bootstrapper

I earned 1K status at the end of 2017. Until two weeks ago at least (when I last flew and flight attendants knew I was 1K), the phone app and website both showed my status as 1K. But tonight, suddenly both say Platinum. Has anyone heard of this happening before?

I did try calling the 1K desk, but they're closed until tomorrow morning. And I am curious tonight!

LAXOGG

No need to worry tonight if you are sure you met the required PQM, PQD and 4 segment minimum. Call in tomorrow and you should have your problem resolved.

lotemblizej

I imagine you still have your 1K card for this year, which can serve as proof of identify while traveling (or getting free drink/snack on domestic flight--I've used it!)

xliioper

Almost certainly related to this saga -- I am confused about my UA 1K status and when it is effective

When you go to https://mystatus.united.com/ and select "Previous Year", what does it show?

JNelson113

This happened to me about five years ago. It turns out that the miles posted on united.com had been wrong, and some bean counter decided to audit the 1K accounts and drop those of us who had mistakenly thought that we legitimately made 1K. There was general outrage and this move was quickly reversed. Here's the thread: Random Elite Status Downgrade on UA's Website - Anyone Else?

fumje

Did you change your address from non-US to US?

MP status incorrectly downgraded on address change - Options? [UA can restore status]

bootstrapper

I called United this morning and spent some time on hold (I was able to prepare, cook, and eat breakfast before getting off hold). The guy talked to his supervisor, and neither one could figure out why I'd been downgraded, and they confirmed that I am 1K, and he said it was restored. I logged out and in again--still show as platinum. But I'll give it a few hours.

But now I worry about the flight I took last week. Did they calculate the miles at the 1K rate or the platinum rate? Is there an easy way to tell? I flew on one leg 2684 miles (L class), got 2013 bonus miles for a total of 4697 miles, and that became 5368 PQM. Is that right? I'd call them back, but it's not lunchtime yet...

ETA: I did not change address or anything like that. I did fly last week, but my boarding passes all showed 1K.

fumje

Just look at your PQD and net Award miles ('RDM'). It should be RDM = 11 * PQD for 1K. If it is RDM = 9 * PQD, then you got Platinum treatment. More simply, was your PQD 427 or 522? (Note: unfortunately distance-based RDM calculations went away a few years ago!)

edit: I tried to match your numbers to the formulas, but couldn't; you might be mixing up the flight distance and dollars. The PQM should be simply flight distance. The PQD is based on the airfare line item in the ticket price. Then your net award miles are 5 * PQD + (bonus) * PQD, where bonus is 4 for Platinum, 6 for 1K.

bootstrapper

I couldn't get any formula to work either, but figured it was just me. I don't think I was confusing dollars, as I actually didn't get any PQD for the whole flight (thanks, United!). Should I be calculating on the base miles or total miles, though?

EAlyse

Looks like this falls under the "Specialty tickets" section of the below link which is 50% of miles flown for L-class tickets:

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...es/united.html

For your bonus miles it looks like you earned based off of the Platinum level in the link below at 75% of base miles:

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...r/bonuses.html

So you earned based off PLatinum instead of 1K

StuckinITH

Did you earn it by flying 100,000 miles or the required number of segments and the $12,000 spent or did you earn it with a status match? Just asking because 2 years ago, I had achieved the requirement for the status match to Platinum but still saw myself dropped to Gold at the end of the status match period. Which was irritating as I had two international trips before they solved my problem.

bootstrapper

I had 109,000 miles and change, over $12,000 in PQD, and 64 segments. I don't actually know what a "status match" is, but I certainly at least earned it the normal way.

At any rate, my status has updated and I'm back to 1K on my app and the website. Good thing I checked...

StuckinITH

Good! Because you don't want to earn less award miles than you deserve. And if you have to fly coach, miss on the complimentary Tapas box and drink.

bootstrapper

I admit that in the past, I have sometimes sneered at the tapas box. But next week I have an international flight on Delta (because although I insisted on flying my preferred airline, the sponsoring company just ... ignored that), and when I'm sitting back by the bathrooms in the middle seat on a Delta flight, where my status is "driveway gravel," I'm going to miss that tapas box. And the drink.

rankourabu

Maybe they took away some of your PQD in an audit because some of your tickets were ineligible because of OPM contract fares (ie. specialty tickets)?