Jimmie Jet

As a canadian/australian I was able to maintain 1K flying the 6 GPU YYC-MEL and half a dozen domestic flights in and out of ORD, usually about $10K PQD

Looking at June 2-july 1 2020 for a flight MEL-YVR

United Z-fare $4540 USD, $1 per PQP

Air Canada P Fare $4725 USD , 8192 miles(200%) x 2 / 5 = 6552 PQP or $0.724USD per PQP (add 200% thx GECLUB1)


It will take 5.2 RT to hit the $24000 PQD on UA, where I used to do it for 3+ maybe 1 more depends on the ticket class

Almost a 2wice factor with the new program, AC would be 3.6 RT

So I can maintain 1K flying 4 segment domestically and all other revenue to AC

geclub1

AC P-fare credits as 200%, so your PQP calculation should be: 8192 miles x 200% x 2 / 5 = 6552 PQP.

tryathlete

I should continue to qualify as my spend is usually $19k and 60+ segments but I’d be pretty upset and likely to start shopping around if I failed to qualify. Pushing the envelope to cull the herd might be to my benefit so it’s wait and see. I’ll definitely be taking multi-stop flights to get those 54 segments earlier in the year so I only have to watch spend.

Jimmie Jet

Yes you are correct, I edited the original with credit to your comment, thanks

Looks like I can keep 1K but all the money goes to Air Canada

Jimmie Jet

Be careful as I thought I had enough segments but I have been getting 1.5 or 2x credit so my segments in reality were 1/2 what I thought

mathgeek1978

I can't believe I just spent the last 2 hours reading this thread! Most items of the new rules and proposed strategies are clear but I still have one question, which I'm sure must have been addressed somewhere on this thread. But I am hoping that I don't need to spend a few more hours to read through the entire 67 or 68 pages. So I am asking:

Could someone be kind enough to explain in a nutshell when it is advantageous to use an 016 ticket and when it is advantageous to not use an 016 ticket when flying on a preferred *A airline? Thanks in advance!

Repooc17

There is no universal playbook. It's based on your own situation, flying pattern, and available fare classes. Generally speaking, if you can find a discounted fare, non-016 partner flight may provide more PQP.; however, full fares may tip the scale to 016 tickets.

Jamester

So I'm trying to wrap my head around this:

If your travel pattern allows you to completely "swear off" flying UA metal in favor of *A partners on non-016 tix (in most cases, you get more PQPs that way) ... assuming you have already secured Premier Gold (and subsequently *Gold) as a 1MM, then what would be the benefit of pursuing Platinum or 1K? My guess is... zilch. Outside of the UA terminal, gate and metal, your PLT or 1K status means nothing more compared to a Premier Gold - is what I'm thinking.

Is this perhaps what UA is counting on? (i.e. many of the hub-based exclusively long-haul flyers to just....forget about being anything beyond Gold), and in the remote chance they make Platinum/1K, they won't be using the bennies anyway - other than on the 4 minimum UA metal segments for all elites, not applicable to MMs anyway - so in essence UA still wins?

And as others have also pointed out - if you're already paying for J (on *A partners), you are already enjoying the benefit of an elite (lounge access, prio boarding, prio baggage handling, extra bag allowances, etc). so at that point even, having *Gold is even more negligible.

Or is there still an incentive (to go beyond Gold) in terms of miles accumulation or using said miles for *A award? For the former, *A partners non-016 tix award you miles+fare class bonus (instead of PQP times 9 for PLT or times 11 for 1K for 016 tix)...and for the latter, would a PLT/1K get to see more *A award inventory? I know this is true for UA award inventory.

Even if I've made up my mind not to go beyond Gold (or not even going for anything, in the case of this 1MM), miles accumulation is still important as I still need to redeem miles for travel companion(s) who are status-less.

