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MileagePlus Million Mile (and Beyond) Flyer Benefits

Old Jan 3, 2014, 6:04 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
MM roll call thread: UA Million Miler/Multi-Million Miler Roll Call Thread

UA offers a way to earn status based on accumulative (lifetime) flight.
Lifetime Premier status

The Million Miler program grants lifetime Premier status to all qualifying members, even if they fly less in the future. Lifetime miles are earned based on the flight distance of United- and United Express-operated flights. Basic Economy tickets do not earn lifetime flight miles.
(How are "lifetime miles" calculated for MileagePlus?)
Here are the status benefits of the Million Miler program:




You can earn (the old fashioned way, same thresholds) higher status, but with MMers status, you will never fall below the MMer status level.
Annual companion Premier status

As a Million Miler, you may invite your spouse or significant other to share your current Premier status. This membership is nontransferable and will automatically renew each year unless you let us know otherwise.

See companion eligibility terms and conditions at the bottom of this page for more details.

To select or review your companion or to change your companion for the next calendar year, visit united.com/MMcompanion.
Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a "permanent / lifetime" card?

No, you get an annual card, as everyone else does. It will have an MM insignia. A permanent card would not make sense because you may earn a higher status than your MMer status.

Do I need to do anything to maintain MMer status? Recent flights? 4 segments? some PQMs or PQDs

No, you need to do nothing.

Will 2MM flyers receive 2 RPUs annually?

Yes: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21007782-post85.html :

Originally Posted by UA Insider

All 3 Million Milers will receive 6 GPUs at the beginning of 2015, unless they were already earned through the published criteria.
Similarly, 2 Million Milers will receive 2 RPUs at the beginning of 2015, unless already earned by the published criteria.
Will 3MM flyers receive 6 GPUs annually?

Yes. See above.

Since a 3MM flyer is also a 2MM flyer, will 3MM flyers also receive 2 RPUs annually?

According to an email exchange on 1/15/2014 with 1Kvoice as a 3MM LT 1K one should see 6 GPUs and 2 RPUs by end of January if one didn't fly the miles last year. Those xPUs in fact deposited 1/16/2014.

Pre-merger United 1MM flyers were promised two Confirmed Regional upgrades per year. Were they grandfathered into two RPUs per year?

No. And a class action suit claiming this was a breach of contract with pre-merger MM members was denied by a court, so this issue appears to be closed. For more: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...judgmt-ua.html

Pre-merger United 2MM flyers were promised a Red Carpet Club lounge membership for life. Will they be grandfathered into a lifetime United Club membership?

Yes, but they need to call the MileagePlus service center.

I was close to 2MM status before January 1, 2012, and was on a pace to reach 2MM BIS before January 1, 2013. Should I have received a lifetime membership?

Some have. Call the MileagePlus service center.

2 and 3 Million Miler Gift
Changed to RDM bonus in 2020

If I have Million Mile or Beyond status, do I have to fly 4 segments annually on UA/UX metal to keep my status?

Presently, no, for your earned MM status, nothing more is needed. However, if you want a higher elite status than one your Million Mile or Beyond status gives you, then you have to fly the 4 segments and credit to them to M+.

If I have Million Mile or Beyond status, do I have to earn PQDs to keep my status?

Presently, no, for your earned MM status, nothing more is needed. However, if you want a higher elite status than one your Million Mile or Beyond status gives you, then you have to earn the required PQDs for that status. Your Million Mile and Beyond status do not give you a jump start on PQDs, PQMs, or PQSes toward a higher elite status.

