United 2023 Qualifying Requirements (first The Points Guy, now UA.com)
#167
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: YVR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 975
I would think UA may need to do something...given that Jan/Feb business travel may be suffering due to Omicron and International paid biz travel to Europe and Asia is waaay down. Asia is virtually non-existant. Makes it much harder to get to that $13500 1K threshold grinding it out on $250-$400 domestic tickets...
#168
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,924
Yup, although since then, vaccinations and boosters have become wildly available. Hopefully, UA thinks that it needs to focus on the "new normal" and that people need to start flying again for status, and not depend on endless promotions or extensions. Some changes in business travel mean some travelers will NEVER get back to pre-pandemic levels and UA should let them land where they land, not where they were. I know GS and 1K travelers in Houston who will never get back to where they were travel-wise pre-pandemic. UA shouldn't keep extending or PQP-promoting them to levels they're not going to get to again.
UA has plenty of domestic 1Ks who don't grind it out on $250-400 domestic tickets - they pay, or their company pays, for a seat up front. That's the whole point of PQP-based Premier levels - in general, to separate the low-yield per seat-mile customers from high-yielding ones. UA wants to reward customers who buy 10 business class tickets (say $12k+) between EWR and SFO, not someone w/ 25 economy tickets (say $7.5k). Of course, UA is happy to take both wads of money, but the reward is to those generating a far higher yield/seat-mile. There are still a number of grinders like me who travel personally on a variety of coach and P fare tickets and do get to the (pre-pandemic) $18K+segments hurdle.
UA has plenty of domestic 1Ks who don't grind it out on $250-400 domestic tickets - they pay, or their company pays, for a seat up front. That's the whole point of PQP-based Premier levels - in general, to separate the low-yield per seat-mile customers from high-yielding ones. UA wants to reward customers who buy 10 business class tickets (say $12k+) between EWR and SFO, not someone w/ 25 economy tickets (say $7.5k). Of course, UA is happy to take both wads of money, but the reward is to those generating a far higher yield/seat-mile. There are still a number of grinders like me who travel personally on a variety of coach and P fare tickets and do get to the (pre-pandemic) $18K+segments hurdle.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Jan 17, 2022 at 1:45 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
#169
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
I used the Q121 promo. Only one I did use. Again retained 1K status.
I am enjoying the Q122 flights as getting upgraded, for the most part.
Have been able to use the majority of my PlusPoints for 2022 international travel. Waiting on the upgrades for my Summer 2022 European trips and then I am out of PlusPoints.
A Q122 promo would be nice to make 1K again, but I suspect the Q421 promo generated more $ for United than the Q121 did.
I am enjoying the Q122 flights as getting upgraded, for the most part.
Have been able to use the majority of my PlusPoints for 2022 international travel. Waiting on the upgrades for my Summer 2022 European trips and then I am out of PlusPoints.
A Q122 promo would be nice to make 1K again, but I suspect the Q421 promo generated more $ for United than the Q121 did.
#170
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,329
UA has plenty of domestic 1Ks who don't grind it out on $250-400 domestic tickets - they pay, or their company pays, for a seat up front. That's the whole point of PQP-based Premier levels - in general, to separate the low-yield per seat-mile customers from high-yielding ones. UA wants to reward customers who buy 10 business class tickets (say $12k+) between EWR and SFO, not someone w/ 25 economy tickets (say $7.5k). Of course, UA is happy to take both wads of money, but the reward is to those generating a far higher yield/seat-mile. There are still a number of grinders like me who travel personally on a variety of coach and P fare tickets and do get to the (pre-pandemic) $18K+segments hurdle.
Yesterday I bought a same-day one-way ticket from SFO to EWR, and it was still "only" $279 all-in. For context, I am usually one flying cross country and back (roundtrip) for under $200 all-in. Really have to grind to max!
#171
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA LT GS | UA LT Club | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,250
From all my interactions with call centers, social media team, gate agents, a pilot, golf club baggage handler, etc, UA is running hot. Every function has authorized overtime for nearly every frontline position. They're barely holding on.
If they were to launch a promotion, especially a convoluted one like last fall/winter, it would overwhelm the call centers with questions.
My guess is UA, hibernates for the next month, prays for good weather to minimize IRROPS, and comes out with a blockbuster promo in a month or two.
I agree, they won't repeat that in 2022, but I could easily see them doing 50 cents on the dollar in 2022.
The promotions will come, once Omicron and the weather calm down, and they will be rich.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 17, 2022 at 3:17 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,924
UA will certainly take your money, but UA likes (a little bit better) the flyers from the other company (or self-employed) who do buy J/F fares (or more expensive last-minute fares). I can understand why UA doesn't change its FF program name from "MileagePlus" to "HighYieldFlierPlus" as it would annoy those stuck in the former (which would be easier for me - I easily get to 100k miles in any given year and $18k was barely there)
#173
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 684
Yes, Omicron + Staffing = No Promotions
From all my interactions with call centers, social media team, gate agents, a pilot, golf club baggage handler, etc, UA is running hot. Every function has authorized overtime for nearly every frontline position. They're barely holding on.
From all my interactions with call centers, social media team, gate agents, a pilot, golf club baggage handler, etc, UA is running hot. Every function has authorized overtime for nearly every frontline position. They're barely holding on.
Put it another way, UA may not currently have the staff to handle something like planning a promotion when they're busy just trying to keep the lights on. Witness the recent outage of mystatus.united.com that, if their initial statement was to be believed, should have been off-line for a planned 3-4 hours, but was offline for something closer to 48. An unexpectedly long time to accomplish a task is the sort of thing that happens when there's sudden understaffing.
#174
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: IAH & CMH
Programs: UA GS, UA MM, Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Uber Platinum :)
Posts: 764
Also not sure the optics are good to roll out a promotion to get ppl to fly more while they’re canceling 3000+ flights due to staffing issues due to Omicron. If there’s going to be promotions it will be once things settle down and they have extra inventory…