Merger Update: 2012 MileagePlus Program Details
Sep 21, 2011, 6:35 am
#1
Company Representative, United Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chicago, Houston, or somewhere in between
Posts: 2,176
Merger Update: 2012 MileagePlus Program Details
Hi Everyone, today we’re going to give you a look at our 2012 MileagePlus program. Although many of my front line co-workers have begun the process of training, this is a lengthy process and not everyone will have completed their briefings at the time of this posting. Please be sensitive to this, as there’s no easy way to get everyone on the same page at the same time. There’s a lot to take in, but here are the top dozen things worth noting:
One final note is timing. As most of you know, our Elite program year typically begins in February. In the case of 2012, most of the new program benefits and features, including the new Premier tiers, will be effective when we migrate to a single technology system late in the first quarter. Some changes, such as CPU geography may come sooner, but for now, the expectation we’d like to set for all new Premier tiers and associated benefits will be late first quarter 2012. We’ll be sharing more details, including the exact effective date, in the coming months.
Our website has been updated with all the details. In the coming month, we’ll be filling in more blanks, such as extension of the current Elite year and how the overall account transition will occur.
Thanks as always for your feedback, and we look forward to answering your questions.
Scott O’Leary
Managing Director, Customer Solutions
United Airlines
[Moderator note: Please see UA Insider's post later in this thread answering a number of member questions about the changes.]
- New vocabulary. First, here’s some new nomenclature: The term Premier will live on but in a new context. It will replace the term “Elite”. With that will come some new three-letter acronyms:
- PQM & PQS: Premier Qualifying Mile & Segment (formerly EQM/EQS)
- CPU: Complimentary Premier Upgrade (formerly UDU and EUA)
- RPU: Regional Premier Upgrade (formerly CR1 and RU)
- GPU: Global Premier Upgrade (formerly SWU)
- New tiers and qualification requirements. Heard any good rumors lately? Here are our new Premier tiers – all of which will have a minimum requirement of 4 paid flights on United, Continental and/or Copa:
- Premier Silver: 25K PQM or 30 PQS
- Premier Gold: 50K PQM or 60 PQS
- Premier Platinum: 75K PQM or 90 PQS
- Premier 1K: 100K PQM or 120 PQS
- Global Services: Invitation only
- Bonus Award mile changes. Here are the changes we’re making to premier and fare class bonuses:
Premier bonuses:- Premier Silver: 25% bonus miles (no change)
- Premier Gold: 50% bonus miles
- Premier Platinum: 75% bonus miles
- Premier 1K and Global Services: 100% bonus miles (no change)
Fare Class bonuses for United/Continental:- Full-fare Economy Class (Y/B) fares: +25% bonus miles
- Discounted Business Class (Z/P) fares: +50% bonus miles
- Full-fare Business Class (J/C/D) fares: +75% bonus miles
- 2-Cabin First Class (F/A) fares: +75% bonus miles
- 3-Cabin First Class (F/A) fares: +150% bonus miles
- New CPU geography for United, Continental and Copa. Our rationale for offering CPUs will almost entirely be based on how the premium cabin of the flight is marketed. Simply put - markets where the premium product is predominantly our domestic standard will be eligible for CPUs, and all others will not. Based on our current network, this is how our CPU program shakes out geographically:RPUs will be eligible in these same markets plus our p.s. and all Mainland U.S.-Hawaii markets.
- Mainland U.S. (except p.s. markets JFK-LAX/SFO), Alaska and Canada
- Hawaii (California to/from Hawaii, plus any other market operating with a domestic premium product, such as Chicago-Honolulu)
- Mexico/Caribbean/Central America
- Northern South America (except New York-Lima)
- Southern South America (Copa flights only)
- Asia/Oceania (except transpacific, Honolulu-Guam, Tokyo-Singapore/Bangkok nonstops)
- Instant upgrades for full-fare Economy Class fares. Premier members traveling on certain full-fare Economy Class fares will be eligible for an instant upgrade as early as ticketing. Specifically, all premier members will be eligible for instant upgrades from Y and B fares, and Premier 1K members will additionally enjoy instant upgrades from M class fares. Y fares will instantly upgrade using last-seat availability. B and M fares will have expanded upgrade availability, but it won’t always be down to the last seat.
- New CPU clearance windows. CPUs will begin processing automatically starting at 120 hours for Global Services, 96 hours for Premier 1K, 72 hours for Premier Platinum, 48 hours for Premier Gold and on the day of departure for Premier Silver.
- New CPU hierarchy. Our CPU/airport standby upgrade hierarchy will be as follows:
- Global Services
- Y/B/M instant upgrades that weren’t confirmed in advance (sorted by fare class then premier tier)
- Paid upgrades (i.e. GPUs, RPUs and mileage upgrades) sorted by status, fare class, and date of waitlist
- All remaining premier customers by status, then fare class
- Companion CPUs for all Premiers. Premiers at all levels will be able to extend their CPUs to one travel companion in the same reservation, including in the advance clearance window and with Y/B/M instant upgrades. This will happen automatically when the Premier reservation includes a single companion. In cases where there are more than two people in the reservation, or where the companion is in a separate reservation, the companion upgrade may be designated at the airport.
