Last edit by: FlyinHawaiian
Changes from the 19-Nov-2014 announcement regarding the 2015 MileagePlus Program:
Links are available to the dedicated threads that discuss the details and impacts of each change.
Changes effective 1-Feb-2015:
Changes effective 1-Mar-2015:
Changes effective 14-Apr-2015:
Changes effective 1-July-2015:
Unanswered questions:
Links are available to the dedicated threads that discuss the details and impacts of each change.
Changes effective 1-Feb-2015:
- MileagePlus will no longer provide Global Entry reimbursement codes for Premier Platinum and 1K members
- For tickets issued/re-issued on or after 1-Feb-2015, Premier Gold members will receive only 2 complimentary checked bags, up to 70 lb, for routes that do not offer free checked bags to non-status passengers
- Mileage upgrades for p.s. flights (JFK-LAX/SFO) will require co-pay for all Premier members for requests after 1-Feb-2015
Changes effective 1-Mar-2015:
- Award Redeemable Miles will be calculated based on the ticket price, not the distance flown.
- 2015 MileagePlus Change: New Partner Earnings Effective March 1, 2015
Changes effective 14-Apr-2015:
Changes effective 1-July-2015:
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Unanswered questions:
2015 MileagePlus Program Updates Announced (Master/Consolidated Thread)
#181
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
...
NRT-ORD-NRT, a little over 6000 actual miles each way
(1)
If I buy a NRT-ORD-NRT ticket for $900 on NH's website in May 2015,
how many UA miles will I earn?(both premier qualifying and reward miles)
(2)
If I buy a NRT-ORD-NRT ticket for $900 on UA's website in May 2015,
how many UA miles will I earn?(both premier qualifying and reward miles)
....
In 2014 and earlier, I earn 100% miles in both situations(1 & 2). I assume
in 2015, it's going to be a lot different.
NRT-ORD-NRT, a little over 6000 actual miles each way
(1)
If I buy a NRT-ORD-NRT ticket for $900 on NH's website in May 2015,
how many UA miles will I earn?(both premier qualifying and reward miles)
(2)
If I buy a NRT-ORD-NRT ticket for $900 on UA's website in May 2015,
how many UA miles will I earn?(both premier qualifying and reward miles)
....
In 2014 and earlier, I earn 100% miles in both situations(1 & 2). I assume
in 2015, it's going to be a lot different.
The earning on partner flights is still an open issue.
Note there is no change in PQM/status earning (other then PQD requirements have been increased by 20% for 2015 for those without waivers)
For the ongoing discussion, see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-distance.html
#182
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 205
I need to book two TPAC(Japan-US) roundtrips for May and August. Due to scheduling, they will most likely be on NH metal. Will I earn more UA RDM miles by purchasing those NH tickets directly on NH's website?
#183
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
For UA operated flights - no. If NH operated, we don't know yet.
#184
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: IL
Programs: UA Gold, DL Silver, Hertz PC, Avis Pref+, Accor Silver
Posts: 1,107
Alternatives to UA ?
Working on the assumption that UA's partner mileage accrual will be similar to say DL, for me it will simply add to the total cost of UA/*A tickets.
Today when I compare tickets (setting aside status benefits, such as they may be), a UA/*A ticket costs me X$ but I receive Y$ back in RDMs. Now it looks like I will receive 1/2 or less Y$, effectively increasing the total cost of *A tickets.
I assume that many others (comments along the lines of "I got 20,000 miles for this ticket in 2014, but will get only 8,000 miles this year"...) will come to the same conclusion, and I cannot see any way this will not hurt UA ticket sales.
Since I am looking for an alternative.... is there any online source which compares different *A airlines' partner mileage accrual ?
Also mildly annoying is the delay in announcing the changes which will take place in March re *A partners. I have to book a flight, and the new RDM accrual rules will have at least some bearing on my choice.
Today when I compare tickets (setting aside status benefits, such as they may be), a UA/*A ticket costs me X$ but I receive Y$ back in RDMs. Now it looks like I will receive 1/2 or less Y$, effectively increasing the total cost of *A tickets.
I assume that many others (comments along the lines of "I got 20,000 miles for this ticket in 2014, but will get only 8,000 miles this year"...) will come to the same conclusion, and I cannot see any way this will not hurt UA ticket sales.
Since I am looking for an alternative.... is there any online source which compares different *A airlines' partner mileage accrual ?
Also mildly annoying is the delay in announcing the changes which will take place in March re *A partners. I have to book a flight, and the new RDM accrual rules will have at least some bearing on my choice.
