Feb 6, 2015, 3:38 am
Last edit by: mkr
THIS IS A THREAD FOR WHICH ALL MP MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO RESPOND ...THANKS.
The goal of the survey is to benefit all of us.
This thread is to ask ALL MileagePlus members who read the MileagePlus Forum to please respond to this
short 3 question survey. It will only take a few minutes..
PLEASE PM YOUR MP FTer FRIENDS TO ASK THEM TO ALSO POST IN THIS SURVEY....THANKS.
This thread is to ask ALL MileagePlus members who read the MileagePlus Forum to please respond to this
short 3 question survey. It will only take a few minutes..
PLEASE PM YOUR MP FTer FRIENDS TO ASK THEM TO ALSO POST IN THIS SURVEY....THANKS.
The 3 questions are in Post #1
WIKI UPDATED FEBRUARY 24 (already over 160 posts)
PLEASE READ THIS WIKI AND POST #1 BEFORE RESPONDING TO THIS SURVEY. THANKS.
WE NEED YOUR INPUT....PLEASE TAKE PART.
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE WHO HAS ALREADY RESPONDED, KINDLY CHECK YOUR POST TO MAKE SURE YOUR REASONS FOR SEEKING THE STATUS LEVEL YOU ARE SEEKING ARE CLEAR IN QUESTION #3. KINDLY CONSIDER EDITING, IF NEEDED. THIS IS TO HELP IN GATHERING OF DATA FOR THE SURVEY, TO BENEFIT US ALL. THANK YOU.
The data will be compiled and posted in this WIKI after approximately each 100 respondants during the year to keep it simple for someone (me) who has trouble figuring out where Boarding Line 1 is
DATA WILL BE UPDATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WIKI
UA monitors these threads. They will not release their statistics on MP membership changes, so let us work together to compile our own data.
PURPOSE OF SURVEY
The aim is to get a very large number of data points in the coming weeks/months to see percentages of those who are planning on dropping, maintaining, or increasing in status through their 2015 earnings activity for 2016 status in MP because of many reasons.
The survey asks persons to state their individual reasons for their 2015 plans for attaining a certain status level for 2016. The survey will determine in a objective, structured, measurable and efficient way, what are persons' experiences in flying on UA in light of various changes in the MileagePlus program or other UA flying experiences that have affected the amount of flying they plan to do on UA in 2015. This MAY affect their planned Premier status. Kindly PM your UA FTer friends to ask them to post in this survey. Thanks.
YOU MAY NOT YET KNOW YOUR SPECIFIC PLANS FOR 2015, ie, number flights within the USA or number of TATL flights you plan to take, etc., but please at least post your general plans...like, "I am Platinum but plan to reduce to Gold for 2016." OR, "I am Gold and plan to keep Gold status." Post the minimum status you know you will likely achieve, even if that may just be GM. Then expound on how you plan to do that and your reasons for seeking or not seeking a certain status level.
Later in the year when you have a better idea of your travel plans, you can come back and post again in this thread, referring back to your original post, so your second post will make it clear that you are not a new person responding.... (AN EXAMPLE FUTURE POST: A POST ON APRIL 10: "I posted on Feb. 10 [QUOTE POST] now I am amending my post... (1)I was Gold on Feb. 10 and estimated I would reach 1K status for 2016. (2) I now realize I will only reach Platinum through the following planned flying on UA....XX TATL flights, XX Domestic (3) I no longer plan to reach 1K, as my travel on UA will be cut and I will not reach the required PQMs for 1K. I am shifting XX% flying to AA and doing a status match. 1K on UA is not valuable to me anymore BECAUSE....state reasons,compared to other airlines.")
(There is another thread to ask persons if their status decreased, stayed the same, or increased from 2014-2015. Please also respond to that survey.) Thanks. [Survey] From 2014-15 Did your MP Status Increase, Decrease, or remain the same? The data from that survey will be compiled and reported in that thread.
PLEASE READ POST #1 before responding to this present survey for 2015. Thank you.
Since the PQD requirements have increased in 2015 for earning 2016 Premier Status for all Premier levels
($3,000/$6,000/$9,000/$12,000)
AND since the requirements for earning Reward Mileage is changing on March 1, 2015, this a survey of ALL FTers who belong to MileagePlus about plans for achieving 2016 status throughout 2015.
