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Will UA Grant 2020 EliteStatus if I am XXX PQM/PQS/PQD Short of Qualifying in 2019?

Old Oct 30, 2019, 5:54 am
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
UA may proactively grant exceptions
Some have speculated your past history with UA may be a factor or an unusually high PQD or some life event reason or ....
To manually request an exception,
Contact MPSC
Hours: 7 a.m. 12 a.m. (CT), 7 days a week
Call from the U.S. or Canada 1-800-421-4655
or
Email MileagePlus
United may also offer you a buy-up:
2019 Elite Buy-Up Offers from United (for higher status than earned in 2018)
2018 UA MP elite status buy-up offers (for higher status than earned in 2017)

Previous threads
Will UA Grant 2019 EliteStatus if I am XXX PQM/PQS/PQD Short of Qualifying in 2018?

Will UA Grant 2018 EliteStatus if I am XXX PQM/PQS/{PQD} Short of Qualifying in 2017?

Will UA Grant 2017 EliteStatus if I am XXX PQM/PQS/{PQD} Short of Qualifying in 2016?

Will UA Grant 2016 EliteStatus if I am XXX PQM/PQS/{PQD} Short of Qualifying in 2015?

Will UA Grant Me Elite Status if I am XXX PQM/PQS/{PQD} Short of Qualifying? (2011-2014)

Related threads
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2019 for Elite Status in 2020"

[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2018 for Elite Status in 2019"

[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2017 for Elite Status in 2018

I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2016 for Elite Status in 2017


Granted 2017 MP Elite Status even though short of PQM/PQS/PDQ [actual cases only pls]

Granted 2016 MP Elite Status even though short of PQM/PQS/PDQ [actual cases only pls]

Granted 2015 MP Elite Status even though short of PQM/PQS/PDQ [actual cases only pls]
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Will UA Grant 2020 EliteStatus if I am XXX PQM/PQS/PQD Short of Qualifying in 2019?

Old Oct 29, 2019, 12:52 pm
  #46  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA MileagePlus (Premier Gold); Hilton HHonors (Gold); Chase Ultimate Rewards; Amex Plat
Posts: 6,605
Originally Posted by blacksteel
Thanks, but it looks like SDC fees on partner / code share flights don't honor the $75 silver deal. I'm seeing $300 for a change on a partner flight, plus fare difference.
Correct, SDC only applies to flights that are all UA metal (or UX flights too). But *A partners like AC, CA, NH, etc., are not covered, nor are partners like HA for inter-island travel. If you have one of these in your itinerary, you will not be able to SDC by policy (although you MAY be able to change off of a partner flight to a direct UA-operated flight if you get an accommodating agent, as I have done once).
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 1:05 pm
  #47  
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: MileagePlus
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The *A partner in this case is LH. It doesn't look like I can make a SDC without picking a longer iten and also incurring at least $600 in costs.

There is an option to upgrade one of the legs in my currently booked flight to business class for $70, however, the MileagePlus Customer Service rep told me that would not change the PQM for that segment. Is that true?
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 1:10 pm
  #48  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Programs: AA LT PLT (3.6+ MM), UA 1K LT Gold, Hilton LT Diamond, Bonvoy Gold.
Posts: 1,655
Originally Posted by blacksteel
Hi MileagePlus experts,

I'm scheduled to finish the year with 49984 PQM's, just 16 miles short of Gold. I have met the PQD and segments goals, so they're not the problem. I have two trips planned for the remainder of the year and this is the number of PQMs that appears in the Premier future mileage tracker.

I've read on the forums about the options to buy PQMs, or do a mileage run flight, and understand how that would work.

I'm wondering if there is any other way to just get 16 miles, such as maybe a waiver or other method that's less costly or wouldn't require flying another trip?

Any advice appreciated! Thank you in advance.
If you have PQD ($6K) and segments (60), then you should be gold next year. Qualification is PQD+miles OR PQD+Segments.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...r/qualify.html

Never mind, saw your clarifying comment above.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 1:29 pm
  #49  
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Wouldn't the buy-up on LH give OP the PQMs, since LH would report back the new fare code, not underlying fare class?
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 1:54 pm
  #50  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
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Originally Posted by blacksteel
There is an option to upgrade one of the legs in my currently booked flight to business class for $70, however, the MileagePlus Customer Service rep told me that would not change the PQM for that segment. Is that true?
If it's just an upgrade, then no. If you are buying up to a premium cabin fare code you would get a PQM multiplier, that would surely boost you 16 miles. More details here:

Some Paid Upgrades Count Towards PQD & mileage bonus and some DON'T!
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 1:57 pm
  #51  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
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Originally Posted by blacksteel
The *A partner in this case is LH. It doesn't look like I can make a SDC without picking a longer iten and also incurring at least $600 in costs.

