Jan 5, 2017, 4:24 pm
Last edit by: getagb
GS/Global Services is the highest tier of elite status. It is by invitation -- the invite criteria is not public but seems to require substantial annual spending with UA both in terms of absolute dollar amounts and purchasing higher fare classes (higher cpm - cents per mile). There are also reports of GS status being comped by UA Marketing to VIPs in companies who sign corporate travel deals with UA. The sole published way to qualify is to become a 4MM, having flown 4 million BIS miles on UA metal (plus additional grandfathered credits at the time of the UA/CO merger).
GS have significantly enhanced services / benefits over 1Ks. There is little said publicly by UA on GS benefits and/or qualification.
Last years' thread, Consolidated Global Services Thread - Qualifications, Benefits and Q & A [2016]
Thread on 2017 Global Services Notifications
Thread on 2017 Qualifying Discussion
Known facts from United:
Known Award and Upgrade Benefits:
All benefits noted below require calling a GS agent:
GS have significantly enhanced services / benefits over 1Ks. There is little said publicly by UA on GS benefits and/or qualification.
Last years' thread, Consolidated Global Services Thread - Qualifications, Benefits and Q & A [2016]
Thread on 2017 Global Services Notifications
Thread on 2017 Qualifying Discussion
Known facts from United:
Global Services recognizes the extraordinary dedication of our top flyers. We consider a number of factors beyond the usual Premier-qualifying criteria.
We look at your travel spend on United-operated flights relative to that of other top Premier flyers over recent consecutive years.
Usually, members invited to Global Services tend to consistently purchase premium cabins or fully refundable tickets.
We look at your travel spend on United-operated flights relative to that of other top Premier flyers over recent consecutive years.
Usually, members invited to Global Services tend to consistently purchase premium cabins or fully refundable tickets.
All benefits noted below require calling a GS agent:
- GS can create saver economy award space (XN) if T inventory is available.
- GS can create saver business award space (IN) if R inventory is available.
- GS can upgrade economy awards (XN or YN) into Business First with a GPU if PN inventory is available.
- GS can upgrade business awards (IN or JN) into Polaris First with a GPU if ON inventory is available.
- GS can confirm any waitlisted instrument-supported upgrade under T-72 hours provided 2 seats remain for sale afterwards and they are at the top of the waitlist
- GS can create saver Polaris First (O) space at T-72 hours if they are already booked in saver business (IN), provided one seat remains for sale after
- GS are entitled to one saver award seat in the same class of service with their purchase of any premium fare. GS agents can open space if it is not available. UPDATE: as of 7/21/17 must have >2 for sale within 72hrs of flight
- GS can upgrade a companion from coach to biz when flying on a paid biz fare, even if R or PN is not available, as long as J/F>1. Companion needs to be W or greater intl.
- (Only ONE of the two above options can be exercised per premium fare.)
- GS cannot double upgrade. Economy -> PN -> ON is not allowed. *Some reports of TOD being offered at OLCI.
- GS can buy up from Basic Economy fares, which is usually forbidden
Consolidated Global Services Thread: Benefits, Questions 2017
Jun 1, 2017, 8:03 pm
#781
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,258
I am planning to fly with my wife and daughter (who will need her own seat starting next month) from LAX to LHR later this year. Would obviously like to fly up front, so was looking at options:
1) Use miles for saver coach award and apply GPUs
2) Buy business class ticket for myself (~$3k) and upgrade my wife and daughter using GPUs
For #2 , am I entitled to one upgrade or can both of them be upgraded if they're on the same reservation? If it's only one, I might go with the saver award + GPU route so that we are guaranteed to sit together...
FWIW, my wife is also a GS, but as my 1MM companion. Not sure if this makes a difference...
Thanks!
1) Use miles for saver coach award and apply GPUs
2) Buy business class ticket for myself (~$3k) and upgrade my wife and daughter using GPUs
For #2 , am I entitled to one upgrade or can both of them be upgraded if they're on the same reservation? If it's only one, I might go with the saver award + GPU route so that we are guaranteed to sit together...
FWIW, my wife is also a GS, but as my 1MM companion. Not sure if this makes a difference...
Thanks!
Jun 1, 2017, 9:49 pm
#782
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
GS GPU Priority
I have a question about GS GPU but couldn't get a consistent answer from GS agents. We know GS GPU clears to PN and 1K GPU clears to R.
Who has higher priority on upgrade list when PN=R=0:
1K with 1K GPU or Non-status passenger with GS GPU?
Who has higher priority on upgrade list when PN=R=0:
1K with 1K GPU or Non-status passenger with GS GPU?
Jun 1, 2017, 9:53 pm
#783
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,976
Non-status pax with GS GPU. For sure.
Jun 1, 2017, 11:24 pm
#784
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: LAX, EWR, LHR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 227
Last year I used all my GPUs going D->ON but my primary route LAX-LHR is now a 787 so no more Global First.
Jun 2, 2017, 7:23 am
#785
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
With this being said, conversion of R into IN would be even more difficult. I will have better luck as a GS clearing a GPU into PN than to look for IN conversion.
I'm not excited about next year when I drop back to 1K... my GPU's are going to be nearly impossible to use if they are already this difficult to use as a GS. Not good.