There has been speculation in this Forum that increases in PQDs for earning 2016 status and the changes in earning Reward miles beginning March 1 may significantly reduce those seeking particular Premier status for 2016. Many other reasons have also been cited in other threads in this Forum for persons reducing their flying on UA in favor of other carriers.
The goal of the survey is to also see if any trends become evident in regards to persons reducing, keeping, or increasing their status in MileagePlus over the course of the next few weeks/months....as well as to see if any trends emerge for reasons given,
It will take just a few minutes for you to respond. THANKS AGAIN FOR TAKING PART.
Statistics will be updated occasionally during the year in this WIKI when a significant number of persons respond to the survey.
Please read Post #1 before responding to this survey. Thank you.
FIRST DATA REPORT FEB. 17
It is very early in the year and not all persons have their specific travel plans for the year. There are many 1Ks who fly enough each year that they already know they will make the requirements and several already have several trips booked, so they have been able to respond to the survey.
I am asking persons to estimate the status they will attain, as some have done, based upon a general idea of the travel they will likely have. People can come back later in the year to amend their plans in this thread when they have a better idea.
Some persons are very clear in their reasons why they will attain certain status. Some persons are making statements like..." I will make somewhere between Gold and Platinum."
When persons make vague statements like that, I take the conservative measure and project the lower status. When I can take some time to see if any trends emerge for reasons, I will update that information. Several have made statements alluding to the increased PQDs and RDM changes, but I noticed no real trend emerging in the early life of this survey.
I do wish persons would go back to their posts to edit and give some clearer reasons for why they are keeping, dropping, or increasing status. That will be more helpful for the survey results to see if any identifiable trends are emerging.
Some persons would not commit to any particular status for 2016, so I did not count them. I am going to clarify in the instructions for the thread to see if persons will commit to the lowest status they likely will achieve in MP for 2016. If you post in the future, please commit to the lowest status you will likely have in MP.
DATA
SO...for the first 100 respondants reported in this survey, here is the breakdown:3 GS, 52 1k, 13P, 24G, 6S, 2GM.
33/100 report they plan a drop in status from 2015-2016. 62 report they plan to maintain status. 5 report they plan to increase status.
All 3 GS feel they will keep it.
35 1Ks report they will maintain 1K. 5 1Ks report they will drop to Platinum.
11 1Ks report they will drop to Gold or below
(several will maintain Gold through MM status) 1 1K aims for GS
3 Platinums report they will retain Platinum.
9 Platinums report they plan to drop to Gold.
(several will maintain G through MM...I will report later)
1 Platinum reports increasing to 1K
18 Golds report they will retain Gold ( several are MM...I will report this later)
4 Golds report they will drop to Silver. 1 Gold will drop to GM
1 Gold will increase to 1K
3 Silvers will retain Silver, 3 will drop to GM
1GM will aim for Silver, 1 for Gold
PLEASE READ POST #1 BEFORE RESPONDING TO THIS SURVEY. THANKS.
[2015] Version: Survey of plans you have in 2015 for earning 2016 Premier status.
Feb 2, 2015, 3:22 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
(1) What is your MP Premier Status on UA right now?
1K.
2015 so far I 16,000 PQMs / $1800 PQDs
I'll re-qualify for 1K at the end of June.
(2) What are your plans for earning MP Premier status for 2016?
LX F, LH F x 2, UA NYC-SIN-NYC J GPU'd MR booked plus some other TATL/PAC UA J between now and July. Probably hit 130-140 PQMs EOY.
(3) What are your reasons for seeking or not seeking certain status on UA (ie, PQDs too high for you, company policies, plans to increase flying on other carriers, UA meets your needs, etc.)
I like getting the GPUs as I am pretty flexible by being able to plan/use them in advance so it has worked out well. I usually only do p.s. coast to coast so the RPUs are nice as well. Very little domestic so CPU rates aren't that big for me if I am not already booking F.
Even as others cry "gutted" MP award program the award miles and use have treated me well so far.
1K.
2015 so far I 16,000 PQMs / $1800 PQDs
I'll re-qualify for 1K at the end of June.
(2) What are your plans for earning MP Premier status for 2016?
