price (that is, base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges) and your MileagePlus status, instead of the distance you travel. The new criteria for earning award miles will look like this:
<portion removed for brevity>
The changes to earning award miles will apply to all MileagePlus members worldwide, and will be based on status at the time of flight on or after March 1, 2015. These changes will not affect the qualification requirements for 2015 Premier status. PQM and PQS will still be based on the number of paid flight miles traveled and the fare purchased. And where applicable, PQD will still be determined by the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges.
Class of service bonuses have been discontinued under the new system. There is already an adjustment for 1K over general members.
For tickets that will earn award miles based on ticket price, the class-of-service bonus and Premier bonus will be included in the number of award miles you earn per dollar. Basically COS has been removed.
E-mail received by GS lists 1K and GS together.
2015 MileagePlus Change - RDMs Will Be Calculated by Spend, Not Distance
Jun 10, 2014, 5:59 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA *G 1MM LT United Club & Global Entry
Posts: 2,756
Better at this point just to purchase miles at 2 cents each.
SunLover
Jun 10, 2014, 6:00 am
#17
Join Date: May 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, WN A+, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Tit, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,123
For business travel, this is great. I'm spending $1k on transborder flights where I earn around 3,300 redeemable miles as a gold per trip. Now, I would earn 8,000.
For leisure travel, this is a huge devaluation.
From a strictly business sense, this makes sense. However, with UA's recent poor performance relative to peers, this move is going to anger a lot of people they can't afford to lose.
As others have said, once again UA copies DL. If only they could copy the good things about DL (e.g., wifi, service, meals, etc.).
In addition, this doesn't apply to *A carriers. Once you get your spend on UA, there's basically zero incentive to continue to fly UA when you have a choice of other *A carriers. I suffered through UA to get $10K PQDs and immediately switched my flying to AC since I was on UAX anyway.
For leisure travel, this is a huge devaluation.
From a strictly business sense, this makes sense. However, with UA's recent poor performance relative to peers, this move is going to anger a lot of people they can't afford to lose.
As others have said, once again UA copies DL. If only they could copy the good things about DL (e.g., wifi, service, meals, etc.).
In addition, this doesn't apply to *A carriers. Once you get your spend on UA, there's basically zero incentive to continue to fly UA when you have a choice of other *A carriers. I suffered through UA to get $10K PQDs and immediately switched my flying to AC since I was on UAX anyway.
Jun 10, 2014, 6:03 am
#19
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Moreland Hills (CLE)
Programs: Over-entitled UA 1.3MM Gold, AA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott L-T Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 5,521
How you earn award miles on flights will change on March 1, 2015
UA is becoming the Sears & Roebuck of the airline industry.
Jun 10, 2014, 6:06 am
#20
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SLC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 493
Chase friendly.
Jun 10, 2014, 6:06 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: United Premier 1K 1MM; AA Plat Pro; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Platinum; Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,528
See that is not clear from the calculation chart and text on the webpage. It'd be great if we could get some real clarity to this point. You're probably right but not clear to me.
Also a fair point...
Last edited by mh3265a; Jun 10, 2014 at 6:08 am Reason: responding to additional quote
Jun 10, 2014, 6:08 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,593
Wow, simply wow. I've never actually seen a race to the bottom with only one participant. Yeah Jeff, that'll bring those HVFs back. 
Jun 10, 2014, 6:08 am
#23
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: 1K MMiler, Hertz 5*
Posts: 589
I love the way they announce and "more ways to spend your miles economy plus seating, economy plus subscriptions, checked baggage charges and more on the way" yep more nickel and diming coming............
Jun 10, 2014, 6:10 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, VS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 838
Jun 10, 2014, 6:11 am
#25
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Italy
Programs: UA 1k 1MM
Posts: 84
I wonder if this will still include our bonus miles.
Tickets for flights operated by a Star Alliance™ or MileagePlus partner airline that aren’t issued by United (ticket numbers that don’t start with “016”) will still earn award miles based on distance flown and the purchased fare class.
Tickets for flights operated by a Star Alliance™ or MileagePlus partner airline that aren’t issued by United (ticket numbers that don’t start with “016”) will still earn award miles based on distance flown and the purchased fare class.
Jun 10, 2014, 6:12 am
#26
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IAH/SIN
Programs: UA Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 82
So as a Silver I would need to spend almost $3,600 next year to requalify, or spend over $7,000 to get Gold, to which neither level is worth even close to that spend for what you get. I'm sure an additional 'change I'll like' is the removal of complementary E+ for Silver as well next year. I've moved most of my flying over to AA, but being IAH based, SMI/J still has me by the balls on some fights.
Jun 10, 2014, 6:12 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NYC / MIA / AMS
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 499
PQD didn't really affect me, but this will.
As a 1k who flies 95% for personal travel, being 100-110k miles a year on a 10-12k spend this will turn me into a kayaker. This is effectively a 40-50% devaluation of earned mileage, compounded with the devaluation of the mileage chart it is not helpful to retaining my business.
I'm just glad I'm finding out in June so i can direct the remaining 2014 travel elsewhere; it'll be nice to say good bye to EWR.
As a 1k who flies 95% for personal travel, being 100-110k miles a year on a 10-12k spend this will turn me into a kayaker. This is effectively a 40-50% devaluation of earned mileage, compounded with the devaluation of the mileage chart it is not helpful to retaining my business.
I'm just glad I'm finding out in June so i can direct the remaining 2014 travel elsewhere; it'll be nice to say good bye to EWR.
Jun 10, 2014, 6:12 am
#28
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: U.K.
Programs: QR P; HH D; IHG SpAmb
Posts: 772
So, would this apply also to UA flights not on 016 stock? And if not, what would be the best way of purchasing such?
Jun 10, 2014, 6:12 am
#29
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SLC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 493
For tickets that will earn award miles based on ticket price, the class-of-service bonus and Premier bonus will be included in the number of award miles you earn per dollar
Jun 10, 2014, 6:14 am
#30
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
. (I.e. The multiplication factor is the elite bonus but fare class bonuses still count)