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
Sep 24, 2018, 4:43 am
#3226
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: 66,769
There is no difference in mileage earning (of any type) between GS & 1K on any UA or partner flight
Sep 24, 2018, 4:44 am
#3227
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LAX IAH AMS
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 1,266
Sep 24, 2018, 1:16 pm
#3228
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,376
pe - it's always only gone to eleven...
Dec 4, 2018, 10:17 am
#3229
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I had a strange thing happen this week. I bought a P fare for RDU-PDX back in July. A few months later I changed the ticket paying a $200 change fee. Mind you this was a P fare from the beginning, selected F flights from the start of booking, no later buy up. Day of travel I SDCed to other flights, stayed in First. The miles posted with P Fare PQM and PQS but with a Y fare PQD of $120. My ticket was for $447. I had to call United to get this fixed and the agent was utterly baffled by what would have caused this.
Dec 8, 2018, 3:30 am
#3230
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDX
Programs: kayaker
Posts: 851
I had a strange thing happen this week. I bought a P fare for RDU-PDX back in July. A few months later I changed the ticket paying a $200 change fee. Mind you this was a P fare from the beginning, selected F flights from the start of booking, no later buy up. Day of travel I SDCed to other flights, stayed in First. The miles posted with P Fare PQM and PQS but with a Y fare PQD of $120. My ticket was for $447. I had to call United to get this fixed and the agent was utterly baffled by what would have caused this.
Dec 10, 2018, 7:47 pm
#3231
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Feb 10, 2019, 10:33 am
#3232
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 126
NZ flight credit to MP
I got in on the great ORD-SYD tickets back in Jan.
Booked ORD-SFO-SYD on UA metal, SYD-AKL-SFO on NZ, SFO-ORD on UA. My ticket is on 086 ticket stock, so all NZ ticketing.
GCM says this is ~16400 nautical miles. IF I understand UA's crediting rules correctly it looks to me that I should get ~32800 PQM (200% for Z class) plus 20,500 award miles (125% of distance flown) if I credit to MP. That's before any status bonuses. Not worried about PQD as I'm ex-US based.
I'm currently a Delta Diamond flyer and I plan to request a status challenge, will shoot for 1K but may have to settle for Platinum, which this one flight should meet.
Have I got the numbers above about right, or am I missing a detail due to inexperience with MP?
Would anyone recommend crediting to a different program vice MP? My primary concern, crediting to another program, would be getting access to UA lounges in the US, so I'd want *A Gold at a minimum.
Thanks in advance.
Booked ORD-SFO-SYD on UA metal, SYD-AKL-SFO on NZ, SFO-ORD on UA. My ticket is on 086 ticket stock, so all NZ ticketing.
GCM says this is ~16400 nautical miles. IF I understand UA's crediting rules correctly it looks to me that I should get ~32800 PQM (200% for Z class) plus 20,500 award miles (125% of distance flown) if I credit to MP. That's before any status bonuses. Not worried about PQD as I'm ex-US based.
I'm currently a Delta Diamond flyer and I plan to request a status challenge, will shoot for 1K but may have to settle for Platinum, which this one flight should meet.
Have I got the numbers above about right, or am I missing a detail due to inexperience with MP?
Would anyone recommend crediting to a different program vice MP? My primary concern, crediting to another program, would be getting access to UA lounges in the US, so I'd want *A Gold at a minimum.
Thanks in advance.
Feb 10, 2019, 11:47 am
#3233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,392
I got in on the great ORD-SYD tickets back in Jan.
Booked ORD-SFO-SYD on UA metal, SYD-AKL-SFO on NZ, SFO-ORD on UA. My ticket is on 086 ticket stock, so all NZ ticketing.
GCM says this is ~16400 nautical miles. IF I understand UA's crediting rules correctly it looks to me that I should get ~32800 PQM (200% for Z class) plus 20,500 award miles (125% of distance flown) if I credit to MP. That's before any status bonuses. Not worried about PQD as I'm ex-US based.
I'm currently a Delta Diamond flyer and I plan to request a status challenge, will shoot for 1K but may have to settle for Platinum, which this one flight should meet.
Have I got the numbers above about right, or am I missing a detail due to inexperience with MP?
Would anyone recommend crediting to a different program vice MP? My primary concern, crediting to another program, would be getting access to UA lounges in the US, so I'd want *A Gold at a minimum.
Thanks in advance.
Booked ORD-SFO-SYD on UA metal, SYD-AKL-SFO on NZ, SFO-ORD on UA. My ticket is on 086 ticket stock, so all NZ ticketing.
GCM says this is ~16400 nautical miles. IF I understand UA's crediting rules correctly it looks to me that I should get ~32800 PQM (200% for Z class) plus 20,500 award miles (125% of distance flown) if I credit to MP. That's before any status bonuses. Not worried about PQD as I'm ex-US based.
I'm currently a Delta Diamond flyer and I plan to request a status challenge, will shoot for 1K but may have to settle for Platinum, which this one flight should meet.
Have I got the numbers above about right, or am I missing a detail due to inexperience with MP?
