Sep 28, 2018, 11:53 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Today we’re introducing a few updates for members with MileagePlus Premier® status — some of which are already in effect and some that will come later. These updates include added benefits related to boarding groups and baggage allowances, as well as adjustments to our upgrade structure and Premier 1K® status qualification requirements.
Better boarding
Effective on September 18, 2018
· Premier® 1K® members will be called to board during pre-boarding ahead of Group 1
· Premier Gold members will now board with Boarding Group1, previous in Group 2
Baggage allowance for Premier members
Effective on September 28, 2018:
All Premier® members, regardless of Premier status, will receive the same standard weight allowance for checked baggage: 70 lbs. (32 kg.)
Additionally:
· All Premier members flying in United Business®, United First®, or United Polaris® business class are allowed up to three bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
· Premier Gold members flying in United Economy® between the U.S. and Europe are allowed three bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
· Premier Silver members flying in United Economy between the U.S. and Europe are allowed two bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
Premier qualification requirements
Effective on January 1, 2019:
· Premier qualification dollar (PQD) requirement for Premier 1K status will be raised from $12,000 to $15,000.
· P-class fares will earn 150% Premier qualifying miles (PQM), reduced from 200%.
Premier upgrades
Effective on January 1, 2019:
· The way a Premier 1K member earns additional upgrades will be changing. For every 25,000 Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or 30 Premier qualifying segments (PQS) after qualifying for Premier 1K status, we’ll add one Global Premier Upgrades into your account. No additional Regional Premier Upgrades can be earned after qualifying for Premier 1K status.
More details can be found here: www.mileageplusupdates.com
- UA Insider
Better boarding
Effective on September 18, 2018
· Premier® 1K® members will be called to board during pre-boarding ahead of Group 1
· Premier Gold members will now board with Boarding Group1, previous in Group 2
Baggage allowance for Premier members
Effective on September 28, 2018:
All Premier® members, regardless of Premier status, will receive the same standard weight allowance for checked baggage: 70 lbs. (32 kg.)
Additionally:
· All Premier members flying in United Business®, United First®, or United Polaris® business class are allowed up to three bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
· Premier Gold members flying in United Economy® between the U.S. and Europe are allowed three bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
· Premier Silver members flying in United Economy between the U.S. and Europe are allowed two bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
Premier qualification requirements
Effective on January 1, 2019:
· Premier qualification dollar (PQD) requirement for Premier 1K status will be raised from $12,000 to $15,000.
· P-class fares will earn 150% Premier qualifying miles (PQM), reduced from 200%.
Premier upgrades
Effective on January 1, 2019:
· The way a Premier 1K member earns additional upgrades will be changing. For every 25,000 Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or 30 Premier qualifying segments (PQS) after qualifying for Premier 1K status, we’ll add one Global Premier Upgrades into your account. No additional Regional Premier Upgrades can be earned after qualifying for Premier 1K status.
More details can be found here: www.mileageplusupdates.com
- UA Insider
Good news! I got written confirmation from 1kvoice on the below:
We will honor 200% Premier Qualifying Mile (PQM) accrual for tickets purchased before September 28, 2018 for travel on/after January 1, 2019.
• A manual adjustment to 200% PQM accrual for P-fare flown segments can be made post-departure at the customer’s request.
• Any tickets purchased after September 28, 2018, for travel on/after January 1, 2019 are only eligible to receive 150% PQM accrual.
• A manual adjustment to 200% PQM accrual for P-fare flown segments can be made post-departure at the customer’s request.
• Any tickets purchased after September 28, 2018, for travel on/after January 1, 2019 are only eligible to receive 150% PQM accrual.
Related threads
United's New Boarding Process (with Wiki) [starting 18 Sep 2018]
Partner P fare earning after 1 Jan 2019
Updates to MP Premier Program -1K PQD $15K, P fare 150%, fewer RPU, Bag waiver & more
Oct 8, 2018, 12:03 pm
#451
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,115
Yes, I could agree with this wording.
They did, in the fare rules, which I agree is an extreme example of fine print (however, you did have to agree to the fare rules to purchase those fares). Albeit it was not exactly worded like that, because that's also not what it was. It was coded entirely as an economy fare that came with a premium cabin seat at time of booking, for which inventory was pulled from both an Economy and a Premium RBD. "Complimentary upgrades" is what some people and some gate agents made of it, but you never saw that wording in the fare coding.
United was targeting a lucrative market with this specific way of coding, it has been elaborated on before.
Agree. These fares are gone now anyway, and the replacement is a much better first class fare that is actually coded as a first class fare ^ hence shouldn't confuse anyone anymore.
