Max 747400

I need 200,000 miles to become a MM. Now that UA has changed the Premier Qualification Requirements, I would like to accelerate my Mileage Runs during 2020 since I currently have Gold Status and probably will not qualify for 2021.

1. In order for the actual miles to qualify as lifetime miles, I must fly UA Metal?
2. What if I book a UA ticket and I end up on AC or LH Metal?
3. What if I book an AC or LH ticket and I end up on UA Metal?
4. Do Basic Economy actual miles qualify at 100% as lifetime miles?

Thank you!!!

IAH-OIL-TRASH

UA metal only. Doesn’t matter if booked through another carrier, as long as UA MP credited. BE qualify 100% towards lifetime.

ContinentalFan

Yes, that’s what they appear to be doing.

They reported that the total number of elites won’t change. If you accept that statement as accurate, the new spend and segment requirements must be saying something about the behavior of current customers. $24k wasn’t just pulled out of the air; 54 segments—interesting.

I also think they’ve added a nice tension between the MM and MP programs. With the current program, flying a lot earned you current both status and more lifetime miles. Now the miles no longer matter for current status (on United); the focus is spend. I imagine most people will focus on annual elite status.

ContinentalFan

The deal is that they’re likely minting elites who don’t fly often and won’t avail themselves of the benefits. Think of an executive who flies to Europe in business for quarterly meetings. That person could spend $25 to $35k annually and accrue 30 to 40,000 miles. That person becomes 1K. This change could create a bigger pool of elites who spend much more time at home than at airports.

AirMiles2001

I notice flights for 2020 are now listing PQF and PQP. I wonder why PQM\distance isn't showing as that is still relevant for MM qualification.

escapefromphl

The big winner here may be LH, the best use of GPU’s for these 1K’s is going to be upgrading LH business to first, since there is no Global first now.

Halo117

So did some pondering....I think the goal was set at 30 to 33 cents per mile. Average UA stage ength of 1,000 miles (unsure of exact length)with $18k/54 gets us to $333 per segment. At most variables your average revenue is 30-33 cents. Any lower or higher directly impacts the number of segments you need and phases out to the 4 segment minimum.

So let says i do $600 pqd every two weeks oustation to another outstation. Say each flight is 500 miles that is 26 trips * 600 and 104 segments. Under the old rules you would be plt with 1k spend....new rules still plt. Problem UA has is that some of their customers fly a mixed bag of Y domestic and J. The 30 cent rule also is penalizing the flyer that buys W fares or lower only overcome by buyups or more trips. The calculation error is that many won't see "the stretch" spend worth the benefits as shown today as the big spenders are inelastic to those benefits anyway either through contracts or purchasing F anyway.

But I think UA is betting on the upsell more than anything... the offer to buy up will be pushed even more just like impulse buys along the lines of "seat 21D is looking to buy this upgrade now"....even more sinister an auction system. (Coming Oct 2020)

Just soaking in what has changed and now know.

zebranz

Planning to have BIS of 200K (1 year) or even 100K x two years in a row on UA metal? That is awful punishment.

usedtobeimportant

It makes perfect sense from a business perspective.

Customers who spend more and cost less are the ideal customers but the problem is that all the airlines are playing the same game and UAs hard and soft product are not that differentiated.

GBadger

It's not too bad. I have done 100k BIS each of the last 8 years, almost all on UA metal. Pushing 175k this year, though I did have a few 1.5 multipliers in there for PP. I'm in the same boat (about 200k short of 1MM). Hoping to get there in the next 1.5 years or so.

STS-134

1. Yes, UA metal only
2. Nope, doesn't count as lifetime. Would count as PQD if flown in 2019.
3. Yes, it counts
4. Yes, and also counts toward PQD, but only 50% PQM (until December 31)

Now accelerating your mileage running is the interesting scenario. Let's say you do your mileage runs at 5 cpm. To qualify for Gold status, you need 10k PQP, or $10,000 worth of spend. At 5 cpm, that's 200,000 miles worth, which coincidentally would also get you your MM status.

zombietooth

As well as quit having children, quit building new freeways, quit allowing production of high-horsepower cars, quit allowing immigration of any kind since it invariably increases the carbon footprint in the destination country, quit smoking weed (pot cultivation and production has 4 times the carbon footprint of tobacco in addition to being the most GMO'd botanical on the planet-way worse than Monsanto glyphosate-resistant soybeans), quit allowing construction of housing bigger than 500 square feet per person (the recommended maximum dwelling size according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), etc., etc.

vicemagnet

Before the announcement, I was sweating to make PP again. Now I'll just use Google Flight and take whatever airline gets me there with a decent fare. I'll probably status match with DL as it is the only other airline out of LNK. So much for mileage runs. I'm not about to spend the kind of money UA wants on fares for domestic flights. I also won't have to jury-rig a multi-segment flight to get my minimum. With my MM status I guess I'll be around, but I won't be as married to UA as I have since 1995.

Max 747400

I was hoping to average 2.0 - 3.0 cpm ($5,000 to $6,000) for the 200,000 miles.

To clarify, does Basic Economy earn 100% miles towards MM. For example, SFO-PEK is approximately 12K Miles RT. Does the entire 12K get credited to MM?

IAH-OIL-TRASH

100% - the new Premier status qualification scheme does not change MM qualification. Here’s the current language relative to BE and Lifetime miles

”