LX F, LH F x 2, UA NYC-SIN-NYC J GPU'd MR booked plus some other TATL/PAC UA J between now and July. Probably hit 130-140 PQMs EOY.
(3) What are your reasons for seeking or not seeking certain status on UA (ie, PQDs too high for you, company policies, plans to increase flying on other carriers, UA meets your needs, etc.)
I like getting the GPUs as I am pretty flexible by being able to plan/use them in advance so it has worked out well. I usually only do p.s. coast to coast so the RPUs are nice as well. Very little domestic so CPU rates aren't that big for me if I am not already booking F.
Even as others cry "gutted" MP award program the award miles and use have treated me well so far.
Feb 2, 2015, 3:30 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, Bonvoy Titanium & LTP, HH Gold, Accor Silver, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 2,350
(1) What is your MP Premier Status on UA right now?
1K.
(2) What are your plans for earning MP Premier status for 2016?
Will hit 50K PQM's by mid-Feb, and could hit 1K as soon as early June. No doubts about hitting 1K this year thanks to the big front-loading of the years travel.
(3) What are your reasons for seeking or not seeking certain status on UA (ie, PQDs too high for you, company policies, plans to increase flying on other carriers, UA meets your needs, etc.)
UA is consistently good to me and my family when we travel. Crews on my usual routes are almost always very good, and I sleep really well in the rear-facing C seats. Throw in the route network out of SFO, and it really is a no-brainer.
1K.
(2) What are your plans for earning MP Premier status for 2016?
Will hit 50K PQM's by mid-Feb, and could hit 1K as soon as early June. No doubts about hitting 1K this year thanks to the big front-loading of the years travel.
(3) What are your reasons for seeking or not seeking certain status on UA (ie, PQDs too high for you, company policies, plans to increase flying on other carriers, UA meets your needs, etc.)
UA is consistently good to me and my family when we travel. Crews on my usual routes are almost always very good, and I sleep really well in the rear-facing C seats. Throw in the route network out of SFO, and it really is a no-brainer.
Feb 2, 2015, 3:30 pm
#18
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: San Jose CA (SFO)
Programs: UA, TSA-Pre, Global Entry
Posts: 148
1. 1K
2. 1K. I will earn this through business travel. 2-4 trips to Europe, 6-8 trips to Asia. 2-8 domestic trips.
3. I need to fly for work. I'm SFO/SJC based. UA has the best schedule/price for me and my company.
2. 1K. I will earn this through business travel. 2-4 trips to Europe, 6-8 trips to Asia. 2-8 domestic trips.
3. I need to fly for work. I'm SFO/SJC based. UA has the best schedule/price for me and my company.
Feb 2, 2015, 5:04 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
1. Gold
2. Expect to be back at 1K
3. 90% of my flights are domestic and for work. With a UA corporate contract (and lack of one with AA) plus the convenience from ORD, I don't really have a better option.
2. Expect to be back at 1K
3. 90% of my flights are domestic and for work. With a UA corporate contract (and lack of one with AA) plus the convenience from ORD, I don't really have a better option.
Feb 2, 2015, 7:37 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 504
(1) What is your MP Premier Status on UA right now?
Platinum (up from Gold in 2014)
(2) What are your plans for earning MP Premier status for 2016?
Gold/Platinum
(3) What are your reasons for seeking or not seeking certain status on UA (ie, PQDs too high for you, company policies, plans to increase flying on other carriers, UA meets your needs, etc.)
Travel plans don't currently have me flying as much this year. if I hit gold and plat is questionable I might use that as an excuse to finally try AA/DAL. If my flying plans increase I'll probably hit Plat then make that decision (No way I hit the required PQD for 1k - I don't buy basement fares but I still don't hit 12k PQD - most of my flying is domestic transcon and not last minute international). That said, I haven't experienced as much of the negative as I tend not to fly heavy business hours so being a gold/plat has been OK - though not as great as in the past obviously (and obviously not as great as when I was a 1k). So I know i want to maintain at least gold
Platinum (up from Gold in 2014)
(2) What are your plans for earning MP Premier status for 2016?
Gold/Platinum
(3) What are your reasons for seeking or not seeking certain status on UA (ie, PQDs too high for you, company policies, plans to increase flying on other carriers, UA meets your needs, etc.)
