Jun 10, 2014, 5:09 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Earning miles on United flights
Spend-based mileage (RDM) earning for all UA metal flights effective March 1, 2015.
Redeemable Miles (RDM) changes highlights:
Fare multipliers based on Premier status:
For example, a 1K would earn 1100 miles for a $120 (assuming $20 in taxes/fees) ticket while a Silver would earn 700 miles for the same ticket.
As there is a maximum number of miles per ticket earned - this disincentives purchasing any ticket (excluding government taxes and fees) over the following:
A way to avoid this is booking one-ways if the fare rules permit.
Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) are not affected by this change.
Announcement Site
Post 57: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23008349-post57.html
Answered Questions:
Spend-based mileage (RDM) earning for all UA metal flights effective March 1, 2015.
Redeemable Miles (RDM) changes highlights:
- Miles earned will now be based on the ticket price instead of the number of miles flown (see partner flights on non-016 tickets exception )
- Ticket price is defined as base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges (same as PQDs)
- Class of service bonuses have been discontinued (e.g. X% more on A fares).
- There is a limit of 75,000 miles earned per ticket (see below for spending limits by status)
- UA flights regardless of ticket stock will use the ticket price to determine RDMs
- Partner flight on 016 ticket stock will use the ticket price to determine RDMs
- Partner flights on non-016 ticket stock will use a flight mileage-based system to determine RDMs with a fare class multiplier (see the partner page for detials
- Speciality / Bulk tickets with PQDs will use a flight mileage-based system to determine RDMs with a fare class multiplier, see Specialty tickets
Fare multipliers based on Premier status:
- x5 General Members
- x7 Silver
- x8 Gold
- x9 Plat
- x11 1K/GS
For example, a 1K would earn 1100 miles for a $120 (assuming $20 in taxes/fees) ticket while a Silver would earn 700 miles for the same ticket.
As there is a maximum number of miles per ticket earned - this disincentives purchasing any ticket (excluding government taxes and fees) over the following:
- $6818.18 for 1K/GS
- $8333.33 for Platinum
- $9375.00 for Gold
- $10714.28 for Silver
- $15000.00 for General Members
A way to avoid this is booking one-ways if the fare rules permit.
Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) are not affected by this change.
www.mileageplusupdates.com
There is a tool on the site that allow you to enter how much you spent on a ticket along your premier status in order to calculate how many miles you will earn under the new system. The tool is aware of the miles per ticket limit.
There is a FAQ here: http://mileageplusupdates.com/faq.html
Relevant UA Insider posts:There is a tool on the site that allow you to enter how much you spent on a ticket along your premier status in order to calculate how many miles you will earn under the new system. The tool is aware of the miles per ticket limit.
There is a FAQ here: http://mileageplusupdates.com/faq.html
Post 57: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23008349-post57.html
Hi everyone,
Today we’re announcing changes to how MileagePlus members will earn award miles in 2015. We’ve posted complete details and a FAQ on united.com, but I wanted to share an excerpt of the key points with you directly:
As of March 1, 2015, the award miles you earn on most United and United Express tickets will be based on your ticket price (that is, base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges) and your MileagePlus status, instead of the distance you travel. The new criteria for earning award miles will look like this:
<portion removed for brevity>
The changes to earning award miles will apply to all MileagePlus members worldwide, and will be based on status at the time of flight on or after March 1, 2015. These changes will not affect the qualification requirements for 2015 Premier status. PQM and PQS will still be based on the number of paid flight miles traveled and the fare purchased. And where applicable, PQD will still be determined by the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges.
Today we’re announcing changes to how MileagePlus members will earn award miles in 2015. We’ve posted complete details and a FAQ on united.com, but I wanted to share an excerpt of the key points with you directly:
As of March 1, 2015, the award miles you earn on most United and United Express tickets will be based on your ticket price (that is, base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges) and your MileagePlus status, instead of the distance you travel. The new criteria for earning award miles will look like this:
<portion removed for brevity>
The changes to earning award miles will apply to all MileagePlus members worldwide, and will be based on status at the time of flight on or after March 1, 2015. These changes will not affect the qualification requirements for 2015 Premier status. PQM and PQS will still be based on the number of paid flight miles traveled and the fare purchased. And where applicable, PQD will still be determined by the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges.
Class of service bonuses have been discontinued under the new system. There is already an adjustment for 1K over general members.
For tickets that will earn award miles based on ticket price, the class-of-service bonus and Premier bonus will be included in the number of award miles you earn per dollar. Basically COS has been removed.
E-mail received by GS lists 1K and GS together.
2015 MileagePlus Change - RDMs Will Be Calculated by Spend, Not Distance
Jun 14, 2014, 8:22 am
#1621
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Upstate N.Y.
Posts: 87
Thank you for replying IAH-OIL-TRASH.........I did read the Wiki and still have the same question. It looks like the answer is number 2., but many people refer to ticket prices as if ticket price is defined as the total-out-of-pocket-expense.
Example: The Wiki says: "For example, a 1K would earn 1100 miles for a $100 ticket while a Silver would earn 700 miles for the same ticket."............I assume that in the example, the actual out-of-pocket-ticket-price would be more than $100?
Would somebody kindly please give me a (simple) answer versus more "reading material".
