MrOCTeckels

Perhaps for someone qualifying on segments that's low, but I just counted my UA segments for the year (102k PQM, 45k UA BIS) and I only have 18. I'm actually surprised my flight count is that high.

An increase in required segments counts (something like 4/8/12/16... although 4/6/8/10 would be more likely) would have more of an effect on my travel planning than the PQD requirement has had. Although all that would likely amount to is a segment run at some point.

JohnMacWW

Sometimes airlines get screwed the other way when crude drops: because they had hedged the price so hard on the high end, they cannot take advantage of the low prices. But regardless, I do not think fares are going to increase or decrease with the price of crude next year. It's looking like a seller's market for the remaining US-based carriers and they all seem to be able to charge higher fares and still sell the sear. I think WN getting more expensive was a key component of this domestically. But I do not think even WN is going to lower fare at this point.

tashi

What should we take away from this trend of increasing requirements after only one year of PQD implementation? Next year it will be 5K/10K/15K/20K ?

787fan

That would nearly perfectly line up with their 20cpm break-even requirement for RDMs

At a certain point UA would realize their FF ranks are too thin and would have to stop.

Mike Jacoubowsky

We can take away from this that the airlines believe that PQD should follow the fares, and that the airlines would like to see fares increase by a similar percentage. Falling oil prices may play havoc with that thinking, if profits get so high that somebody breaks from the ranks and decides to compete to get more share.

But for now, I think it's incorrect to believe that PQD increases will be about thinning the ranks, but rather keeping up with hoped-for fare increases that will make it easier for us to hit the target. Yep, it's for our own good for that they increase fares so we can meet PQD!

I wish the airlines would stop trying to be so good to me.

Kmxu

We will have to wait for another year to see whether or not the increased PQDs will thin the ranks. For some of my flights out of IAH and IAD, group 1 was nearly one third of the entire planes on Mondays.

JetAway

A lot of former iKs are now Plats, especially those with a credit card PQD exemption, which could account for the large Group 1. Still wish UA would bring back the GS/1K red carpet.

Kacee

Don't forget about the cuts in benefits. It seems hardly a week goes by we don't learn of yet another reduction of elite benefits.

I suspect many of us are going to drop off this merry-go-round.

tashi

At this point I can guarantee that UA will increase requirements for next year's qualification. So far the 737s flying coast to coast are full and so UA is not loosing sleep. It will be a killer if they change the Million Miler program to require some min mileage or revenue accrual at which time I will have to jump.

tom911

In terms of dropping an elite level or two or jumping to a competitor?

Tom at DFW on the way to Ireland

jfk747

When AA does the same as UA and DL next year will you jump on the southwest bandwagon?

tom911

I've not seen any indication AA will be matching UA. Many on this forum told me AA would match the UA systemwide upgrade policy a dozen years ago, and I'm still waiting for that to happen as I buy rock bottom fares for international travel and upgrade them.

I have lots of options from SFO should I want to leave AA, but I just don't see that in the cards right now. I have never flown Virgin America or Jet Blue, and would jump at the chance to do so if elite benefits were not in play. As I'll bring in my regular 25,000 miles for the trip I'm on now, hard to look at those carriers.

jfk747

I dont believe 1k is worth 12,000 in its present form with the watered down benefits and soon to be lack of 100% bonus. I agree with companies wanting to reward higher fares but one could do that with a tier point system and miles are easy come buy with credit cards. Perhaps as the higher spend requirement next year will cull the herd and increase benefits.

Kacee

That's what some people said last year when PQDs were first announced.

So how has that turned out?

Singapore_Schwing

To be fair, you're not paying $12,000 for 1k, but instead for 100,000 miles of flying, with the bonus of recognition. If you're only flying for status and no other reason, I feel for you. If you're coming in under $12k in natural flying, you're paying for the delta between your PQDS and $12k (and earn miles on those extra $).

As for the bonus, you're still earning at roughly 2x the rate of GMs, but off of a different basis (price vs miles).

I'm certainly not trying to justify it or say that it's a good thing for the average flyer (it's clearly not) but it's both to be expected, and not the end of the world. The reality of it is United doesn't care as much for people who take up a lot of ASMs without a lot of $.

It's no different than going to Denny's. They likely appreciate people more who eat their 'Moons over My Hammy' and leave (or then proceed to order desert), then those who just sit around and tie up a booth for 2 hours chatting after eating, preventing others from ordering while offering minimal revenue themselves. Unlike Denny's, United has just managed to find a way to either push aside those they don't want, or potentially squeeze money from them to make them more valuable.