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 29, 2018, 10:42 am
#226
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: London
Programs: United 1K 2 Million Miles, BA Silver, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 370
Like I said previously my P Fare was booked two months ago for next year shows 200% earnings in receipt, so can they change earning after ticketing?
Sep 29, 2018, 10:43 am
#227
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
I would hope that UA backtracks on this point and grandfathers tickets purchased prior to the announcement. That's how this has consistently been handled in the past and I'm really surprised at how they're handling it this time. It may well be an IT limitation, but that's really no excuse.
Sep 29, 2018, 10:56 am
#228
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Medellín
Programs: LH SEN | UA 1K
Posts: 77
Pretty sure they will handle it like with the fare changes with other airlines: flights flown on or before xxxx.
Still curious, how many 1Ks does United have approximately today? For comparison reasons, Lufthansa has over 100k SEN
Still curious, how many 1Ks does United have approximately today? For comparison reasons, Lufthansa has over 100k SEN
Sep 29, 2018, 11:01 am
#229
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
I feel I am being the grammar stickler in this thread, but any additional comma would not be grammatical unless some words were also added, changed or reordered.
On the general point about it being unclear, though, of course I agree.
On the general point about it being unclear, though, of course I agree.
Sep 29, 2018, 11:03 am
#230
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 312
Honestly I don't know if I'll make (or should strive to make) 1k next year, I just looked through what travel I think I'll do next year, and as I took advantage of a bunch of those 180+day discount fares to LHR/LIS for $2,300-$2,500 in P for most of my travel through Aug'19, I don't have a way of justifying to myself to artificially get into a higher priced fare for exactly the same seat. I booked it all on UA metal so I don't even have an option of buying up to First without incurring big change fees as I'd have to switch my flights to LH ones. There is a good chance I'll be right at the mark next year either on PQM or PQD.
So a double whammy of great fares having been out there, and the PQM deval. All in not a bad outcome, better to get real cheap P fares with g'teed biz than gamble on GPUs and/or have to spend so much time on routing to find R, in addition to relatively expensive W+ fare requirements.
This year because of some more expensive tickets, I'll end 2019 spending about $25k on UA, tho several tickets were BULK.
Another positive, maybe when they see my spend drop next year I'll finally get offered one of those Mile Play offers at a cheap price haha
So a double whammy of great fares having been out there, and the PQM deval. All in not a bad outcome, better to get real cheap P fares with g'teed biz than gamble on GPUs and/or have to spend so much time on routing to find R, in addition to relatively expensive W+ fare requirements.
This year because of some more expensive tickets, I'll end 2019 spending about $25k on UA, tho several tickets were BULK.
Another positive, maybe when they see my spend drop next year I'll finally get offered one of those Mile Play offers at a cheap price haha
Sep 29, 2018, 11:17 am
#231
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Some have opined that today's announced changes portend the demise of UA Platinum status. I'm not sure of this. I think it's more likely that this is the first step toward ultimate alignment of 1K with DL Diamond status (See https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...ify.html/#earn).
I predict UA Plat. continues as a robust level made up of an amalgam of us 2MMers satisfied with those benefits, former Golds wanting higher status, and former 1Ks not making the $15K and, by guess, the eventual 125K PQM/140PQS.
I predict UA Plat. continues as a robust level made up of an amalgam of us 2MMers satisfied with those benefits, former Golds wanting higher status, and former 1Ks not making the $15K and, by guess, the eventual 125K PQM/140PQS.
WHY do some people think PLAT is going away?
Sep 29, 2018, 11:34 am
#232
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,115
I don’t understand either. If anything, it seems even safer. Otherwise, disrupted 1Ks would be bumped all the way down to gold, only increasing the ill will. The Platinum level seems entirely appropriate and necessary to the UA ecosystem.
Sep 29, 2018, 11:47 am
#233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,405
Sep 29, 2018, 11:54 am
#234
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
Sep 29, 2018, 12:14 pm
#235
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Legal requirement. Unlike in the US, it's illegal in most countries to price discriminate (i.e. offer better deals to customers who spend more.)
In the U.S, the airlines got their cronies in Congress to give them a special exemption.
Sep 29, 2018, 12:37 pm
#236
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1MM GS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 283
Sep 29, 2018, 12:44 pm
#237
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
But AA doesn't do this? (from what I read somewhere up thread)
Sep 29, 2018, 12:50 pm
#238
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 756
No, this has been explained a few times. Upgrades are changing at 125K PQM (1 GPU instead of 2 RPU) and above. I actually think the sentence is pretty clear rather than deceptive. The link does mention upgrade changes.
You are confused. 100K PQMs is the hurdle for 1Ks. THAT HAS NOT CHANGED. At least not yet .The 125K PQMs you show refers to the change in RPU/GPU earning structure at that is occurring at that level and beyond. Re-read the screen shot more carefully. At 125PQM, one will now be getting one GPU instead of 2 RPUs. And for every 25K beyond that, one additional GPU instead of the current (more generous) allocation. Which everyone complains that they can't use anyway...
.The 125K PQMs you show refers to the change in RPU/GPU earning structure at that is occurring at that level and beyond. Re-read the screen shot more carefully. At 125PQM, one will now be getting one GPU instead of 2 RPUs. And for every 25K beyond that, one additional GPU instead of the current (more generous) allocation. Which everyone complains that they can't use anyway...Then I guess overall this is a positive change then. The higher will mainly impact those PQD who buy cheaper fares.
Sep 29, 2018, 1:10 pm
#239
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
1K was worth it to me for the GPUs (which I have been able to use for the last few years)as majority of my travel is international, however with the PQD of $15k I may as well as just purchase PE (UA or OAL) or TOD. Will enjoy my probable last year as a 1K in 2019 and hope I get to use my 8 GPUs. I will miss the excellent IRROPS handling but have had fewer IRROPS this past year.
As @SFOdelayed says it depends on your travel patterns and I am not in a hub so have far more options than those current 1K members in hubs.
Sep 29, 2018, 1:24 pm
#240
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
Actually, maybe they COULD do away with Platinum and only give Gold and Star Alliance Gold at 2MM and UA Silver at 1MM!