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 3, 2014, 3:21 pm
#2252
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
These posts from you are almost comical LaserSailor. By now, I understand the travel scheme your firm employs. It is very generous. As in extremely generous. Most global huge firms and most small and midsize firms do NOT have as generous a policy as your employer.
If you doubt me, talk to some senior folks at IBM. One of my best friends runs a large sales organization for IBM for North and Central America and guess where he flies? Back of the bus. Another friend of mine ran a large business unit for Citi in Asia (GM level) and guess where he flies? Back of the bus unless it is back to the US. Another guy I just met on a plane who sold his last company for $100mm+ told me that he ALWAYS books in coach and expects his employees to do the same.
And those are only a few examples. There are plenty more where that came from.
You may be right that great travel policy will bring great employees, but it just isn't what is happening out there for most people in the real world even on OPM.
So count yourself lucky but don't underestimate just how large the number of folks is that will get shafted by this change and in some cases very severely.
If you doubt me, talk to some senior folks at IBM. One of my best friends runs a large sales organization for IBM for North and Central America and guess where he flies? Back of the bus. Another friend of mine ran a large business unit for Citi in Asia (GM level) and guess where he flies? Back of the bus unless it is back to the US. Another guy I just met on a plane who sold his last company for $100mm+ told me that he ALWAYS books in coach and expects his employees to do the same.
And those are only a few examples. There are plenty more where that came from.
You may be right that great travel policy will bring great employees, but it just isn't what is happening out there for most people in the real world even on OPM.
So count yourself lucky but don't underestimate just how large the number of folks is that will get shafted by this change and in some cases very severely.
I bet vast majority UA flyers lose after March 1, 2015.
Oct 3, 2014, 3:26 pm
#2253
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,467
This seems a safe bet. I would expect the median cpm calculated per passenger for all MP members is well below 18, with a relatively small number of flyers who purchase high fare classes pulling up the mean.
As with most everything in this country, the rich get richer
As with most everything in this country, the rich get richer
Oct 3, 2014, 4:04 pm
#2254
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BUR / LAX
Programs: UA MM/Gold; WN A-list; HH something depending; Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,554
If the majority of UA flyers would end up ahead of the prior scheme, UA wouldn't have done it (why would they?). And my assumption is that UA (or DL) will spend less and give out fewer miles overall, but that certain key customer segments will make out really, really well -- and UA is betting that those segments and new leisure flyers will more than make up for the rest of us who leave or reduce UA spend.
As I've said before, UA is entitled to fire some of its customers or throw extra at preferred customers. I personally don't like the new scheme and I personally don't think it makes sense long term as a business strategy. But my opinion doesn't count.
:-)
As I've said before, UA is entitled to fire some of its customers or throw extra at preferred customers. I personally don't like the new scheme and I personally don't think it makes sense long term as a business strategy. But my opinion doesn't count.
:-)
Oct 3, 2014, 4:07 pm
#2255
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
The attitude of the "non OPM" crowd on this board is just as smug and annoying as that of the "OPM" crowd. As you say yourself, it is a valuable skill to see things from another perspective. I really wish this wouldn't keep coming up over and over but the same posters like to bring it up again and again.
From my perspective, it is one and the same. If I can save my company (of which I am a part owner) money on travel, I am way better off. So I try and book far out, consciously avoid booking in first, take advantage of fare sales, etc. Most of the folks I know treat their company's money as their own because they are senior level stakeholders in their businesses. This is something I don't think the "non OPM" crowd truly understands. There are a rare few folks out there who just book whatever fare they want when they want. The rest of us are in the same boat.
From my perspective, it is one and the same. If I can save my company (of which I am a part owner) money on travel, I am way better off. So I try and book far out, consciously avoid booking in first, take advantage of fare sales, etc. Most of the folks I know treat their company's money as their own because they are senior level stakeholders in their businesses. This is something I don't think the "non OPM" crowd truly understands. There are a rare few folks out there who just book whatever fare they want when they want. The rest of us are in the same boat.
