The Consolidated "Is United 1K Status Worth It? - 2013/14 Edition
Jan 6, 2014, 8:43 pm
#241
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
We been down this path multiple times, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...3-edition.html
Drop the "Dedicated 1K customer service line", just higher priority for the Premier Line
Add better IRROPs protection and perhaps a hotel for WX irrops
Drop the "Dedicated 1K customer service line", just higher priority for the Premier Line
Add better IRROPs protection and perhaps a hotel for WX irrops
Jan 6, 2014, 8:44 pm
#242
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
There are existing threads you should review...
If I were you, I would shoot for Platinum, or even Gold. No MR, no PQM Maximizer purchases. Stick with UA though if DEN and SFO are your bases.
Accumulate the extra money that you would have spent on MR / Maximizer, and spend it on the flights where you want to be assured of an upgrade.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-merged.html
If I were you, I would shoot for Platinum, or even Gold. No MR, no PQM Maximizer purchases. Stick with UA though if DEN and SFO are your bases.
Accumulate the extra money that you would have spent on MR / Maximizer, and spend it on the flights where you want to be assured of an upgrade.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-merged.html
Jan 6, 2014, 9:13 pm
#243
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,693
Throwing this out to my FT friends. I've been 1K for about a decade now. My business travel ended years ago, and my "natural" personal travel is 65-70K BIS/year, at a cost of about $6-7k. For a few years I did MRs to reach 100K, and the last couple of years I've paid maybe $3K/yr on Accelerators to maintain 1K status. Looking at the new PQD requirements, I'm already paying what UA wants, but they won't count the Accelerators, so I would need to go back to MRs (or pay more for existing flights) to keep my 1K. I may become one of those people that UA is going to lose, and in my case, they will lose pure revenue--they were getting my Accelerator $$ with no corresponding costs.
My UA CC will have at least $25K in charges, so reaching Platinum is no big deal. I might decide to keep going for 1K, but I have to think seriously about what I'm getting for that extra $3-4K. Here's the list I took from .bomb of 1K vs. Platinum bennies:
I don't use half of these, and I use my GPUs as RPUs most of the time, so I came up with a "value to me" of about $2500/yr for the 1K stretch, which means it's not worth it to me to push for 1K.
Are there any other 1K-exclusive benefits that I'm forgetting?
My UA CC will have at least $25K in charges, so reaching Platinum is no big deal. I might decide to keep going for 1K, but I have to think seriously about what I'm getting for that extra $3-4K. Here's the list I took from .bomb of 1K vs. Platinum bennies:
- CPU upgrade 24 hours earlier
- Instant M-class upgrades
- 6 GPUs
- 2 more RPUs
- 25% more RDMs (200% vs. 175%)
- Dedicated 1K customer service line
- $60/yr reimbursement for Chase credit card fees
I don't use half of these, and I use my GPUs as RPUs most of the time, so I came up with a "value to me" of about $2500/yr for the 1K stretch, which means it's not worth it to me to push for 1K.
Are there any other 1K-exclusive benefits that I'm forgetting?
Jan 6, 2014, 9:20 pm
#244
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
Earlier CPUs are not really the benefit. CPU priority is the real benefit. I'm always a little wary that people don't quite understand how CPUs work when they think of the earlier clearing as a substantial benefit.
Jan 6, 2014, 9:43 pm
#245
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1MM, Marr/SPG LT Plat, HH Gold, IC Amb, Hyatt Gold, Hertz 5*, BW LT Diam
Posts: 442
We been down this path multiple times, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...3-edition.html
Drop the "Dedicated 1K customer service line", just higher priority for the Premier Line
Add better IRROPs protection and perhaps a hotel for WX irrops
Drop the "Dedicated 1K customer service line", just higher priority for the Premier Line
Add better IRROPs protection and perhaps a hotel for WX irrops
Jan 6, 2014, 11:03 pm
#246
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 923
Originally Posted by juniorsu:20430883
Just going off average on CC
Jan 6, 2014, 11:28 pm
#247
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
Like a call or a put option, any 1/14 instruments are losing value fast. Saw a SFO-based GS offering his GPUs for $125 with advice. At the end of December they were selling as low as $200. For those folks trying to get summer prices on expiring instruments, they are in for a rude surprise.
Feb 14, 2014, 3:08 am
#248
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Houston
Programs: UA - 1K, Marriott - Gold, Hilton - Gold, Global Entry,
Posts: 633
1K is definitely worth it for me this year. As an ex-pat, we take 1 family trip back to the US each year and I bring my family along on one of my business trips. I found days with available R space so I can get two confirmed business seats for about $6,000 less than what it would cost me to buy two P fare tickets.
Feb 14, 2014, 3:53 am
#249
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,693
Throwing this out to my FT friends. I've been 1K for about a decade now. My business travel ended years ago, and my "natural" personal travel is 65-70K BIS/year, at a cost of about $6-7k. For a few years I did MRs to reach 100K, and the last couple of years I've paid maybe $3K/yr on Accelerators to maintain 1K status. Looking at the new PQD requirements, I'm already paying what UA wants, but they won't count the Accelerators, so I would need to go back to MRs (or pay more for existing flights) to keep my 1K. I may become one of those people that UA is going to lose, and in my case, they will lose pure revenue--they were getting my Accelerator $$ with no corresponding costs.