Travel plans don't currently have me flying as much this year. if I hit gold and plat is questionable I might use that as an excuse to finally try AA/DAL. If my flying plans increase I'll probably hit Plat then make that decision (No way I hit the required PQD for 1k - I don't buy basement fares but I still don't hit 12k PQD - most of my flying is domestic transcon and not last minute international). That said, I haven't experienced as much of the negative as I tend not to fly heavy business hours so being a gold/plat has been OK - though not as great as in the past obviously (and obviously not as great as when I was a 1k). So I know i want to maintain at least gold
Feb 2, 2015, 8:37 pm
#24
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
1) Gold.
2) Rely on my MM status.
3) Flying (as a passenger) just isn't fun any more.
2) Rely on my MM status.
3) Flying (as a passenger) just isn't fun any more.
Feb 2, 2015, 8:57 pm
#26
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: United 1MM
Posts: 318
(1) 1K
(2) Most likely Gold, with an outside chance for Platinum. Most likely all miles will be earned on 3 AU-US roundtrips to/from MEL and EWR (64K EQMs). Two are work trips, and the third will either be work or personal. I will also do a decent amount of traveling within the US on two of the trips, which may be how I might get the additional 11K EQMs need to make 75K EQM.
(3) I live in Australia, so PQDs do not affect me. I also cannot fly domestically and earn UA miles, which would be nice. The new RDM policy is limiting my travel for sure. I hope to make 1MM by late 2017 or mid 2018, and if AA still has its current RDM policy, I'm jumping ship and just using miles for UA/*A flights.
I estimate that I will earn about 40% of the RDMs after the policy change than I do right now. The reason is due to the length of the MEL-LAX-EWR trip, which is my usual flight. It's about 21,274 BIS miles roundtrip. For a 1K to earn the equivalent RDMs with the change, that ticket would need to cost USD $3868 + taxes (so about 4K all up). That may be at or close to a full fare Y ticket. You wouldn't need to buy full fare Y's to match the old and new RDMs if you flew ORD-EWR. Put simply, as many here have recognised: The new system really penalises long haul travellers that are not in paid C or F. It penalises transcons a lot as well. The longer the flight, the chances are you are more worse off.
My status has only been 1K in two of the last 11 years and the rest Gold and Platinum (one year, and another year a 1P but with over 75K EQM). I probably average 65K BIS each year on UA/*A, so a drop to Gold is not something that is unusual for me.
I have 1 million RDMs to burn, and once I hit 1MM in possibly late 2017, I plan to not pay for any personal flights on UA anymore and start using those miles instead. I hope to move all my work trips to Qantas/AA and OneWorld, where I was before switching to UA/*A in 2004. That, of course, assumes AA keeps it's current RDM-earning policy.
I have been very loyal to UA the past 11 years, as have many many others on here. There haven't been many improvements (e.g, no IFE for 10 years on the SYD-LAX/SFO flights until they finally switched to the 777's and 787-900). Same crappy E seats that hurt your bum after a 15 hour flight. Even budget airlines like Virgin and Jetstar in Australia have better seats! Freakin' Jetstar!! Seriously! Come on!
If I were at 600K lifetime miles, I wouldn't even be bothering and I'd jump ship now. At 800K, I figure I'm close enough, and lifetime Gold seems worth another 3 1/2 years of getting Smi$ek'd.
(2) Most likely Gold, with an outside chance for Platinum. Most likely all miles will be earned on 3 AU-US roundtrips to/from MEL and EWR (64K EQMs). Two are work trips, and the third will either be work or personal. I will also do a decent amount of traveling within the US on two of the trips, which may be how I might get the additional 11K EQMs need to make 75K EQM.
(3) I live in Australia, so PQDs do not affect me. I also cannot fly domestically and earn UA miles, which would be nice. The new RDM policy is limiting my travel for sure. I hope to make 1MM by late 2017 or mid 2018, and if AA still has its current RDM policy, I'm jumping ship and just using miles for UA/*A flights.
