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
Oct 1, 2014, 9:43 am
#2221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
I suspect there will be some changes to partner earnings at some point, however, how much is anyone's guess.
Oct 1, 2014, 11:18 am
#2222
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Denver & Phoenix
Programs: UA 2MM, Life UC, Global Entry (UK citizen)
Posts: 129
One positive thing to say about UA: They did give us almost 9 months notice of these changes. (Viz. Much more than was legally necessary.)
So, hopefully, they will give us plenty of notice if they change the way partner airlines earn mileage.
So, hopefully, they will give us plenty of notice if they change the way partner airlines earn mileage.
Oct 1, 2014, 12:13 pm
#2223
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Canada
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I thought legally necessary notice was zero.
Oct 1, 2014, 9:49 pm
#2224
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
I am assuming that partner airline award mileage accrual will be optimal if booked from 016 ticket stock and with a UA flight #.
Question... will award mileage on UA flights be calculated strictly from base fare? ... or from total cost?
Question... will award mileage on UA flights be calculated strictly from base fare? ... or from total cost?
Oct 1, 2014, 9:53 pm
#2225
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Miles earned will now be based on the ticket price instead of the number of miles flown
Ticket price is defined as base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges (PQD)
Ticket price is defined as base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges (PQD)
Oct 1, 2014, 10:08 pm
#2226
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Partner flights booked on 016 stock (codeshare or not) will accrue mileage based on the dollar amount after March 1, just like UA flights. To get them to credit by mileage (assuming UA continues to award miles for partners the same way they always have), they need to be booked on non-UA ticket stock. Of course, if PQD is a concern, then 016 ticket stock will be important for that.
Oct 1, 2014, 10:47 pm
#2227
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
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I'd suggest one "can assume" nothing of the sort
Indeed.
Oct 2, 2014, 6:56 am
#2228
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,693
You can save yourself hours of reading, parsing rules, speculating, and waiting in a Group 1 lines for boarding, by looking at your spend, multiplying by your status factor to estimate your RDMs, and if you find a path or loophole to earn more RDMs than this, assume it will be closed.
Oct 2, 2014, 10:20 am
#2229
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: West Coast
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 264
You can save yourself hours of reading, parsing rules, speculating, and waiting in a Group 1 lines for boarding, by looking at your spend, multiplying by your status factor to estimate your RDMs, and if you find a path or loophole to earn more RDMs than this, assume it will be closed.
Oct 2, 2014, 11:58 am
#2230
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,310
Yeah, sans loophole, I'm sadly confused why United thinks I would ever spend a dime with them again. Even as a lifetime gold. I don't care about upgrades or the bs perks. I care about miles. The 100% RDM 1K bonus was a wildly better deal than flying a competitor where I had no status. 11x the base price - in most cases -- who cares. Wow a few extra thousand miles by flying United (fapp gesture). Maybe if I fly them loyally for 10,000 years I'll have enough to redeem for first class on LH. Starting in March I'm annoyingly going to have to spread my business (258,000 BIS this year so far) around to cheaper competitors or maybe just settle in and get better acquainted with Dallas, Miami and LAX.
11x the base price just doesnt cut it for a leisure traveller.
Assuming $10k spend - that is 90,000 less miles annually.
Oct 2, 2014, 1:17 pm
#2231
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,693
yup, as an out of pocket flyer with no fixed schedules/destinations - the RDM bonus made United MP competitive - and offset having to put up with actually flying United.
11x the base price just doesnt cut it for a leisure traveller.
Assuming $10k spend - that is 90,000 less miles annually.
11x the base price just doesnt cut it for a leisure traveller.
Assuming $10k spend - that is 90,000 less miles annually.
If you aren't winning in the new RDM scheme, they obviously are targeting your flying pattern. Most in my office are way up on both the UA and DL new schemes.
Their spends are way over 18cpm
Oct 2, 2014, 1:27 pm
#2232
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Show me someone who doesnt fly for work at all (be it employee, client paid, re-imbursable - all are OPM) and has a spend of over 18cpm, flies 100,000+ a year - and chooses to fly United.
Oct 2, 2014, 2:09 pm
#2233
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Oct 2, 2014, 2:17 pm
#2234
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 321
I am definitely an out of the pocket, United IK for the last 5 years who flies United because of the mileage perks, and strictly for non business. I have already changed my credit cards, and future bookings to accommodate the fact that most of my future flights will be with other airlines. I would believe that there are more of us than United is counting upon.
Oct 2, 2014, 5:50 pm
#2235
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,693
Maybe. The airlines, on the other hand, Know exactly how many there are.
FT discussions of revenue management are a source of constant amusement at best.
FT discussions of revenue management are a source of constant amusement at best.