United Airlines Award/Premiere Accelerator Rates [2012]
Jul 29, 2012, 11:10 pm
#197
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
Jul 30, 2012, 7:53 am
#198
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RDU
Programs: UA Plat 2MM, Delta Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott cardboard
Posts: 1,699
Here's some more data. I needed 27K PQM to make 1K this year without buying more tickets and 90K RDM for a standard C award to HKG.
So I found a combination that would get me 26K PQM + 90K RDM. After buying 20K PQM at 7.5 c/m, the last 6K was 8.5 c/m. The price of the RDMs didn't change. So UA IT can fiddle with the pricing in real time.
The final price was very little more money than buying a Y+ ticket on CX.
Anyhow, ... I start looking at awards to HKG for the time I have to be there and find SAVER F, which worked fine for me.
Thanks, Jeff.
So I found a combination that would get me 26K PQM + 90K RDM. After buying 20K PQM at 7.5 c/m, the last 6K was 8.5 c/m. The price of the RDMs didn't change. So UA IT can fiddle with the pricing in real time.
The final price was very little more money than buying a Y+ ticket on CX.
Anyhow, ... I start looking at awards to HKG for the time I have to be there and find SAVER F, which worked fine for me.
Thanks, Jeff.
Jul 30, 2012, 9:01 am
#199
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: UA, 1K
Posts: 156
So I found a combination that would get me 26K PQM + 90K RDM. After buying 20K PQM at 7.5 c/m, the last 6K was 8.5 c/m. The price of the RDMs didn't change. So UA IT can fiddle with the pricing in real time.
Safe flying to all
Jul 30, 2012, 9:02 am
#200
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,510
When trying to decide whether it's "worth it" to buy PQMs rather than take a MR, I look at both the airfare as well as any additional costs involved (e.g., hotel, taxis, meals, etc.). A transcon MR can often be done same-day (from the East coast) and would likely be cost-effective. But a big bundle MR to HKG, for example, can run up the tab and purchasing PQMs might be the way to go.
Jul 30, 2012, 10:23 am
#201
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,138
Looking over my offers at the moment, I have one which would almost yield 1K for under $10k in a single trip.
IAD-BKK (~21k PQM for my routing, available for $1.5k on my dates right now) ... with an accelerator offer of 75k more miles for a total of $7950. All-in, that would be about 9.9 cpm for the 96k RDM, and for a 1K. One would only need a transcon to top out to 1K after that. Or, of course, one could cancel the itin and just take the PQM, then book something else for the remaining 25k.
I am actually considering buying on a shorter trip to mitigate the chances of a late-year "audit" by MP stripping me of full-Y bonus on an irrops flight or some other adjustment with no time to react to. I could also go ahead and secure 1K without booking any additional travel (I'm at about 91k counting booked trips at the moment), I suppose, but I actually *like* to travel.
IAD-BKK (~21k PQM for my routing, available for $1.5k on my dates right now) ... with an accelerator offer of 75k more miles for a total of $7950. All-in, that would be about 9.9 cpm for the 96k RDM, and for a 1K. One would only need a transcon to top out to 1K after that. Or, of course, one could cancel the itin and just take the PQM, then book something else for the remaining 25k.
I am actually considering buying on a shorter trip to mitigate the chances of a late-year "audit" by MP stripping me of full-Y bonus on an irrops flight or some other adjustment with no time to react to. I could also go ahead and secure 1K without booking any additional travel (I'm at about 91k counting booked trips at the moment), I suppose, but I actually *like* to travel.
Jul 30, 2012, 5:51 pm
#202
Join Date: May 2001
Location: RDU
Programs: UA Plat 2MM, Delta Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott cardboard
Posts: 1,699
When trying to decide whether it's "worth it" to buy PQMs rather than take a MR, I look at both the airfare as well as any additional costs involved (e.g., hotel, taxis, meals, etc.). A transcon MR can often be done same-day (from the East coast) and would likely be cost-effective. But a big bundle MR to HKG, for example, can run up the tab and purchasing PQMs might be the way to go.
The killer for me with an MR is usually time. I get little enough time off on the weekends and a transcon MR counts as work for me. If I'm 5K short or less, I cash in a few Visa choices, which I will do this year (in December!) to make up the last 1K pqm I will need.
The AA EXP offer and the novelty of the PQM accelerator (at least for this PMUA flyer) made my personal calculation more complicated.
Aug 2, 2012, 12:35 pm
#203
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Portland, OR 97201
Posts: 77
Rate Difference
I just noticed that my wife (no status) on same itinerary can buy premier accelerator miles in total for 8 cents per mile while I am 1K and for the same trip, they want 13.5 per mile.
Aug 2, 2012, 8:40 pm
#204
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ORD, LAS
Programs: AA-EXP, BAEC Silver, Hyatt-Globalist, Hilton-gold, SPG-gold
Posts: 855
punished for being 1K
I just took a look at my reservations and my MP# was not listed on it. When I added my MP#, the price of the EQM and PQM's more than doubled. Seeing a whopping .23/mile.
Aug 2, 2012, 8:54 pm
#205
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: OOL
Programs: VA Plat, QF LTS, UA MM, Hilton Diamond, Rydges Black, ,Le-Club Gold
Posts: 3,659
So the new UA will display a price, then increase it when you enter your credentials?
In most places that is a crime. Worth reporting to the authorities?
In most places that is a crime. Worth reporting to the authorities?
Aug 2, 2012, 9:43 pm
#206
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,510
Try re-loading the page. That often "re-sets" it to the the correct amount. There seems to be a glitch in the system.
Aug 2, 2012, 10:00 pm
#207
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
When trying to decide whether it's "worth it" to buy PQMs rather than take a MR, I look at both the airfare as well as any additional costs involved (e.g., hotel, taxis, meals, etc.). A transcon MR can often be done same-day (from the East coast) and would likely be cost-effective. But a big bundle MR to HKG, for example, can run up the tab and purchasing PQMs might be the way to go.
Elite status isn't protected by the DoT.
Well put. UA makes this kind of decision messier all the time.
The killer for me with an MR is usually time. I get little enough time off on the weekends and a transcon MR counts as work for me. If I'm 5K short or less, I cash in a few Visa choices, which I will do this year (in December!) to make up the last 1K pqm I will need.
The AA EXP offer and the novelty of the PQM accelerator (at least for this PMUA flyer) made my personal calculation more complicated.
The killer for me with an MR is usually time. I get little enough time off on the weekends and a transcon MR counts as work for me. If I'm 5K short or less, I cash in a few Visa choices, which I will do this year (in December!) to make up the last 1K pqm I will need.
The AA EXP offer and the novelty of the PQM accelerator (at least for this PMUA flyer) made my personal calculation more complicated.
Aug 3, 2012, 11:37 pm
#209
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
Aug 4, 2012, 12:03 am
#210
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 204
Non Status sister has an offer of 3 cents, Premier Acc. plus 6 cents for a total of 9 cents for Non-Elite on trip tomorrow!
Last edited by artyam; Aug 4, 2012 at 12:20 am