Originally Posted by BenjaminNYC
Can I ask a question?
What is the purpose of gifting someone 2P? The only one I can is that they can secure E+ for a year. If they fly a lot, then they'll get 2P on their own very soon. If they don't then they won't requalify, so again, just a year of E+. For someone that doesn't fly a lot (i.e. my wife) they'll never earn any 500-milers.
So what is the point?
Tell you what, since you don't see a point, PM me and I'll take that gift off of your hands.
Seriously, a year of E+ is still worth something even to somebody that won't requalify. And maybe that will spur the person to give United more business in one of two ways: either stealing market share (what most of us think about) or in generating new trips out of the ether.
Being able to fly E+ SFO-LHR might be just enough to get a couple to take a vacation in Europe this year on United instead of at Disney World on Southwest. That's why United does it.