Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

UA's 500 mile minimum how does it work? (Bonuses, partners, non-elites, ...){Archive}

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

UA's 500 mile minimum how does it work? (Bonuses, partners, non-elites, ...){Archive}

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 2, 2014 | 1:43 pm
  #46  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
it is about 50/50
AC, LH group (LH,OS,LZ,SN), CM, TG, TK, A3, CA, AV, BR, SA, ET, ..... do offer 500 mile min to MP
Wrong.

AC now offers 125 mile minimum on its 'Rouge' branded flights and other lower fare classes, and I think that minimum may only apply to elite tiers of MP.
transportprof is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2014 | 2:20 pm
  #47  
Moderator: United Airlines
2M
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 72,959
Originally Posted by transportprof
Wrong.

AC now offers 125 mile minimum on its 'Rouge' branded flights and other lower fare classes, and I think that minimum may only apply to elite tiers of MP.
I figured someone wold bring up the corner cases so I started a wiki post for more detailed responses.
WineCountryUA is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2014 | 2:23 pm
  #48  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
30 Countries Visited
1M
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP; UA 1MM & PP; Marriott AMB; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 62,034
Originally Posted by transportprof
Wrong.

AC now offers 125 mile minimum on its 'Rouge' branded flights and other lower fare classes, and I think that minimum may only apply to elite tiers of MP.
Actually, WineCountryUA's phrasing is correct. AC does in fact offer a 500 mile minimum to Premiers. The offer just does not apply to certain discounted fare classes.

[Unduly personalized text edited by Moderator.]

Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Apr 2, 2014 at 4:39 pm Reason: Per FT Rules.
Kacee is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2014 | 4:41 pm
  #49  
Senior Moderator
10 Countries Visited
30 Nights
2M
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,457
Moderator note.

May I suggest that we just focus on the facts and exceptions of minimum mileage earning, rather than getting into personal discussions about other members. I've made some edits to recent posts to do that. Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.
Ocn Vw 1K is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2014 | 12:04 am
  #50  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SFO, CPH
Posts: 44
How does 150% fare classes earn?
Eg. will SFO - LAX in F earn me 337 * 1.5 = 505 PQM or 500 * 1.5 = 750 PQM?
gylf is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2014 | 12:38 am
  #51  
Moderator: United Airlines
2M
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 72,959
Originally Posted by gylf
how does 150% fare classes earn?
Eg. Will sfo - lax in f earn me 337 * 1.5 = 505 pqm or 500 * 1.5 = 750 pqm?
500 * 1.5 = 750
WineCountryUA is offline  
Old Mar 18, 2015 | 3:23 pm
  #52  
2M
60 Nights
50 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: ORD LAS HKG
Programs: Bonvoy LTT; IHG PlatAmb; WoH Globalist; UA1K2MM; NationalEE; AvisPC; HertzPC
Posts: 740
For partners with 500 mile minimums, is that the real minimum?

Quick question for a newbie flying LX: I'll be flying LX from JNB - PRG on fare class L. Will I earn 0 or 500 PQM? I'm a bit confused on the guidance provided on the UA website: http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/mark...spx?ItemId=297

The table does not list "L" as the fare class for earning PQM, but the footnote states that "Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes." So is "L" class not an "eligible" purchased fare class or not?

Also, UA rep told me I won't even get any RDM on this trip (which is not what is posted on UAL website where I should get 50%).

So does anyone have any first-hand experience whether I will get any PQM and RDM on LX flight on L fare class??
ktjan is offline  
Old Mar 18, 2015 | 4:25 pm
  #53  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
All eyes on you!
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,529
Originally Posted by ktjan
Quick question for a newbie flying LX: I'll be flying LX from JNB - PRG on fare class L. Will I earn 0 or 500 PQM? I'm a bit confused on the guidance provided on the UA website: http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/mark...spx?ItemId=297

So does anyone have any first-hand experience whether I will get any PQM and RDM on LX flight on L fare class??
If you bought on UA stock, you will get miles - the multiplier being your elite status. Fare class does not matter.

If you bought on LX stock, you will not get any miles, since L is not an earning fare class.

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/mark...spx?ItemId=297
aacharya is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2015 | 8:50 am
  #54  
2M
60 Nights
50 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: ORD LAS HKG
Programs: Bonvoy LTT; IHG PlatAmb; WoH Globalist; UA1K2MM; NationalEE; AvisPC; HertzPC
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by aacharya
My fault. I totally missed the L there - I used the pre-March 1 fare classes.
On the same page, it says that the L fare does not earn any PQM (as it is not part of the Q, U, W, M, V, G, H, S, T, E economy bucket). But on the footnote, it says "4. Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes." So does it mean that L is not an "eligible" fare class?
ktjan is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2015 | 8:58 am
  #55  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
Originally Posted by ktjan
On the same page, it says that the L fare does not earn any PQM (as it is not part of the Q, U, W, M, V, G, H, S, T, E economy bucket). But on the footnote, it says "4. Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes." So does it mean that L is not an "eligible" fare class?
If a fare does not earn any base PQM, than it is not eligible for the minimum mileage guarantee.
transportprof is offline  
Old Oct 2, 2015 | 2:50 am
  #56  
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: 1 thousand
Posts: 2,124
So I've tried contacting MP about it (intially via the website, later by email):

(I don't particularly care about missing only 205PQM right now, but I have time to burn - I'm also likely to be close to UA Gold this year, so those 205PQM might end up making a difference in a few months.)