Appreciate your thoughts..

zombietooth

So, if there is an advantageous flight miles to PQP conversion which will yield a cost of less than than $1- per PQP, you would benefit from purchasing on the other carrier's site, correct? Do you then add your MP # as the crediting carrier?
Can you use UA GPUs if you buy a LH group ticket on their native ticket stock?

Kacee

Yes, but GPU can only be used on LH, not any other carriers in LH Group.

Repooc17

Correct.

LH GPU thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ht-credit.html

STS-134

If people are booking UA premium cabin fares because they're cheaper, I would understand why they are booking UA. But do you really think those folks can be convinced to pay extra for a UA fare for the purpose of earning status? That's the problem here. I suppose UA does actually hand them status under the 2020 system instead of nothing after just a couple of paid J tickets, but why do they care? Despite being somewhat cost conscious, they are still paying for premium cabin tickets outright, so again, why do they care about status at all?

This is a result of several factors:

(1) Pricing the seats to try to sell most of them
(2) People like me upgrading into those seats
(3) Buy-up offers that might get more and more enticing as we get closer to departure time
(4) TOD/HOD offers to try to at least monetize any remaining empty seats somewhat in the final 24 hours, as people check in
(5) People burning GPUs

UA obviously is trying to increase demand for premium cabin seats by giving people who purchase them a lot of PQP. They want to allocate most of the seats under (1), and not have to resort to (2) through (5), because those methods of allocating seats don't bring in as much revenue. But I don't think this crowd really cares about status, and I can't see them spending more on UA just because they get status so that they can just...not even use the benefits because they're flying in premium cabins and get the benefits by default anyway.

jsloan

For that specific flying pattern, the only real benefit is that UA +Ps (GPUs) are (generally) easier to attain than NH or LH upgrade points and can be used on many of those flights.

No additional inventory. You’ll get additional redeemable miles on a handful of airlines (the joint venture partners, I think: AC, NH, NZ, LH, LX, OS, SN, if I remember right).

I suspect that most of UA’s target customers do a mixture of domestic and international travel. For those passengers, it may make sense to strive for Plat/1K for the benefits when traveling domestically. Also, understand that the idea of buying non-016 tickets to get a better PQP ratio only really applies for airlines and fare classes that are generating at least 100% RDM, which generally means discount PE or J.

I’ll use myself as an example. Last year, I flew 150K PQM for about $13K PQD. I received 8 GPUs; I’ve used 7 so far and suspect I’ll be able to use the 8th. That’s four international trips, upgraded from W. I haven’t purchased any business class fares this year (although I may buy one in December to get to $15K). Assuming I do get to the $15K, it will require 150K+ PQM again, and thus a total of 400 +Ps (40 at Plat, 280 at 1K, and then 40 per 25K PQM beyond that).

With the new system, I suspect that I will still take four international trips. However, two of them will likely be P/Z/C on LH/NH/AC/whomever, and two of them will be on UA upgraded from K fares (instead of W). That’ll leave me with 80 +Ps left over, either for upgrading domestic flights, for giving away to somebody taking a trip, or for moving from C to F on LH/NH (assuming I can find a suitable C fare, which is rare but not totally unheard of). I suspect I’ll end up spending no more than I did this year, and quite possibly less.

Keep in mind, though, my upgrade percentage is 100% on long-hauls (PZ at booking), and over 80% overall. If I lived in SFO and flew to NYC or BOS, I’d be flying a different airline.

Repooc17

There is your answer. For many of its INTL routes, especially to Asia, UA has had no issues selling premium seats to folks not caring about status. Why do you think most of its modern fleet are premium seats heavy? UA can sell them without having to give them away.

Jamester

Correct. And if I don't even fly LH or NH, +Ps are practically useless (unless maybe traded/gifted on CC).

Yes - given my pattern, whenever I cross the ocean, it had better be on at least PE.

Bingo. I fly out of SFO (unfortunately), so guess I'm definitely out. None of my GPUs this year cleared. Guess it's discount PE or J on non-016 from now on.

Thanks for your feedback!