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 were announcing changes to how MileagePlus members will earn award miles in 2015. Weve 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 were announcing changes to how MileagePlus members will earn award miles in 2015. Weve 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 10, 2014, 12:50 pm
#541
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Jun 10, 2014, 12:53 pm
#542
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Jun 10, 2014, 12:54 pm
#543
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You keep repeating that about Delta but you fail to realize that the reason they are making money has little, if anything, to do with their FFP. Skymiles is considered among the worst frequent flyer programs and Delta makes money despite it not because of it.
If Untied was doing this along with investing in their product things would be different but they aren't. They taking on planes like the E75 with no Wifi, cutting capacity in places like LAX and CLE and retrofitting existing aircraft to be more uncomfortable in coach. There are fewer and fewer reasons to fly UA and more and more reasons to fly other airlines.
If Untied was doing this along with investing in their product things would be different but they aren't. They taking on planes like the E75 with no Wifi, cutting capacity in places like LAX and CLE and retrofitting existing aircraft to be more uncomfortable in coach. There are fewer and fewer reasons to fly UA and more and more reasons to fly other airlines.
UA's FFP was the thing that kept people in spite of the other deficiencies. These changes just push people who have a choice of airlines to other airlines that offer a better product such as AA, DL, and B6.
Jun 10, 2014, 12:54 pm
#544
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Carmel Valley(was Hawaii)
Programs: United 1K 2.7 MM
Posts: 1,174
Yes, we use miles mostly for family/friends. We like the RPUs and GPUs too, but the flip side is that they are getting much harder to use as R inventory seems to be scarce as hens teeth, at least to Australia and Europe.
Jun 10, 2014, 12:55 pm
#545
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Jun 10, 2014, 12:56 pm
#546
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Jun 10, 2014, 1:02 pm
#547
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
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Posts: 4,556
Originally Posted by FlytheTail
Well, today the United [expletive] hit the fan. I was really hoping UA would distinguish themselves and offer a different program than Delta. Nope; exactly the same mileage changes as Delta. This will cut my mileage earned to Asia roughly in half, which when combined with the huge mileage trip redemption increases implemented at the start of the year, completely disincentivises me to fly on United. Now I need to seriously think about returning to Delta.
Well, today the United [expletive] hit the fan. I was really hoping UA would distinguish themselves and offer a different program than Delta. Nope; exactly the same mileage changes as Delta. This will cut my mileage earned to Asia roughly in half, which when combined with the huge mileage trip redemption increases implemented at the start of the year, completely disincentivises me to fly on United. Now I need to seriously think about returning to Delta.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Jun 10, 2014 at 6:13 pm
Jun 10, 2014, 1:05 pm
#548
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The only real winners in this are the international flyers (especially to Asia and Australia) who purchase C or higher fares. They will get the fare bonus and with the 11 miles per dollar (often on a $6-12K fare) will hit the max at 75,000 miles for the trip.
I just take exception with UA saying that this "will make the Mileage Plus program even better". Don't pee down my neck and tell me that it's raining.
I just take exception with UA saying that this "will make the Mileage Plus program even better". Don't pee down my neck and tell me that it's raining.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 10, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Jun 10, 2014, 1:06 pm
#549
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The tipping point is actually 18 cpm for a 1K.
Jun 10, 2014, 1:06 pm
#550
Join Date: Feb 2008
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On a Related Note to This Announcement
Marketwatch.com article referring to United's announcement (aka devaluation) today and extending it into the airline affinity CC realm as well. Second link adds the UA annoucement and provides a quote from AA's president.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/air...eet-2013-11-14
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uni...dist=countdown
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/air...eet-2013-11-14
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uni...dist=countdown
Last edited by hhmorgan; Jun 10, 2014 at 1:36 pm Reason: add link to UA announcement and AA President's comment
Jun 10, 2014, 1:07 pm
#551
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Understandable. What i hate is what a bad rep the FT community gets among the airline industry. They call us a bunch of whiners. Sure we have plenty of legit concerns, but is this really one? For the 50,000th time, Most airlines in the world are going revenue based. UA doing the same thing is not the end of the world or airline flying. People are only upset because they are getting less free stuff, which tbh is kind of selifsh.
And the complaint isn't that United has moved to a revenue-based program. The complaint is that the amount of miles earned per dollar in the new program means the vast majority of passengers will earn far fewer miles under the new program than the current program.
What United is really saying is, "We're cutting mileage accrual by 40% across the board, not as bad on expensive tickets but worse on cheap ones. But despite this 40% reduction in mileage accrual, we're not reducing the price of the awards."
This puts United's program in-line with Delta's program, except DL at least claimed greater award availability would accompany the change.
The problem for United is United is *NOT* in line with Delta on anything else. So now that the FF programs are identical, why would I continue to fly UA when everything else at DL is better?
Jun 10, 2014, 1:08 pm
#552
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: UA ex-1k, now Gold bumped up from Silver
Posts: 155
But we haven't flown to Australia this year, and although we're looking at 1 or 2 TATL flights in the second half, I'm seeing some decent P fares to Europe: when I looked a few weeks ago flights to EDI were $4500 in C, but last week I saw flights for a little over $2k.
Certainly available R inventory is a significant benefit for us and just hope that we continue to be able to use the GPUs on the routes where we feel the need ...
Jun 10, 2014, 1:09 pm
#553
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For the people in this thread who are writing off all the Premier Silvers and Golds and "kettles", I don't think you understand that United needs customers like that. You can't survive just going after people who spend lots of money, you have to also earn the loyalty of the mid-range spenders. Otherwise Mercedes wouldn't make a C-Class and an E-350, they'd just make the S-600s and similar.
Jun 10, 2014, 1:09 pm
#554
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Regarding the change to UA's award mileage accrual next year... all good by me. Currently at $0.31/BIS mile .... headed up to closer to $0.40 by year's end. I will have ~120,000PQM's this year yielding approximately 240,000 award miles. Assuming a similar year next year, that would be approximately $50,000 in spend, yielding 550,000 award miles. I know it makes sense for me, but I know a lot of people are negatively affected by this.
Jun 10, 2014, 1:10 pm
#555
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Programs: United Million Mile Flyer, Hilton Silver, Marriott Gold, DL, AA WN
Posts: 514
I have to agree with you. Noting 1mm'ers are likely getting the soft landing of status after a career of flying, any change to the present benefits would likely eliminate any incentive to fly UA at all.
I'm a perfect case in point. I'm not likely to ever re-qualify as a 1K (or GS as I have been), but the Gold has kept my flying UA and I'm now making travel decisions for 3.
UA has benefitted from about $15k in my spend so far this year, but on few trips. Only because I can get my wife and child into E+...And on one trip a mileage upgrade.
I'm already going to take a hit under these new rules, and already teetering. Any more changes to MP, or more specifically the 1mm rules, and I'm likely gone. I'm a peon now and know it, but it's still SOME $ going to UA.
I'm a perfect case in point. I'm not likely to ever re-qualify as a 1K (or GS as I have been), but the Gold has kept my flying UA and I'm now making travel decisions for 3.
UA has benefitted from about $15k in my spend so far this year, but on few trips. Only because I can get my wife and child into E+...And on one trip a mileage upgrade.
I'm already going to take a hit under these new rules, and already teetering. Any more changes to MP, or more specifically the 1mm rules, and I'm likely gone. I'm a peon now and know it, but it's still SOME $ going to UA.