(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2014 - Platinum
2015 - Gold


(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?... please expound in some detail FOR THE MOST RELEVANT TOP REASONS FOR YOU......

I actually was on track for platinum but then I had a baby in September so I basically didn't fly for 3 months and ended up about 20,000 miles short. Amazing what a little one will do to your willingness to do a run to HKG to re-qualify.

(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

My PQD was over $11k and I would expect roughly the same in 2015. I do mostly shorter flights so hitting the mileage mark is the rub for me. Hardest thing for me was finding flights that were not super expensive as on those I have to use the lower cost carrier and split my miles between other airlines since I travel for work.

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2013 GS>2014 GS> 2015 1K (with GS challenge which I will meet)

Did the status you earned from 2013 for 2014 change from 2014 to 2015? (may indicate trends)

(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?..
no change in 1K req.. not sure why drop from GS same miles, more $

(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

Not as 1K

(1) Same 1K status in 2015 as 2014.

(2) In 2014 I realized reasonable value from my 1K status, and with a few international trips I wanted to take, the $10K PQD was within reach. (In 2015 my RPUs and GPUs never clear on my transcon ps service schedule. I'm not seeing any additional value from 1K over Platinum, and $12K is more of a bump.)

(3) I booked W class to Istanbul in order to be eligible to apply GPUs. There was no "apply GPU" button for fare search (as we know), so I manually entered the desired fare classes. This forced me into W class on Turkish Airlines; the letters do not correspond to United fare classes, and this class earns no credit on United. Calling to complain, I was offered some token miles. When I allowed that my primary motivation was to improve the system, they neither improved the system nor actually posted the token miles. Snakes. Luckily, I made 1K again without this flight.

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2013 S>2014 S> 2015 no status (on 2/1/15)

(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?
Deferred transferring elite-qualifying miles until new year, to maximize duration of elite status (Gold from 2/10/15 through 1/31/17).

(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

No, this was a choice.

1. Same (Gold)

2. Flew required amount of miles and used CC waiver to waive PQD requirement

3. PQD waiver required an effort (making more purchases with the card that I would otherwise make with different card, for a better return).

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2014 - Platinum
2015 - Silver, now Gold because of 1MM in late January. I never really had Silver.


(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?... please expound in some detail FOR THE MOST RELEVANT TOP REASONS FOR YOU......

Less flying overall, and far less PQD.

(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

Yes, because of a drop in overall travel. Also, even if I hit Gold with annual BIS miles, I'd have been a long way away due to low PQD. Since 1MM was within easy reach by Jan 2015, I'm not that concerned with achieving status any more. I don't see work travel getting me to Plat, 1K, (or 2MM), and Gold works well enough most times.

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2014 - 1K
2015 - Gold


(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?... please expound in some detail FOR THE MOST RELEVANT TOP REASONS FOR YOU......

I did the AA challenge in fall 2013 (30k to get ExPlat) and transferred all of my travel to them. I found the value proposition was better for someone who travels primary with my own $, and has very tight business travel budget. I was 1K for 2013/14 and found the GPUs to be most valuable - Used them for travel to NRT, HKG, LHR, MUC and others. I thought the upcharge to a W was reasonable, as I specifically booked flights with R space to clear at booking. When I met the AA ExPlat challenge, I was able to upgrade any fare and saw the light - $750 fares to Asia were game for an SWU on AA, where a W on UA would be close to $1500. This paired with the change to a revenue system did it for me.


(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

Not really, I had around $3300 PQD and have Gold because of my Chase CC. I ended with 63k PQM and could have easily attained Plat if I wanted. I only have Gold because I booked a trip to DXB and many to various EU cities on the Widenroe deal.

1. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - 1K
2014 - GS
2015 - GS

2. For 2014, had 2 RTs to South America (UA metal) and 5 RTs to Kazakhstan (on UA metal to / from Europe, LH to / from KZ), all in BF.

3. I did not maintain GS the first try and had to request a "reconsider" which UA graciously awarded.

Platinum to Gold. Less travel.

1) '14 1k. '15 1k.

2) Didn't change. I considered abandoning UA when things were really bad but ultimately e+, sdc, and my huge bank of miles kept me sticky.

3) Did about 50k revenue miles on other metal in 14 due to UA's inability to maintain a schedule (which seems to be getting better). But made it without issue.

