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Is it worth it making Premier Silver? [2016 Consolidated]

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Old Nov 8, 2016, 11:44 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Significant Premier Silver Benefits
  • Free E+ access (and for companion) at check-in
  • Eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrade (including a companion)
  • RDM earn rate a 7 x PQDs (vs GM @ 5x)
  • 500 mile minimum PQM on UA operated flights and some partners
  • Boarding Group 2 and priority check-in, priority security
  • Bag allowance – 1x50 lbs
  • Reduced award change / cancellation fees
  • Access to expanded economy saver award inventory
  • Instant upgrades on Y- or B-class full-fare economy tickets

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Old Jun 18, 2016, 11:43 pm
  #1  
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Is it worth it making Premier Silver? [2016 Consolidated]

So looking for opinions (that I may ignore ) on this. I'm not going to requalify for Silver based on planned travel, but may be making some TPAC mileage redemptions in 2017 that free E+ will be appreciated for. I also really enjoy E+ and a free bag domestically, especially since I'm now ineligible for a UA credit card due to Chase's 5/24 rule.

I'm thinking of doing an MR to HKG (which will push me over 25k PQM) for only $609. So... pay $609 to fly to HKG for delicious dinner and requal for Silver?
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Old Jun 19, 2016, 7:45 am
  #2  
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Originally Posted by krazykanuck
I'm thinking of doing an MR to HKG (which will push me over 25k PQM) for only $609. So... pay $609 to fly to HKG for delicious dinner and requal for Silver?
No way is Silver worth $600 @:-)

A trip to Hong Kong OTOH

So what I used to call Blended Run ^
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Old Jun 19, 2016, 1:55 pm
  #3  
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I think that the $600 can be recouped IF you think you'll keep Silver next year. If you're going to find yourself in the same boat next year and you'll be stuck running for it again, it's not worth it, especially as a UA CC basically makes you Silver.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 11:07 am
  #4  
 
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Not going make Silver PQM, PQDs, ... what should I do?

My PQM and PQS are at 12,000 and 10, but will not reach Silver by the end of the year. My Explorer card spend however will hit the 25,000. Is there any hope for me?

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 29, 2016 at 5:27 pm Reason: more descriptive title
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 11:13 am
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
My PQM and PQS are at 12,000 and 10, but will not reach Silver by the end of the year. My PQD however will hit the 25,000. Is there any hope for me?
Just want to clarify that you're using the abbreviations correctly here... you're saying that you've spent $25,000 with United this year already, but have only flown 12,000 miles, and don't expect to make it to 25,000 by year-end?

... as in, you're paying like $1-2 per mile (100-200 cpm) to fly?

Sounds very odd. Can you clarify your situation?
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 11:15 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
My PQM and PQS are at 12,000 and 10, but will not reach Silver by the end of the year. My Explorer card spend however will hit the 25,000. Is there any hope for me?
Hope for what?
Status?- appears not but Silver status has limited benefits and many are also provided by the Explorer card.
Status is not the end all for most.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 11:15 am
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I think he means he has spent $25,000 on his Chase United credit card, meaning that the PQD requirement is waived for Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

You still need to fly to reach (or buy up to) the PQM or PQS thresholds though.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 11:18 am
  #8  
 
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Originally Posted by Darlox
Can you clarify your situation?
Sorry, just realized that Explorer spend probably doesn't translate into PQD.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 11:21 am
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
Sorry, just realized that Explorer spend probably doesn't translate into PQD.
Not directly, but if you spend $25,000 on your explorer card you are exempt from the PQD requirements of Silver, Gold, and Platinum (but not 1K)
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 1:17 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
My PQM and PQS are at 12,000 and 10, but will not reach Silver by the end of the year. My Explorer card spend however will hit the 25,000. Is there any hope for me?
For getting status, no. Silver requires 25,000 PQM or 30 PQS, plus $3000 of spend or the CC waiver. Sounds like you'll hit the CC waiver, but not even half the PQM and only 1/3 the PQS. If you get really close, maybe, but otherwise, definitely not. What would make you think with those numbers, UA would or should give you status?

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 29, 2016 at 5:21 pm Reason: split post
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 1:25 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
My PQM and PQS are at 12,000 and 10, but will not reach Silver by the end of the year. My Explorer card spend however will hit the 25,000. Is there any hope for me?
If you fly more and buy extra PQM for those flights, maybe, but, as noted, you need PQM and Explorer Cards don't give you them.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 1:33 pm
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As mentioned before, you can buy extra PQM. You can find this option usually on the "Manage Reservation" page, next to offers to buy economy plus. Usually the cost is somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 to 12 cents per PQM. So 5000PQM, for example, is often in the ballpark of $500.

Another option is doing a mileage run. PQM (unless flying in a premier cabin or full-fare economy, where a multiplier greater than 1 is applied) are usually equivalent to the number of fight miles. So if you can find some cheap United fares on longer flights, you could maybe pad your numbers by several thousand PQM by purchasing and flying a transcon r/t.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 3:13 pm
  #13  
 
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If you're going to give United extra money, get an E+ subscription and forget the idea of silver. You already get a checked bag and Group 2 boarding with the Explorer card and a subscription will get you E+ at booking instead of waiting for check-in (as silvers must). And your 25K spend won't go to waste as you'll get an extra 10K RDM for hitting that threshold.
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Old Aug 29, 2016, 5:25 pm
  #14  
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Moved discussion on when / how Chase notifies UA on your Chase MP spending to http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...soldiated.html where that topic has been discussed.

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Old Aug 29, 2016, 5:37 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by vanillabean
My PQM and PQS are at 12,000 and 10, but will not reach Silver by the end of the year. My Explorer card spend however will hit the 25,000. Is there any hope for me?
No, you're doomed to spend eternity in Perdition.

Unless you're talking about getting to Silver. You said "by the end of the year". Does that mean you have another flight or two yet to go? If so, and if it's really important for you to hit Silver you can look into buying additional PQM on your ticket. Go to your reservation, take the offer to buy more miles, then a new offer will pop up to buy more PQMs. If you don't like the deal you can back out at that point and not buy either.
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