Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Major differences between Gold and Silver A summary of differences is available here: Premier benefits chart
Related threads
[Consolidated"I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2018 for Elite Status in 2019"
UA/Star Alliance: 2017-2018 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed
Previous thread(s)
Is it worth it to stretch for Gold (over Silver)? [2017 Consolidated]
Is it worth it to stretch for Gold (over Silver)? [2016 Consolidated]
- Use *G lounges on international trips
- Use *G lounges on domestic flights when departing from select US airports
- 2 bags @ 70 lbs (vs 1 @ 70lbs -Silver increased from 50lbs 28 Sept 2018)
- Boarding Group 1
- Lower award booking and change fees
- E+ at time of booking for yourself + 1.
- Free Same Day Change (SDC)
- Higher earning rate for RDMs (8 vs 7)
- Higher on the upgrade list
- Eligible for Marriott Gold Status via RewardsPlus
Related threads
[Consolidated"I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2018 for Elite Status in 2019"
UA/Star Alliance: 2017-2018 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed
Previous thread(s)
Is it worth it to stretch for Gold (over Silver)? [2017 Consolidated]
Is it worth it to stretch for Gold (over Silver)? [2016 Consolidated]
Is it worth it to stretch for Gold (over Silver)? [2018 Consolidated]
#16
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#17
Join Date: Sep 2014
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https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...-united-5.html
It applies for EU carriers world-wide and flights departing the EU on any carrier.
#18
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Eco-Conscious Travel, United and Flyertalk Cares
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We're way off topic here with the EU 261 discussion. Please continue any further discussions on that topic in the appropriate thread.
l'etoile
UA moderator
l'etoile
UA moderator
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
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Thanks. I'm pretty agnostic here - are there other airlines out of SFO that offer a more likely upgrade to first class for Gold Status member, or members one level above the bottom? Or is it basically everyone in first class is paying for these days?
I'm at hotel points - trying to get good at airlines
I'm at hotel points - trying to get good at airlines
#20
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Thanks. I'm pretty agnostic here - are there other airlines out of SFO that offer a more likely upgrade to first class for Gold Status member, or members one level above the bottom? Or is it basically everyone in first class is paying for these days?
I'm at hotel points - trying to get good at airlines
I'm at hotel points - trying to get good at airlines
I'm not very experienced at the hotel status game, but I think it's somewhat equivalent to asking what it takes to get upgraded to a suite at a hotel. Certainly none of my middling hotel statuses are good enough for that
#21
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
If you do a decent amount of business travel, having the SDC fee waiver can be a real godsend. Back when I was working at a company that did a lot of travel, it meant a lot to employees if they could catch an earlier flight when their meets ended early to have a nice meal with their spouse instead of landing in the dead hours of the night. It's also been used strategically by fellow FTers to push themselves into flights that have tons of CPU space thereby ensuring they get the upgrade! Flying out of UA fortresses like SFO and NYC will also give you tons of options to play around with.
For me it was no brainer since I only needed to hit 50,000 PQM + 4 segments on UA metal every year to qualify as Gold (since I'm Canadian) and I easily get great milage out of those benefits over a year of travel! For you it may be a bit more challenging, since you have to justify hitting the $6,000 PQD target, no small feat. That being said nearly every US domestic FFP has a spend requirement so all of them are demanding your loyalty before they hand over any benefits. One thing you may want to look at is theUnited Upgrade SpreadsheetI maintain which highlights the cash upgrades United has offered fellow FT travellers to get a sense of what you'll be forking out if you want to fly F. These days, unless your EXP on AA don't expect to be receiving complimentary upgrades, especially when flying hub-to-hub.
Safe Travels,
James
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: Marriott Ambassador/United 1K
Posts: 68
Thanks guys. Final question. Are there any airlines where you can achieve high level status (above gold) through credit card spend? I can generally spend the dollars (7 figures a month), but I can only find hotels willing to give status with cc spend!
#23
Join Date: Nov 2012
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The United credit card gives you a PQD waiver (up to Platinum) if you spend $25,000/year but you still have to meet PQM or PQS for that level.
Last edited by StuckinITH; Aug 30, 2018 at 7:36 pm
#24
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I believe some of the higher tier cards like Centurion and Palladium might offer some complimentary airline status too, but it's not top tier. Are you really running tens of millions of USD a month, or is 7 figures a typo?
#25
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#26
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#28
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That has to categorize for over $50,000 a month in rewards... unless your MS costs are high seems like you may be over-optimizing here and the answer is just buy F
#29
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSP, WLG, or the forward most A seat in Y I can get
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If you have the Club Card, the incremental benefit of *G for lounge access is small. But E+ at booking for yourself and one companion is excellent, and you can pick exit rows and bulkheads which will generally not be available to Silvers at T-24.
The Same Day Change benefits are highly useful once you know how to use them.
Flying internationally the treatment of *G vs *S by other airlines can be big. IME on Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Air New Zealand *G gets better seats and better boarding.
As Gold you'll be lucky to be upgraded on MSP-SFO or v.v. I rarely get this upgrade as a Platinum except in vacation periods or on Saturday nights.
The Same Day Change benefits are highly useful once you know how to use them.
Flying internationally the treatment of *G vs *S by other airlines can be big. IME on Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Air New Zealand *G gets better seats and better boarding.
As Gold you'll be lucky to be upgraded on MSP-SFO or v.v. I rarely get this upgrade as a Platinum except in vacation periods or on Saturday nights.
#30
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
In other words, if you want the attention of UA you gotta fork over the money. Naturally you'd think that this would deter many people. However, when I see the sheer number of 1K members (which have the requirement of forking out $12,000 per year + 100,000 miles flown) yu can see that the airlines have no trouble getting loyalty from their pax. This is especially true if the pax travels frequently for business and is out of a fortress (i.e. SFO for UA or DFW for AA or DTW for DL)
Safe Travels,
James