Nov 8, 2017, 5:41 pm
Last edit by: FlyHighInTheSky
Global Services Qualifying Discussion- 2018
Qualification FormPlease only fill out the above form once you are 100% certain that you have made or not made Global Services for 2018.
Qualification Spreadsheet
This will be a discussion thread, for discussing the needed qualifications and timing of notification.
Use "Global Services 2018 Notifications (ONLY)" to report your actual notification.
For discussion of GS benefits, please use Consolidated Global Services Thread: Benefits, Questions 2017
For 2017 qualifications, see the 2017 thread
To find your PQDs if >than $12K
Go to MileagePlus activity since my last statement and it is in the "Account summary" table at the top of the page.
Note this is not just the UA operated PQDs (which is commonly believed to be what matters for GS) but rather your total PQDs.
Definitions
BIS is actual scheduled flight distance (Great Circle Mileage Distance -- GCM) between airports with 500 mile minimum for elites. This is the standard used for Lifetime miles also. Those flying mostly sub-500 segments sometimes prefer to not use the minimum rule.
The definition for CPM is a bit vaguer, especially since CPM is used in multiple different situations.
Believe for the purpose of this thread, GS qualification, folks are using
PQD CPM = UA PQDs / UA BIS
Note there is no direct evidence UA uses this CPM number for GS Qualification but it is a number FTers like to use.
As for BIS, UA does not report this number your account and it needs to be manually tracked.
One way is to make use that PQMs are based on BIS but there may be a multiplier / bonus for high end fares. If always in 2x PQMs, you could divide by 2 to get BIS.
rwsteelers had a good method for determining UA BIS -- the change in Lifetime Miles from the first of the year.
2018 GS Qualifying Discussion
Aug 1, 2017, 7:14 am
#31
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Cleveland, OH
Programs: UA-GS 1MM), Hertz Pres Circle, Starriott Titanium)
Posts: 1,966
in point of fact, it is so extreme that even if you are originally BOOKED on UA but moved onto a partner during IRROPS, that flight will no longer count toward GS. I found this out when I wrote GS last year asking if it would - they said they would make a note to include this for consideration should I be borderline because the system does not count it automatically.
Aug 1, 2017, 7:26 am
#32
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: UA GS ,QF Plat
Posts: 686
Last year I had a FC ticket RDU-IAD -NRT,the connecting UA flight had a MX and I was re booked on AA to ORD and then onward with ANA.I raised this issue knowing how the numbers are counted and it was given an exception. When I checked my statement it showed my original flights and $ on the UA metal I was booked on.I assume that this is a way of bypassing the situation you mentioned.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 1, 2017 at 12:27 pm Reason: repaired quote
Aug 1, 2017, 7:37 am
#33
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,704
Last year I had a FC ticket RDU-IAD -NRT,the connecting UA flight had a MX and I was re booked on AA to ORD and then onward with ANA.I raised this issue knowing how the numbers are counted and it was given an exception. When I checked my statement it showed my original flights and $ on the UA metal I was booked on.I assume that this is a way of bypassing the situation you mentioned.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 1, 2017 at 12:28 pm Reason: repaired quote
Aug 1, 2017, 8:10 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Why are you not convinced by this basic fact that has been confirmed numerous times by United itself? It actually is NOT logical that United would award GS for non-UA activity. Here's why;
All GS benefits apply only if you are traveling on United. Imagine that you flew only LH (besides the 4 segment minimum). What would you get out of being GS vs 1K when traveling LH? IRROPS help? Nope, that's up to the operating carrier. No preboarding. Can't open special inventory on their flights. You could waltz through a GS checkin lounge but you can't actually check in at them. You don't get access to GF lounges when in biz.
Yes it's extreme to say one would fly only the partners but it helps to explain why UA doesn't count them. The point of GS is to treat a certain portion of UA flyers better. And not only has the collective experience of this community confirmed this but United has repeatedly stated it.
in point of fact, it is so extreme that even if you are originally BOOKED on UA but moved onto a partner during IRROPS, that flight will no longer count toward GS. I found this out when I wrote GS last year asking if it would - they said they would make a note to include this for consideration should I be borderline because the system does not count it automatically.