United was targeting a lucrative market with this specific way of coding, it has been elaborated on before.
Agree. These fares are gone now anyway, and the replacement is a much better first class fare that is actually coded as a first class fare ^ hence shouldn't confuse anyone anymore.
Last edited by mozilla; Oct 8, 2018 at 12:13 pm
Oct 8, 2018, 4:00 pm
#452
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 25
Flight booked before the Change
Having an April 2019 trip to LHR booked in P I sent an inquiry to 1K voce. They forwarded it to the Mileage Plus Service Center
who responded.
Saving the email chain along with my original receipt.
Dear Mr. Taylor:
Thanks for taking the time to write to us. We’re glad to hear from you.
We will honor the 200% Premier Qualifying mile accrual for tickets purchased before September 28,2018 for travel on/after January 1, 2019.
Please contact us after the flights post to your account to make the adjustment.
As a Premier 1K member, we value your business. Thank you for choosing United and MileagePlus.
Regards,
MileagePlus® Service Center
who responded.
Saving the email chain along with my original receipt.
Dear Mr. Taylor:
Thanks for taking the time to write to us. We’re glad to hear from you.
We will honor the 200% Premier Qualifying mile accrual for tickets purchased before September 28,2018 for travel on/after January 1, 2019.
Please contact us after the flights post to your account to make the adjustment.
As a Premier 1K member, we value your business. Thank you for choosing United and MileagePlus.
Regards,
MileagePlus® Service Center
Oct 8, 2018, 6:14 pm
#453
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: UA 1 MM
Posts: 21
Made 1K for the first and almost certainly last time. Will have over 160K this year and was worried about whether the clock for collecting on the additional 25k mile increments starts after you clear the dollar amount for 1k, which for me was after 125k. Fortunately seems not. So should have an extra 2 GPUs and 4 RPUs after I get to 160k by the end of the year.
Will also be about 910k at the end of the year.
Really will look forward to getting UA Gold status for life either in 2019 or early 2020. I'm sure they'll downgrade it, but I am tired of worrying about getting enough PQD for at least Gold status.
Will also be about 910k at the end of the year.
Really will look forward to getting UA Gold status for life either in 2019 or early 2020. I'm sure they'll downgrade it, but I am tired of worrying about getting enough PQD for at least Gold status.
Oct 8, 2018, 6:18 pm
#454
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 294
Admittedly this is a first world problem. The PQD is going to hit me hard. I'm already at 120K PQM for 2018, but have barely got $6900 PQD. Clearly, I'm not the kind of cheapskate UA wants to coddle. I'm a borderline $12K spender at best. I don't see myself doing $15K in 2019. So here are my choices:
1. Change to an overseas address, which I can do credibly. But, I'm sure lots of people try to do this and UA probably has a way to ferret out those who try to beat the system this way. Can I use my overseas home address even though most of my travels originate in SFO? Will UA let me do that? If so, would changing it now allow me to sneak into 1K status for 2019, based on my current situation of 120K PQM and $7K PQD?
2. Try to spend the extra $5K I need to get to 1K this year so that I can enjoy that status one last time in 2019.
3. Move to another carrier. This is easier said than done. As a resident of the SFO area with mostly overseas travels, there aren't a whole lot of choices. Which airline within the *A or another alliance would make sense?
1. Change to an overseas address, which I can do credibly. But, I'm sure lots of people try to do this and UA probably has a way to ferret out those who try to beat the system this way. Can I use my overseas home address even though most of my travels originate in SFO? Will UA let me do that? If so, would changing it now allow me to sneak into 1K status for 2019, based on my current situation of 120K PQM and $7K PQD?
2. Try to spend the extra $5K I need to get to 1K this year so that I can enjoy that status one last time in 2019.
3. Move to another carrier. This is easier said than done. As a resident of the SFO area with mostly overseas travels, there aren't a whole lot of choices. Which airline within the *A or another alliance would make sense?
Oct 8, 2018, 7:26 pm
#455
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,205
Where are you flying to, and how flexible are you? Air Canada often poaches UA hub captives with very attractive fares via their own gateways.
Oct 8, 2018, 8:28 pm
#456
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Houston TX
Programs: UN 1K MM, Marriott-LT TitanElite, Hyatt Glob; HH-Gold
Posts: 74
I'm definitely one of the one's that will lose my 1K status due to the spend. I was already pushing the "buy up" game to help me keep my status and fly less. It is frustrating that the dollars I spend on upgrading myself do not count towards the PQD, because I certainly would hit the $15K with those included. Because my business travel has to be purchased directly through our corporate travel, I am not able to buy the First Class ticket, (or pay the difference in fare at booking). I'm not sure if it is worth calling United immediately after booking and see if I can get their help in canceling the ticket, holding the money to apply to a P fare ticket.
