DoubleMiles

This:

Of course there are conditions under which United will bump you up. The only question is: What are those conditions?

LaserSailor

Bump to Gold possible, to 1K snowballs chance. Anecdotally I think there was one tens of miles TOM bump to 1K

ExpatRepat

Hi. Question: my husband is currently 6000 PQM away from 1K. Due to the holidays, he is not planning another trip before Dec 31. I am sure he would fly those miles within a week or so of jan 1. Will he have to start totally over with PQM on Jan 1 or is there any lee-way? It would be nice for him to get those 6 Global upgrades that come with 1K. Would 1K be worth trying to get in one more overseas trip before 31or is it not so different from the Platinum he already is. Thanks experts. J

Gunner14

He will have to fly the 100k. Only he/you can decide if it's worth it to do a mileage run to get there.

exerda

Yes, he has to start over. Miles must be earned by 12/31. UA will be firm about that.

His other option is to buy 6000 or more PQM via Premier Accelerator before 12/31. He can check any existing itineraries for 2014 for the "Buy miles" offers and compare rates; they can differ from itinerary to itinerary. He can also book another trip, and as soon as it's ticketed check the Premier Accelerator offer, buy the miles, and cancel & refund the trip (anytime for refundable, within 24 hours otherwise).

The challenge will be that this time of year, the rates will be high. It's possible he may have one which offers the PQM for 15 cents per mile or so (so a bit under $1k), but it's also possible he'll be getting 20, 30, or more cents per mile, as UA cranks the rates up as the end of the year approaches.

ExpatRepat

Interesting. Thanks for the info. But the miles one can purchase don't count toward Premiere QM, do they?

sannmann

Only if you purchase the Premier Accelerator option with the miles. Otherwise, they do not count toward status.

njcommodore

If the 15 cents/mile rate is correct (likely is due to the time of the year) you're looking at $900. If your husband is in the US and has a free day or two he can likely do a mileage run for much less which will also net him over 10,000 RDMs

Kacee

More like 30 or 40 cpm if he's only 6000 miles from 1K.

ExpatRepat

<<He can check any existing itineraries for 2014 for the "Buy miles" offers and compare rates; they can differ from itinerary to itinerary. He can also book another trip, and as soon as it's ticketed check the Premier Accelerator >>

A you saying that if he books a 2014 flight now and buys the PQM thru accelerator that he will get the extra miles for 2013?

Also, when looking at new possible reservations, I did not see an Extra miles offer. Is it always there or only sometimes?

Phil Level

Yes, purchased PQM appear within minutes (unlike BIS PQM which take a couple days)

exerda

The option only shows up for ticketed itineraries. You won't see it during booking or immediately after (as ticketing takes a few seconds to several minutes, typically).

If he has any 2014 reservations already booked, you can go to view the details of the reservations on United.com, and look for the "Buy Extra Miles" option, which usually shows up under the reservation details.

Any miles you purchase, even for 2014 itineraries, will credit within minutes to the year in which you purchase them--so buying extra miles from a 2014 res right now will credit toward 2013.

SeahawkDriver

Currently United Silver. Would love to earn Gold before EOY to maximize benefits for next year's work and personal travel (domestic and international).

I'm at just over 40,000 Premier Miles now, so I need 10,000 PQMs.

Based in Tampa, but open to flying out of Orlando (anytime) or Jacksonville (primarily on weekends, but anytime after mid-month). My dates are very flexible until Christmas Eve. I can even do a same day MR in the middle of the week if need be.

I don't care where I go (domestic/international), especially if the airport has a decent USO or a United / Star Alliance lounge (if needed).

Any chance I can get this done for $500 or less?

captain_starwood

I've been a frequent flyer for the past three years or so, with basic status on UA and DL, based out of the Washington, DC area.

In 2012, I managed to obtain both DL Silver and UA premier gold (this latter status happened by a fluke).

I have traveled less in 2013 and have spread my flights between DL and UA. I haven't really used my gold status much in 2013, other than to get E+ seats... which I like a lot.

I'm currently at 14,839 MQMs and 19.5 segments for the year.

I've got a DCA-CLT-IAH-SAN-PHX-BWI trip planned on SA carrier, which should bring me to 20,500 / 24.5 for the year. I have one more flight scheduled to NYC on the 24th/25th.

Question 1: should I do a mileage run to lock in premier silver status? I have the time, money, and will. It would likely be on Christmas.

Question 2: what's the best way to do it? Should I chase segments or fly to west coast / back to NY for the remaining 4.5k miles?

sogboulder

I'm seeing around 45cpm (all-in) this week.