Million Mile Program FAQs

Terms and conditions for MileagePlus Million Miler companion benefit

FT thread: Million Miler companion benefit

Frequently Made Points (2012)
  • Many lifetime CO elites made gains with the new program:
    • Lifetime silvers become lifetime golds
    • Infinite elites became lifetime 1Ks
  • Many lifetime UA elites made gains with the new program:
    • The one-time adjustment to recalculate lifetime miles to be equal to lifetime PQM boosted most lifetime totals, and many people were elevated to the first or next tier of the MM program.
    • The companion program benefited most elites.
    • The addition of lifetime platinum to existing 2MMer grandfathered lifetime United Club membership was a benefit for all pre-existing 2MMers.
    • The replacement of lifetime United Club with platinum was a benefit for those people between 1MM and 2MM lifetime miles who valued a higher upgrade priority.
    • For people at or aiming toward 4MM, the introduction of lifetime GS at 4MM
    • Leather luggage tags
  • Many lifetime CO elites had losses with the new program:
    • Moving forward, PQMs do not count toward lifetime status.
  • Many lifetime UA elites had losses with the new program:
    • For 1MM and 2MM elites, the loss of 100% RDM bonus (reduced to 50% and 75% respectively)
    • For 1MM elites, the loss of two annual CR-1s (nka RPUs)
    • For people over 1MM but not "close enough" to 2MM, the loss of the opportunity to get lifetime United Club membership.
    • The loss of one-time gifts of extra SWUs (nka GPUs)
    • The inflation of membership numbers negating the significance of flying an actual one million BIS miles on UA metal, i.e. "Million Mile Flyers"
Related thread: Lifetime status by airline -- attempted summary
Print Wikipost

