lhrsfo

And, let's not forget, most overseas MP members have no access to the US ccs which waive the PQDs for Silver, Gold and Platinum.

alex_b

+1 - Although now I'm in the US the 3 or 4 letters a week inviting me to apply for the MP Explorer Card more than makes up for not being eligible when I was in the UK!

mre5765

1Ks do not have a cc exemption but do have a foreign address exemption (and to be precise it is 50 state plus DC exemption; there are lots of places in the USA that enjoy the exemption, including one hub). Thus that theory is disproved.

hobo13

Hub-let.

Renard

for 2014 at least... but beyond that.. who knows?

TomA

My primary is BKK. BKK-USA-BKK flights are showing up in USD.


Exactly how are they going to "audit" this, assuming the address is not completely phony?

As far as I can tell, there is nothing governing the address you use. I use the company that I work for in BKK. I travel, work and live all over the world. Sometimes I take US domestic RTs. Sometimes I take RTs returning to BKK and HKG. Sometimes these RTs are on Star Alliance partners. Sometimes they are on Air Asia, which would never turn up in United's records.

Are they going to go around asking their 1Ks to supply complete travel itineraries for ALL flights they have taken on any airline as part of this audit? Copies of the stamps in our passports? Mortgage records? Electric bills? Phone records?

Personally, I could supply all of this documentation because I maintain a residence in Thailand... but I can't imagine them asking for it.

artyam

Expat living in Colombia and have always used US home office address on my MP account. No more...

LilAbner

I maintained a residence in Thailand for 4 years and also resided in Las Vegas a portion of the time. I filed a 1040 tax return because I was a U.S. citizen earning income in the U.S., I possessed a U.S. passport, and also owned a home in Nevada.

Convincing FTer's that "U got's rights" might be something that you might want to also convince UA when they ask to see your tax returns for proof of residency.

See --- http://www.form1040nr.com/Residentstatus.php

I don't think that UA will get this picky, but making statements that one can simply change their residence for MP purposes might just be addressed down the line, especially when posters are flaunting their ability to work the system.

dsquared37

I've always purchased these in USD but if you look at the receipt the ticket is actually priced in THB.

I'm required to work when living in a foreign country?

Joking aside, the moment UA desires to see tax returns is the day they hear from my lawyer.

TomA

LOL... UA will NEVER ask to see your tax returns. The idea is ridiculous.

lhrsfo

As stated before, even the tax authorities have great troubles defining and enforcing tax residency so it's simply an area that UA is unlikely to tread. Look at Apple which funnels most of its sales through a company that (in simple terms) has no residence and therefore is beyond the reach of most countries' tax authorities. Does anyone thinh UA can solve a problem that completely defeats the G8.

I suspect, rather than trying to solve it, they'll choose to segment further, thus making it unattractive for US residents to hold a foreign-registered MP membership and, if they are sensible(!), vice-versa.

coolcoil

I agree with those who believe the foreign address exemption is not for legal reasons. I think there are two possibilities, and they are not mutually exclusive:

1) *A agreement may forbid UA from doing this. Even if there is no rule, they don't want to invite a bad reaction or retaliation from partners. I think the only reason they can do it now for USA addresses is because US is leaving *A.

2) UA fears that those of us who live in other lands would drop MP for one of the partner airline programs. I live in Colombia, and if I were subject to the PQS, I would probably jump to AV's Lifemiles program, which would lead me to fly AV a lot more on tickets purchased directly from AV.

For these reasons, I think the exemption will remain in place for a while unless the *A partners come up with a coordinated PQS plan.

I did just switch my MP address to my home in Colombia (genuine expat resident with home and family here). I am pretty sure that means that I will not receive mail from UA, including my membership card and club passes. I did leave my employer's USA office address on the account as non-primary, so maybe they will send it there if I'm lucky.

One thing that I have not found in any of the rules is whether if you switch to a foreign during the qualifying year would you then be exempted? I had thought about leaving my USA address as primary until my card came and then switching, but I did not want to chance it.

TomA

More than unlikely. They will not. Period.

Anyone that would consider turning their tax returns over to a company for any reason probably isn't intelligent enough to be a FF anyway. They are more likely in an institution somewhere...

taipeipeter

I don't see why not--I always have (eventually, anyway). Unless the new UA is going to ban airmail.

alex_b

When I was UK resident both pmUA and pmCO both managed to get membership cards to my home address without too much delay. Can't see why that would change.