Jun 18, 2013, 7:18 am
Last edit by: iluv2fly
Please read these sources before posting in this thread:If you have calculated the PQDs for a trip at less than 80% of the total cost, you are very likely doing something wrong. Have you made sure to include the International Surcharge (YQ)? Have you read all of the materials linked above, and the frequently made points listed below?
Specific Unanswered Questions
Please limit these to specific, technical questions about the implementation of the PQD program.FMP (Frequently Made Points)
The following points have been made repeatedly in this thread (please feel free to add more concise points):Related Threads
Moderator's Note:- First post from UA Insider (post 1)
- http://www.mileageplusupdates.com/faqs.html
- Additional answers from UA Insider (post 1387)
- more information about questions posed in this thread published to mileageplusupdates.com, per UA Insider
Specific Unanswered Questions
Please limit these to specific, technical questions about the implementation of the PQD program.
- Will there be a calculator that shows PQD, and will that calculator be accurate?
- What exactly will count toward PQD?
United states:
Base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges
Flights flown by United, United Express, or Copa Airlines
Flights operated by a Star Alliance® or a MileagePlus partner airline and issued on a United ticket (ticket number starting with 016)
Economy Plus purchases
will count towards PQD.
Thus:
- The amount of co-pay when using miles to upgrade..
- The cost of PQMs/RDMs purchased when using the premier / award accelerator..
- The value of ETCs (or is it considered a discount from the fare?). (still uncertainty on this since prelim PQDs appeared to include) -Note: the Mileage plus site indicates ETC's count towards PQD (12/16/13 imgonnafly)
- The face value e-certs and travel vouchers.. (still uncertainty on this since prelim PQDs appeared to include)
- The cost of a paid upgrade..
- An extra seat purchase (such as for a customer of size or a musical instrument); it does not presently count toward PQM.
- Change fees.
- How will PQD be determined for UA metal segments without 016 stock ticket?
- What happens if I depart in December and return in January?
Just like PQM, PQD for the applicable part of fare for the segment is credited based on the departure date (year) of the segment flown. Segment fares are calculated using standard rules of the past. For the case cited there would be PQD credited in DEC 2013 (no value) and PQD applied to 2014 applicable to 2014 and 2015 status renewal. - How will UA evaluate the address issue for the PQD exemption?
- It is not clear how the timing of achieving the minimum PQD requirement will impact earning RPUs and GPUs. Examples:
- If someone crosses 75K PQM in say April, but doesn't hit $7500 PQD until December by which time has accrued 200K PQM, will he/she get 10 RPUs all at once? (and 10 GPUs assuming $10k PQD in December)
- Do only 1Ks/GSs earn additional RPUs by flying beyond the 100k mark?
- If a 1K crosses the 100,000 PQM mark in January 201x, the $10,000 PQD mark on December 31 201x, and ends up flying a total of 200,000 PQMs for the year 201x, how many RPUs / GPUs will be earned?
- Will Platinums earn 2 RPUs when crossing the 75k mark but none at incremental levels thereafter (e.g. a Plat who flies 100k EQMs, but does not meet the 1K spend, would *not* earn two more RPUs)?
- If someone crosses 75K PQM in say April, but doesn't hit $7500 PQD until December by which time has accrued 200K PQM, will he/she get 10 RPUs all at once? (and 10 GPUs assuming $10k PQD in December)
- How does IRROPs affect earning of PQDs?
The following points have been made repeatedly in this thread (please feel free to add more concise points):
- You might not be hitting the PQD minimums as easily as you think you are, given exceptions, taxes, and the existence of cheap fares.
- It is possible for leisure travelers and even some business travelers to average well under 10cpm. This doesn't just affect "leisure 1Ks" and people on the edge of categories.
- Presidential Plus card members (exempted from Silver/Gold/Plat PQD requirements) are most likely exempted because the FlexPQM program would complicate matters.
- Manufacturing $25,000 spend might not actually be so hard. There's a whole forum on it.
- The exceptions don't really make sense where there is a revenue-sharing joint venture in place, such as with LH on TATL routes.
- Leaving UA for AA over objections to dollar-based status may be futile because all the majors will likely go to this model with the possible exception of the AS program which allows you to bank your DL and AA miles into one account (DL has already).
- UA is tracking spend on UA metal now.
- YQ, also known as the "international surcharge," is a carrier-imposed surcharge and is included in PQD.
2014 version of this thread can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1536552-mileageplus-premier-qualifying-dollar-pqd-requirement-discussion-thread-2014-a-15.html
iluv2fly
Moderator, UA
MileagePlus Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) Requirement Discussion [ARCHIVE]
Jun 18, 2013, 4:44 pm
#721
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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full!