My UA CC will have at least $25K in charges, so reaching Platinum is no big deal. I might decide to keep going for 1K, but I have to think seriously about what I'm getting for that extra $3-4K. Here's the list I took from .bomb of 1K vs. Platinum bennies:
I don't use half of these, and I use my GPUs as RPUs most of the time, so I came up with a "value to me" of about $2500/yr for the 1K stretch, which means it's not worth it to me to push for 1K.
Are there any other 1K-exclusive benefits that I'm forgetting?
My UA CC will have at least $25K in charges, so reaching Platinum is no big deal. I might decide to keep going for 1K, but I have to think seriously about what I'm getting for that extra $3-4K. Here's the list I took from .bomb of 1K vs. Platinum bennies:
- CPU upgrade 24 hours earlier
- Instant M-class upgrades
- 6 GPUs
- 2 more RPUs
- 25% more RDMs (200% vs. 175%)
- Dedicated 1K customer service line
- $60/yr reimbursement for Chase credit card fees
I don't use half of these, and I use my GPUs as RPUs most of the time, so I came up with a "value to me" of about $2500/yr for the 1K stretch, which means it's not worth it to me to push for 1K.
Are there any other 1K-exclusive benefits that I'm forgetting?
3000 USd will also buy you a lot of HOD upgrades on domestic too!
Feb 14, 2014, 4:44 am
#250
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
I didn't see a lot of IRROPs discussions in the winter storm thread, but on a very cheap PDX-SFO-PHL ticket home Wednesday night, I was able to have the 1K desk rebook me to anywhere I wanted (ORD, IAD, EWR) since no UA planes were arriving/departing from PHL. After five rebookings (flights kept getting cancelled), the early morning PDX-EWR stuck, with an extra ZFV added on to get back to PHL. (The SEPTA nightmare is for another thread).
IRROPs recovery is sometimes undersold on this thread. It's awesome when you need it.
IRROPs recovery is sometimes undersold on this thread. It's awesome when you need it.
Feb 14, 2014, 7:17 am
#251
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: UA ex-1k, now Gold bumped up from Silver
Posts: 155
For me, it's worth it almost exclusively for the GPUs and the higher position in the priority queue. For example my wife and I need to be in Myanmar in April and haven't booked yet. But for about $2000 each, 4 GPUs, and 80,000 miles each (on OZ for the last leg from ICN), we can get to RGN and back from the East Coast in confirmed business class all the way (I'm surprised the TPAC R inventory is still available). That saves us at least $10,000. We're lucky we can be flexible in our dates though.
If I only flew domestically or only took one international trip per year, Platinum would be all I wanted. I am always reluctant to use our RPUs since a 3 hour flight never seems to me to justify use of an instrument (and since we usually get a CPU anyway) ... well, and also because so many of our domestic trips are on single cabin RJs.
If I only flew domestically or only took one international trip per year, Platinum would be all I wanted. I am always reluctant to use our RPUs since a 3 hour flight never seems to me to justify use of an instrument (and since we usually get a CPU anyway) ... well, and also because so many of our domestic trips are on single cabin RJs.
Feb 14, 2014, 7:20 am
#252
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
For me, it's worth it almost exclusively for the GPUs and the higher position in the priority queue. For example my wife and I need to be in Myanmar in April and haven't booked yet. But for about $2000 each, 4 GPUs, and 80,000 miles each (on OZ for the last leg from ICN), we can get to RGN and back from the East Coast in confirmed business class all the way (I'm surprised the TPAC R inventory is still available). That saves us at least $10,000. We're lucky we can be flexible in our dates though.
If I only flew domestically or only took one international trip per year, Platinum would be all I wanted. I am always reluctant to use our RPUs since a 3 hour flight never seems to me to justify use of an instrument (and since we usually get a CPU anyway) ... well, and also because so many of our domestic trips are on single cabin RJs.
If I only flew domestically or only took one international trip per year, Platinum would be all I wanted. I am always reluctant to use our RPUs since a 3 hour flight never seems to me to justify use of an instrument (and since we usually get a CPU anyway) ... well, and also because so many of our domestic trips are on single cabin RJs.
Feb 14, 2014, 7:35 am
#253
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: UA ex-1k, now Gold bumped up from Silver
Posts: 155
Yes of course ... so at the end of the year I end up burning them on something like IAD-CHS which is about an hour in the air, and on which I probably would have gotten a CPU anyway. I believe the only 2-cabin segments from my home base (CHS) are IAD-CHS/CHS-IAD and ORD-CHS/CHS-ORD.
Feb 14, 2014, 8:53 am
#254
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Boulder, CO and Waimea, HI
Programs: UAL 1K MM
Posts: 748
Clearing at all would be a benefit. I'm 1 for 7 so far this year as a 1K.
Feb 14, 2014, 9:01 am
#255
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
But on the flipside, sometimes (like when I SDC onto a flight), it would be nice if they held back some space until at least T-12