I estimate that I will earn about 40% of the RDMs after the policy change than I do right now. The reason is due to the length of the MEL-LAX-EWR trip, which is my usual flight. It's about 21,274 BIS miles roundtrip. For a 1K to earn the equivalent RDMs with the change, that ticket would need to cost USD $3868 + taxes (so about 4K all up). That may be at or close to a full fare Y ticket. You wouldn't need to buy full fare Y's to match the old and new RDMs if you flew ORD-EWR. Put simply, as many here have recognised: The new system really penalises long haul travellers that are not in paid C or F. It penalises transcons a lot as well. The longer the flight, the chances are you are more worse off.
My status has only been 1K in two of the last 11 years and the rest Gold and Platinum (one year, and another year a 1P but with over 75K EQM). I probably average 65K BIS each year on UA/*A, so a drop to Gold is not something that is unusual for me.
I have 1 million RDMs to burn, and once I hit 1MM in possibly late 2017, I plan to not pay for any personal flights on UA anymore and start using those miles instead. I hope to move all my work trips to Qantas/AA and OneWorld, where I was before switching to UA/*A in 2004. That, of course, assumes AA keeps it's current RDM-earning policy.
I have been very loyal to UA the past 11 years, as have many many others on here. There haven't been many improvements (e.g, no IFE for 10 years on the SYD-LAX/SFO flights until they finally switched to the 777's and 787-900). Same crappy E seats that hurt your bum after a 15 hour flight. Even budget airlines like Virgin and Jetstar in Australia have better seats! Freakin' Jetstar!! Seriously! Come on!
If I were at 600K lifetime miles, I wouldn't even be bothering and I'd jump ship now. At 800K, I figure I'm close enough, and lifetime Gold seems worth another 3 1/2 years of getting Smi$ek'd.
Last edited by briank1973; Feb 15, 2015 at 10:49 pm
Feb 2, 2015, 9:23 pm
#27
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: UA: 1K MM, Marriott Ambassador, Platinum IHG. Diamond: Hilton. Silver: Delta & Hyatt
Posts: 1,366
Looks like my flights are going to drop a ton at the end of this month> Contemplating one more cheap mileage run to Europe before 3/1/2015.
Feb 2, 2015, 9:33 pm
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
1K now, 1K next year.
Will reduce flying by ~25% by working harder to combine client visits. Buy a couple of P fares (50% more PQMs) during year to make up for PQMs lost on fewer trips. Should still net 100K easily. Purchase of P fares means I can spend less time on the remainder of the flights looking for the fewer flights w/ best potential for CPUs and book the bigger selection of flights with better chance of instrument-supported upgrade. Looks like I'll be on the 764 more often this year between HNL and IAH.
Adapt.
Will reduce flying by ~25% by working harder to combine client visits. Buy a couple of P fares (50% more PQMs) during year to make up for PQMs lost on fewer trips. Should still net 100K easily. Purchase of P fares means I can spend less time on the remainder of the flights looking for the fewer flights w/ best potential for CPUs and book the bigger selection of flights with better chance of instrument-supported upgrade. Looks like I'll be on the 764 more often this year between HNL and IAH.
Adapt.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Feb 2, 2015 at 9:39 pm
Feb 2, 2015, 9:48 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC, SFO, YYC
Programs: AA-EXP, AA-0.41MM, UA-Gold, Ex UA-1K (2006 thru 2015), PMUA-0.95MM, COUA-1.5MM-lite, AF-Silver
Posts: 13,437
(1) Lifetime Gold
(2) None. Will book *A and UA metal when necessary.
(3) PQDs too complex, high RDM costs to redeem awards on partners, P and Z fares not GPU-able on LH and D fares are priced too high, P fares on LH no longer earn 50% PQM, CPU upgrade rate below 50% as a 1K
(2) None. Will book *A and UA metal when necessary.
(3) PQDs too complex, high RDM costs to redeem awards on partners, P and Z fares not GPU-able on LH and D fares are priced too high, P fares on LH no longer earn 50% PQM, CPU upgrade rate below 50% as a 1K
Feb 2, 2015, 10:20 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: MRY
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 28
1. Silver
2. Have travel already booked that will keep me Silver.
3. The minute the PQMs and PQDs no longer accrue naturally because of my travel plans, I will let status go. My MileagePlus Club Card gives me almost as much anyway.
2. Have travel already booked that will keep me Silver.
3. The minute the PQMs and PQDs no longer accrue naturally because of my travel plans, I will let status go. My MileagePlus Club Card gives me almost as much anyway.