Split Status Levels on Star Alliance?
Jun 17, 2015, 7:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: EWR or PHL or JFK
Programs: United Mileage Plus, Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Posts: 92
Split Status Levels on Star Alliance?
If I fly well over 50K+ miles, but miss the revenue/spend $$ to attain Gold status on United, will I still be recognized as Star Gold throughout the Star Alliance, or will I only be Silver? 
Jun 17, 2015, 7:36 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,091
Hate to say it, but you will be United Silver and Star Alliance Silver. A workaround is to get a Chase UA card and meet the credit card spend requirement ($25,000) in order to waive the PQD requirement up through Platinum status (not applicable to 1K). If this is a realistic option for you, you can still get to UA and *A Gold status. If you have a Presidential Plus card, you automatically get the waiver without a spend requirement.
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont.../PQD-FAQs.aspx
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont.../PQD-FAQs.aspx
However, in 2014 and 2015, the PQD requirement for Premier Silver, Premier Gold and Premier Platinum qualification is waived for primary Cardmembers whose address with MileagePlus is within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and who, in combination with their authorized users, spend at least $25,000 in Net Purchases during the applicable calendar year on MileagePlus co-branded credit cards issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A. Net Purchases made between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014, or January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015, will count toward the $25,000 threshold in the applicable year.
Jun 17, 2015, 8:29 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,091
It's interesting, this PQD thing. It's been a relatively slow year for me, so I've met the Gold PQD requirement, but have not yet met the Silver PQM/PQS requirement. If the year ended now, I'd have no status next year. 
Jun 17, 2015, 9:05 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS/ BOM
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,567
If you have some money lying around that you are willing to spend, make a couple of PQM mileage runs or make a couple of dummy bookings and purchase the premier accelerator miles that would give you the status miles you are seeking. Cancel the dummy reservation before 24 hours.
Jun 17, 2015, 9:05 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,882
Split Status Levels on Star Alliance?
* status is based on your UA status. You have to meet each of the milestones (PQM or PQS, PQD for US residents (or CC waiver), and 4 UA flight minimum (or CC waiver) to hit the UA status, and therefore, the * status.
Jun 17, 2015, 10:39 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ORF
Posts: 74
If you have some money lying around that you are willing to spend, make a couple of PQM mileage runs or make a couple of dummy bookings and purchase the premier accelerator miles that would give you the status miles you are seeking. Cancel the dummy reservation before 24 hours.
Jun 17, 2015, 10:56 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: UA-1K
Posts: 308
If you have some money lying around that you are willing to spend, make a couple of PQM mileage runs or make a couple of dummy bookings and purchase the premier accelerator miles that would give you the status miles you are seeking. Cancel the dummy reservation before 24 hours.
Jun 18, 2015, 10:51 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: UA-1K
Posts: 308
My mistake gobluetwo.
And yes, I would agree that is an effective way to get PQMs.
And yes, I would agree that is an effective way to get PQMs.
Last edited by sb3; Jun 18, 2015 at 10:53 am Reason: I meant to quote gobluetwo, but didn't do it correctly, so added the name to make my response more clear.
Jun 18, 2015, 6:23 pm
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Toronto YYZ UA-1K 1MM,QFgold
Programs: Royal Ambassador/ SPG Platinum 75/Marriott gold
Posts: 14,283
Jun 18, 2015, 9:07 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: KAUS
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 1,118
I wouldn't be so offended by the PQD rigamarole if they didn't give away perks left and right to credit card holders, elite-for-a-days and god knows who else. The list of special people with "status" seems endless. Get rid of all that pseudo-frequent-flyer crap, focus the program more on people who fly a lot, and then I'd have more respect for the system, even with PQDs, and be more willing not to bend its rules.
Give credit card holders all that other flotsam ticket discounts, miles, whatever... just don't conflate the frequent flyers with other groups that US wants to incentivize. Keep them distinct. Right now, they're not.
As it stands, I don't have any respect for it. So I don't mind "gaming" the system. I may change my address to a place I own a place overseas. It's a hassle but not too hard to 'prove' my residency there to UA's standard.
Give credit card holders all that other flotsam ticket discounts, miles, whatever... just don't conflate the frequent flyers with other groups that US wants to incentivize. Keep them distinct. Right now, they're not.
As it stands, I don't have any respect for it. So I don't mind "gaming" the system. I may change my address to a place I own a place overseas. It's a hassle but not too hard to 'prove' my residency there to UA's standard.
Last edited by perezoso; Jun 18, 2015 at 9:12 pm