Davidl81

Does anyone have an idea when UA will start to send out upgrade offers (buy up) for 2018 status? I am Silver again with only 27k miles, 40PQS, but $8500 PQD. My work travel is generally fairly last min (book within 1 week), but all super short haul (IAH-OKC, IAH-AMA etc) so I get a good amount of segments but not many actual PQM's (I usually get status on PQS not PQM and almost all on one way flights). I have had Gold in the past and when I travel with family I really enjoy the benefits of booking E+ at booking instead of at check in. I would pay a decent fee to buy up if I could ($500ish) but I am not sure if it will even be offered to me since I am just right at Silver status.

WineCountryUA

The first offers last year were 20th Jan 2017, see 2017 UA MP elite status buy-up offers (for higher status than earned in 2016)

In the past, the max PQM delta was 15,000 for the next level and was far, far above your $500 decent level.

Your high PQDs might help.

schley

I have no idea of what the cost would be but $500 ish sounds VERY low to me to buy up to gold status for some 23k PQM needed. If you take .07 cpm which is as low as I have seen PQM it would be $1610. I was short all the way until a few hours until the ball dropped and bought up 15k as I was ill and couldn't take my scheduled trip over 100k. No anxiousness or stress and upgrades and status posted almost immediately.

Coskigirl

You're probably better off buying an E+ subscription.

Davidl81

Really the E+ at booking is only needed when I travel with the family. I've had really good luck on getting the random E+ seat when I travel solo. I think maybe only once or twice in the past three years I have had to sit towards the back when I am by myself. It gets hard with the family since I try to get four seats next to each other and getting those at check in is basically impossible. The E+ sub would only help myself since it does not cover any other party members.

I do agree that the odds of getting an upgrade offer of any kind is fairly small, and the cost is most likely not going to make much sense. I have the MP Club card so I already get the 2 bags (50lb not 70), thus the value from Silver to Gold is some what mitigated, All things considered I really did prefer Gold to Silver, so hopefully I get an offer that I can justify to myself.

aacharya

OP is perfectly primed for an IAH-XXX-Asia mileage run. One sub $500 trip will give him all the PQMs needed to clear the delta from SIlver to Gold.

villox

That and a time machine back to 2017 and they're set!

Davidl81

LOL, I have thought about it several times. My issue is taking a weekend away from the wife and two little ones (5 and 2) for a mileage run.
Me:"Honey can you watch the kids this weekend so I can fly around the world so we can have Gold status this year?" DW:"That is the dumbest thing that I have ever heard you ask for!"

jmcintosh

drowelf

Any idea of what and when the best xxx would be for that? I used to do IAH->ORD->HKG->SIN, but with the demise of the UA HKG->SIN, that does not work too well anymore.

I need 1 good MR this year to pass 1MM lifetime and unless my business travel really picks up, I'm done with the status chasing game.

chavala

Oldie but a goodie : )

drowelf

Mine has not been too hard to convince. She barely flies enough on her own to make Silver each year. Once I told her that when I hit Lifetime Gold, I can gift her that status too. Thats 2 bags free and E+ at booking. That argument got me 3 Asia MRs last year and depending on vacation plans it will be good enough for the final one I need for this year to hit 1MM.

Cheers,

fracmeister

WIth the time machine I suggest buying some bitcoins... sell them last week and fly 1st class.

jimdarcy

Samantha Ray

Hi all,
Has anyone gotten a 2018 buy up offer as of yet? Seems later this year!