I know many OPM travelers that still have a lot of constraints to work within - contracts, preferred carriers, scheduling, etc. Traveling with OPM isn't a bad thing. It's the attitude that goes with it (good or bad) that can be an issue.
Oct 3, 2014, 5:06 pm
#2256
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA, LH, AS, AB
Posts: 139
This whole revenue based award system actually justified my reason to switch to M&M.
Originally I was thinking of switching to M&M because of LH's new premium economy. The one time a year I travel for work is on UA, but I normally travel on my own to europe (specifically FRA) 2 to 3 times a year for personal reasons. That usually puts me on LH metal.
Lately I've been traveling P class (yay fare sales), but it's been hitting my budget pretty hard so I find that premium economy is the sweet spot. I've been looking into how to book premium economy using the united site (for PQD) and all I've seen are the stories on how people are trying to book ANA and the risk of getting stuck in normal economy on expensive full fare tickets. Pretty much that would mean I would need to book premium economy on LH's website directly (meaning I definitely won't make any premier status in 2016 because of PQD).
So I started looking into M&M and saw that the earning charts are not as good as 2014 MP (UA discount economy earns 25%, semi-flexible earns 50% to 100% while 2014 MP earns 100% on almost all economy fares).
For 2015, that changed: I took my normal UA route (LAX to EWR or JFK in economy since that is what work would pay), and the costs were about 380 for the lowest economy and 980 for fares that would give LH 100% miles. The mileage distance between LAX and EWR is slightly under 5000 miles.
Using 380 as a ceiling (it's certainly less because of taxes and fees) I would earn 1900 (or 2660 for silver) on MP but M&M would earn 1250 (a difference of 650). Semi-flexible LAX -> EWR would yield slightly less than 5000 miles (or 7000 miles for silver) which is nearly the same as M&M.
Given the recent MP devaluation, M&M has slightly lower redemption mileage cost (minus the outrageous fuel surcharges for EU originating flights) since they have a flat redemption schedule that's comparable to saver awards. Even with the fuel surcharges, I seem to find more value out of M&M.
Originally I was thinking of switching to M&M because of LH's new premium economy. The one time a year I travel for work is on UA, but I normally travel on my own to europe (specifically FRA) 2 to 3 times a year for personal reasons. That usually puts me on LH metal.
Lately I've been traveling P class (yay fare sales), but it's been hitting my budget pretty hard so I find that premium economy is the sweet spot. I've been looking into how to book premium economy using the united site (for PQD) and all I've seen are the stories on how people are trying to book ANA and the risk of getting stuck in normal economy on expensive full fare tickets. Pretty much that would mean I would need to book premium economy on LH's website directly (meaning I definitely won't make any premier status in 2016 because of PQD).
So I started looking into M&M and saw that the earning charts are not as good as 2014 MP (UA discount economy earns 25%, semi-flexible earns 50% to 100% while 2014 MP earns 100% on almost all economy fares).
For 2015, that changed: I took my normal UA route (LAX to EWR or JFK in economy since that is what work would pay), and the costs were about 380 for the lowest economy and 980 for fares that would give LH 100% miles. The mileage distance between LAX and EWR is slightly under 5000 miles.
Using 380 as a ceiling (it's certainly less because of taxes and fees) I would earn 1900 (or 2660 for silver) on MP but M&M would earn 1250 (a difference of 650). Semi-flexible LAX -> EWR would yield slightly less than 5000 miles (or 7000 miles for silver) which is nearly the same as M&M.
Given the recent MP devaluation, M&M has slightly lower redemption mileage cost (minus the outrageous fuel surcharges for EU originating flights) since they have a flat redemption schedule that's comparable to saver awards. Even with the fuel surcharges, I seem to find more value out of M&M.
Last edited by WaxComb; Oct 3, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Oct 3, 2014, 6:01 pm
#2257
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
Oct 3, 2014, 6:05 pm
#2258
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,211
Oct 3, 2014, 6:39 pm
#2259
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
Correct. I corrected my original response, where I realized there were a couple of places I put "PQM" instead of what I really meant - "PQD". PQM is earned on all flights in the OPs scenario, assuming eligible fare classes & partners are *A.
