Segment Qualifiers - Fewest PQM to make 1K?
Oct 30, 2018, 5:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: MSP/ORD
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Segment Qualifiers - Fewest PQM to make 1K?
From the milestone threads, we know that the vast majority of FT 1Ks make it on PQM rather than PQS. In theory, one could make 1K with as few as 60,000 PQM, if all one ever flew were <500 mile flights, and one racked up enough PQDs in the process.
In practice, based on flights flown and booked, I'm on a path to get to 120 PQS by December with only 84,248 PQM (and with >$17K PQD). (I fly MSP-ORD a lot.)
I'm curious if there are others out there who've made it to 1K with fewer PQM than that?
In practice, based on flights flown and booked, I'm on a path to get to 120 PQS by December with only 84,248 PQM (and with >$17K PQD). (I fly MSP-ORD a lot.)
I'm curious if there are others out there who've made it to 1K with fewer PQM than that?
Oct 30, 2018, 6:16 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
Not a 1K, but, for a bit of pedantry:
Since the 500 PQM minimum only applies if you already have status, someone starting as a kettle could in theory book very short segments until they crossed both 30 segments and $3000pqd.
SFO-STS, which I think is UA's shortest flight, would give 66 PQM per segment and I see V fares that give $114 PQD. That'd give you silver after 30 segments or 2010 PQM. From there, you'd start earning 500 per segment for a minimum of 45000. So the minimum PQM for 1K, by my calculation, is 47510 (if anyone can find a very short trip with fares <$100 so you have to take more than 30 segments to get to Silver, it might be even lower)
Ironically, the fare is cheaper than a RT Uber between the same two airports. Maybe some commuter who hates driving really does qualify for 1K this way.
Since the 500 PQM minimum only applies if you already have status, someone starting as a kettle could in theory book very short segments until they crossed both 30 segments and $3000pqd.
SFO-STS, which I think is UA's shortest flight, would give 66 PQM per segment and I see V fares that give $114 PQD. That'd give you silver after 30 segments or 2010 PQM. From there, you'd start earning 500 per segment for a minimum of 45000. So the minimum PQM for 1K, by my calculation, is 47510 (if anyone can find a very short trip with fares <$100 so you have to take more than 30 segments to get to Silver, it might be even lower)
Ironically, the fare is cheaper than a RT Uber between the same two airports. Maybe some commuter who hates driving really does qualify for 1K this way.
Last edited by prometa; Oct 31, 2018 at 7:51 am
Oct 30, 2018, 6:28 pm
#3
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If you really want to cheat at this game, it's definitely going to be flying a *A partner for 1 PQS and small PQM on a domestic segment and use the four segment rule (and/or PQD) to prevent status 
Oct 31, 2018, 4:23 am
#4
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Also note, YOW-YUL is often served by Dash-8.
Oct 31, 2018, 6:00 am
#5
Join Date: May 2003
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Doing this route 120 times in one year should yield you lifetime GS in compensation for pain and suffering.
Oct 31, 2018, 6:30 am
#6
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Oct 31, 2018, 6:37 am
#7
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n.
edit add:
Good point, so we can reduce that total even further by a few hundred.
Oct 31, 2018, 6:38 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: United
Posts: 1
Finished last year with 122 segments, 76k miles and 30k spend. Lots of last minute, short domestic flights with 1flight to Europe. Had lots and lots of connections. Now live in Houston, fly more but with less segments. Fine by me. Getting 1k with segments is not a glamorous lifestyle. That CPU from Denver to Casper is a glorious 37 minutes in F.
Oct 31, 2018, 7:04 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: WAS-ish
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Finished last year with 122 segments, 76k miles and 30k spend. Lots of last minute, short domestic flights with 1flight to Europe. Had lots and lots of connections. Now live in Houston, fly more but with less segments. Fine by me. Getting 1k with segments is not a glamorous lifestyle. That CPU from Denver to Casper is a glorious 37 minutes in F.
Oct 31, 2018, 8:58 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2011
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Yuck. The only person who has ever enjoyed a Dash-8 was that guy who stole one earlier this year.
Oct 31, 2018, 9:12 am
#11
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Oct 31, 2018, 11:12 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2013
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I lived in Hawaii from 94-99 and I went to Maui every weekend I could. Back then you had 3 choices - Hawaiian Air - $52 (Could buy tickets from bank of Hawaii ATM) was mainly MD-80's, Aloha air - $42 flew all 737 and Finally Mahalo Air, - Fokker F-27 they ran special for ROUND TRIP $52 - kind of a play on RT price for what Hawaiian charges for one way.
I would roll up to the terminal and unload bags, slip the porter a $10 - weight never got checked and they went directly on the plane
Dash-8 landing in Kahalui between the mountains kinda went like this
Bumpy on descent
Slowing down
got to above the runway
Captain chops throttle and we come down the last 2-3 feet real fast
The "Overhead bins" were shelves with some minuscule netting and stuff routinely fell out of the overhead. Typically those flights were awesome and wouldn't trade it for anything
Oct 31, 2018, 12:31 pm
#13
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Oct 31, 2018, 1:07 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
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Those interisland flights are a way to rack up segments without miles (though not United). My three shortest commercial flights are ITO-OGG, OGG-HNL, and HNL-LIH [Hilo, Kahalui/Maui, and Lihue/Kauai]
Oct 31, 2018, 1:52 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2002
Programs: United Premier 1K
Posts: 1,230
YVR-YYJ is only 39 miles, so I suspect the optimal solution to this problem involves that route in a fare that earns PQS.
