Oct 22, 2018, 3:44 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
GS Qualifying for 2019 Discussion
This will be a discussion thread, for discussing the needed qualifications and timing of notification.
For posing formal notifications (but no discussion), use this thread Global Services 2019 Notifications (ONLY)
2019 GS Timeline
First requal notifications came out on 6 Dec 2018
First-time notifications started about 3 Jan 2019
Numerous reports that all regular notifications will be out by 11 Jan 2019
Initial successful reconsideration appeals reported 15 Jan 2019
First reports of challanges15 Jan 2019
For discussion of GS benefits, please use Consolidated Global Services Thread: Benefits, Questions 2018First-time notifications started about 3 Jan 2019
Numerous reports that all regular notifications will be out by 11 Jan 2019
Initial successful reconsideration appeals reported 15 Jan 2019
First reports of challanges15 Jan 2019
For 2017 qualifications, see the 2017 thread and for 2018, see the 2018 thread
To find your PQDs if >than $12K
Go to
MileagePlus activity since my last statement and it is in the "Account summary" table at the top of the page.
Note this is not just the UA operated PQDs (which is commonly believed to be what matters for GS) but rather your total PQDs.
Definitions
BIS is actual scheduled flight distance (Great Circle Mileage Distance -- GCM) between airports with 500 mile minimum for elites. This is the standard used for Lifetime miles also. Those flying mostly sub-500 segments sometimes prefer to not use the minimum rule.
The definition for CPM is a bit vaguer, especially since CPM is used in multiple different situations.
Believe for the purpose of this thread, GS qualification, folks are using
PQD CPM = UA PQDs / UA BIS
Note there is no direct evidence UA uses this CPM number for GS Qualification but it is a number FTers like to use.
As for BIS, UA does not report this number your account and it needs to be manually tracked.
One way is to make use that PQMs are based on BIS but there may be a multiplier / bonus for high end fares. If always in 2x PQMs, you could divide by 2 to get BIS.
rwsteelers had a good method for determining UA BIS -- the change in Lifetime Miles from the first of the year.
Hello:
To help with collection of qualification metrics for global services, I created a Google Doc. This will be useful for future members. For ease of use, I created a form which feeds into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet and form does not require a google account and is free to use.
Similar spreadsheets were created in years past, so I'm hoping to continue this tradition. Please take the time to enter your stats into the spreadsheet. Many thanks
LINK to entry form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SYm...xRKZ_EUD8/edit
View responses here ( read only ):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
To help with collection of qualification metrics for global services, I created a Google Doc. This will be useful for future members. For ease of use, I created a form which feeds into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet and form does not require a google account and is free to use.
Similar spreadsheets were created in years past, so I'm hoping to continue this tradition. Please take the time to enter your stats into the spreadsheet. Many thanks
LINK to entry form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SYm...xRKZ_EUD8/edit
View responses here ( read only ):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
GS Qualifying for 2019 Discussion / Questions
Jan 28, 2019, 8:38 pm
#781
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
Based on what I've seen through the last few years, there are few that qualify from 1K to GS with less than $50K PQD on UA metal. There are some anomalies. But for the greater of qualifications, this has been the case. I never went from 1K to GS with less than this.... and I'm pretty sure many others here can attest to that.
Jan 29, 2019, 5:24 am
#782
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: ORD | LGA | 2E
Programs: UA GS 1.6MM UC | AA CK 0.7MM AC | Bonvoy Ambassador | Hyatt Globalist | Hertz PC
Posts: 1,054
Based on what I've seen through the last few years, there are few that qualify from 1K to GS with less than $50K PQD on UA metal. There are some anomalies. But for the greater of qualifications, this has been the case. I never went from 1K to GS with less than this.... and I'm pretty sure many others here can attest to that.
Jan 29, 2019, 7:32 am
#783
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: EWR
Programs: United GS, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 37
As one of those "few" ($48K UA metal) I would note that I have both strong y-o-y spend trends ~$17K > $36K > $48K and 99% of my travel is booked in a premium fare class (mostly P/Z/A/C/D). I also feel as though I got lucky for a first-time nod. I'm in my mid-30s and have been 1K every year since graduating college.
Jan 29, 2019, 8:58 am
#784
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS, AA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 285
Also as another data point - I requested reconsideration last year for my 2017 travel and was denied (no challenge offered). I wonder if that put my profile on their radar to automatically check in 2018? No idea if that’s been discussed previously.
