Dec 12, 2014, 9:17 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
UA has a program called Premier Status Accelerator.
Summary -- for those with a purchased itinerary, you will be given the opportunity to purchase RDMs and then optionally, a similar number of PQMs PQPs. You are given two quantities to purchase (in the past it was X and 2X, but it has become more variable recently).. The numbers seem to have some relationship to the length of the existing itin.
The offer, for a purchased flight, will be found in your online reservation, It may say " Grow your award miles balance by purchasing Award Accelerator®. "
You will have to select the Award Accelerator in all cases, if you want Premier Accelerator also, then select it next.
The purchased miles post quickly -- generally less than an hour or two.
Purchase price does not count forPQDs PQPs
The offer will be available once ticketed and then until the itin is completely flown. The mileage offered decreases as segments are flown.
The cpm rate can change at any time -- up or down. See the thread on Rates.
Don't have an open itinerary? Just "purchase" dummy itin as refundable or non-refundable. After purchasing the RDMs/PQMs (must select the RDM offer to see thePQM PQP offer and must purchase the RDMs to purchase PQMs PQPs), cancel the dummy itin (if non-refundable do within the fee-free 24-hour cancellation window). The purchased RDMs/PQMs PQPs are non-cancelable / non-refundable and will stay purchased even if the dummy itin is canceled.
As before there will be two offers, if the offer is too many miles try a shorter itin, even a OneWay -- say SFO-LAX. There does seem to be a min offer level but it varies for the individual. You don't need to purchase to see the options, they will be displayed on the "United Travel Options" page, the page before you enter your credit card info,
Attempt to change the offer amount
-- try an international itin (seems to increase the offer)
-- try an international with a partner (seems to increase the offer)
-- try an OW itin (seems to decrease the offer)
-- try a short sub-500 segment (seems to decrease the offer)
-- try itins with a higher or lower price (offers seems to track relative price)
In practice, there is no close form method to get a specific amount. UA has your information.
Related thread -
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2022]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2021]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2020]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2019]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2018]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2017]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2016]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2015]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2014]
Premier Accelerator
Premier Accelerator℠ helps you achieve Premier® status faster by allowing you to purchase additional Premier qualifying points (PQP) or Premier qualifying flights (PQF). Premier Accelerator is available when purchased in combination with Award Accelerator.
Premier Accelerator℠ helps you achieve Premier® status faster by allowing you to purchase additional Premier qualifying points (PQP) or Premier qualifying flights (PQF). Premier Accelerator is available when purchased in combination with Award Accelerator.
The offer, for a purchased flight, will be found in your online reservation, It may say " Grow your award miles balance by purchasing Award Accelerator®. "
You will have to select the Award Accelerator in all cases, if you want Premier Accelerator also, then select it next.
The purchased miles post quickly -- generally less than an hour or two.
Purchase price does not count for
The offer will be available once ticketed and then until the itin is completely flown. The mileage offered decreases as segments are flown.
The cpm rate can change at any time -- up or down. See the thread on Rates.
Don't have an open itinerary? Just "purchase" dummy itin as refundable or non-refundable. After purchasing the RDMs/PQMs (must select the RDM offer to see the
As before there will be two offers, if the offer is too many miles try a shorter itin, even a OneWay -- say SFO-LAX. There does seem to be a min offer level but it varies for the individual. You don't need to purchase to see the options, they will be displayed on the "United Travel Options" page, the page before you enter your credit card info,
Attempt to change the offer amount
-- try an international itin (seems to increase the offer)
-- try an international with a partner (seems to increase the offer)
-- try an OW itin (seems to decrease the offer)
-- try a short sub-500 segment (seems to decrease the offer)
-- try itins with a higher or lower price (offers seems to track relative price)
In practice, there is no close form method to get a specific amount. UA has your information.
Related thread -
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2022]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2021]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2020]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2019]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2018]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2017]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2016]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2015]
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2014]
Consolidated Award / Premier Accelerator questions
Aug 5, 2018, 12:55 pm
#301
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TPA
Programs: AA PLT, HH Gold, FM Prem, SPG gold
Posts: 581
I'm seeing an offer during the booking stage for Award Accel at the rate I want. If i book with that add on, then cxl the ticket, is that possible?
Do i still get to keep the miles then and only pay for the RDM extras?
Do i still get to keep the miles then and only pay for the RDM extras?
Aug 5, 2018, 1:02 pm
#302
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: 66,852
yes
Aug 5, 2018, 1:14 pm
#303
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TPA
Programs: AA PLT, HH Gold, FM Prem, SPG gold
Posts: 581
I'm not doing this for PQM, just RDM.
If i have a $1200 fare and add another $200 for 10,000 RDM, my card will be billed $1,400
When I cxl will I get $1200 back? Not familiar with how this works with buying Award Acc BEFORE ticket confirms as part of the ticket purchase.
