karljohan

great input from everybody!

I ended up taking advantage of the summer sale to Europe and for about a 20% premium over Y, we'll now be in new C seats both directions across the Atlantic. The family is happy and I'm happy.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be more ready to navigate the jungle when I qualify for 1k on my next trip.

/ K

midnightio

Have any other ~50-75k/year UA flyers tackled the question of whether it makes sense to make some non-essential trips/MRs to qualify for 1K in 2012? It looks like I will organically hit 65k with my current travel plans. Does it make sense to spend ~$2,500 extra in airfare (+ the time) to make 2 additional trans-pac trips before the end of the year to hit the 100k mark?

Normally the allure of the 6 SWU's would be enough... but with the SWU upgrade availability issues earlier this year, along with the discussion about UA soon allowing 'rev + miles' upgrades to be more powerful, does it make any sense to work for 1K and the SWU's and presumably retain the 100% mileage bonus?

Looking for any opinions to help me decide what to do.

Thanks in advance!

SunLover

Wait for the official announcement on the details of the 2012 UACO M+ program. Then decide.


SunLover

UAPremExecflyer

As SunLover noted, many unknowns about new program. While you're waiting, here's the thread you want to help you decide http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-11-posts.html

TWAB747nomore

wait and see the future changes that will come in the program..... though the SWU are always nice especially on INTL routes.

it is an intensly personal decision you have to make. I wish you the best of luck in your decision

AZjohns

I’m a 1K who had to ask himself if it’s worth going after an extra 20K miles to hit 1K again this year. This decision was made 2 months ago when I already knew I would be at 80K by the end of the year (yes, I have the luxury to plan that far ahead).

So two months ago it was “hell yes, 20K worth of extra flying is worth it”. If I was to answer this question today, after experiencing every SWU is waitlisted and only batting 3 out of 6 UG’s (international), then I would probably not be so sure if I would go for 1K again.

With the upcoming changes in MP (I don’t know what changes yet, but I think we all know there will be changes) I would hold off deciding. I would guess in a month from now, everyone should be able to decide if these changes in MP will be worth it or not to hit 1K again.

BTW, after already booking the flights this year to hit 1K, I have frozen all future travel plans (2012) until I hear what the MP program changes are going to be.

last2board

I had already booked a couple of Fall runs before the blog leak. Now I will be about 8K short of 1K, so I will probably go for it. If I did not have those flights booked, I would probably hold at 75,000 miles.

SFflyer123

Although I constantly rag on the 1k status and how NC availability sucks, I will wait until next year. This is a transition year, and if NC availability opens up next year, I will be very happy with MP. I think UA's MP program was one of the best in the country, and if they could even open just a few NC slots again (hopefully after the merger), then I think this will once again be a great program. Thus, I won't make a major judgement in this transition year, but I am optimistic about next year.

kungfuflyer

The answer will depend on how you travel. I fly mostly domestic, with an occasional TA flight. I have had great success (15/26) with UDU's this year. For someone like me, its a numbers game. From what I have been able to gather there are 8.5 Silvers, 7 Golds, and 3 Plats for every 1K. The question is how many people do you wish to compete with? I typically end up flying 737's with 16 FC seats, of which 8 to 10 are paid. That leaves the rest for grabs. I prefer my odds as a Plat or 1k.



2011 Airports: EWR/JFK/LGA BOG/BUF/CLT/CMH/ERI/EZE/FLL/GRU/IAD/IAH/MCO/
MEX/MIA/PTY/SCL/SJC/TLV/TUS/YOW/YUL/YYZ
2011 UG: UDU 15/26

midnightio

Thanks for the replies to my add-on post.

@last2board - Just hitting 75k by years end did come to mind. But then I would be banking on having the mid-tier better status, but no SWUs. I'm thinking I'd probably 'bite the bullet' and spend the extra ~$1,500 and time for a throw-away trans-pacific trip to grab the SWUs. Whether I can use the SWUs in 2012 is the big unknown.

The one other factor I am considering is that I have 3 SWUs left, and it would be a shame to see them go to waste. At the very least I could rack up some 'butt in the seat' miles to pad my MP account should $ + miles become the key to upgrades in the future.

brianfromwa

Made it through every post so far, but didn't see mine yet.

I understand this is probably a "to each his own" question...

I currently have 55k EQM for 2011 with another 10k ticketed. For ~$2000, I can book a trip to SIN and a MR for the rest to make it to 1K

I've never been on a UA F or C on transpac or translant, but I have on NW and DL. I'll probably fly 6-8 transoceanic segments paying Y next year--is the availability of upgrades with SWU's good enough to spend $2k for 6 of them? And is there a significant bump in UDU availability b/w 50k, 75k and 100k? Thanks!

Brian

AZjohns

In the not too distant pass there were many routes that had NC availability (you could clear UG with SWU). Now, sadly most all are dried up and usualy have to wait until at the gate or a day or two before you know you got the UG (read thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...d-threads.html )
Also, keep in mind it's not the $2K extra you have to pay now, but you will also need to pay a higher fare (W or higher) to even use your SWU. This could be many hundred $ more per ticket just to take a chance of using a SWU at the gate.

Yes, but this is subject to change soon as the new MP policy is coming out soon. I would suggest just holding off until the offical news of the new program comes out and then you can decide if it is worth it

LarkSFO

Sounds like without a MR you'll hit 75K "Premier Platinum"...

I would save your $2K, make Premier Platinum for 2012, and then see how things play out in the coming months... (one way to look at it is just make 75K PP in 2011, and hold on to that $2K - and your miles - to buy the benefits that you might want next year above what is offered to a PP...)

This, by the way, is exactly what I am doing... My goal is to hit 75,001 miles on UA in 2011 and stop there. I was offered a too easy status challenge to DL Gold, so next year I'll have PP and DL Gold available as options... I'll still primarily fly UA, being in SFO, we'll see how useful DL Gold turns out to be.

dinise

My husband is primer exect and is wondering if it is worth trying for 1k. It says on the website for 1k there are select fee waivers.

His question is that he is constanly changing flights and paying $150.00 per change because his schedule keeps changing and was wondering if one of the fee waivers was for changes to paid tickets. He could ekk out making 1k by December if this was a benefit. I thank you in advance for your help.

BryanIAH

The $150 change fee isn't waived for 1K members. He might be thinking of same day change fee waivers.