Example: The Wiki says: "For example, a 1K would earn 1100 miles for a $100 ticket while a Silver would earn 700 miles for the same ticket."............I assume that in the example, the actual out-of-pocket-ticket-price would be more than $100?
Would somebody kindly please give me a (simple) answer versus more "reading material".
Jun 14, 2014, 8:33 am
#1622
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
Still puzzled by the 75K RDM cap on each ticket.:confused
Is UA trying to drive high revenue passengers? Some of the last min transpac and transatlantic fares paid by GS/1K could fetch pretty high $, but the excess won't earn any miles.....
Anyone that has figured out the rationale behind the capping?
Is UA trying to drive high revenue passengers? Some of the last min transpac and transatlantic fares paid by GS/1K could fetch pretty high $, but the excess won't earn any miles.....
Anyone that has figured out the rationale behind the capping?
Seriously - I see no indication that UA did any original thinking with the change - they just copied the Delta policies. Now as for why Delta included that cap - that's a different discussion that I suspect has been had over in their forum.
Jun 14, 2014, 8:36 am
#1623
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
Actually I think the reasoning for UA is simpler than everyone here makes it. It is "because that's what Delta did". Seriously - I see no indication that UA did any original thinking with the change - they just copied the Delta policies. Now as for why Delta included that cap - that's a different discussion that I suspect has been had over in their forum.
Seriously - I see no indication that UA did any original thinking with the change - they just copied the Delta policies. Now as for why Delta included that cap - that's a different discussion that I suspect has been had over in their forum.
Jun 14, 2014, 9:04 am
#1624
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,038
agreed. GF is the real issue here. Most BF P,Z,C fares will be fine w/ the new rules. D,J,A,F is going to be an issue for UA to message to HVCs.
Jun 14, 2014, 9:27 am
#1625
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
(of course, why anyone buying a RTW would use any UA international segments except for maybe N America segments is another question.)
Jun 14, 2014, 9:31 am
#1626
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Programs: Lifetime UA 1K, Lifetime Hilton Diamond, Lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,261
If I buy a $10,000 roundtrip C to China, instead of getting 110,000 miles I will get 75,000 miles.
Why wouldn't someone just buy two one ways instead? If you are buying. Y, B or C, the price is the same.
Why wouldn't someone just buy two one ways instead? If you are buying. Y, B or C, the price is the same.
Jun 14, 2014, 9:35 am
#1627
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
Jun 14, 2014, 9:39 am
#1628
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
Still puzzled by the 75K RDM cap on each ticket.:confused
Is UA trying to drive high revenue passengers? Some of the last min transpac and transatlantic fares paid by GS/1K could fetch pretty high $, but the excess won't earn any miles.....
Anyone that has figured out the rationale behind the capping?
Is UA trying to drive high revenue passengers? Some of the last min transpac and transatlantic fares paid by GS/1K could fetch pretty high $, but the excess won't earn any miles.....
Anyone that has figured out the rationale behind the capping?
Jun 14, 2014, 9:46 am
#1629
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
RTWs will be an interesting case. If the RDM system drives off the same engine that drives the PQD system then likely there will be some internal algorithm that assigns dollar values to each segment flown. It would then seem that one could credit individual segments to some other *A carrier program that you belong to and thus get the total value of the segments credited to UA on the ticket below the 75K cap. But that also requires that UA be able to reassemble the segments as they credit to the account back into a single ticket to enforce the cap (something they don't need to do in the PQD case). I wonder what internal bugs someone doing this will trigger?
Jun 14, 2014, 10:19 am
#1630
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
It can tip the decision, though. Sure did for me when AA was offering triple EQM in 2012. EDIT: I meant RDM.
Last edited by toomanybooks; Jun 14, 2014 at 10:44 am
Jun 14, 2014, 10:25 am
#1631
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,301
Jun 14, 2014, 10:43 am
#1632
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
Jun 14, 2014, 11:02 am
#1633
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,038
Personally I would never book a $10k J-class ticket; P and Z is fine; C, D, J is not what I usually book.
Jun 14, 2014, 11:15 am
#1634
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Midwest
Programs: UA GS, UA 1.6MM, AA LT PLT, AA 2.6MM, Intercontinental Royal Ambassador
Posts: 838
Still puzzled by the 75K RDM cap on each ticket.:confused
Is UA trying to drive high revenue passengers? Some of the last min transpac and transatlantic fares paid by GS/1K could fetch pretty high $, but the excess won't earn any miles.....
Anyone that has figured out the rationale behind the capping?
Is UA trying to drive high revenue passengers? Some of the last min transpac and transatlantic fares paid by GS/1K could fetch pretty high $, but the excess won't earn any miles.....
Anyone that has figured out the rationale behind the capping?
Jun 14, 2014, 11:17 am
#1635
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,310
corporate flyers rarely book one-ways. Not only is this often causing expense reporting issues and multiple booking fees it can also cause issues with Visa and stuff like that where you need a r/t ticket. Can't imagine asking the admin to book 2 one-ways and explaining why I want the extra work, hassle and fees.
Personally I would never book a $10k J-class ticket; P and Z is fine; C, D, J is not what I usually book.
Personally I would never book a $10k J-class ticket; P and Z is fine; C, D, J is not what I usually book.
Last edited by bmwe92fan; Jun 14, 2014 at 11:27 am