Just Nailed United Premier 1K
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
Just Nailed United Premier 1K
So 2017 was the first time I ever achieved airline status. I hardly flew Delta but got Silver Medallion through credit card bonus/spending and a few flights. I also got United Premier Silver after doing a mileage run from LAX to PBI via EWR. At the time I was offered a free upgrade on the return flight if I routed through IAH and turned it down as I needed the exact number of miles I would get by flying through EWR and wasn't sure if the upgrade would include a multiplier on my PQMs.
But today I topped that needing an "exact" number of miles by finally achieving United Premier 1K with exactly 100,000 PQMs (and 12,330 PQDs). Granted I purchased 2000 PQMs to get over the threshold to Platinum and another 5000 PQMs to get 1K but nothing I could have done would have made the other three digits come out quite so nicely.
But today I topped that needing an "exact" number of miles by finally achieving United Premier 1K with exactly 100,000 PQMs (and 12,330 PQDs). Granted I purchased 2000 PQMs to get over the threshold to Platinum and another 5000 PQMs to get 1K but nothing I could have done would have made the other three digits come out quite so nicely.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,337
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
I have to ask:
Paying for 7K miles is easily $770 spend (2 cpm for the RDM, 9 cpm for the PQM).
With months ahead of flying, why not a quick mileage run?
Note that upgrades do not impact PQM and even if they did, an interesting decision, as a reroute through IAH would have gotten you more miles.
Paying for 7K miles is easily $770 spend (2 cpm for the RDM, 9 cpm for the PQM).
With months ahead of flying, why not a quick mileage run?
Note that upgrades do not impact PQM and even if they did, an interesting decision, as a reroute through IAH would have gotten you more miles.
#6
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
Congrats, but you might want to question buying miles to get status next time. Sure if you're short by a few miles and don't have time at the end of the year for a quick MR, but status is only useful when you actually travel. So if you don't actually travel that much, the status isn't as valuable.
Ofcourse the value is different from everyone. Again, Congrats!
Ofcourse the value is different from everyone. Again, Congrats!
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,345
Congrats on hitting 1K exactly on the nose. Nice round number.
When you said you were offered an upgrade through IAH do you mean you were offered a re-route due to an oversell? If so they would have rebooked you in a "paid" first class fare code and you would have earned 2x or even 3x the miles. LAX-PBI via EWR is 3400 miles and via IAH is 2330. If it wasn't related to an oversell situation then it would have not gotten you PQM multipliers so you would have been about 1100 miles short.
-RM
When you said you were offered an upgrade through IAH do you mean you were offered a re-route due to an oversell? If so they would have rebooked you in a "paid" first class fare code and you would have earned 2x or even 3x the miles. LAX-PBI via EWR is 3400 miles and via IAH is 2330. If it wasn't related to an oversell situation then it would have not gotten you PQM multipliers so you would have been about 1100 miles short.
-RM
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
#10
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
More in Additional RPUs / GPUs after reaching 100K PQMs / 1K status?
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
I have to ask:
Paying for 7K miles is easily $770 spend (2 cpm for the RDM, 9 cpm for the PQM).
With months ahead of flying, why not a quick mileage run?
Note that upgrades do not impact PQM and even if they did, an interesting decision, as a reroute through IAH would have gotten you more miles.
Paying for 7K miles is easily $770 spend (2 cpm for the RDM, 9 cpm for the PQM).
With months ahead of flying, why not a quick mileage run?
Note that upgrades do not impact PQM and even if they did, an interesting decision, as a reroute through IAH would have gotten you more miles.
When realized that I would be 5000 PQMs short I kept searching for itineraries that would offer me 5000 PQMs at the checkout screen, but I was only getting offers for 4000 or 6000. I figured I could buy the 4000 PQMs and do a mileage run to nearby Saipan (129 miles away and thus 500PQM each way) but all the flights were at least $200 RT. Flying to Japan, Manila, Hong Kong, or Island hopper routes all had similar earning rates around $0.20 per PQM. I ended up purchasing an itinerary in order to see if it offered me a PQM package between 4000 and 6000 and that ended up working, just cancelled the flight within 24 hrs.
Congrats, but you might want to question buying miles to get status next time. Sure if you're short by a few miles and don't have time at the end of the year for a quick MR, but status is only useful when you actually travel. So if you don't actually travel that much, the status isn't as valuable.
Ofcourse the value is different from everyone. Again, Congrats!
Ofcourse the value is different from everyone. Again, Congrats!
Congrats on hitting 1K exactly on the nose. Nice round number.
When you said you were offered an upgrade through IAH do you mean you were offered a re-route due to an oversell? If so they would have rebooked you in a "paid" first class fare code and you would have earned 2x or even 3x the miles. LAX-PBI via EWR is 3400 miles and via IAH is 2330. If it wasn't related to an oversell situation then it would have not gotten you PQM multipliers so you would have been about 1100 miles short.
-RM
When you said you were offered an upgrade through IAH do you mean you were offered a re-route due to an oversell? If so they would have rebooked you in a "paid" first class fare code and you would have earned 2x or even 3x the miles. LAX-PBI via EWR is 3400 miles and via IAH is 2330. If it wasn't related to an oversell situation then it would have not gotten you PQM multipliers so you would have been about 1100 miles short.
-RM
#12
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
I think the under-reported piece of this story is you're quickly closing in on 100K BIS an important milestone on your journey towards lifetime UA Gold! I'm a lowly Gold who (joined in late 2016) and only got a measly 40K UA BIS to my name
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
I don't anticipate that I'll make it to any MM status in my lifetime. I'm in a unique position in my career now where I fly a lot but that'll change in a year's time.
#14
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: ZRH/LUX/LON
Programs: BA GGL/ VS Gold. Former: UA 1K (10 years+) , EY partners Plat, SQ PPS Club, SU Gold, LH SEN/HON
Posts: 770
Congrats. Was a 1K for 10+ years, and quit in 2015. Let us know what you think of it, after about a year
Note : my lifetime number is significantly higher than yours
Note : my lifetime number is significantly higher than yours