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
Sep 28, 2018, 3:54 pm
#121
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,466
I matched to DL Plat last year. I generally like flying them, but their international network does not match UA and *A, especially not from SFO. Also, their upgrade process is much less transparent . . . they do not display upgrade inventory on the website.
Give them a shot and see if it works for you.
Give them a shot and see if it works for you.
Sep 28, 2018, 3:59 pm
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
Sep 28, 2018, 4:02 pm
#123
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
Like others, I think these changes foreshadow:
- elimination of platinum
- eventual end of RPUs. I suspect UA saw most RPUs earned by GS and 1K were going to F&F and lowering CPU chance for everyone else.
Then we’ll have just GS/1K with earned certs. Plus they preboard. Gold goes to group 1, silver group 2. If *A creates a higher tier elite, then UA’s tiers would map almost 1:1.
As someone who will only ever make gold, thinning out the 1K ranks and upgrade cert pile can only help my UG chances.
As someone who will only ever make gold, thinning out the 1K ranks and upgrade cert pile can only help my UG chances.
Last edited by prometa; Sep 28, 2018 at 4:45 pm
Sep 28, 2018, 4:04 pm
#124
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Sep 28, 2018 at 4:14 pm
Sep 28, 2018, 4:07 pm
#125
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AC 25K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 436
The P fare change is a disappointment, but I don't know how much it will affect me, since I typically hit 100K PQMs long before I hit $12K PQDs. That's partly because of some buyups I do to P fares. On the other hand, lately a number of buyups have been to other fare classes - yesterday's flight was to D class, for example. (If they really wanted to improve, they would train all phone agents on the GG BUYUP policy. I still encounter phone agents who want to charge a change fee on top of the fare difference.)
I agree with other comments in this thread that change fees should count towards PQDs, as should the upgrades they are now selling that don't change the underlying fare. When they first introduced PQDs, they talked about an "annual minimum spend". Well, if my receipt says UA, it sure sounds like I'm spending money on UA!
The changes to RPUs/GPUs would only matter if these instruments could be used more often. I am often waitlisted, but even as a 1K, the waitlist seldom clears. Unless R is available at booking time, I don't find these instruments to have much value.
$15K may be tough for me to meet. It's definitely not worth it for pre-boarding. It could be worth it if RPUs/GPUs could be used more easily.
I agree with other comments in this thread that change fees should count towards PQDs, as should the upgrades they are now selling that don't change the underlying fare. When they first introduced PQDs, they talked about an "annual minimum spend". Well, if my receipt says UA, it sure sounds like I'm spending money on UA!
The changes to RPUs/GPUs would only matter if these instruments could be used more often. I am often waitlisted, but even as a 1K, the waitlist seldom clears. Unless R is available at booking time, I don't find these instruments to have much value.
$15K may be tough for me to meet. It's definitely not worth it for pre-boarding. It could be worth it if RPUs/GPUs could be used more easily.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:12 pm
#126
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 150
As often as consultants fly you'd think they would not take such an axe to this program.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:13 pm
#127
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: UA MileagePlus 2MM
Posts: 1,567
Like others, I think these changes foreshadow:
- elimination of platinum
- eventual end of RPUs. I suspect UA saw most RPUs earner by GS and 1K were going to F&F and lowering CPU chance for everyone else.
Then we’ll have just GS/1K with earned certs. Plus they preboard. Gold goes to group 1, silver group 2. If *A creates a higher tier elite, then UA’s tiers would map almost 1:1.
As someone who will only ever make gold, thinning out the 1K ranks and upgrade cert pile can only help my UG chances.
As someone who will only ever make gold, thinning out the 1K ranks and upgrade cert pile can only help my UG chances.
Over the years I had many RPU's lost and unused. So now we only earn 4 - not a deal breaker but not sure why the change. Maybe to make them clear for the road warriors as others have said?
I am guessing Platinum would stay, or what do they do to the MM fliers who are between 2MM and 3MM?
Sep 28, 2018, 4:18 pm
#128
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 774
Despite them saying flights flown after 2018 won't accrue the 200% PQM, I feel they will still honor it for anyone who had tickets booked prior to today. If not they would have to refund or be setting themselves up for legal problems. Can't change the terms of a ticket already purchased.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:19 pm
#129
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,466
But this is going to make things really tough for people whose natural spend is in the $10-11k range who have been stretching to hit $12k.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:19 pm
#130
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, UA Gold, Marriott LTT, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,539
I recently left my consulting job. With these changes I don't even think I'd qualify. You're required to fly coach (unless you were very senior management and the flight was over 4 hours). Alaska airlines seems to be a good program. They also have unique redemptions.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:22 pm
#131
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,466
I'm literally 100% on upgrades since status matching to 75K.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:27 pm
#132
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,063
I have no issues with this other than the already purchased 2019 P-class NOT earning 200%. This stinks and is disingenuous from United. In all prior devaluations that I remember they allowed tickets purchased before the change was announced to be 'under the old rules'. I suggest we all complain about this bit ... making retroactive changes to already purchased tickets is barely legal.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:28 pm
#133
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
Sep 28, 2018, 4:29 pm
#134
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, UA Gold, Marriott LTT, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,539
I'm thinking of statuses matching. I booked that ~1300 SQ AMD-SIN-EWR fare. United will credit me 100% for a D fare. AS credits some insane multiple.
Sep 28, 2018, 4:38 pm
#135
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,466