Repooc17

I can't see UA doing any kind of changes just for non-US flyers, as suggested in the original post. Any changes would apply to all qualifying members.

I am about 87% to 1K qualification already on the lower threshold with flight segments, and 78% on the higher threshold. The extension does me no good if I don't fly.

Ocn Vw 1K

This post, and others which advise that it'll be at least quite late in the year at the earliest, represent my prediction.

Fairly soon after the March 2020, lockdowns, travel industry leaders/thinkers were advising that business travel would not return to important levels for several years.
While I was initially, a "Zoom, what's that???" type, having used that type of platform repeatedly since end of March, '20, for all types of business and family meetings, conferences, hearings, etc., it will definitely change my business flying for relatively short (1-2 hour) meetings, conferences, etc. And this accounted for a good chunk of my 25-30 bus. trips per year.

mfirst

given the increasing travel that I am seeing combined with the revenue based approach - even with minimal (or zero) international business travel - and the already scaled down requirements, I doubt we will see much other than the occasional mile play or bonuses like the flight 3 flights in Q1 and get extra points.....

they have already done a lot......

-m

am1108

It's hard to say. Hoping for another year extension but I think they will probably create an easier challenge to earn status later in the year. I do think it will take another airline to announce either a status extension or an easier path before every other airline and their cousins jump on the bandwagon. United is usually not the leader for positive changes.

jsloan

That's probably for the best. By waiting to see what the other airlines do, UA can craft a policy that's at least as generous.

When UA led with "no new change fees," they ended up with a significantly inferior product to their competition (no residual credit if the new fare is lower).

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I hope UA does not provide another same-status extension of 2020 status (which would have been earned by 2019 flying). At best, I hope they offer a soft-landing status, and that they announce it mid-year once they see how things are going. It would be downright stupid in the near-term to announce an same-status extension through January 2023 - it would provide zero incentive for some to fly UA. A one-level drop in status might provide more incentive. And I also believe extended-status flyers ought to be prioritized lower within the status group for CPUs - e.g. a 1K qualifier on a K fare would get the CPU before and 1K extendee on a U fare, but the 1K extendee would get the CPU before any Plat.

jsloan

I get what you're saying, but

(a) there's no way that UA could possibly do this properly
(b) it's a slippery slope toward the AA "All ExPlat are equal, but some are more equal than others" policy, and
(c) it's already hard enough to understand the upgrade list

IAH-OIL-TRASH

a) It's a simple modification to priority coding. Even I could do it - an additional discriminator between status and fare class.
b) I don't want the intra-status discrimination to be permanent, but someone who has actually qualified by spending $ at United in 2020 and 2021 should get priority over someone who hasn't (in a few rare cases) spent a dime. The extendees will still have priority over all lower status holders for upgrades. Do this just in the time period that extendees exist. It would go away when extendees no longer exist - code wouldn't even have to change. Probably even better to let it stay in there should extendees pop up again for whatever reason (one-offs, etc)
c) I don't care if anyone else doesn't understand the upgrade list - as long as it's automated so GAs don't have to figure it out.

Spell check doesn't like "extendees"

UA doesn't listen to me, so no worries

jsloan

Every time UA touches the upgrade list code, they break something. Yes, it should be easy, but I don't think it is.

Slippery slope. Once they've written that code, the businesspeople will find a way to continue to use it.

See point (a). AFAIK, they still haven't fixed the way the upgrade list works on flights with a P+ cabin. It's automated, but the priority list that they display isn't correct, so it looks like there are shenanigans.

fumje

You say 'simple'. UA IT says, 'hold my beer'.

physioprof

Sorry to be so clueless, but what is "the 'hound"???

tcdtcd

But it seems UA rewarded low activity and punished legit qualifiers for 2021. I (in retrospect, foolishly) did an EOY minor mileage run to make sure I exceeded the 9k PQD for the PPs, while others reported here (and my wife, also an earned GS) got their 280 PPs with much fewer PQDs/PQFs.

Underachievers —> let’s top them off with full PPs as if they’d achieved them.

Achievers—> nothing extra.

Kmxu

I think that underachievers did not get new set of Plus Points for 2021-2022. Their unused PPs were extended for another six months (after initial extension of six months). So, their PPs expire on Jan. 31, 2022, the same expiration date as those OverChievers’ fresh PPs.
Perhaps, I miss some threads on this topic.
Cheers.

Doppy

First of all, I think it would be foolish to announce anything before Q3/Q4. There are too many unknowns and it would be a disincentive for 2021 travel to announce on February 1, 2021 that everyone has been extended until January 31, 2023.

Second, I think extensions are a bad idea and probably counterproductive at this point for many reasons. (1) Things will be different for a while - for example, even if the US gets serious about vaccinations at some point and 50-70% are vaccinated by the end of the summer, the rest of the world is going to face a serious shortage in vaccines for a long time. We don't know if that means that vaccinated Americans will be able to travel relatively freely by the end of the year, or borders will essentially continue to be closed. (2) Extensions would be based on 2019 flying - who knows if those people are still in the same jobs, whether their companies are still going to support lots of travel, and so on three years later in 2022 when another extension would take effect? A lot has changed in the business landscape, and there's no reason to assume continuity in people's individual circumstances over a three year period with this kind of global disruption. (3) What about travelers who actually earned status in 2020 or 2021? They are treated the same as the 2019 qualifiers, which contradicts the point of a loyalty program.

My suggestion is that there be no further blanket extension. Offer a soft landing and/or the ability to requalify through something like a challenge in Q1 2022 with temporary status. At a certain point, it seems like people should actually need to demonstrate that they continue to be frequent flyers to get the benefits.

kangarooflyer88

Morning,

While I understand where you are coming from, what say you of United Elites who cannot fly United through no fault of their own. For instance, why should travellers based in the EU or Oceania be penalized for not flying United when it is presently illegal to fly them? For instance, in Australia, it is illegal to leave the country since March of last year, and it's unclear when the borders will open up for Australians like myself who eagerly want to travel. I like many other travellers in the forum have open coupons that I can't even make a rebooking for since I don't know when I'll be allowed to leave Australia. Don't get me wrong, those rare travellers who are in a situation where they can legally fly United and do so regularly need to be rewarded, but saying that they are more valuable than a traveller who is stranded at home because of COVID restrictions is just plane wrong!

At the same time, many airlines are now using this time to status match elites that have accumulated frequent flyer status with OAL. For instance, QF is giving away Gold status for us Aussies who accumulated status with UA, SQ, DL, etc. At present, it's possible for me to jump on a QF flight and take a flight up to MEL or BNE and earn status that way for the match. All I'm saying is UA should be careful what they wish for. If they choose to penalize us, travellers who can't travel with them through no fault of our own, they shouldn't be surprised when this is all over and we're holding QF or AA tickets instead of UA.

Shorhand for CoUniHound, see this thread.

Yours Truly,

'Roo Flyer