Dec 31, 2021, 11:08 pm
Last edit by: st530
United Global Services ("GS") is the highest tier of MileagePlus elite status. It is by invitation only, reviewed annually -- the invite criteria is not public but seems to require substantial annual spending with UA both in terms of absolute dollar amounts and purchasing higher fare classes (higher cpm - cents per mile). There are also reports of GS status being comped by UA Marketing to VIPs in companies who sign corporate travel deals with UA, and also to those individuals that purchase an annual PassPlus enrollment of $50k or greater. The sole published way to qualify is to become a 4MM, having flown 4 million BIS miles on UA metal (plus additional grandfathered credits at the time of the UA/CO merger).
GS have enhanced services / benefits over 1Ks. There is little said publicly by UA on GS benefits and/or qualification.
Last year's thread, Consolidated Global Services Thread - Qualifications, Benefits and Q & A [2021]
Known facts concerning qualification and eligibility from United:
Quote:
Global Services recognizes the extraordinary dedication of our top flyers. We consider a number of factors beyond the usual Premier-qualifying criteria.
We look at your travel spend on United-operated flights relative to that of other top Premier flyers over recent consecutive years.
Usually, members invited to Global Services tend to consistently purchase premium cabins or fully refundable tickets.
Published Benefits
Full detail of published benefits can be found at https://mystatus.united.com/gs [MP credentials login required, existing GS only]
Shortlist (incremental/different to 1K):
Most benefits noted below require calling a GS agent:
GS have enhanced services / benefits over 1Ks. There is little said publicly by UA on GS benefits and/or qualification.
Last year's thread, Consolidated Global Services Thread - Qualifications, Benefits and Q & A [2021]
Known facts concerning qualification and eligibility from United:
Quote:
Global Services recognizes the extraordinary dedication of our top flyers. We consider a number of factors beyond the usual Premier-qualifying criteria.
We look at your travel spend on United-operated flights relative to that of other top Premier flyers over recent consecutive years.
Usually, members invited to Global Services tend to consistently purchase premium cabins or fully refundable tickets.
Published Benefits
Full detail of published benefits can be found at https://mystatus.united.com/gs [MP credentials login required, existing GS only]
Shortlist (incremental/different to 1K):
- Dedicated phone number with fastest pickup times, and generally by specially-trained GS agents. Some exceptions occur, especially during busy periods (such as when weather waivers are in effect)
- Dedicated email address for MileagePlus and other inquiries, usually answered personally within hours
- Dedicated check-in at main airport stations, including private Global Reception centers at major hubs, providing priority TSA security access. May bring guests/companions into Global Reception areas or dedicated GS checkin lanes who are traveling on same itinerary as GS member.
- Instrument-supported upgrades (PlusPoints or miles) clear into PN class rather than PZ class for other elite tiers, which usually have much better availability. Instruments drawn from the GS member account and applied to other reservations will also clear into PN class.
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades (CPUs) cleared beginning 120 hours prior to flight departure (versus 96 hours for 1K) for GS member and up to one other traveling on same PNR
- Highest-priority when waitlisted for Upgrades, Award Travel, and Sold-out Flight Availability. GS members clear before any other status level or full-fare customers.
- Priority Boarding, among the first to board the aircraft (currently after unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities and/or need more time boarding, Active-Duty Military, and prior to families with children under age of 2)
- Priority handling in event of IRROPS, including next flight guarantee in case of re-accommodation, overseen by dedicated team of location-based GS Customer Service Agents (identified via gold scarves/ties)
- Mercedes-Benz Tarmac Transfer for tight connections between flights at major hubs (cannot be requested in advance)
Access to United Arrivals Lounge at SFO when arriving from international flight, regardless of cabin class (no guests permitted)Closed- Access to Arrivals Lounge at LHR T2 when arriving from inbound UA-operated intercontinental flight, regardless of cabin (no guests permitted, must present Boarding Pass or physical GS card)
- Access to Lufthansa / Swiss Welcome (arrival) Lounges in FRA and ZRH for same-day inbound UA intercontinental flight, regardless of cabin (no guests permitted, must present physical GS card)
- Effective January 2021, GS members who do not have a United Club membership may access United Clubs on domestic itineraries, but no guests are permitted.
Most benefits noted below require calling a GS agent:
- GS can create saver economy award space (XN) if T inventory is available. United-operated flights only. Update 12 Dec 2018: Only for GS member + 1 companion.
- GS can create saver business award space (IN) if PZ inventory is available. United-operated flights only. Update 12 Dec 2018: Only for GS member + 1 companion.