Last edited by dand99; Jan 8, 2015 at 12:26 am
#185
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1k aa exec plat
Posts: 1,842
i dont understand this bit either -why if you buy the tkt on ANA but the flight is
UA operated ,wont the miles awarded change ?
do UA know what price ana is charging you?
also, if you have a multistop star alliance tkt purchased non ua with a one segment ua leg-how do thry calculate the miles on the ua leg??
#186
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
This is how for the past year UA has calculated PQDs.
UA will know the portion of revenue UA receives and that will be using to determine the RDMs as will be done for any UA segment.
#187
Join Date: May 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, DL, AA, AS
Posts: 305
Copay $ count towards 2015 award miles?
I'm not readily seeing this answer in the thread at sticky nor the first couple of pages:
Does the Copay Paid for Upgrades with miles count towards Award Miles in the new 2015 earning system?
And it looks like surcharges are counted but taxes not?
Does the Copay Paid for Upgrades with miles count towards Award Miles in the new 2015 earning system?
And it looks like surcharges are counted but taxes not?
#188
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
#189
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: UA Platinum, HH Gold, Nat'l Executive
Posts: 1
One and done...
Wow...I just started flying United this past year (2014) and was fortunate enough to have made Platinum. I used up some 60something thousand miles on award travel and so having award miles be earned by dollar spent vs miles flown + bonus miles is really what is going to hit me the hardest. All my travel is for work and therefore paid for by the company, which is saying that 90% of the tickets are going to be on the Economy/Non-Refundable class (cheap) so my award miles accrual is going to suffer big time. I guess I picked the wrong airline to start being loyal to
Luckily I am not that invested in MileagePlus as most of you here who have been flying United for years and years. I am looking for a better alternative and was wondering which other airline(s)/frequent flyer program(s) would you consider if you were to make the switch?
Also can someone please explain to me what exactly does Global Services mean? Does it include certain premier status(es) or is it a whole different premier level?
Thanks in advance!
Luckily I am not that invested in MileagePlus as most of you here who have been flying United for years and years. I am looking for a better alternative and was wondering which other airline(s)/frequent flyer program(s) would you consider if you were to make the switch?
Also can someone please explain to me what exactly does Global Services mean? Does it include certain premier status(es) or is it a whole different premier level?
Thanks in advance!
#190
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,700
Global Services is an invitation-only program for the highest spenders on UA, and essentially a higher premier level. There are several threads related to this.
#191
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,974
Have a trip that might start in Feb but end in March 1, 2015. I am guessing that the leg in Feb will be calculated under the old system and then the one on March 1st under the new system. Curious as to how the fare breakdown will work. Will it just be 50% of the roundtrip?
#192
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
Have a trip that might start in Feb but end in March 1, 2015. I am guessing that the leg in Feb will be calculated under the old system and then the one on March 1st under the new system. Curious as to how the fare breakdown will work. Will it just be 50% of the roundtrip?
#193
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 568
2015 MileagePlus Program Updates Announced (Master/Consolidated Thread)
What a farce mileageplus has become. Tied up it is own convoluted nonsense. Worse than the US tax system. Soon they will be offering, for a fee, mileage consultants to calculate your status level. Get mileagebooks before year end.
Got to think they will lose high earners, those who just don't care so much about miles but care more about being respected and not taken for fools to jump through hoops.
Got to think they will lose high earners, those who just don't care so much about miles but care more about being respected and not taken for fools to jump through hoops.
#194
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Gold, peon everywhere else
Posts: 989
Now they're removing that benefit/feature from the program. While its existence may have been accidental, removing it is not, and so for me, at least, it represents a devaluation of my status, a devaluation which (I suspect) particularly hits those of us who have families we occasionally travel with (or who occasionally travel without us).
#195
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 82
anyone else notice a drop in prices?
I fly UA almost every week. But I always kayak to see how much the lowest cost alternative is, and how much more i'm paying for my UA ticket. After accounting for the bonus miles (since i'm a 1K, I earned 1/3rd of the miles towards a savers award ticket every time i flew), UA still came out ahead most of the time. When it didn't, I flew Jet Blue.
For my flights post March 1st, I won't need to net out in the miles anymore, but surprisingly, for every flight i've booked (10 so far) UA is the cheapest option available. That was rarely the case earlier. I wonder if this is their new strategy or if i just don't have enough data points yet.
For my flights post March 1st, I won't need to net out in the miles anymore, but surprisingly, for every flight i've booked (10 so far) UA is the cheapest option available. That was rarely the case earlier. I wonder if this is their new strategy or if i just don't have enough data points yet.
Last edited by Pedro Gonzales; Jan 15, 2015 at 9:19 am