If i have a $1200 fare and add another $200 for 10,000 RDM, my card will be billed $1,400
When I cxl will I get $1200 back? Not familiar with how this works with buying Award Acc BEFORE ticket confirms as part of the ticket purchase.
Aug 5, 2018, 1:17 pm
#304
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: 66,852
Aug 5, 2018, 3:52 pm
#305
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
Rest assured there are no reports that UA is bothered by repeated made-and-cancelled bookings. I've been doing it for years, even dozens at a time. The hitch, if there is one, is that you need sufficient credit line to handle all the charging before they drop off. I recall a 200,000 RDM purchase that took several, expensive bookings to the Far East to find an offer for that amount of RDMs.
Aug 18, 2018, 2:45 pm
#306
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Jersey
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Lifetime PLT
Posts: 1,154
Sorry if this is the wrong thread to ask this. But is there a best practice for trying to get the best rate to buy PQMs? I'm likely going to be roughly 10k short for 1k and will need to buy some. I assume rates will get higher as the year progresses? Any tips/tricks would be helpful. Thanks.
Aug 18, 2018, 3:02 pm
#307
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: 66,852
-- avoid early in the year (wait to April?) and later in the year (Dec and maybe late Nov are expensive)
-- purchasing when the purchase will take you over a milestone
-- seems to be cheaper to purchase when having lower PQD total for the year vs having a higher total
The latter two are not absolutes but there seems to be some correlationI suspect others have seen some patterns they will add in.
Aug 18, 2018, 3:15 pm
#308
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Jersey
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Lifetime PLT
Posts: 1,154
This is a bit of a black box but
-- avoid early in the year (wait to April?) and later in the year (Dec and maybe late Nov are expensive)
-- purchasing when the purchase will take you over a milestone
-- seems to be cheaper to purchase when having lower PQD total for the year vs having a higher total
-- avoid early in the year (wait to April?) and later in the year (Dec and maybe late Nov are expensive)
-- purchasing when the purchase will take you over a milestone
-- seems to be cheaper to purchase when having lower PQD total for the year vs having a higher total
The latter two are not absolutes but there seems to be some correlationI suspect others have seen some patterns they will add in.
Aug 18, 2018, 3:16 pm
#309
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: 66,852
Aug 18, 2018, 3:34 pm
#310
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Jersey
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Lifetime PLT
Posts: 1,154
I guess what i mean is, i have two trips booked for later this year. Will the price for PQMs change daily? Or is it set based on the booking and will never change. If thats the case i would have to make new bookings to get another price right?
Aug 18, 2018, 3:42 pm
#311
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: 66,852
7 CPM for PQM only is the rock bottom but many don't see better than 9-10 cpm. If you see 12-15 cpm, waiting is probably a good idea.
Change the pricing data from previous years (see wiki for links) for the same month might help calibrate yourself.
Aug 18, 2018, 11:21 pm
#312
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,413
Sorry if this is the wrong thread to ask this. But is there a best practice for trying to get the best rate to buy PQMs? I'm likely going to be roughly 10k short for 1k and will need to buy some. I assume rates will get higher as the year progresses? Any tips/tricks would be helpful. Thanks.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:56 am
#313
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,597
Checking for cheap paid (not miles & copay) upgrades is a good way to get PQMs if you already have bookings (or intend to) on longer domestic routes for the rest of the year, and/or work in some longer routings than you'd normally take on trips you're taking anyway. It doesn't take up a bunch of time flying around like a pure MR. Last year when I was flying to see my extended family at xmas there were two other people in F on the LAX-LAS leg, and all three of us were there for the extra PQM - it's such a short flight there's not much point to F unless you're 11 feet tall or something.
Aug 19, 2018, 12:33 pm
#314
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,405
Maybe, or maybe not. There is no guarantee that a "cheap paid upgrade" (meaning, a one-leg-at-a-time upgrade available online or at a check-in kiosk) will result in extra PQMs. It might; it might not. For every person who reports "mine always do," there's someone else who reports "I didn't get my bonus PQMs." The only way to be sure you'll get bonus PQMs is to pay the fare difference between Y and F, which you can do by calling. (You used to be able to do this online, but they removed that functionality in favor of the one-leg-at-a-time approach).
Sep 21, 2018, 11:22 am
#315
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 690
Award / Premier Accelerator?
Planning my travel through the end of the year, it appears I will be about 1100 miles short of 1K. So, my natural thought was, "I'll check what the award/premier accelerator rates are."
None of my booked flights are now offering Award / Premier Accelerator purchases (and when I click "See all offers" on a page showing a reservation, the site times out). Is it just me? Is there a web site programming glitch? Has it been hidden, put somewhere else? Has the program ended? Can anyone verify?
None of my booked flights are now offering Award / Premier Accelerator purchases (and when I click "See all offers" on a page showing a reservation, the site times out). Is it just me? Is there a web site programming glitch? Has it been hidden, put somewhere else? Has the program ended? Can anyone verify?