krazykanuck

I just checked my reservation for next weekend and I'm getting an offer for 12.3 cpm per PQM. This is as a Silver that is a *long* way away from Gold. I'd have to be high to chase Gold status at those rates.

big V

My transpac itin for next week is offering

$670 for 40,000 RDMs
$6,000 for 40,000 PQMs

with the PQMs coming in at 15 cpm.

They are doing the math based on what I now have (53k PQMs), rather than where I will be after this trip (82k PQM).

Sadly, my January itin (also a transpac) is showing the same exact offer. I will play with some dummy bookings to see if I can get the sweet spot with the ~18k PQMs I'll need for 1k that will make it worth pulling the trigger on.

physioprof

My sense is that the rates go up as you get close to a threshold. I am at ~90,000 PQM right now, so the rates are high. It would make sense for UA to expect that flyers' perceived marginal value of PQMs gets higher as they get closer to a threshold, and thus to charge more.

physioprof

There seems to be some correlation between the length of the trip and the amount of miles offered. For what you need, I would try a TATL.

krazykanuck

I would expect that as well, because who would buy PQMs in say Q4 of the calendar year if they weren't reaching to hit a certain level? I'll close out the year with about 30k in PQM (which takes into account the 1 remaining rt flight I have this month), so UA's systems should know I won't hit Gold.

The only reason I even hit Silver this year was my vacation to Asia and doing the Island Hopper netted me ~20k PQM in one go. I'll probably be back down to commoner in 2017. Wondering if I'll ever get past my previous high of Gold, or if it even matters in the current environment.

exerda

My most recent offers were 1.9 cpm for RDM, and upwards of 25 cpm for PQM.

Needless to say, I did not take any of them.

LaserSailor

15cpm for PQM all At kiosk

I am not near a threshold as I hit 4Mm this summer

RNE

Allow me to explain the error in your rationale. UA's system cannot "know [you] won't hit Gold." You could book and fly 20 PQMs easily in the remaining weeks of 2015. Indeed, even 1K is achievable if you were really hellbent on it. You could do so more easily with a few thousand Accelerator PQMs. While you may know you won't buy them, UA does not—and cannot—know that. Thus its offer.

skipmnyc

Purchased a ticket last night for a flight <500 miles. On the payment screen offered 3000 or 5000 PQM for 12.3cpm. I took the offer for 3000 miles. $369 all in.

PQMs have not shown up in my account yet. Called to find out what would happen if I cancelled the ticket for a full refund of $178. Agent on the 1K.com line assured me that because the T&C state that PQM purchases are non-refundable, the miles *will* post to the account, usually within 24hrs, even if I cancel the ticket.

I also checked the offer after ticketing was completed -- 5000 or 10000 miles for 15.3cpm. Less attractive in my situation, as I only needed 979 miles for 1K.

So this is an option some people might test -- making the PQM purchase during the ticketing process, not after ticketing is completed.

YMMV of course.

boil3rmaker

If you need a limited # of PQM's - I just had options for 1500 or 2000 from ORD-IND - priced at $0.123

Hope this helps someone.

RNE

It is helpful to know a low-mileage city pair. Thank you. Of course, the price may vary by person.

helvetic

This thread and wiki is useful for this: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-purchase.html

JCrew7384

@skipmnyc - Have your purchased PQMs posted yet? I purchased an award ticket for March 2016 on December 3. Ticket is confirmed. Miles still have not posted 4 days later. Although in no rush to cancel that ticket since its not until March. I am 5,000 miles short of requalifying for Platinum status. Was able to purchase 3,000 at 12.3 cents/mile and just bought a ticket that will get me the remaining 2,000 miles.

skipmnyc

No, they haven't. The RDMs show up in my activity statement, but the PQM balance has not changed. I'll be calling to get it corrected.

JCrew7384

Same. I will call them today to ensure those post. What are RDMs? The regular award miles? I don't see either in my activity.