All GS benefits apply only if you are traveling on United. Imagine that you flew only LH (besides the 4 segment minimum). What would you get out of being GS vs 1K when traveling LH? IRROPS help? Nope, that's up to the operating carrier. No preboarding. Can't open special inventory on their flights. You could waltz through a GS checkin lounge but you can't actually check in at them. You don't get access to GF lounges when in biz.
Yes it's extreme to say one would fly only the partners but it helps to explain why UA doesn't count them. The point of GS is to treat a certain portion of UA flyers better. And not only has the collective experience of this community confirmed this but United has repeatedly stated it.
in point of fact, it is so extreme that even if you are originally BOOKED on UA but moved onto a partner during IRROPS, that flight will no longer count toward GS. I found this out when I wrote GS last year asking if it would - they said they would make a note to include this for consideration should I be borderline because the system does not count it automatically.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 1, 2017 at 12:29 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Aug 1, 2017, 8:34 am
#35
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,704
PQDs for people who might need them for e.g. 1K. This makes it same across the board.
Aug 1, 2017, 8:37 am
#36
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: dark side of the moon
Programs: papa card, UA 1K
Posts: 707
Aug 1, 2017, 8:55 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,169
"We evaluate your travel spend on United-operated flights relative to that of other top Premier members over recent consecutive years. "
And while spend is evaluated and PQD is a good yardstick, I'm not completely convinced that the PQD number is the same number UA uses for GS consideration, i.e. UA was using spend for GS well before PQD was introduced for the lower tiers.
Aug 1, 2017, 9:35 am
#38
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
PQD are still used to get to 1K. 1K gets you GPUs, more RDM, award benefits, etc, all of which are useful on partners. Being 1K is therefore still useful even if you rarely fly UA. But the ADDITIONAL benefits of being GS over 1K are not useful on anything but United flights, with maybe the exception of faster access to an agent to book flights and make changes on 016 tickets. But this is marginal at best.
They can incentivize that via RDM or PQM. GS really only makes sense in the context of flying on UA.
Aug 1, 2017, 11:27 am
#41
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Good to know. A few years ago I was stranded in BOM due to weather and pushed to get home earlier via LH BOM-FRA-IAD-CLE. I didn't make GS that year presumably due to a very very small margin (as my spend is pretty similar each year). Had I known that, I'd have insisted on staying on UA metal for the rebooking. (time allowing)
Aug 1, 2017, 12:43 pm
#42
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
Yes. That is the accepted understanding but I am not 100% convinced. Can anyone say why UA would make this exception and then list the PQD's earned on such flights in the MP statements but then back those PQD's out when assessing GS qualification? It seems logical that UA would want its customers to book the "016" flights through UA as a portion of those dollars stays with UA, no? Not all that important as the "016" PQD's are not a lot but am trying to kill some time here at TXL
What about the multiple $50K and higher PQD posters but with significant non-UA PQDs that failed to make GS?
Why does the standard response from UA state
We evaluate your travel spend on United-operated flights relative to that of other top Premier flyers over recent consecutive years.
What is responded if your query UA GS about this?
Whether it might make sense to do this, especially on JV flights, all evidence is UA only counts UA-operated PQDs as has been reported by UA to numerous queries on this issue.
PDQ reporting is don't for all flights, fo all status levels, and UA has clearly stated PDQs from qualified *A flight does count 1K and lower is included for qualification. However UA has never stated those *A PQDs count for GS and has actually stated the contrary.
Aug 1, 2017, 1:13 pm
#44
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
There is some good news however........if you are able to shell out the $50,000 PassPlus minimum GS spend, you can use your banked funds to purchase tickets on certain *A carriers, including LH.
Aug 1, 2017, 1:16 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,704
...kinda like how only UA metal counts for lifetime miles