There is an option to upgrade one of the legs in my currently booked flight to business class for $70, however, the MileagePlus Customer Service rep told me that would not change the PQM for that segment. Is that true?
If you already have UA status are you factoring in that you will get a minimum of 500 PQM for legs less than 500 miles? Going by what you're saying you've flown already you have Silver. If you are allowed to upfare on LH to P,G,E you'd get 150% or 750 minimum, for A,J,Z,C,D you get 200% or 1000 PQM minimum.

Edit to add: requesting an up-fare is actually buying up to a higher fare class. i.e. Y to J. It is not always the same as a paid $$ or miles co-pay upgrade to just sit in the front of the plane.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 2:10 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
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Originally Posted by benewr
My first year flying UA in 2010, I had at the end of the year 49878 PQM flown in 5 months.
They categorically refused to do anything so... I would suggest to cross 50,000 and not expect anything from them !
a few years ago with Alaska I was about that close to status and they bumped me up.

they had a written policy of people being something like within 500 miles you would attomatically bump you. If you were farther away you could buy status like being say 500-2000 miles would cost say $100.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 2:38 pm
  #53  
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Originally Posted by gmt4
If you already have UA status are you factoring in that you will get a minimum of 500 PQM for legs less than 500 miles?
Since the PQM quoted came from United's own tool:

Originally Posted by blacksteel
I'm scheduled to finish the year with 49984 PQM's, ... and this is the number of PQMs that appears in the Premier future mileage tracker.
I presume that this has been factored in.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 3:13 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by blacksteel
Hi MileagePlus experts,

I'm scheduled to finish the year with 49984 PQM's, just 16 miles short of Gold. I have met the PQD and segments goals, so they're not the problem. I have two trips planned for the remainder of the year and this is the number of PQMs that appears in the Premier future mileage tracker.

I've read on the forums about the options to buy PQMs, or do a mileage run flight, and understand how that would work.

I'm wondering if there is any other way to just get 16 miles, such as maybe a waiver or other method that's less costly or wouldn't require flying another trip?

Any advice appreciated! Thank you in advance.
I can't imagine an airline is going to do anything to make a FF's life easier and save them $. That would almost be like "caring" about their customers, I think they have strict rules against that.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 4:45 pm
  #55  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
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Originally Posted by iapetus
Since the PQM quoted came from United's own tool:

I presume that this has been factored in.
Except that the online calculator isn't totally reliable. You can choose to run with it but a better practice is to do some verification.

The OP needs to understand the city pair distance on the LH segment, what type of fare they are on, what their upfare options might be, and calculate it by hand. I have seen no effort stated here that the OP understands any of that or has manually verified their no kidding numbers.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 7:05 pm
  #56  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 209
Did you book the LH flight through United, or through LH -- and if the former, would you be able to buy PQM through Premier Accelerator (https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...-products.html)
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 10:28 pm
  #57  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Originally Posted by blacksteel
The *A partner in this case is LH. It doesn't look like I can make a SDC without picking a longer iten and also incurring at least $600 in costs.

There is an option to upgrade one of the legs in my currently booked flight to business class for $70, however, the MileagePlus Customer Service rep told me that would not change the PQM for that segment. Is that true?
You may be able to SDC the last (UA-operated) portion. Say you are booked to fly FRA-ORD-PDX. After flying the LH portion (FRA-ORD), you may be able to SDC the remaining (ORD-PDX) flight to something like ORD-SFO-PDX, because that last segment is operated by UA. Normally you can only SDC in the middle of a trip if you don't check bags, but since the US requires you to pick up your bags and take them through customs, then drop them off at the counter with your airline for the next segment, you would call UA to SDC after picking up the bags but before dropping them off again. Being forced to pick up your bags before entering the US gives you a window of time to SDC.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 10:34 pm
  #58  
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Originally Posted by STS-134
since the US requires you to pick up your bags and take them through customs, then drop them off at the counter with your airline for the next segment, you would call UA to SDC after picking up the bags but before dropping them off again.
I'd suggest talking to a United representative at the re-check counter instead of trying to call. They're going to want to print new bag tags anyway.
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Old Oct 29, 2019, 11:05 pm
  #59  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
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On Delta or AA, I'd recommend upfaring to first class for the bonus elite miles. Does United let you do that without a change fee?
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Old Oct 30, 2019, 7:45 am
  #60  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
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Originally Posted by lilpisher
What do you mean by segment goals. Its dollars and Miles or Segments. You dont need all three.
I'm guessing 4 united segments.
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