On pace to hit 1k in 16 without issue.

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2014 - Platinum (originally Gold but was less than 300 miles short of 75,000 so UA comped it)

2015 - Member

(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?... please expound in some detail FOR THE MOST RELEVANT TOP REASONS FOR YOU......

I knew I wasn't going to go after UA status in 2014 when the PQD requirements were announced in 2013 - by that time though I had completed my flying for the year, so couldn't switch right away. I used my foreign address but still had no way to get to 75,000 miles or the 90 segments required. Accomplishing it the year before was a 1 off for me. The new award chart that went live in February 2014 charging more for flying on partners vs. United and the subsequent switch to a revenue based system in earning award miles really sealed the deal for me and I was confident I made the right decision.

(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

No, as I wasn't attempting to earn any status last year.

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

Changed.

2014 1K> 2015 Gold.

I did not earn enough PQM to be Gold. Instead I was awarded gold due to my Million Miler status.


Did the status you earned from 2013 for 2014 change from 2014 to 2015? (may indicate trends)

2013 1K > 2014 1K > 2015 1K.

As my profile indicates, was 1K for several years: 2007 1K >...>2014 1K >2015 Gold. Prior to 2007, I was Premier Executive, from 1998 or 1997 through 2006. Before that, one or two years as Premier.


(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?... please expound in some detail FOR THE MOST RELEVANT TOP REASONS FOR YOU

- the 2013 award chart change: too many miles to redeem for LH F awards
- Z fares no longer eligible for GPU on LH metal
- introduction of P fares on LH and UA metal meant that prices that fared into D and C now fared into P and Z thus making it impossible to GPU on UA or LH metal. I remember the days when COS/BLR priced at $4K in Z or $5K in D and all four long haul segments upgraded.
- no more GPU at gate on LH metal. LH often doesn't release F upgrade inventory until 4 hours before flight time which is after the new cut off
- no PQM bonus for P on LH metal
- two fewer RPUs versus 4 CR1s
- domestic upgrade rate was poor
- PQDs were very complex on non UA metal and UA doesn't fly to a BLR.
- higher UC fees for lower quality product
- no chip and pin on UA credit cards
- wifi in UCs too hard to use
- due to boarding priority changes, too many times this 1K boarded to find no overhead space


(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

It would have been easy to make 1K status in 2014 for 2015. Just move two of my half dozen long haul business class round trips to UA ticket stock. I simply stopped caring about 1K status, earning M+ miles, and flying UA metal.

Is there an update of stats anticipated soon?

(1) If your status remained the same from 2014 to 2015 or changed on Feb, 1. 2015 (the status changeover date). (What is your status?)

2014 - Platinum
2015 - Gold (Lifetime 1M status)


(2) What were the reasons your status changed, or remained the same on Feb. 1 ?... please expound in some detail FOR THE MOST RELEVANT TOP REASONS FOR YOU......

Has become meaningless to attain status when they have literally taken all incentives of being an elite passenger.

a. PQD requirement of only UA ticket: I must be out of my mind to pay $200-500 more to buy UA ticket with LH or SA tickets of their metal is cheaper.
b. CPU/GPUs never clear, so why bother with status.
c. Their catering is the absolute pits. On the occasions I flew in F/C using my miles their catering was the absolute worst I have come across worldwide.
d. RJs, RJs, RJs...
e. SDC and protecting when there is an issue has also been whittled down.
f. More miles for * Alliance award tickets.

(3) Did you have any particular difficulties in maintaining or increasing your 2014 status for 2015?

Easily made more than 100k PQM but refused to play the PQD game. Now with miles based on $, the aim is to get the lowest number of miles to justify I have gotten the best deal and United the worst :)

All in all, enjoying a great life taking the most convenient flights without regards for status or miles earned.

1K to Platinum. Made the PQMs easily-- just could not justify the PQDs.

I am so disheartened by my local airline since UA is really the only game in town in NJ. At least it is, in Central NJ, where I live.

I have been buying first class seats of late. I think it will be cheaper and more beneficial to my psyche than looking for upgrades or doing MRs. This way I buy my first class ticket and I don't worry about if I will get upgraded . I hated worrying the whole time. It simply was not worth the aggravation. Life is too short!!