Need 100K miles to join Million mile club
Dec 19, 2016, 5:31 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,952
I think those of us who advocate a more "leisurely" approach toward 1MM agree with you.
Dec 19, 2016, 6:17 pm
#32
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,131
I'm about 30k away; if it weren't for the bounty of A, P, and Z fares I've been buying the past 3 years, I'd have had it 2 years ago. To me, the value is that I will still be flying 1K, but will be able to name my no-status wife as a 1K, too, so that when she travels on her own, or travels on separate tickets from me (often award vs. my revenue ticket), she'll get all the 1K benefits.
For the OP, I'd suggest TPACs, but the problem IMHO is comfort. You're talking several Y roundtrips (up to 6-ish). Although there are relatively cheap business class fares to be had, the problem is you don't get any benefit from the extra PQM in terms of MM status. You could of course book a mix of paid C and Y fares, and use the GPUs you'll earn to upgrade the Y fares.
For the OP, I'd suggest TPACs, but the problem IMHO is comfort. You're talking several Y roundtrips (up to 6-ish). Although there are relatively cheap business class fares to be had, the problem is you don't get any benefit from the extra PQM in terms of MM status. You could of course book a mix of paid C and Y fares, and use the GPUs you'll earn to upgrade the Y fares.
Dec 19, 2016, 6:23 pm
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
Dec 19, 2016, 7:07 pm
#34
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1.65M , Platinum, 1K Emeritus, UC Lifetime , HHonors Gold, Presidential Plus card holder
Posts: 696
I'm about 30k away; if it weren't for the bounty of A, P, and Z fares I've been buying the past 3 years, I'd have had it 2 years ago. To me, the value is that I will still be flying 1K, but will be able to name my no-status wife as a 1K, too, so that when she travels on her own, or travels on separate tickets from me (often award vs. my revenue ticket), she'll get all the 1K benefits.
.
.
It has been the best benefit so far to being a million-miler.
Dec 19, 2016, 7:54 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: New York NY
Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler
Posts: 2,617
I made MM the easy way, with PMCO just before the merger, when basically all elite miles counted. There's a lot of {talk} on this board that talk about UA cutting back on the decent benefits given now. Anything is possible, but there's not much in for UA to piss off a bunch of people when many of the benefits are available for those with the right CC.
Are the benefits as good as Platinum or 1K....No. But it's sure nice to know there's always an E+ seat available, Premier phone line, international lounges, etc. etc. and for my spouse also.
So definitely put it in your plans, but one way to approach the 100K you need, it to do 50K a year for two years. Then, at least you'll have the gold benefit for one person until you hit MM
Are the benefits as good as Platinum or 1K....No. But it's sure nice to know there's always an E+ seat available, Premier phone line, international lounges, etc. etc. and for my spouse also.
So definitely put it in your plans, but one way to approach the 100K you need, it to do 50K a year for two years. Then, at least you'll have the gold benefit for one person until you hit MM
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 19, 2016 at 8:22 pm Reason: discuss the issue;not the posters
Dec 19, 2016, 10:38 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
I think you mean 10K. Or 1000k.
This, with a caveat.
If you have 100k to go, there's no reason to rush to it - no matter what you do, you're going to have to fly 100k miles before you get to 1MM, so there's no advantage to rushing to it, you're going to spend the same money and sit in the same seats either way. If you try and rush it or cheap it, you're just going to be paying money to go places you don't want to go when you don't want to go there.
The caveat is that if you currently have status and grab a CC waiver, you can do 50k in 2017 and 50k in 2018 and stay gold the whole time, which keeps at booking E+ and free bags and the rare upgrade for you during the process.
Or put another way, IF you still have elite status, every flight you can do in 2017 comes with free E+ and bags (maybe $500-600 roundtrip in value, depending), and if you make 50k this year, you get that same value for anything you do in 2018.
But even if you only make 40k in 2018, just take the next flights you want to take after that on United and you'll be there quickly.
But yeah, if you're not currently milking status, just fly United when you fly and you'll get there. Or don't - even if the occasional flight goes to AA or SW or whatever because it's cheaper, it only costs you one similar United flight without status before you make 1MM.
The nominal cost to MR for 100K BIS miles will almost certainly be higher than buying E+ or lounge access (or just discounted premium fares) on an ad hoc basis. If you're flying enough that the one-off spending costs too much you are likely very close to having status anyways.
Investing in status as a leisure customer rarely makes financial sense these days.
Investing in status as a leisure customer rarely makes financial sense these days.
If you have 100k to go, there's no reason to rush to it - no matter what you do, you're going to have to fly 100k miles before you get to 1MM, so there's no advantage to rushing to it, you're going to spend the same money and sit in the same seats either way. If you try and rush it or cheap it, you're just going to be paying money to go places you don't want to go when you don't want to go there.
The caveat is that if you currently have status and grab a CC waiver, you can do 50k in 2017 and 50k in 2018 and stay gold the whole time, which keeps at booking E+ and free bags and the rare upgrade for you during the process.
Or put another way, IF you still have elite status, every flight you can do in 2017 comes with free E+ and bags (maybe $500-600 roundtrip in value, depending), and if you make 50k this year, you get that same value for anything you do in 2018.
But even if you only make 40k in 2018, just take the next flights you want to take after that on United and you'll be there quickly.
But yeah, if you're not currently milking status, just fly United when you fly and you'll get there. Or don't - even if the occasional flight goes to AA or SW or whatever because it's cheaper, it only costs you one similar United flight without status before you make 1MM.
Dec 19, 2016, 11:37 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 527
It's worth it. I'm retired and made Million Miler a few months ago. I rest easy now knowing I'm lifetime Gold without ever doing a year-end mileage run again in my life, that I have lifetime access to Economy Plus seats, that I can name a companion to share the benefits and that I get the occasional upgrade (my companion and I were just upgraded outbound and return on a trip to Mexico). Go for it.
Dec 20, 2016, 9:41 am
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 663
Once I got MM, I no longer had to beg or bargain to take a mileage run. Her reluctance was quickly replaced with a "go for it!" attitude. Since my 1K became her 1K, my MR became her MR.
Of course, now that the program has been irreversibly Smisek'd, I no longer do MRs, as I could never come near the PQD requirements. So I kayak along as a group 2 Gold ...
Dec 20, 2016, 10:32 am
#39
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Hiding under the trees in Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 2.5MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,306
Welcome to FlyerTalk, jgnadler!
Reaching goals is fun. I was in a lather to hit 1MM, then 2MM. Does the glow last? No; no it does not. But I agree with some of the other posters in this thread that the perks (like status-sharing, lifetime access to *A Gold, and knowing I'll never board below Group 1 again unless Platinum goes away) have been nice to have.
I'm gunning for 3MM so I'll have lifetime 1K status without having to strive for it every year. Swanning about in the Friendly Skies sounds like a good way to spend a retirement.
Reaching goals is fun. I was in a lather to hit 1MM, then 2MM. Does the glow last? No; no it does not. But I agree with some of the other posters in this thread that the perks (like status-sharing, lifetime access to *A Gold, and knowing I'll never board below Group 1 again unless Platinum goes away) have been nice to have.
I'm gunning for 3MM so I'll have lifetime 1K status without having to strive for it every year. Swanning about in the Friendly Skies sounds like a good way to spend a retirement.