MileagePlus Million Mile (and Beyond) Flyer Benefits

Old Dec 20, 2017, 12:04 pm
  #391  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Westchester NY
Programs: UA GS 4+ MM
Posts: 373
Originally Posted by pdx1M
WineCountryUA is absolutely correct. After the UA merger implosion and my own retirement I totally stopped flying UA for nearly 3 years and even now fly them very little. Nevertheless, every year since (which is about 4 now) I get 6 GPUs and 2 RPUs in January. I expect the same next month. They got that part of the LT1K program right. Where I think they got it wrong is that to get 2 more GPUs I'd have to fly 150K miles (or 25K for 2 more RPUs). That provides no incentive for LT1Ks to fly any more than is in their narrow interest. What they should have done with LT1K is to essentially start such folks as though they had already flown 100K miles (or perhaps a bit less if they felt stingy). That would have left intact an incentive for continued flying in cases where UA or another carrier both made sense.
Never understood the 2 RPUs. Why wouldn't LT1Ks get 4 RPUs? By the airline's own definition, a Premier Platinum gets 2 RPUs, and a 1K gets 2 more. So, has anyone ever explained why LT1Ks don't get 6 GPUs and 4 RPUs deposited in January (assuming they don't otherwise qualify)? I assume the answer is "it is our program, so our math".
dkc715 is offline  
Old Dec 20, 2017, 12:20 pm
  #392  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: UA 1K 3 Million/ex-many year GS, AA PLT/2 Mil, AS MVPG, HH Dia, Starwood Life Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,401
Originally Posted by dkc715
Never understood the 2 RPUs. Why wouldn't LT1Ks get 4 RPUs? By the airline's own definition, a Premier Platinum gets 2 RPUs, and a 1K gets 2 more. So, has anyone ever explained why LT1Ks don't get 6 GPUs and 4 RPUs deposited in January (assuming they don't otherwise qualify)? I assume the answer is "it is our program, so our math".
Yup - never made any sense to me. Back when it first happened I think I wrote them and got a "that's just the way it is" response. Typical of all these programs, they do stuff that at the least annoys people and gains them nothing financially. RPUs cost them nothing - they capacity control them to the extent today that they clear only when they would have been giving out CPU anyway.
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Old Dec 20, 2017, 12:36 pm
  #393  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,924
Originally Posted by pdx1M
Yup - never made any sense to me. Back when it first happened I think I wrote them and got a "that's just the way it is" response. Typical of all these programs, they do stuff that at the least annoys people and gains them nothing financially. RPUs cost them nothing - they capacity control them to the extent today that they clear only when they would have been giving out CPU anyway.
LT 1Ks who do not subsequently qualify in the normal PQM/PQ scheme really don't jump over the RPU-earning Plat hurdles, they go around. They jump over the 1K hurdle (by means of their 3MM status) and get the 1K prize (6 GPUs and 2 RPUs)
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IAH-OIL-TRASH is offline  
Old Dec 20, 2017, 3:03 pm
  #394  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: UA 1K 3 Million/ex-many year GS, AA PLT/2 Mil, AS MVPG, HH Dia, Starwood Life Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,401
Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH
LT 1Ks who do not subsequently qualify in the normal PQM/PQ scheme really don't jump over the RPU-earning Plat hurdles, they go around. They jump over the 1K hurdle (by means of their 3MM status) and get the 1K prize (6 GPUs and 2 RPUs)
I can generate justifications for it too but that wasn't really my point. They nickel and dimed how they treated LT 1Ks - shrug. All it did was add to why I stopped being loyal in the sense of defaulting my flying to UA. Since I buy 1st class or biz class on any trip over about 2 hours that has cost UA quite a bit of my business over the years since I start my flight planning somewhere other than united.com. Did 2 RPUs do that - of course not. But it was part of an overall pattern that turned me into a transactional customer rather than a guaranteed one. In the long run that has cost UA money from me. Most of my upgrades go unused each year(though this year I actually did use them up on my brother and on a random flight of mine where upgrades were available at purchase). I really think that companies like UA miss the forest for the trees sometimes when it comes to maximizing business - but I'm quite happy spending my money on foreign carrier level premium service these days.
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Old Dec 20, 2017, 9:24 pm
  #395  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K since 1998 & 3 Million Miler & ex-GS; DL Diamond 2015-2022; BAEC Silver; Bonvoy LT Titanium
Posts: 1,018
Originally Posted by mkasperzak
I may have jumped the gun, but I had called MP Service Center to extend 2 of my 4 remaining GPU's and the agent said they would not be extended since I had not achieved PQM, even though I am LT 1K, and that I wouldn't receive any additional RPU's or any GPU's. But, as suggested I will follow up in January as the year hasn't ended, I have not actually qualified in 2017, and it is reasonable that annual automatic benefits wouldn't vest until the new year. Thanks and Merry Christmas andHappy Holidays from the Bay Area!
I also ran into this and posted about it in another thread about extending 2 GPUs until April. In my first call to the M+ Service Center, a supervisor denied extending 2 of my GPU's. The supervisor told me that I had not yet flown the miles nor spent the dollar amount. "But I am a lifetime 1K..." did not seem to matter to the supervisor. A few days later I called back, and a supervisor approved extending 2 GPUs until April.
tealeaf99 is offline  
Old Dec 23, 2017, 7:14 am
  #396  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: United Mileage Plus 1K, 2MM, LT RCC
Posts: 203
Originally Posted by mkasperzak
I may have jumped the gun, but I had called MP Service Center to extend 2 of my 4 remaining GPU's and the agent said they would not be extended since I had not achieved PQM, even though I am LT 1K, and that I wouldn't receive any additional RPU's or any GPU's. But, as suggested I will follow up in January as the year hasn't ended, I have not actually qualified in 2017, and it is reasonable that annual automatic benefits wouldn't vest until the new year. Thanks and Merry Christmas andHappy Holidays from the Bay Area!
I was surprised to get a call from Oscars Office about this issue and it was confirmed that once the new year starts, the annual benefits will accrue. Had a nice discussion and expressed my gratitude for the personal attention.
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Old Dec 23, 2017, 10:46 am
  #397  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,574
Originally Posted by mkasperzak
I was surprised to get a call from Oscars Office about this issue .....
Did you contact them first?
How did they become aware of your concerns?
WineCountryUA is offline  
Old Dec 23, 2017, 11:56 am
  #398  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,842
Originally Posted by elCheapoDeluxe
That piece of card paper should have had your name. That's it. Nothing special in the frame - just a piece of cardstock with your name on it. There is no "million miler" membership card. You don't put your regular card there (well, I guess you could). It is just a piece of paper in a hunk of plastic.
there is 1 million miler membership card. I received a new premier platinum card stating 1,000,000 miles as a logo. Thanks and happy holidays
Flying Machine is offline  
Old Dec 23, 2017, 12:08 pm
  #399  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by Flying Machine