Oct 3, 2014, 7:59 pm
#2260
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 1,581
I am getting used to the idea that I don't fly for the miles any more, and I don't expect to get so many free rides. There certainly WAS a free lunch; I'd make a wild guess that I've gotten $20-30K worth of domestic Y tix from my miles over the years. Already, as a gold, I've felt the pain of 50% vs 100% bonus, and revenue based will cut my mileage earning in about half.
This means miles is no longer much of a reason to fly UA. There are other reasons. For example, my MM gold gives me better seat access (chose UA over AA and US on similar enough fairs for a christmas trip just purchased for this reason) and I get better baggage allowance, which matters to me. But miles are no longer the big reason to go out of my way to book sometimes inconvenient itins on UA.
This means miles is no longer much of a reason to fly UA. There are other reasons. For example, my MM gold gives me better seat access (chose UA over AA and US on similar enough fairs for a christmas trip just purchased for this reason) and I get better baggage allowance, which matters to me. But miles are no longer the big reason to go out of my way to book sometimes inconvenient itins on UA.
Oct 3, 2014, 8:14 pm
#2261
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,690
It is very generous. As in extremely generous. Most global huge firms and most small and midsize firms do NOT have as generous a policy as your employer.
I believe it is not possible to work on a computer with client confidential information in coach.
A four hour flight has three working hours available after taxi, climb out, approach and landing.
That's three work hours billed to client or overhead.
I love how you guys use IbM as. 'Typical ' example. Most global firms indeed don't think this way, which is why they suck to work for on travel jobs. After you pay your dues as a road warrior, they will spit you out and hire the next guy.
Oct 3, 2014, 8:42 pm
#2262
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
Moderator Note --- discuss the topic, not each other.
It is very possible to have a rich, vigorous discussion of topics and to have disagreements WITHOUT commenting on each other.
reminder of the rules
It is very possible to have a rich, vigorous discussion of topics and to have disagreements WITHOUT commenting on each other.
reminder of the rules
12.2 Avoid Getting Personal
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If another member gets personal with you, do not retaliate. Retaliation may well subject you to the same discipline. Instead, please use the 'Alert a moderator to this thread' button in the lower-left-hand-corner of each post, send a note explaining your concern to the moderator team, and leave it to them to handle. Please also see Rule 22 — When you believe someone has violated the rules.
If you have a difference of opinion with another member, challenge the idea — NOT the person. Getting personal with another member is not allowed. Personal attacks, insults, baiting and flaming will not be tolerated.
FlyerTalk is a diverse, multi-cultural community. Expressions of prejudice or discrimination in any form are not permitted (such as those concerning race, nationality, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, etc).
If another member gets personal with you, do not retaliate. Retaliation may well subject you to the same discipline. Instead, please use the 'Alert a moderator to this thread' button in the lower-left-hand-corner of each post, send a note explaining your concern to the moderator team, and leave it to them to handle. Please also see Rule 22 — When you believe someone has violated the rules.
Oct 4, 2014, 2:59 am
#2263
Join Date: May 2009
Programs: Flying Club - Virgin
Posts: 77
Can some kind person define "OPM" and also can the Moderators add the definition to the "O" section of the Glossary please?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Oct 4, 2014, 3:17 am
#2264
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,061
When used in the context of this thread the term refers to those travelers whose travel is primarily/exclusively funded by a third party, such as an employer.
Oct 4, 2014, 10:30 am
#2265
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
Even if 10% of your travel is business travel / expensed, that 10% is still OPM.
I am about 50/50 personal and business. That 50% 'OPM' travel is a good foundation towards my elite status (and, in the context of this thread, RDM earning), but I would not achieve Plat or 1K, nor the current higher level RDM elite bonuses, without the addition of my personal spend.
Initially, I thought the new scheme would be a net positive for me (more RDM's). After further review, I believe it will be a wash, +/- 5%.