In my first message I told them my flight, fare class, distance, and quoted and linked the 500PQM minimum on the Swiss partner earnings page. I just got a canned response saying I should look at the partner earnings pages to determine how many miles I should earn.

Since they clearly hadn't bothered to read my message, I replied, this time only quoting the 500 PQM minimum (for ALL eligible fare classes), asking why I'd received only 295 PQM. A different person then responded, stating that K-class earns 50%, and that 0.5*590=295. (Again, completely ignoring the 500PQM minimum.)

How should I proceed? I'm thinking of screenshotting/highlighting the 500PQM minimum rule, and asking them to clarify which fare classes that applies to?

Originally Posted by televisor
I'm currently slightly confused by the percentages and 500PQM minimums:

On a 50% PQM earning fare on Swiss/LX, should the minimum earning still be 500PQM (as opposed to 250PQM)?

The United Swiss Partner page states "Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes" which suggests that it should be 500PQM, regardless of percentage - however I've actually been awarded less in practice:

I was awarded only 295PQM on a 590 mile K-Class (50% earning) flight, even though I'm a Premier Silver. I did get the expected 500PQM on a 46-mile SAS flight (a connecting flight on the same booking, it was credited 1-2 days before the Swiss flight was credited).

(I'm aware that 125PQM/250PQM minmums exist for other airlines - but they appear to be explicitly mentioned on the partner pages from what I've seen. E.g. the United Air Canada partner page states 500PQM minimum, except on S,T,L,A,K, i.e. the 25% fare classes. The Swiss page however doesn't mention different minimums for their 50% classes.)
televisor is offline  
Old Oct 2, 2015 | 10:07 am
  #57  
Moderator: United Airlines
2M
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 72,959
Originally Posted by televisor
.....

Since they clearly hadn't bothered to read my message, I replied, this time only quoting the 500 PQM minimum (for ALL eligible fare classes), asking why I'd received only 295 PQM. A different person then responded, stating that K-class earns 50%, and that 0.5*590=295. (Again, completely ignoring the 500PQM minimum.)

How should I proceed? I'm thinking of screenshotting/highlighting the 500PQM minimum rule, and asking them to clarify which fare classes that applies to?
The 500 mile min applies to the base miles and when a fare earns 50% of base miles, then the min for that fare is 250. What you are see has been the practice for apply 500 min well back into the pmUA days.

While you may not like it or think the wording ambiguous, this is consistent with long standing practice.
WineCountryUA is offline  
Old Oct 5, 2015 | 10:07 am
  #58  
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 318
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
The 500 mile min applies to the base miles and when a fare earns 50% of base miles, then the min for that fare is 250. What you are see has been the practice for apply 500 min well back into the pmUA days.

While you may not like it or think the wording ambiguous, this is consistent with long standing practice.
I am sure that you are correct in the actual outcome but I disagree with the wording being ambiguous. It states: "Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes." That is very clear in saying that all eligible fare classes get a minimum 500 PQM. It does not say a minimum 500 base miles. Thus, fare classes K and L should be getting 500 PQM not 250. This is a case where the web site isn't aligned with actual outcome.
canred is offline  
Old Oct 5, 2015 | 1:55 pm
  #59  
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: 1 thousand
Posts: 2,124
Originally Posted by canred
I am sure that you are correct in the actual outcome but I disagree with the wording being ambiguous. It states: "Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes." That is very clear in saying that all eligible fare classes get a minimum 500 PQM. It does not say a minimum 500 base miles. Thus, fare classes K and L should be getting 500 PQM not 250. This is a case where the web site isn't aligned with actual outcome.
I agree on the lack of ambiguity. I'm also pretty certain it's an oversight -- other partner pages state when the 500PQM minimum is reduced to 250PQM/125PQM on the relevant 50%/25% fare classes (OS, AC, Brussels) - they've clearly forgotten to update the Swiss one. But this is also something I only discovered after being told how PQM might have been calculated historically AND comparing with other partner pages (which isn't really a reasonable expectation) - I'm still miffed that the MP reps can't even give me a clear statement on the topic, never mind awarding me the PQM they (admittedly inadvertently) advertised.
televisor is offline  
Old Oct 5, 2015 | 4:46 pm
  #60  
Moderator: United Airlines
2M
Community Builder
Active Streak: 30 Days
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 72,959
Originally Posted by canred
I am sure that you are correct in the actual outcome but I disagree with the wording being ambiguous. It states: "Premier members earn a minimum of 500 Premier qualifying miles on all eligible purchased fare classes." That is very clear in saying that all eligible fare classes get a minimum 500 PQM. It does not say a minimum 500 base miles. Thus, fare classes K and L should be getting 500 PQM not 250. This is a case where the web site isn't aligned with actual outcome.
K & L are not eligible for the 500 mile min. Eligibility is never defined, that is the ambiguous part.
SPN Lifer likes this.
WineCountryUA is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.