there is 1 million miler membership card. I received a new premier platinum card stating 1,000,000 miles as a logo. Thanks and happy holidays
And it goes on from there.
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wxguy is online now  
Old Jan 1, 2018, 8:09 am
  #400  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 10
I thought this might be a good place to ask the following: what are the UA/SA benefits at 2,000,000 miles? 3,000,000 miles? I’m currently at approximately 1.2 million and trying to determine whether to switch loyalties to DL/ST or AA/OW ....

Currently a 1K w/UA ...

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 1, 2018 at 11:25 am Reason: merged into master thread
Seattle_to_Korea is offline  
Old Jan 1, 2018, 8:54 am
  #401  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: DL Gold, UA nothing (ex-GS), Marriott lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 920
Originally Posted by Seattle_to_Korea
I thought this might be a good place to ask the following: what are the UA/SA benefits at 2,000,000 miles? 3,000,000 miles? Im currently at approximately 1.2 million and trying to determine whether to switch loyalties to DL/ST or AA/OW ....

Currently a 1K w/UA ...
2m lifetime plat (and RPUs)
3m lifetime 1k (and GPUs)
including ability to designate a companion (as you can now)

there is a lifetime status thread with more details
getagb is offline  
Old Jan 1, 2018, 11:45 am
  #402  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: SEA/YVR/BLI
Programs: UA "Lifetime" Gold, AS MVPG100K, OW Emerald, HH Lifetime Diamond, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 9,483
Originally Posted by Seattle_to_Korea
I thought this might be a good place to ask the following: what are the UA/SA benefits at 2,000,000 miles? 3,000,000 miles? Im currently at approximately 1.2 million and trying to determine whether to switch loyalties to DL/ST or AA/OW ....

Currently a 1K w/UA ...
Click on Lifetime Premier status in the Wiki above.

Remember (and I speak from personal experience) that UA can change "lifetime" benefits at any time.

Welcome to FT. ^
Fredd is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2018, 1:40 pm
  #403  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oregon
Programs: AA EXP, AS 75K, UA 1MM Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Plat, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,993
Originally Posted by Flying Machine


there is 1 million miler membership card. I received a new premier platinum card stating 1,000,000 miles as a logo. Thanks and happy holidays
I guess I don't consider that a million miler membership card as much as a new logo that goes on your regular membership cards. Still expires every year, but fair enough.
elCheapoDeluxe is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2018, 2:56 pm
  #404  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: United Mileage Plus 1K, 2MM, LT RCC
Posts: 203
I had copied Oscar on my email to 1K Voice.

Now that the new year has started, my account still shows me as a 1K, but no new GPU's have been deposited. As a reminder, I am a new LT 1K, but did not meet the spend requirement this year. Any thoughts anyone?
mkasperzak is offline  
Old Jan 3, 2018, 3:27 pm
  #405  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,574
Originally Posted by mkasperzak
I had copied Oscar on my email to 1K Voice.

Now that the new year has started, my account still shows me as a 1K, but no new GPU's have been deposited. As a reminder, I am a new LT 1K, but did not meet the spend requirement this year. Any thoughts anyone?
It has typical taken a few days to a week for the LT GPUs to post. Just give a few more days, UA does not promise 1-Jan deposits. Probably want to clear out the end of year qualifiers before pushing the button to distribute the LT GPUs.
WineCountryUA is offline  

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