Jun 2, 2017, 9:04 am
#786
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: DEN
Programs: UA-GS; WN A-list;Hyatt - CC; Hertz - PC
Posts: 644
I also have two flights to HKG later this year and have not even sniffed PN yet. I have a feeling that these are never going to clear.
Jun 2, 2017, 5:10 pm
#787
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA GS 1MM, CM PP
Posts: 689
GS line is eroding with Premier desk consolidation
This may have been mentioned a fair amount already, but dealing with the GS line and GS-specific perks is getting tougher and tougher as they merge elite benefits.
I just got off the GS line with an agent that apologetically admitted to normally answering the premier desk line and not being familiar with the GS process. Asking to a book an award ticket that I knew had T-space available, I encountered these mistakes:
-not offering me the saver award rate upfront
-claiming i was not within the time frame to convert T-space (she had no answer when i asked her "what time frame?")
-saying i couldn't waitlist for a business class upgrade and the whole itinerary was thus unbookable
-eventually blaming a process that used to be accessible to her but is now "manual" by another desk
What makes it worse is that a supervisor was helping her throughout this process. This was a 53-minute call for something that should simply be allowed to be done on the website or app. (Afterall the cardmember benefits are now showing up as unique highlighted availability in award ticket searches...why cannot GS??)
Yes, hang up call again is always recommended. But really, should their 'best customers' really have to deal with this?
GS brethren and sistren, I hate to admit it but, this combined with other signs of benefit erosion, I think we're screwed in the long term.
I just got off the GS line with an agent that apologetically admitted to normally answering the premier desk line and not being familiar with the GS process. Asking to a book an award ticket that I knew had T-space available, I encountered these mistakes:
-not offering me the saver award rate upfront
-claiming i was not within the time frame to convert T-space (she had no answer when i asked her "what time frame?")
-saying i couldn't waitlist for a business class upgrade and the whole itinerary was thus unbookable
-eventually blaming a process that used to be accessible to her but is now "manual" by another desk
What makes it worse is that a supervisor was helping her throughout this process. This was a 53-minute call for something that should simply be allowed to be done on the website or app. (Afterall the cardmember benefits are now showing up as unique highlighted availability in award ticket searches...why cannot GS??)
Yes, hang up call again is always recommended. But really, should their 'best customers' really have to deal with this?
GS brethren and sistren, I hate to admit it but, this combined with other signs of benefit erosion, I think we're screwed in the long term.
Jun 3, 2017, 6:14 pm
#788
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
This is not my experience in last few days.
Non-status pax waitlisted under GS GPU were at the bottom of upgrade list for SFO-PVG and HKG-EWR.
GS agents insisted that any pax with GS GPU is very high priority vs. other elite pax with 1K GPU.
I think that we are all misinformed by this. At airport, non-status pax are ranked lowest with GS GPU when PN=0.
Very disappointed.
Non-status pax waitlisted under GS GPU were at the bottom of upgrade list for SFO-PVG and HKG-EWR.
GS agents insisted that any pax with GS GPU is very high priority vs. other elite pax with 1K GPU.
I think that we are all misinformed by this. At airport, non-status pax are ranked lowest with GS GPU when PN=0.
Very disappointed.
Jun 3, 2017, 8:04 pm
#789
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR, GVA
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 78
my mother in law on EWR-GVA was #1 on the upgrade list and got upgraded at the last minute. she has no status and was booked with GS miles and GS GPU applied..
your case is def not right!!
your case is def not right!!
This is not my experience in last few days.
Non-status pax waitlisted under GS GPU were at the bottom of upgrade list for SFO-PVG and HKG-EWR.
GS agents insisted that any pax with GS GPU is very high priority vs. other elite pax with 1K GPU.
I think that we are all misinformed by this. At airport, non-status pax are ranked lowest with GS GPU when PN=0.
Very disappointed.
Non-status pax waitlisted under GS GPU were at the bottom of upgrade list for SFO-PVG and HKG-EWR.
GS agents insisted that any pax with GS GPU is very high priority vs. other elite pax with 1K GPU.
I think that we are all misinformed by this. At airport, non-status pax are ranked lowest with GS GPU when PN=0.
Very disappointed.
Jun 3, 2017, 8:36 pm
#790
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,700
This may have been mentioned a fair amount already, but dealing with the GS line and GS-specific perks is getting tougher and tougher as they merge elite benefits.
GS brethren and sistren, I hate to admit it but, this combined with other signs of benefit erosion, I think we're screwed in the long term.
GS brethren and sistren, I hate to admit it but, this combined with other signs of benefit erosion, I think we're screwed in the long term.
Jun 6, 2017, 2:27 pm
#791
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: London
Programs: UA GS, BA Silver, Marriott/SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, A-Club Silver, Intercontinental Ambassador
Posts: 32
+1 on this, just off a call where three different things were sorted out in a matter of minutes, if anything the person I was speaking too went out of her way to be extra helpful.
Jun 6, 2017, 4:37 pm
#792
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Jun 7, 2017, 4:55 pm
#793
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: IAH
Programs: UA GS; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 200
If PN=0 about 5 weeks out from a flight, is there any chance of PN becoming available later on? How common is this? Flights are between IAH and EWR/LGA.
Jun 7, 2017, 5:59 pm
#794
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
Not at SFO according to my latest experience.
Jun 9, 2017, 5:23 pm
#795
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Is the GS Checkin open at LAX?