PQM probably, PQD not so certain since Chase likes to sell bulk fares that earn no PQD.

The OP is not referring to ticket purchases using Chase points.

The Choices statement credit is for tickets you have separately purchased united.com using MP miles earned from credit card purchases (not flight miles). You can convert these MP miles to dollars at 1 cpm as form of payment. You still earn purchase mileage credit and PQMs. While I have not seen a specific report, I see no reason not to earn PQDs.


For more on this payment approach, see the older http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...es-primer.html

I have never used these choices miles redemption. I understand how it works for 1 ticket. But what if I buy 2 tickets on same PNR for me and my wife. I am the primary card holder and will buy on United.com with the Chase Club card. Can I submit for a statement credit for the full amount of both tickets or only the one for me? I read all the T&C's and it makes no mention of it either way. Does anyone have any experience with this? I want us both to earn PQM/PQD/PQS and RDM's on the flight but my wife doesn't want to use money to pay for the tickets. Me because I need them to qualify for status higher than my MM gives me and my wife so her miles expiration gets reset. Figured this would satisfy both of us.

It's been years since I've done this, but my experience was that you can redeem for any ticket, regardless of the traveler. Chase really doesn't care (if they even know).

First of all, charges are done per ticket, not PNR. Each person gets their own ticket regardless. So no different then buying tickets separately...there will be one charge for each ticket.

You should be able to redeem choices for any ticket paid for with the card..doesn't matter who it's for. In fact, Chase won't know who any ticket is for. You hair go to the choices redemption site and follow the instructions to redeem. Since each ticket is a separate charge, you'll need to do one for each charge.

Note that choices aren't the best redemption value at 1 cpm. However, it does allow you flexibility (to cover a portion of the ticket vs. all of it), and also allows you to earn RDM/PQM/PQS/PQD on tickets that you essentially don't pay for.

Thank you to both of you.

I have a random question that I am really hoping someone here can help answer. If I re-fare an existing ticket say from a coach class to A, is that charge technically an "airfare" charge and then eligible for a Choices redemption/credit to offset the charge. Has anyone ever done that? I have only ever used Choices to offset original reservations charges.

Each mile can be converted to $0.01 statement credit for flight purchase.
Only credit card miles can be used not flight miles.
If your card offers 1.5 miles per dollar purchase (or 2 miles for UA flight purchases), you are getting 1.5 (or 2) % cash credit per dollar credit card purchase

Links to details in the wiki

One thing I don't understand is why this would be benefical to do this. While there is the advantage of earning status points by doing this, I would think that the redemtion rate, being so low, would outweigh FF benefits. Most of our award flights have had a redeption rate in the area of 1.8-2.4 cpm. At a redemtion rate of 1.0 cpm, anything over paying 50% of it in miles would cost more miles + the cash than just redemng a reward trip.

Example: A TPAC round trip is 200,000 miles each direction (400,000 miles round trip) at the standard rate and $8,000 cash.

Option 1 - 200,000 miles and $6,000 cash - With Status Awards
Option 2 - 400,000 miles and $4,000 cash - With Status Awards
Option 3 - 600,000 miles and $2,000 cash - With Status Awards
Option 4 - 800,000 miles and $0 - With Status Awards
Option 5 - 400,000 miles with no Status Awards.

If I really needed status, I would save the cash and do a MileageRun or use it for another trip, but that's just my opinion. YMMV

Well, obviously you wouldn't do it at that price point. But TPACs don't always cost $8000, and there's no longer a cap on what UA might decide to charge for an award trip. If there were a sale fare for $2000, on a date that there's no I availability, suddenly the calculus changes considerably.

It's not always possible to get 1.8-2.4 cents per mile in redemption value; at least this provides a floor.

Agreed but our experience has been that we've found them often enough that we've never had to use them for something less. Given that we fly 1-2X yearly at most, I assumed that most people who have a UA card would have had even more opportunities. Maybe we just got lucky.

we generally agree, and it’s probably why you never hear choice rewards being mentioned and why there are four posts in four years on this thread!