Oct 30, 2014, 7:09 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Submit Verification Documentation
To verify changes to the primary address on your MileagePlus account, please submit two forms of documentation that include your new address. Each document must be dated and include your name, as shown on your MileagePlus account*, and your residential address. The new address cannot be a business address and must match the address listed on the submitted documents. Please block out all non-essential personally identifiable information from the submitted documents.
Read our privacy policy
Accepted address verification documents
1. Change of address confirmation provided by the postal service (United States Postal Service or an international postal service)
2. Copy of postmarked mail with current address listed as forwarding address
3. Government-issued ID (e.g., national identification card, foreign driver’s license)
4. Utility bill dated within the past 90 days
5. Receipt for personal property taxes paid within the past year
6. Rental agreement or residential lease dated within the past year
7. Payroll statement provided by the member’s employer, dated within the past 90 days
8. U.S. military ID
9. Official government/military travel orders or proof of official duty status
Please allow at least 10-14 days for a response and for your account to be updated. Any updates submitted while the request is being processed may be overridden and therefore may not be reflected in your account. We recommend that you do not submit any additional changes until you receive confirmation that your original request has been completed.
*If the member’s name does not match the name on the document being provided, please submit an additional document from the list above,or a marriage or name-change certificate or other government-issued document, that includes both the member’s name and the name on the verification document.
To verify changes to the primary address on your MileagePlus account, please submit two forms of documentation that include your new address. Each document must be dated and include your name, as shown on your MileagePlus account*, and your residential address. The new address cannot be a business address and must match the address listed on the submitted documents. Please block out all non-essential personally identifiable information from the submitted documents.
Read our privacy policy
Accepted address verification documents
1. Change of address confirmation provided by the postal service (United States Postal Service or an international postal service)
2. Copy of postmarked mail with current address listed as forwarding address
3. Government-issued ID (e.g., national identification card, foreign driver’s license)
4. Utility bill dated within the past 90 days
5. Receipt for personal property taxes paid within the past year
6. Rental agreement or residential lease dated within the past year
7. Payroll statement provided by the member’s employer, dated within the past 90 days
8. U.S. military ID
9. Official government/military travel orders or proof of official duty status
Please allow at least 10-14 days for a response and for your account to be updated. Any updates submitted while the request is being processed may be overridden and therefore may not be reflected in your account. We recommend that you do not submit any additional changes until you receive confirmation that your original request has been completed.
*If the member’s name does not match the name on the document being provided, please submit an additional document from the list above,or a marriage or name-change certificate or other government-issued document, that includes both the member’s name and the name on the verification document.
Go to https://mystatus.united.com to verify.
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Sep 20, 2014, 12:41 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
Typical small ball thinking.
There are millions MP members with foreign addresses.
This verification is costly to UA, but the gain is so small.
Is UA going to hire 150 MP agents to check and verify people's foreign addresses?
Remember, these agents must read not just English or French, but also Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese?
I am at a loss. What's there to gain for UA?
There are millions MP members with foreign addresses.
This verification is costly to UA, but the gain is so small.
Is UA going to hire 150 MP agents to check and verify people's foreign addresses?
Remember, these agents must read not just English or French, but also Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese?
I am at a loss. What's there to gain for UA?
Sep 20, 2014, 1:48 pm
#17
Moderator: United Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,731
hardly millions of elites with foreign addresses (since the total elite population is estimated a roughly at a million) and limit to those who recently changed from USA to non-USA addresses and have lower PQD totals and I suspect you are closer to thousands than millions. Especially if you start from just the highest elite levels.
Does it make sense, not suggesting it would. But some visible enforcement might be consider if UA senses a significant problem.
Does it make sense, not suggesting it would. But some visible enforcement might be consider if UA senses a significant problem.
Sep 20, 2014, 4:08 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
DL announced the program change for Medallion Qualifying Dollars in mid-Jan '13 and had the change for foreign address requirements up in less than four weeks from that.
As to why United would do this - maybe they've seen a wave of address changes, a volume out of pattern.
As to why United would do this - maybe they've seen a wave of address changes, a volume out of pattern.
Sep 20, 2014, 4:47 pm
#22
Moderator: United Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,731
So in the context of the previous exchange, the number of those elites with non-USA address is very unlikely to be millions.
Sep 20, 2014, 5:17 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
The new policy seems to require EVERY member who changes address to abroad to show evidence.
We are not just talking about elites?
Sep 20, 2014, 5:21 pm
#24
Moderator: United Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,731
Are you contenting there are millions of MP members annually changing their USA address to a non-USA address?
Sep 20, 2014, 5:30 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Within 6 months? 1 year? Nobody knows.
There are maybe 80 million MP members. Is it possible that 500,000 changed address to abroad? Or 200,000?
Nobody knows the exact number. But the point is the same. It's stupid to spend such efforts for very little gain.
Not to mention foreign language (Korean, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, etc. etc) proficiency of Mileage Plus agents.
Sep 20, 2014, 5:59 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,220
Who said they would check all address changes? Customs don't check all travellers - you fill out a form and then sometimes you are stopped perhaps randomly or perhaps for a reason. No doubt UA will do similarly. You provide the paperwork and only sometimes will they check it thoroughly.
In reality, any abuse will be limited to those under the PQD threshold who either would be 1K, or who would be a lower tier and don't have the credit card (which in theory is only available to US residents). So, once you've boiled the numbers down to that small set, and only look at those who change their address from the US, and screen out those whose trips generally originate outside the US - and then only sample say 1 in 100 - you will have a small number to deal with.
All UA has to do is find two or three culprits and publicise their expulsion from the program and they will have frightened off most of the abusive (largely FT) community.
In reality, any abuse will be limited to those under the PQD threshold who either would be 1K, or who would be a lower tier and don't have the credit card (which in theory is only available to US residents). So, once you've boiled the numbers down to that small set, and only look at those who change their address from the US, and screen out those whose trips generally originate outside the US - and then only sample say 1 in 100 - you will have a small number to deal with.
All UA has to do is find two or three culprits and publicise their expulsion from the program and they will have frightened off most of the abusive (largely FT) community.
Sep 21, 2014, 6:23 pm
#28
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
Programs: *
Posts: 2,767
What is not stated is how UA defines an address. Many people legitimately have more than one address. Some people have five or ten legitimate addresses. Many people have a primary address and secondary address(es). Some have no effective primary address but truly have multiple residences. Some split themselves between a working residence and a weekend residence. Unless UA defines what an address is then it cannot attempt to invoke residence based on travel patterns.
Many people have a fluid and variable work and living pattern and their "address" changes from time to time. My 'address' has probably changed 10 times in almost two decades I have been with MP (and OnePass) - I have simply just kept the first address I used, which as always still been my single base address, as I have for my bank and most other important correspondence. Of course the assumption too is that everyone who spends time in USA but keeps a foreign address is doing so to avoid PQDs - my PQD when I last could check was over 20,000 USD.
Addresses for tax purposes are defined differently. Most people pay tax primarily in one country. If you move around, that can change from year to year. Your home doesn't necessarily change and you may or may not pay your tax there. Tax is based more on where you spend most the time or where you work or where you earn the most. Many countries don't even provide tax returns.
Sep 21, 2014, 6:39 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Good observation.
Sep 21, 2014, 8:19 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,781
I'd be really curious to know if address verification is targeted at certain levels of elites or certain levels of PQD attainment... any data points would be great.
