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, ....
Oct 22, 2019, 11:19 am
#766
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, IHG Silver, Hilton Silver, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite, Avis PC
Posts: 1,308
Oct 24, 2019, 5:42 pm
#767
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Platinum, Starbucks Gold, PF Chang's Warrior, Wine Century 100
Posts: 1,108
For anyone else seeking to file a price protection claim (before the November 17, 2019 deadline), the website is https://www.cardbenefitservices.com
Don't waste your time calling them.
Oct 25, 2019, 4:58 pm
#768
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,826
I'm a History major, albeit wiith an MBA, so apologies if my math is fuzzy.
Our legacy cards earned .25 PQM per dollar spent and 1 RDM; i.e. Silver "cost" $100k of spending with Gold 2x and Plat 3x more expensive.
Under the new program our cards will earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent, and PQPs expire at the end of the year earned.
Silver will cost 5k PQPs, which implies 500*10=$120,000 of credit card spend with higher levels commensurately more expensive.
The implication is an effective 20% devaluation of credit card spend for elite status. While no customer is happy with that, since the last Presidential Plus EQM reset in 2010 inflation has been about 17% so actually not that bad especially for those of us with relatively low annual fees.
Interesting tidbit: apparently when the PP card was launched in 2006 it was 2k FEQMs for each $15k spent with a yearly cap and reset. This would imply $187.5k of spend for Silver status, or far more than even under the new program. (Shh don't tell United.) Not surprising that four years later they changed the ratio to make greater wallet share more appealing.
PS: Also, I don't think we have a word yet on what happens if someone spends, say $18k on a PP: will they get 500 PQPs, 750 PQPs or 500 PQPs + $6k of spend that would roll over into the next year.
PPS: The Chase Southwest Visa Priority gives 1.5k tier qualifying points per $10k spent, and 35k points for A-list which is their status that is somewhere between UA Silver and Gold of benefits. Think this implies $233,333 of spend for A-list.
So---I'm not happy about this changes, especially around lounge access, but think that overall they are an "enhancement" that is negative, but not evil.
Our legacy cards earned .25 PQM per dollar spent and 1 RDM; i.e. Silver "cost" $100k of spending with Gold 2x and Plat 3x more expensive.
Under the new program our cards will earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent, and PQPs expire at the end of the year earned.
Silver will cost 5k PQPs, which implies 500*10=$120,000 of credit card spend with higher levels commensurately more expensive.
The implication is an effective 20% devaluation of credit card spend for elite status. While no customer is happy with that, since the last Presidential Plus EQM reset in 2010 inflation has been about 17% so actually not that bad especially for those of us with relatively low annual fees.
Interesting tidbit: apparently when the PP card was launched in 2006 it was 2k FEQMs for each $15k spent with a yearly cap and reset. This would imply $187.5k of spend for Silver status, or far more than even under the new program. (Shh don't tell United.) Not surprising that four years later they changed the ratio to make greater wallet share more appealing.
PS: Also, I don't think we have a word yet on what happens if someone spends, say $18k on a PP: will they get 500 PQPs, 750 PQPs or 500 PQPs + $6k of spend that would roll over into the next year.
PPS: The Chase Southwest Visa Priority gives 1.5k tier qualifying points per $10k spent, and 35k points for A-list which is their status that is somewhere between UA Silver and Gold of benefits. Think this implies $233,333 of spend for A-list.
So---I'm not happy about this changes, especially around lounge access, but think that overall they are an "enhancement" that is negative, but not evil.
Oct 26, 2019, 9:17 am
#769
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PGD
Programs: AS 100K, DL DM 1MM, UA 1MM
Posts: 437
Presidental Plus Credit Card - Are You Dropping It?
With all the changes to MileagePlus for next year and the change to requiring a same-day United flight for Club access, I'm curious what other folks plan to do with their Presidential Plus Card.
Are you renewing yours? Or are you dropping it?
Why?
Are you renewing yours? Or are you dropping it?
Why?
Oct 26, 2019, 10:13 am
#770
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS (1MM), DL Gold, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Avis CC
Posts: 526
No - I get that the perks are getting a bit softened, but the need to use a UC while flying another airline has happened maybe once in the last 3 years. Don't really spend enough that qualifying for status was going to happen through card spend. PQD waiver was nice, but I earned 1MM lifetime Gold status this year so not worried about that anymore.
Basically, I pay $450 a year and get a UC membership, a handful of miles, and some decent credit card coverage with Chase. I'm not going anywhere.
Basically, I pay $450 a year and get a UC membership, a handful of miles, and some decent credit card coverage with Chase. I'm not going anywhere.
Oct 26, 2019, 12:00 pm
#771
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 19
I apologize if this has been covered. I saw some people were cancelling the Presidential Plus card. I have a Presidential Plus card, which for years allowed me to earn PQMs. Under the new FF changes, is it safe to say that this card is a now a total waste. It did come in handy for those years that I would not make 1K, as I could still make platinum. Now I really don’t see a benefit, but I may be wrong. Thanks.
Oct 27, 2019, 8:47 am
#772
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 529
Sometimes people ask if they were offered anything when they cancelled their card. I called to cancel this card a week ago. I was not offered any discount or anything to keep the card. Not that I would have accepted anything less than a completely free card. Goodbye Presidential Plus.