Would anyone recommend crediting to a different program vice MP? My primary concern, crediting to another program, would be getting access to UA lounges in the US, so I'd want *A Gold at a minimum.
Thanks in advance.
ORD-SFO-SYD is 9,263 sm on UA: 18,526 PQM
SYD-AKL-SFO is 7,861 sm on NZ: 11,972 PQM (Z class earns 150% on NZ for really dumb reasons)
SFO-ORD is 1,846 sm on UA: 3,692 PQM
Total: 34,190 PQM (give or take a few due to rounding and UA's bizarre distance tables which are sometimes a few miles off)
For on 086 ticket like this, award miles (RDM) are a bit more complicated. You will earn
SYD-AKL-SFO is 7,861 sm on NZ: 9,827 RDM (125% of the distance)
For the rest of the segments on UA, if you are matched to Premier 1K you will receive 11x the portion of your fare allocated to those segments (which accrues as PQD), so probably something roughly like 750 PQD x 11 = ~8,250 RDM.
As to which program to credit to, it depends a lot on what your goals are. For getting and keeping *G, United tends to be a pretty good choice although if that is the only objective you might consider OZ. However, if you want access to UA lounges on US domestic tickets, you must have *G from an airline not in the US.
Feb 10, 2019, 12:00 pm
#3234
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,935
Thanks. AC and UA show availability. EF and NH do not. Do you know how long generally between booking request online and actual ticketing?
Feb 10, 2019, 12:07 pm
#3235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,392
Depends on the carrier. Many are roughly instantaneous; some take longer. If you don't have a ticket by 24 hours after booking, you're in for a headache. What carrier are you trying to confirm?
Feb 10, 2019, 12:15 pm
#3236
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,460
No public status challenge to 1K.
As mentioned, UA elites have no access to UC with the exception of an international itinerary, or J tix on certain cross country flights.
As mentioned, UA elites have no access to UC with the exception of an international itinerary, or J tix on certain cross country flights.
Feb 10, 2019, 12:15 pm
#3237
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,935
AC for 5 pax. NH and EF cap out at 4 but UA and AC go 5+. I’ve got other tickets to book that are dependent on these AC segments, thus my concern.
Feb 10, 2019, 12:26 pm
#3238
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 126
It's worth clicking up until the purchase page; some instances of phantom space error out before then. Also use another search tool (NH, AC, EF, etc.) and see if they see the space also. However, nothing is truly confirmed until it tickets.
You earn qualifying miles (PQM) on a per-segment basis. Assuming the entire itinerary is booked in Z class, you will earn
ORD-SFO-SYD is 9,263 sm on UA: 18,526 PQM
SYD-AKL-SFO is 7,861 sm on NZ: 11,972 PQM (Z class earns 150% on NZ for really dumb reasons)
SFO-ORD is 1,846 sm on UA: 3,692 PQM
Total: 34,190 PQM (give or take a few due to rounding and UA's bizarre distance tables which are sometimes a few miles off)
For on 086 ticket like this, award miles (RDM) are a bit more complicated. You will earn
SYD-AKL-SFO is 7,861 sm on NZ: 9,827 RDM (125% of the distance)
For the rest of the segments on UA, if you are matched to Premier 1K you will receive 11x the portion of your fare allocated to those segments (which accrues as PQD), so probably something roughly like 750 PQD x 11 = ~8,250 RDM.
As to which program to credit to, it depends a lot on what your goals are. For getting and keeping *G, United tends to be a pretty good choice although if that is the only objective you might consider OZ. However, if you want access to UA lounges on US domestic tickets, you must have *G from an airline not in the US.
You earn qualifying miles (PQM) on a per-segment basis. Assuming the entire itinerary is booked in Z class, you will earn
ORD-SFO-SYD is 9,263 sm on UA: 18,526 PQM
SYD-AKL-SFO is 7,861 sm on NZ: 11,972 PQM (Z class earns 150% on NZ for really dumb reasons)
SFO-ORD is 1,846 sm on UA: 3,692 PQM
Total: 34,190 PQM (give or take a few due to rounding and UA's bizarre distance tables which are sometimes a few miles off)
For on 086 ticket like this, award miles (RDM) are a bit more complicated. You will earn
SYD-AKL-SFO is 7,861 sm on NZ: 9,827 RDM (125% of the distance)
For the rest of the segments on UA, if you are matched to Premier 1K you will receive 11x the portion of your fare allocated to those segments (which accrues as PQD), so probably something roughly like 750 PQD x 11 = ~8,250 RDM.
As to which program to credit to, it depends a lot on what your goals are. For getting and keeping *G, United tends to be a pretty good choice although if that is the only objective you might consider OZ. However, if you want access to UA lounges on US domestic tickets, you must have *G from an airline not in the US.
Thanks again, I appreciate your thoughts.
Feb 10, 2019, 12:56 pm
#3239
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,889
has that changed?
Feb 10, 2019, 1:37 pm
#3240
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,416
Yes, it's long been an unpublished offer for DL DM. 36k PQM in 90 days.