Anyway, all this has definitely given me the “bug” and given me more incentive to fly only on UA metal if I can (and generally my travel patterns allow for that since almost all my intl travel is to destinations that UA flies direct)
Jan 29, 2019, 2:38 pm
#785
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: EWR
Posts: 894
Yes that’s certainly possible. That’s why I included a question on the form about “special perk”... from a company contract. But all of the 40+ Qualifiers mentioned above selected “No” to the special perk question.
Jan 29, 2019, 3:17 pm
#786
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
As one of those "few" ($48K UA metal) I would note that I have both strong y-o-y spend trends ~$17K > $36K > $48K and 99% of my travel is booked in a premium fare class (mostly P/Z/A/C/D). I also feel as though I got lucky for a first-time nod. I'm in my mid-30s and have been 1K every year since graduating college.
I'm in agreement with you that YOY is probably an impacting factor.... too bad we don't have another 500 data points with consistent input to really solidify some statistics to show what variables are truly correlating to qualifications / re-qualifications. It will be UA's secret, ultimately, and we will be left to guess as we always do.
Jan 29, 2019, 4:39 pm
#787
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: ORD | LGA | 2E
Programs: UA GS 1.6MM UC | AA CK 0.7MM AC | Bonvoy Ambassador | Hyatt Globalist | Hertz PC
Posts: 1,054
I, personally, have found the info here on FT to be incredibly insightful. I changed my travel patterns a bit almost solely to increase my GS odds.
Jan 29, 2019, 9:03 pm
#788
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
Makes a ton of sense that UA wouldn't want transparency here. Gives them ultimate flexibility to take whatever percentage of the distribution they want to given other business/economic realities. Also prevents those with excess spend from managing that to some level of high confidence.
I, personally, have found the info here on FT to be incredibly insightful. I changed my travel patterns a bit almost solely to increase my GS odds.
I, personally, have found the info here on FT to be incredibly insightful. I changed my travel patterns a bit almost solely to increase my GS odds.
I agree that this thread is incredibly insightful, and offer my gratitude to all of you that post here.
Jan 30, 2019, 8:17 am
#789
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: EWR
Posts: 894
I'm in agreement with this. This year for the spreadsheet, I included a field called 3 year running average. It was meant for people to average their last 3 years of PQD.
Is there a better way to capture this (for next year)? Would getting PQD values for each of the last 5 years be better?
Is there a better way to capture this (for next year)? Would getting PQD values for each of the last 5 years be better?
Feb 1, 2019, 10:46 am
#790
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,621
Another strange one, my nephew who was told approximately two weeks ago he did NOT get the GS invite (emailed to reply him) with a $48K spend out of SFO and a renewal looked today at his MP Status and it still said he was GS so he called the desk and was told he was approved 1/28 until 1/2020. He was even told his GS package was in the mail and congratulation. Go figure?! Anybody else getting last minute approvals? I was approved last week unexpectedly as well, even received my 1K package. Strange but neither one of us are looking a gift horse in the mouth so to say.
Feb 15, 2019, 10:41 pm
#791
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR/ORD/LAX - USA
Programs: CO/NW - Platinum Elite x 10+/1,000,000+ miles
Posts: 22
Pardon what may be a silly question, but what does “BIS” signify, please? Thank you.
Feb 15, 2019, 10:55 pm
#792
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA GS 1MM, CM PP
Posts: 689
Feb 24, 2019, 4:13 pm
#793
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 209
This gives me some hope to qualify with my <$50k PQD someday ... I'm flying out of an airport very similar to KRIC.
Mar 10, 2019, 5:42 am
#794
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SJC/SFO (previously BNE, SIN, SHA/PVG)
Programs: UA GS/MM, Marriott TE, National EE, Global Entry/TSA-Pre, APEC BTC
Posts: 162
I've been GS for the last few years with a PQD around $60-70k. My company was acquired by another that has a strict rule of no business class, no matter the level of employee or flight time. I therefore sunk back down to $30k last year and lost GS for 2019. I made the mistake last year of just using points and upgrades to upgrade instead of cash. Now that I've worked through all my points and upgrades, I'm left with having to pay personal cash to upgrade. I informed UA of my situation and they offered me a challenge of $15k PQD in the first quarter. I'm currently at $12k PQD and should hit $20k by end of quarter. Looks like I'll be back to GS in April and should be OK moving forward to hit the $40k threshold for requlifying every year. Worst 3 months of my life being jealous of every GS I saw boarding first without me 😀.
will also hit executive elite with national car rental (7 rentals YTD) and ambassador elite with marriot (30 nights YTD)
will also hit executive elite with national car rental (7 rentals YTD) and ambassador elite with marriot (30 nights YTD)
Mar 10, 2019, 6:12 am
#795
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SYD
Programs: UA GS, BA Gold, Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, IHG Gold, National Exec Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,419