CIT85

Did you earn 280 Plus Points for your 1K requalification at reduced requirements? That's what you got vs those who had their status extended. If 280 Plus Points is not important to you. I'm sure there are plenty of people who'll be glad to take them off your hands.

kangarooflyer88

As an Aussie traveller, I resent that remark. At least we don't have our businesses in perpetual lockdown and uncertainty. Yeah these restrictions suck but you have to look at the bigger picture here which is saving lives and being able to go to a store without having to wear a silly mask.

Travel will resume, and when it does there will be an unquenchable appetite for it. All those months without business conferences, meetings, etc. have to be made up somehow. I should also point out that many of the reasons for travelling have disappeared. Case in point, in my industry (tech) it was a given that you would fly every January to Las Vegas for CES. Well, this year it has been cancelled more or less with just a small online presence. Believe you me it's difficult to do close a sale on a Zoom call, never mind provide a hands on demo the products your company has been working on for the past 11 months. I suspect a substantial portion of UA business travel is dedicated to attending trade shows, conferences, etc.

As others have also pointed out there are benefits that those travelling during the pandemic have, such as less crowded United Clubs, easier CPUs domestically and point upgrades to INTL J, and making it substantially easier to earn and improve your UA status (e.g. reduced PQP requirements, increased PQP accrual on United cards,, PQP roll over, etc.) So yes, while we're grounded here in Australia, you folks who are able to travel will find it super easy now to improve on your status going up to 1K or GS. I also suspect the GS spend tier will be much lower now than in the past too.

-'Roo

gcashin

UA's has a lot of status members that are based outside of the US, and in many cases these would be beneficial customers for UA to retain. In many cases UA may not be the natural airline of choice for someone based on LHR, SYD, NRT, HKG, or Canada, but this allows UA to expand their market by offering one-stop connections as an alternative to the flag carrier in their market so lets them expand their customer base beyond just those based in the US. Many customers prefer UA to their domestic airline for various reasons - network connectivity, frequent flyer program, etc. In reciprocal, other airlines target Intl customers like Air Canada, which aggressively targets US customers with one-stop connections via YYZ/YVR/YUL with lower fares and reduced spend requirement on the FF program. They seem to view the extra customers as gravy on top of their domestic market, and a good way to expand the size of their market.

Currently UA's domestic elites are racking up extra PQP's through credit card spend and the double PQP promotion in Q1. UA's International elites don't have access to either of those right now as UA's credit cards aren't offered in most Intl markets, and traveling internationally via the US is impossible or impractical in many cases due to border closures, quarantine requirements, etc. In the past, Intl elites had a lower hurdle to pass with the PQD waiver which helped equalize things. Other airlines offer reduced qualification hurdles for Intl elites, like AC which cuts the $ spend requirement in half for their elites outside of Canada. Currently UA's elites outside of the US are at a disadvantage as the PQP bar is the same, but the Intl elites aren't able to earn PQP's like UA's domestic customer base can.

I think UA would be doing themselves a disservice if they completely disregard their Intl customers, as this is a profitable way for UA to expand their customer base. What do I think they should do? Perhaps targeted extensions for customers based outside the US, a targeted PQP promo once Intl borders reopen significantly, or reduce the PQP hurdles. At a minimum, provide Intl elites located in countries that don't have access to a United branded card an equivalent amount of PQP's in lieu of a credit card offer. I think UA needs to do something as right now there are a lot of historically loyal customers that just aren't able to earn PQP's the way UA's domestic customer base can.

garykung

So? Many of us here earned the 2020 status in full qualification requirement and ended up unable to use it.

Like it or not - we are all in this together.

bocastephen

Extensions are likely the easiest, simplest and least costly option - given that extending status really has no major cost or impact, especially with so many customers still grounded. Not sure how giving a 2019 1K status in 2020 and the same in 2021 really hurts anyone here given that 1K is likely still not flying, and United would smartly want to position that person to hit the ground running with their prior status should things turn around in 2022-2023. Dumping them out just creates a huge pool of free agents looking for a new home when/if things start to pick up.

SPN Lifer

Exactly. The most likely predictions are those that focus on the interests of UA, rather than emphasizing our own personal benefits at the expense of other MileagePlus members.

Repooc17

Govt handouts to airlines = bad
Airline handouts to members = good
Free agents stimulate competition, and require the company to compete for $, instead of expecting to someone to spend x dollars every year on one airline either with OPM or own funds without additional considerations.

lhrsfo

As a business traveller who used to do 10 return trips from LHR to SFO each year, I am currently prevented by US law from boarding a flight to the US. If I try, my ESTA will be immediately cancelled. There will be many loyal UA customers throughout Europe who are in the same position. When a way out of this situation becomes visible (and a way out means the US allowing people to travel to the country), then UA will have to decide whether it wishes to rebuild its TATL business, or let it wither.

If it chooses to rebuild, I'm guessing they will extend some sort of offer to former elites in order to allow them either to enjoy their 2020 status while building up their PQPs again, or have a lower target threshold. I'm lucky as I'm lifetime Gold, but for others, who probably also have elite status for their non-USA flying from a local airline, there will be little reason to go back to UA unless they do something to help.

I do recognise that those currently permitted to fly UA also deserve status but UA will want to rebuild its international business and, to do so, will have to recognise the situation.

cheltenhamflyer

My wife and I are both leisure travellers but are in the same position as you. Since returning from California early last march we have has to cancel 6 flights to USA because UK will not allow us to take leisure flights and USA will not allow entry. . Unless there are further changes requalification for 1K in 2021 is looking unlikely for 2 pax who have both been 1K since late 2009 .It was fun while it lasted!,!

gcashin

Agreed - as a 1K based outside the US, I'd earned my 1K status for 2020, but got to use it for exactly one trip in February 2020 before Intl borders started closing in March. With border restrictions tightening even further in the short term and Intl travel not in the cards right now, it will likely be many months before borders start reopening so UA Premier members outside the US can start to use the benefits they've earned.

I've been a UA 1K for several years which is what keeps me flying UA, but don't see a path to requalifying this year unless UA offers something to level the playing field for their Intl members who have fewer opportunities to use benefits and requalify in the near future.

Kacee

UA has already substantially lowered requalification requirements for 2022. If UA believes it's in its financial interest to lower them further, it will do so.

Worst case scenario is that customers will need to re-earn their status, likely at a still reduced level, once restrictions on travel have been lifted. I don't see any great injustice in that.

kevflyer

I'm in the exact same boat - took just 1 trip last year. And already cancelled 2 big trips this year and don't foresee any flying until (late?) Q4. And Q4 is just my best estimate according to my province (BC)'s vaccine rollout plan, which will be September for me.

Catbert10

While it's true US based elites have more opportunities to rack up PQPs, the extremely low price for domestic flights is making it impossible to see a way to 1K qualification flying domestically. Flights that cost $400 pre-COVID are going for $80, and that's regular economy, not BE. And most of that is taxes and fees

The source. One of the all-time great FT threads.

Kacee

Yeah, this is a solid point. In a normal year, I can pretty easily reach top tier in two programs flying international on partners. Last year and this year, it's mostly domestic short-haul on relatively inexpensive F tix, so while I have lots of segments, mileage and dollars are pretty low.

sincx

I truly regret not pushing harder for MM back in the "normal" times. I was so close.

Then I could completely stop thinking about any of this.