Jan 5, 2015, 11:45 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Previous thread -- Presidential Plus Card Changes
Related thread - General Questions re: MileagePlus Flex PQM
This legacy Chase credit card is not taking new applications. Compiled below is a comparison of current card-derived vs. status-derived benefits.
Overall, the current benefits of the PP and the replacement Club card are nearly identical. The key trade-off is increased redeemable mile (RDM) earnings with the Club card vs. FPQM with the PP card. Basically, the Club card earns an incremental 0.5 RDM / $1 vs. the PP card’s 0.2 PQM / $1. This sets a 2.5 RDM : $1 PQM ratio, which puts a price on PQMs earned this way at $0.025 to $0.050. Given that PQMs cost atleast $0.08 or more each if purchased early in the year via award accelerator, this is a pretty good deal for those who anticipate falling short of the upcoming year’s desired Silver / Gold / Platinum threshold.
Benefits unique to the PP card:
- 1000 FPQM per $5,000 spend (or 0.2 / $1)
- FPQMs are only valid for Premier Silver / Gold / Platinum status, expire 3 years after earning
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend (x2 hotel & rental cars for personal card, x2 restaurants, gas, office supplies for business card)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) waiver (no minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits unique to the Club card:
- 1.5 RDM / $1 card spend
- PQD waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits shared between PP and Club cards:
- $395 annual fee
- United club membership (vs. $450 1K/GS, $500 Platinum, $550 Gold, $550 Silver, $550 GM, +$550 with spouse)
-Waiver of 4 segment on United flights for Premier qualification (removed in 2020)
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- 2 free checked bags (vs. 1 Silver, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum)
- Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum
- Hertz Hertz President's Circle status (vs. Five Star for Premier Silver / Gold) (expiring 31 January 2023)
- CPU on award tickets
- No <21 day award booking fees (vs. $50 Silver, $25 Gold, $0 Platinum)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Concierge service
Benefits compared to Explorer card:
- only $95 annual fee
- only 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 companion
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend, +10,000 bonus after $25,000 card spend)
- 2 single-use club passes
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend)
Sources (accessed Jan 1, 2015):
Chase United Card Benefits
https://www.chase.com/online/Credit-...ewards-new.htm
United Premier Status Benefits
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx
United Premier Status Qualification Requirements
Premier status qualification requirements
Prior FlyerTalk thread on Presidential Plus card changes
Presidential Plus Card Changes
Based on post by pstrasma
Related thread - General Questions re: MileagePlus Flex PQM
This legacy Chase credit card is not taking new applications. Compiled below is a comparison of current card-derived vs. status-derived benefits.
Overall, the current benefits of the PP and the replacement Club card are nearly identical. The key trade-off is increased redeemable mile (RDM) earnings with the Club card vs. FPQM with the PP card. Basically, the Club card earns an incremental 0.5 RDM / $1 vs. the PP card’s 0.2 PQM / $1. This sets a 2.5 RDM : $1 PQM ratio, which puts a price on PQMs earned this way at $0.025 to $0.050. Given that PQMs cost atleast $0.08 or more each if purchased early in the year via award accelerator, this is a pretty good deal for those who anticipate falling short of the upcoming year’s desired Silver / Gold / Platinum threshold.