Jun 18, 2013, 4:44 pm
#722
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Jun 18, 2013, 4:45 pm
#723
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
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Jun 18, 2013, 4:45 pm
#724
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,992
Am I missing something here???? For people who are US based, these changes will come into effect, but for everyone else based outside of the US life will carry on as normal??
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Jun 18, 2013, 4:49 pm
#725
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,579
UA's lucrative relationship with Chase is based on the premise that the miles Chase doles out to it it's customers (Chase's customers, not UA's) have value. Devalue those miles to the point where they are useless and UA risks it's relationship with one of it's most valuable customers (Chase).
Sure miles will be devalued. That always happens - but I think that in some ways the Chase relationship is a mitigating factor, and we have some hope of not stooping to DL levels.
Is the new reality that flying is nameless and tasteless and we FTers are wearing blinders, holding onto relics of the past named "rewards for customer loyalty?" My apologies, I did not mean to get so philosophical. I am alarmed that Southwest Airlines might have become a part of my vocabulary...
Last edited by bse118; Jun 18, 2013 at 4:49 pm Reason: typos
Jun 18, 2013, 4:49 pm
#726
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, AA EXP
Posts: 2,700
Am I missing something here???? For people who are US based, these changes will come into effect, but for everyone else based outside of the US life will carry on as normal??
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Jun 18, 2013, 4:49 pm
#727
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_4 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B350 Safari/8536.25)
It's probably because SHARES can't handle currency conversion
Originally Posted by SgtRyan
Am I missing something here???? For people who are US based, these changes will come into effect, but for everyone else based outside of the US life will carry on as normal??
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Jun 18, 2013, 4:50 pm
#728
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 317
It seems like very poor planning to announce this downgrade without giving us something we might want to aspire to!
If there was a great pot of gold at the end of the 10K spend rainbow and it was worth the spend, then United would be better off in the PR department.
Does anyone there even think about such things?? or better yet, give a hoot??
If there was a great pot of gold at the end of the 10K spend rainbow and it was worth the spend, then United would be better off in the PR department.
Does anyone there even think about such things?? or better yet, give a hoot??
Jun 18, 2013, 4:50 pm
#729
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272
Jun 18, 2013, 4:51 pm
#731
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
Am I missing something here???? For people who are US based, these changes will come into effect, but for everyone else based outside of the US life will carry on as normal??
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Now if that is true (as I could be very wrong here) but does that sound like a form of discrimination???
Jun 18, 2013, 4:54 pm
#732
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Houston
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Jun 18, 2013, 4:55 pm
#733
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: ABE
Programs: DL DM, IHG Spire, Mariott Platinum (UA SI) Avis First, National Executive
Posts: 764
I do like this a lot. With today's math, someone can do six mileage runs a year, volunteer off some of those legs and re-up, get a few weekend flights with the certs and be 1K. Thankfully no more. The ones of us who are segment warriors (74 already this year) would super appreciate this move. It is totally reasonable (it translates to the equivalent of spending $333 a trip of 4 segments, which is much under the "normal" non-mileage run average cost of a flight.)
I don't see how any frequent UA flier would hate this...
I just wish that UA counted only spending on UA metal for these levels and not spending on *A partners, to eliminate those who get UA status for flying exclusively partners in TPAC and TATL flights and get a few UA connections domestically for the minimum 4 segments.
Hopefully next year
I don't see how any frequent UA flier would hate this...
I just wish that UA counted only spending on UA metal for these levels and not spending on *A partners, to eliminate those who get UA status for flying exclusively partners in TPAC and TATL flights and get a few UA connections domestically for the minimum 4 segments.
Hopefully next year
Jun 18, 2013, 4:55 pm
#734
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: UA IK, Hyatt Plat, Avis PP
Posts: 225
Anyone see the BoardingArea blog where this was rumored a few years back?
The PQD amounts were lower, initially 100K plus $8,000 in spending to achieve 1K status.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...flyer-program/
**Update** Old FlyerTalk thread here if you want to reminisce.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...us-scheme.html
The PQD amounts were lower, initially 100K plus $8,000 in spending to achieve 1K status.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...flyer-program/
**Update** Old FlyerTalk thread here if you want to reminisce.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...us-scheme.html
Last edited by jlivengo; Jun 18, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Jun 18, 2013, 4:55 pm
#735
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Apex, NC
Programs: UA, DL, AA, SK, AC, NH, Starwood, Choice, Hilton
Posts: 414
Bye, United.
Now I'll do my best to spend my remaining 1.2M UA miles on partner premier cabin award flights....
Now I'll do my best to spend my remaining 1.2M UA miles on partner premier cabin award flights....