Oct 27, 2019, 2:05 pm
#773
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Prisoner of EWR
Programs: Lifetime AA Plat, UA status-less after 15 years
Posts: 153
Its basically a discounted United Club membership card at this point. And just about every UC is filthy and crowded and just not worth it for me anymore.
I actually made myself laugh... 500 PQP for every $12,000 spent. Plat is 12,000 PQP. Therefore, getting Plat with PQP on the PP card cost $288,000 in spend. I could fly first class all year for that. Its just dumb. But even better, is that they now seem to allow 1K via PP PQP, which would cost $432,000 in spend. A downpayment on a Gulfstream.....
I'm FREE after years of caring about FFPs
There simply ZERO value in the PP card now.
Oct 27, 2019, 2:21 pm
#774
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA MileagePlus Premier Platinum
Posts: 1,363
You actually got it wrong, it's the opposite! It's cheaper to get to Plat with the new system. With FPQM, the current system, it costs you $375,000 to get to Plat. The new system is actually $87,000 cheaper!
Oct 27, 2019, 2:48 pm
#775
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Prisoner of EWR
Programs: Lifetime AA Plat, UA status-less after 15 years
Posts: 153
I held out till now. Had the PP card since it was actually a Continental product. Oh well.
Free at last
Oct 27, 2019, 11:56 pm
#776
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferably waiting for takeoff
Programs: AA EXP, MVPG, DL Silver, United Silver, Accor Platinum, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 458
No - I get that the perks are getting a bit softened, but the need to use a UC while flying another airline has happened maybe once in the last 3 years. Don't really spend enough that qualifying for status was going to happen through card spend. PQD waiver was nice, but I earned 1MM lifetime Gold status this year so not worried about that anymore.
Basically, I pay $450 a year and get a UC membership, a handful of miles, and some decent credit card coverage with Chase. I'm not going anywhere.
Basically, I pay $450 a year and get a UC membership, a handful of miles, and some decent credit card coverage with Chase. I'm not going anywhere.
Oct 28, 2019, 11:02 am
#777
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,763
Dropping it. Just read their snail mail update and its simply the most confusing thing I've ever read, short of warning labels on highly toxic pharmaceuticals......
Its basically a discounted United Club membership card at this point. And just about every UC is filthy and crowded and just not worth it for me anymore.
I actually made myself laugh... 500 PQP for every $12,000 spent. Plat is 12,000 PQP. Therefore, getting Plat with PQP on the PP card cost $288,000 in spend. I could fly first class all year for that. Its just dumb. But even better, is that they now seem to allow 1K via PP PQP, which would cost $432,000 in spend. A downpayment on a Gulfstream.....
I'm FREE after years of caring about FFPs
There simply ZERO value in the PP card now.
Its basically a discounted United Club membership card at this point. And just about every UC is filthy and crowded and just not worth it for me anymore.
I actually made myself laugh... 500 PQP for every $12,000 spent. Plat is 12,000 PQP. Therefore, getting Plat with PQP on the PP card cost $288,000 in spend. I could fly first class all year for that. Its just dumb. But even better, is that they now seem to allow 1K via PP PQP, which would cost $432,000 in spend. A downpayment on a Gulfstream.....
I'm FREE after years of caring about FFPs
There simply ZERO value in the PP card now.
Oct 28, 2019, 12:48 pm
#778
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1.65M , Platinum, 1K Emeritus, UC Lifetime , HHonors Gold, Presidential Plus card holder
Posts: 704
I have no intention of giving up this card. In the years I have had it, it has helped me jump a level roughly 2 out of every 3 years. The waiver has been effective almost every year as well.
I am nearly 500k miles away from 2MM so this card can still get me to Platinum, just not as often.
I am nearly 500k miles away from 2MM so this card can still get me to Platinum, just not as often.
Oct 29, 2019, 5:32 pm
#779
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 6
Presidential Plus Card Spending to Reach 1K (Compare to Delta)
I am a huge United Presidential Card spender and a moderate flyer. Based on my reading of the new 2020 rules for the Presidential Plus Credit Card commencing in 2020 no matter how much one spends on the card annually - even 1,000,000 (which I have done and which UA has made a ton of $$$ from) - the max PQP is capped at 10k. One needs 24k PQP for 1K (without having to obtain PQF's). That is crazy based on the revenue UA receives from very high Chase card spenders. Even if one can obtain additional PQP's from using the only two two UA cards that allow PQP to be applied to 1K as some on this forum have suggested (not even clear to me if UA would allow that) - those two other cards are capped at only 3k PQP per card again no matter how much spending is generated on those two other cards. Thus, even if I have all three - and spends millions on them - the max PQP is 10K plus 3k plus 3k = 16k PQP's well short of 1K status. Compare to Delta - spend 250k on their card and one gets top tier Diamond status with no other requirements. How can UA be so uncompetitive with Delta? UA says that the new changes were supposed to make the program more rewarding and beneficial but it seems to be going in the opposite direction.
Oct 29, 2019, 7:19 pm
#780
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Frozen in Carbonite
Programs: UA Aluminum 0.6MM, Bonvoy Life Sentence, Hyatt Eliteist, AA Super Plutonium
Posts: 2,878
I have no intention of giving up this card. In the years I have had it, it has helped me jump a level roughly 2 out of every 3 years. The waiver has been effective almost every year as well.
I am nearly 500k miles away from 2MM so this card can still get me to Platinum, just not as often.
I am nearly 500k miles away from 2MM so this card can still get me to Platinum, just not as often.