Benefits unique to the PP card:
- 1000 FPQM per $5,000 spend (or 0.2 / $1)
- FPQMs are only valid for Premier Silver / Gold / Platinum status, expire 3 years after earning
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend (x2 hotel & rental cars for personal card, x2 restaurants, gas, office supplies for business card)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) waiver (no minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits unique to the Club card:
- 1.5 RDM / $1 card spend
- PQD waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits shared between PP and Club cards:
- $395 annual fee
- United club membership (vs. $450 1K/GS, $500 Platinum, $550 Gold, $550 Silver, $550 GM, +$550 with spouse)
-
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- 2 free checked bags (vs. 1 Silver, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum)
- Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum
- Hertz Hertz President's Circle status (vs. Five Star for Premier Silver / Gold) (expiring 31 January 2023)
- CPU on award tickets
- No <21 day award booking fees (vs. $50 Silver, $25 Gold, $0 Platinum)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Concierge service
Benefits compared to Explorer card:
- only $95 annual fee
- only 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 companion
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend, +10,000 bonus after $25,000 card spend)
- 2 single-use club passes
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend)
Sources (accessed Jan 1, 2015):
Chase United Card Benefits
https://www.chase.com/online/Credit-...ewards-new.htm
United Premier Status Benefits
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx
United Premier Status Qualification Requirements
Premier status qualification requirements
Prior FlyerTalk thread on Presidential Plus card changes
Presidential Plus Card Changes
Based on post by pstrasma
PresidentialPlus credit card - Benefits, Q&A, .... (impact of 2019 & 2020 MP changes)
Jan 15, 2017, 7:49 am
#436
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: iah
Programs: United Premiere 1K, SW Companion, Marriott Titanium Elite lifetime, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 82
After all these years of being PP through this card I STILL do NOT understand best way to use my FPQM's! I think maybe I have just realized that I have been doing it wrong all along. About 5 or so years ago, the first year I was able to transfer my flex PQM to become Plat, I called in December and and a very helpful agent recommended that I wait till Jan as I did not have many paid flown miles to use towards the status upgrade and if I waited till Jan I would get 2 years out of the transfer status. So I have been doing the same ever since never realizing that it has cost me my 2 RPU's every other year...only realized that this year.
So currently I have already qualified for 2017 status (did this is 2016) and am now sitting on a ton of FPQM's getting ready to start expiring. See below.
order Flex PQM
balances Year
earned Expiration
date
1 85,681 2013 3/31/2017
2 275,000 2014 3/31/2018
3 197,000 2015 3/31/2019
4 95,000 2016 3/31/2020
5 20,376 Pre-2012 No expiration
I assume I should go ahead and get my 2018 status now...and cry next year when my 200K miles disappear after getting my 2019 status. Do I finally understand this correctly??!! And furthermore that going forward unless I need more miles for award travel, that I should not worry about manufacturing spend on my card over 75K a year.
Please confirm if I finally "get it" or am still "in the dark".
PS:as an aside I will never be 1K as we don't and will never have that much in paid flown miles.
So currently I have already qualified for 2017 status (did this is 2016) and am now sitting on a ton of FPQM's getting ready to start expiring. See below.
order Flex PQM
balances Year
earned Expiration
date
1 85,681 2013 3/31/2017
2 275,000 2014 3/31/2018
3 197,000 2015 3/31/2019
4 95,000 2016 3/31/2020
5 20,376 Pre-2012 No expiration
I assume I should go ahead and get my 2018 status now...and cry next year when my 200K miles disappear after getting my 2019 status. Do I finally understand this correctly??!! And furthermore that going forward unless I need more miles for award travel, that I should not worry about manufacturing spend on my card over 75K a year.
Please confirm if I finally "get it" or am still "in the dark".
PS:as an aside I will never be 1K as we don't and will never have that much in paid flown miles.
Jan 15, 2017, 11:19 am
#437
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
We're in the same shoes and my last year of having this issue was 2017. You should have changed to an 1.5x card like the clubcard or freedom unlimited now if you're still interested into UA miles.
Yes so you're going to lose 10681 PQM's in 2017, 200k in 2018, etc.
Stop using this card, and put it in an drawer.
Does UA Plat really matter to you that much? For me it doesn't really anymore these years. I think UA silver is enough if you're just interested into premier access, lounge access (from CC), and premier phone support. Mariott plat gives you that.
Yes so you're going to lose 10681 PQM's in 2017, 200k in 2018, etc.
Stop using this card, and put it in an drawer.
Does UA Plat really matter to you that much? For me it doesn't really anymore these years. I think UA silver is enough if you're just interested into premier access, lounge access (from CC), and premier phone support. Mariott plat gives you that.
