chitink

I am considering moving over from AA but not sure how PQD work on united. For American, if you book "special fares" you get Dollars based on miles flown not dollars spent (vacation packages, other airlines within One World). Does United do anything similar?

laxmillenial

PQDs on United depend on where you book the ticket. If it is ticketed and bought on United.com (hence the term 016 ticket stock), you earn PQDs. If you buy your tickets from say a *G partner like Eva/Thai on their website, it is not a 016 ticket stock and you do not earn PQDs.
"Special fares" such as bulk sometimes do not earn any PQDs whatsoever.

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

jsloan

No. All United PQDs are based on the actual fare paid, and -- as laxmillenial mentioned -- partner flights on partner tickets don't earn PQD at all. (United flights on partner tickets do earn PQDs, but, again, based on the fare).

BThumme

Unfortunately There's no way to cut corners on the PQD segments like on AA where you can get special fares or fly on partners (and also get more PQD then what your ticket cost). It's buy on UA ticket stock, fly UA, or move out of the country and get a waiver. This is one of the very few areas where AA is better than UA imo.

chitink

wow! Not even on partners?

glad I asked, thanks!

jsloan

Indeed not.

UA copied the program exactly as DL implemented it originally, with PQD only on tickets where they had access to accounting information. DL then added MQD for partner purchases based upon the distance flown, and AA copied DL's later program.

Many UA flyers are hoping that UA will update their program accordingly, now that both DL and AA match, but so far there has been no indication that they intend to do so. Besides the obvious dollar-run opportunities, you'll find that not all partner flights can be easily / sensibly booked on United ticket stock; the 016 restriction is enormously irritating to affected passengers.

mduell

Even on 016 stock, the bulk fares that are typical for vacation packages or other consolidator fares earn $0 PQD.

findark

Anything that would trigger distance-based qualifying dollars on AA will earn zero PQD on UA.

mahasamatman

And many prefer it just the way it is. Cuts down on the elite competition.

Hipplewm

The flip side is once you get to $12,000 PQD and will never attain Global Services (Concierge Key on AA) then you can book partner airlines on their ticket stock, save money and still attain UA miles and PQM to get upgrade certs etc, but just no PQD - but once you reach $12K - pqd is irrelevant

MSPeconomist

JMBResona

I imagine even more so for overseas-based members who don't have to worry about PQD to begin with!

jsloan

Well, we've been in a PQD world for several years now. It seems to me that complaints about "too many elites" are as common as they were before. I think most people who care about status have simply adapted.

Sure -- people whose travel will naturally net $20-$25K of spending have little problem. IIRC, I hit $12,037 last year, after a +$31 IRROPS PQD difference in my favor. And that was with 150K PQMs and zero non-PQD tickets.

Presumably, those who will naturally zip past the thresholds.

It's not even the possibility of finding a fare that generates many more PQDs than actual spending, although I won't deny that I would take advantage of those where I could. It's that whenever I see a *A sale fare, I have to look to see if it can be plated on 016, or I have to decide that I'm willing to spend much more than $12K within the alliance if I want to requalify for 1K.

Honestly, if UA had a website where you would submit your ticket receipt and they'd grant PQD credit to match the money spent on partner fares, that'd be good enough. Just don't penalize me for wanting to fly on a partner airline without paying full Y/J/F.

GoSh4rks

But I would still get a ton more RDM if I ticket on 016.

jsloan

Or a ton less.

If you book with partners who don't give bonus earnings for having UA status, then it can be pretty easy to hit fares that are better on 016. If you don't, though -- the breakeven point for 016 vs non-016 is quite a bit higher than UA's average fare.

I have a trip booked in P on LH/NZ that is going to deliver 2/3 of the RDMs booked on 016 as it would have if I'd booked on 220... but, I wanted the PQDs.

Anyway, you'd still have the option of booking on 016 tickets. Hipplewm was merely pointing out that, if one naturally flew well beyond the 12K PQD mark, one could then pick and choose to maximize the earnings.

I haven't that luxury.