I'm torn between trying to see if I can do it, and attempt to buy some P fares when it's vacation flights, OR finally letting go of the stress and planning and going out of my way to stay on United. It would be easier to fly American into SNA and DFW or Delta into ATL... but I remained 100% loyal.
I will miss the free snack box and drink the most. At least I have one more year to enjoy it...
I'm torn between trying to see if I can do it, and attempt to buy some P fares when it's vacation flights, OR finally letting go of the stress and planning and going out of my way to stay on United. It would be easier to fly American into SNA and DFW or Delta into ATL... but I remained 100% loyal.
I will miss the free snack box and drink the most. At least I have one more year to enjoy it...
Oct 8, 2018, 8:58 pm
#457
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,415
Because my business travel has to be purchased directly through our corporate travel, I am not able to buy the First Class ticket, (or pay the difference in fare at booking). I'm not sure if it is worth calling United immediately after booking and see if I can get their help in canceling the ticket, holding the money to apply to a P fare ticket.
Oct 9, 2018, 12:38 am
#458
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,455
For mostly international? Nothing will come close to matching UA ex-SFO for convenience. And it's not like foreign carriers have equivalently generous FFPs.
Oct 9, 2018, 7:22 am
#459
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
You can call (United) to have them change the ticket into First -- this is not a cancel and is going to be just fine by almost any corporate travel department. The downside is that you have to call every single time, and also find an agent willing to both waive the agency takeover fee and the change fee (the latter is policy per GG BUYUP, the former is a courtesy). I would probably get fed up with my employer fairly quickly if I had to do that every time I flew..
To @Babymule - what @findark said works just fine on simple UA itineraries. However, I did find out a way for more complex itineraries. I don't know if this will work for your corporate TA, but, what I found out you can do is find a very helpful rep who will let you buy a travel voucher with them. They can then take this amount and apply it directly to what you want at the time of booking. They will just calculate the difference, and that difference is the credit you will buy from them. That way you still book (and get an initial receipt) of what was in policy, and they can then upgrade the same reservation with their credit.
Oct 9, 2018, 8:50 am
#460
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,415
Your employer wouldn't let you travel then (that's what happened to me). It's such a taboo subject, unfortunately (see the corporate booking policy thread for lots of information). I was supposed to go to germany for three months, and wanted to buy up to business (only $400 more) - I made such a fuss about it (wanting to pay out of my own pocket!), they cancelled my rotation there, just for me wanting to pay out of pocket and repeatedly asking if there is a way to do so.
Oct 9, 2018, 8:55 am
#461
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
Unfortunately for me, I like having status, so it's a bit harder to just go free agent since 95% of my travel out of pocket is in Y.
Oct 9, 2018, 9:46 am
#462
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Silver, IHG Plat AMB, Hertz Pres. Circle, Avis Presidents Club; Caesars Diamond Plus
Posts: 641
Thank you.
Oct 9, 2018, 9:58 am
#463
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
So, whether you earn status today or on Dec. 31, 2018, it's good through Jan. 31, 2020. Qualifying for the next program year begins on January 1, 2019.
Oct 9, 2018, 6:06 pm
#464
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Seoul
Programs: None anymore
Posts: 983
I don't know if this will work for your corporate TA, but, what I found out you can do is find a very helpful rep who will let you buy a travel voucher with them. They can then take this amount and apply it directly to what you want at the time of booking. They will just calculate the difference, and that difference is the credit you will buy from them. That way you still book (and get an initial receipt) of what was in policy, and they can then upgrade the same reservation with their credit.
Oct 9, 2018, 6:20 pm
#465
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,969
It seems this change will affect people in the following ways:
1 - no effect at all - not making 1K before the change OR no problem with 15K PQD anyway
2 - spend the extra dollars to make 1K
3 - stop trying at Platinum
4 - move completely to a different carrier
It seems more might be in groups #3 and #4 than group #2 ? So, maybe UA ends up losing the extra revenue but also reducing the cost of supporting these members?
1 - no effect at all - not making 1K before the change OR no problem with 15K PQD anyway
2 - spend the extra dollars to make 1K
3 - stop trying at Platinum
4 - move completely to a different carrier
It seems more might be in groups #3 and #4 than group #2 ? So, maybe UA ends up losing the extra revenue but also reducing the cost of supporting these members?