Jan 15, 2017, 1:21 pm
#438
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
If you earn at least 75k FPQM's per year on the PP card, then yes, it makes sense to move them every year in order to get the 2 RPU's every year. But that's an edge case: for anyone that earns less than that, it takes only half that amount to be Platinum continuously, as you need only 75k every other year, as the agent described to you above, with the only reduction in benefits is getting your two RPU's every other year.
Above 75k FPQM's per year, there's no reason to keep spend on the PP card. As TennisNoob already said, switch to a 1.5x card past that point. Actually, I'd say to do so for spend past the 37.5k FPQM point. Doing so there instead of at 75k will give you an extra 187,500 redeemable miles every two years, which I think most would say is far more valuable than 2 RPU's.
Above 75k FPQM's per year, there's no reason to keep spend on the PP card. As TennisNoob already said, switch to a 1.5x card past that point. Actually, I'd say to do so for spend past the 37.5k FPQM point. Doing so there instead of at 75k will give you an extra 187,500 redeemable miles every two years, which I think most would say is far more valuable than 2 RPU's.
Jan 16, 2017, 8:24 am
#439
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 957
If you earn at least 75k FPQM's per year on the PP card, then yes, it makes sense to move them every year in order to get the 2 RPU's every year. But that's an edge case: for anyone that earns less than that, it takes only half that amount to be Platinum continuously, as you need only 75k every other year, as the agent described to you above, with the only reduction in benefits is getting your two RPU's every other year.
Above 75k FPQM's per year, there's no reason to keep spend on the PP card. As TennisNoob already said, switch to a 1.5x card past that point. Actually, I'd say to do so for spend past the 37.5k FPQM point. Doing so there instead of at 75k will give you an extra 187,500 redeemable miles every two years, which I think most would say is far more valuable than 2 RPU's.
Above 75k FPQM's per year, there's no reason to keep spend on the PP card. As TennisNoob already said, switch to a 1.5x card past that point. Actually, I'd say to do so for spend past the 37.5k FPQM point. Doing so there instead of at 75k will give you an extra 187,500 redeemable miles every two years, which I think most would say is far more valuable than 2 RPU's.
Jan 16, 2017, 8:46 am
#440
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: iah
Programs: United Premiere 1K, SW Companion, Marriott Titanium Elite lifetime, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 82
Tend to agree, though completely depends on travel. For someone like myself, platinum is huge. I take my family and extended family on at least three trips every year, and the $ saved and convenience of group 1 boarding and ability to use 8 E+ seats on each flight is huge. RPU's mean nothing to me- almost never use them- but platinum does.
I am hoping to get some understanding and usage of the RPU's - been reading everything I can online and still not getting much clarity though.
The last time I had these was 2 years ago and it was easy to apply it to our paid reservation at that time. Now I am like a fish out of water and don't even know where to start! Was hoping to use for a possible Hawaii trip return home (am I dreaming?) It would be a manufactured trip LOL so doesn't need to be Hawaii, just seemed to be best return on the RPU.
Please feel free to redirect this RPU question post to the correct forum if there is one.
Jan 23, 2017, 11:35 pm
#441
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 243
the best use of RPU is EWR-HNL or if in lie flat, IAD, IAH, DEN, or ORD. Maybe Den-LIH if you can find a lie flat.
To figure out if an RPU will work, in united when you search for the flights, see if there are R class available. If R is available the upgrade will clear. if it is not, you will be on the waitlist.
To figure out if an RPU will work, in united when you search for the flights, see if there are R class available. If R is available the upgrade will clear. if it is not, you will be on the waitlist.
Jan 24, 2017, 5:31 am
#442
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: iah
Programs: United Premiere 1K, SW Companion, Marriott Titanium Elite lifetime, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 82
the best use of RPU is EWR-HNL or if in lie flat, IAD, IAH, DEN, or ORD. Maybe Den-LIH if you can find a lie flat.
To figure out if an RPU will work, in united when you search for the flights, see if there are R class available. If R is available the upgrade will clear. if it is not, you will be on the waitlist.
To figure out if an RPU will work, in united when you search for the flights, see if there are R class available. If R is available the upgrade will clear. if it is not, you will be on the waitlist.