- Economy Plus access at check-in for Premier Silver, improved access for all other levels. To ensure we have better seating options for our top premier levels, advance complimentary access to Economy Plus will be limited to Premier Gold members and higher plus one companion (Premier Platinums and above may have up to 8 companions). Premier Silvers and one companion will continue to enjoy complimentary space-available access to Economy Plus starting at 24 hours before departure.
- Baggage changes for Premier Silver. The complimentary baggage allowance for Premier Silver and Star Alliance Silver members will be reduced to 1 complimentary checked bag weighing up to 50 lbs.
- Aligned mileage expiration policy. Miles will expire if your account is left inactive for 18 months. Our definition of activity will be very easy to meet for earning or redemption in thousands of ways. This includes something as simple as a magazine subscription redemption – which can be had for as little as 400 miles.
- New lifetime benefits. Big changes here, and we think you’ll agree this is the most generous lifetime program in the world. The following will take effect next spring (so please hold tight until then):
- Continental and United lifetime earnings will be combined. You all guessed that much, but the key will be how we do it. Continental’s lifetime earnings have been EQM-based, and United’s have been based on actual flight miles. Starting in 2012, the program will be based on actual flight miles, however, we will make a one-time adjustment on the United side to boost everyone’s lifetime earnings to EQMs dating back to the beginning of the program
- Lifetime premier benefits for 1 million miles = Premier Gold, 2 million = Premier Platinum, 3 million = Premier 1K, 4 million = Global Services
- Million milers will be able to designate a spouse or significant other to always have the same premier tier as them (this includes when the million miler member earns a higher tier). The spousal premier benefits will be identical as the member, except they will not include RPUs and GPUs. This spousal benefit will replace the one-time and annual upgrade gifts, and hopefully you’ll agree this is a better deal
- Continental’s Infinite Elite members (the limited few of you that earned this back in the early 90’s) will be grandfathered in and given lifetime Premier 1K status, but without the GPUs. We hope you’ll agree this is a generous resolution
Our website has been updated with all the details. In the coming month, we’ll be filling in more blanks, such as extension of the current Elite year and how the overall account transition will occur.
Thanks as always for your feedback, and we look forward to answering your questions.
Scott O’Leary
Managing Director, Customer Solutions
United Airlines
[Moderator note: Please see UA Insider's post later in this thread answering a number of member questions about the changes.]
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Sep 21, 2011 at 6:22 pm Reason: OP updated link to website; moderator added note to Q&As.
Sep 21, 2011, 6:42 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,222
Thanks for this. Seems a pretty good resolution to a number of thorny issues.
Sep 21, 2011, 6:49 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 2,671
Wow! Those are changes I can live with!
Sep 21, 2011, 6:50 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Sep 21, 2011, 6:51 am
#7
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Eco-Conscious Travel, United and Flyertalk Cares
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Fulltime travel/mostly Europe
Programs: UA 1.7 MM;; Accor & Marriott Pt; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 17,831
Thanks. Definitely better than expected.
Sep 21, 2011, 6:54 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 12 stops from ORD
Programs: UA, AA, DL
Posts: 992
Looks like 2Ps are the big losers on this one, though 50% RDM bonus is gonna sting for 1Ps too. Ouch.
Sep 21, 2011, 6:54 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Edinburgh or London
Programs: BA silver, Hilton diamond, Marriott titanium, IHG platinum
Posts: 190
Expiry in 18 months?
Starting when?
Not so good for occasional TATL fliers...
Starting when?
Not so good for occasional TATL fliers...
Sep 21, 2011, 6:56 am
#10
Join Date: May 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, WN A+, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Amb, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,126
Happy with the changes. Definitely positive changes for the higher tiers, not so for 2P/1P.
From a business standpoint, the changes make sense. They reward those who fly or spend more than those who don't.
What do we call Premier Plantinum? PP?
From a business standpoint, the changes make sense. They reward those who fly or spend more than those who don't.
What do we call Premier Plantinum? PP?
Sep 21, 2011, 6:57 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K, F9 Ascent
Posts: 187
hmmm....no mention of the minimum spend per tier level. I wonder if that has been dropped or will come in a later announcement. He did say these are the Top 12 issues so I hope they have given up on that idea. These changes are much better than expected. ^
Sep 21, 2011, 6:58 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,508
Whew! Finally, some good news. Many thanks, UA/CO.
Sep 21, 2011, 6:58 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: No Longer Anything
Posts: 478
Thank You. Appreciate you posting to the FT community.
My opinion: downgrade for 1P. 2P really quite meaningless now.
oh well.
My opinion: downgrade for 1P. 2P really quite meaningless now.
oh well.
Sep 21, 2011, 7:00 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicago, Kailua-Kona, Cairns
Programs: UA 1K >2MM, IC Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 740
Given how easy it is to keep the miles active, this is a non-issue for everyone except real casual users of the programs. And I support cutting them off - makes the balance sheet look better, and reduces UA's apparent liabilities in the future.
Sep 21, 2011, 7:00 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 397
I hate, HATE, that silver loses a bag and advance E+ seating. This may have been inevitable, but really it's the last straw for brand loyalty for me. Might as well fly Southwest for domestic travel.