PQS Suggestion to UA - allow PQS earning on award flights
 

Allow if nothing else you to earn PQS on Redemption flights.

Other than it may be useful to some, why just PQS earning versus say lifetime miles (which I would prefer) or some other items?

I do like that Marriott counts room nights on award stays.

Yeah. Right.

Thanks to the Starwood acquisition. Beforehand, award night never counted toward annual elite status at Marriott.

We all have our wish lists based on our own needs.

Some are realistic and should be written in to see UA will consider.

Others are pile dreams that people post in this forum to vent.

which one is this?

PQSes are going away at the end of the year. There is zero chance this happens.

I suppose they could give PQF credit, but they won't.

I believe it predates the acquisition by a year or so. It was largely seen as a response to *Wood at the time, IIRC.

I also never see UA allowing this.

And @jsloan is correct. Marriott counted award nights towards elite status well before the merger with *wood. Based on a Flyertalk search it appears this feature started in 2015. That's long before any proposed merger so I don't think *wood had anything to do with it. They were likely following another brand who did it at the time (*wood, Hilton, etc.).

-RM

The best suggestion is to stop caring about PQS/PQD etc. Fly the best priced itinerary that meets your needs regardless of airline. Chasing status isn’t worth it and ironically the only way to make the airlines take notice and possibly return status to something worth while is to stop and be a free agent.

Okay.,.PQF...same idea. Different name.

Except when you frequently travel to areas that ONLY have United service year round or most of the year.

In which case, UA ought to move to a system in which there are no earnings whatsoever on routes with no competition, no matter how much you pay.:)

There might be some discertionary spending on award stays, which prompted SPG's offer. (e.g. breakfast & dinners on our last stay at a SPG property in Maui).

Not sure, how much extra there is to spend on an airline flight.

I doubt that had much to do with it. It was more likely seen as a way to generate goodwill at minimal cost. All it does is lower the qualification thresholds a bit for people who use their points.

I've long thought that UA should have done this when they moved to spend-based earning, for the same reason. It wouldn't have been difficult for them to give PQM on UA-operated award flights, and it would even have given people an incentive to choose UA metal over partner awards. (Trying to get it done on partner flights might have been a bridge too far).

With the elimination of PQM, though*, and UA showing that their primary criterion across the board is spending -- PQF aren't actually necessary and merely lower the spending requirements -- there's no chance that they will do anything like this. I suppose they could "enhance" the Million Miler program by counting awards, but I'm not sure I'd like to see the corresponding cut...

* MacOS somehow autocompleted this to "thoughtcrime" when I first typed it, which seemed amazingly apropos. ;)

Checking a recent award booking on UA for next year I do notice PQF accrual (albeit now PQP accrual):

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4ef9e7e97d.png


Perhaps this is a momentary glitch that will be ironed out by 2020 or maybe it's UA exercising some much needed goodwill here.

-James

Aeroplan or MileagePlus award?

Aeroplan it could be a glitch like getting CPUs on domestic award flights but thought I’d post it. What has folks experience been for award flights booked Jan 1 onwards?

-James