Steps:
1-use expert mode
2-select award type - RPU available
3-on each flight that says a monetary amount + 1 RPU - open details and see if R is available
So far so good??
Thus far all flights I've checked show R0.
Am I missing anything else?
I have 4 RPU's and am looking for 2 round trips (but would be happy with RPU usage on return flight only from Hawaii). Is it better to search one ways rather than round trips?
Also I have a SW companion so can pretty easily get to a lot of other airports cheaply - would I be better off looking from a place other than IAH?
And lastly since you mentioned it and hopefully this is not too dumb a question - how can one be sure if a certain flight has lie flat seats?
Do I also need to study each of the plane configs or is it easier than that?
Thank you so much for your help!
admin - please feel free to direct this to RPU usage forum as I have no idea how to do that.
Jan 24, 2017, 6:11 am
#444
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
Jan 25, 2017, 3:08 am
#446
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 243
Thank you. I have gotten this far finally! Please confirm I am doing everything right! (I am IAH based.)
Steps:
1-use expert mode
2-select award type - RPU available
3-on each flight that says a monetary amount + 1 RPU - open details and see if R is available
So far so good??
Thus far all flights I've checked show R0.
Am I missing anything else?
I have 4 RPU's and am looking for 2 round trips (but would be happy with RPU usage on return flight only from Hawaii). Is it better to search one ways rather than round trips?
Also I have a SW companion so can pretty easily get to a lot of other airports cheaply - would I be better off looking from a place other than IAH?
And lastly since you mentioned it and hopefully this is not too dumb a question - how can one be sure if a certain flight has lie flat seats?
Do I also need to study each of the plane configs or is it easier than that?
Thank you so much for your help!
admin - please feel free to direct this to RPU usage forum as I have no idea how to do that.
Steps:
1-use expert mode
2-select award type - RPU available
3-on each flight that says a monetary amount + 1 RPU - open details and see if R is available
So far so good??
Thus far all flights I've checked show R0.
Am I missing anything else?
I have 4 RPU's and am looking for 2 round trips (but would be happy with RPU usage on return flight only from Hawaii). Is it better to search one ways rather than round trips?
Also I have a SW companion so can pretty easily get to a lot of other airports cheaply - would I be better off looking from a place other than IAH?
And lastly since you mentioned it and hopefully this is not too dumb a question - how can one be sure if a certain flight has lie flat seats?
Do I also need to study each of the plane configs or is it easier than that?
Thank you so much for your help!
admin - please feel free to direct this to RPU usage forum as I have no idea how to do that.
sounds about right. Its not a surprise there are R0 on every flight. If space opens up on these routes its like maybe 3 days out. I have found that my RPUs usually do clear but I purposefully pick flights with lots of space in first for the best chance of R space opening up.
Lie flat you have to check the seat map... But pretty much any 767 and most 777s have them now. There are a few 757s as well from DEN-LIH with them.
Jan 27, 2017, 1:31 pm
#447
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Wow I received the annual flyer from the PP card today and what garbage they value this card now. I remember we used to get an fancy Black shiny bubble mailer with an whole booklet of catalogues (I threw away) but at least it cost them an bit.
Today received an blue envelope instead
Today received an blue envelope instead
Jan 27, 2017, 1:41 pm
#448
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA MileagePlus Premier Platinum
Posts: 1,352
Wow I received the annual flyer from the PP card today and what garbage they value this card now. I remember we used to get an fancy Black shiny bubble mailer with an whole booklet of catalogues (I threw away) but at least it cost them an bit.
Today received an blue envelope instead
Today received an blue envelope instead
Jan 27, 2017, 4:18 pm
#449
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: 66,764
Wow I received the annual flyer from the PP card today and what garbage they value this card now. I remember we used to get an fancy Black shiny bubble mailer with an whole booklet of catalogues (I threw away) but at least it cost them an bit.
Today received an blue envelope instead
Today received an blue envelope instead
Unless you value expensive trash over inexpensive trash.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 27, 2017 at 7:10 pm Reason: spellchecker shenanigans
Jan 27, 2017, 6:14 pm
#450
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