- GS can upgrade economy awards (XN or YN) into Business / First with PlusPoints if PN inventory is available. United-operated flights only. Can now be completed online/via the app, in most circumstances.
- GS can confirm any waitlisted instrument-supported upgrade (miles/co-pay or PlusPoints) within T-72 hours to flight departure provided at least 2 (two) J class premium seats remain for sale after the upgrade is processed and they are at the top of the waitlist.
- GS are entitled to one Saver Award seat in the same class of service for one segment of the itinerary with their purchase of any premium cabin fare. GS agents can open space if it is not available provided that at least 2 seats remain for sale afterwards. United-operated flights only.
- GS can upgrade a companion with an instrument (PlusPoints or miles) from Economy to Business / First when flying on a paid premium cabin fare, even if PZ or PN is not available, as long as J > 2 after upgrade processed. Companion needs to be ticketed in W class or higher on international cash fare itineraries, or ticketed in X/XN for upgrades from award tickets.
- (Note: Only ONE of the two above options can be exercised per premium fare purchased, and for one segment in the itinerary, per caveats noted below. GS traveler must remain in same itinerary as companion)
- GS can buy up from Basic Economy fares, which is usually forbidden
- GS can access VIP Lounges (former Global First Lounges) in NRT, LHR, and HKG when booked in Polaris Business on an international itinerary. One guest permitted (two guests if a United Club member). Not accessed if booked in United Economy. (Note: VIP Lounges in NRT and HKG remain closed due to Covid-19; LHR VIP now open.)
- Post 12/12/2018, agents have been instructed to grant only one "exception" when opening award space for a companion. Thus, you can open T->XN for a companion, or you can force a companion upgrade into PN, but you can't convert T->XN and then force clear an upgrade into PN. Some have reported success by requesting this in two separate calls.
- Some agents will allow GS to open economy award space for a companion to allow for an upgrade with an instrument, even if XN or T are unavailable
- According to GS Customer Service, a GS on a paid coach fare using an instrument will clear into Polaris business before a lower-status passenger with a paid PremiumPlus fare (i.e. O, A, R). In other words, for example, a paid O, A, R for a 1K will not give higher priority than a GS with a W fare if both are using 40 PlusPoints. This is true even on the gate waitlist.
- Post 12/12/2019, agents have been instructed that they can only grant a companion exception for one segment per round trip journey. Thus, if you have a roundtrip premium fare, they will only open saver space, or force an upgrade, for one segment. This means you must either waitlist (if upgrading) or use a standard award, for the remaining segments.
Consolidated Global Services Thread: Benefits, Questions, Experiences [2022]
May 16, 2022, 5:26 pm
#436
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
May 16, 2022, 5:42 pm
#437
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
May 17, 2022, 7:35 am
#438
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS, AS 75K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 302
Interesting story from my colleague. We are both in Paris for a hearing. We were scheduled on the same routing (IAH-EWR-CDG) and flights, but one day apart. I departed IAH on 12 May and arrived in CDG on 13 May without incident. My colleague departed IAH the next day (13 May) on UA 1429 (scheduled departure 12:35 pm, scheduled arrival 5:18 pm), intending to catch UA 57 to CDG (scheduled departure 6:30 pm). Here's my colleague's version of events. Before checking in at IAH, my colleague got an email saying that UA 1429 was delayed due to weather. Seeing the risk of a misconnect in EWR, he called GS and was told he was protected on the 9:25 pm UA 54 from EWR to CDG in the last C seat. Later, before leaving the PL at IAH, he asked the PL agent if he was in fact protected on UA 54 and she said yes. (I asked my colleague if he looked at his app, because usually when I'm protected I see both flights, and he said he did not.) Fast forward and his flight indeed arrives late to EWR, causing a misconnect. He arrives at PL and asks agent for boarding pass but she says UA 54 is sold out in business and there is no record of him being protected. He calls GS line and first agent says no record either; he HUCAs and agent 2 does see record of call with GS and note about protection, but evidently he has no confirmed seat. The explanation is that when he checked in at IAH for his original CDG flight, this somehow overrode and dropped the protected C seat on the later CDG flight. He's offered an economy seat but declines. Instead, he spent the night in EWR before flying to CDG last night and arriving this morning.
If any part of this version is unclear or needs more details, I can ask for clarification (since he's right down the hall!).
I guess my fundamental question is two-fold:
(1) what likely happened here?
(2) would UA policy permit downgrading a non-GS from C to Y (with comp) to permit a misconnecting GS to take the C seat? It seems that could have happened here, but didn't. (I'm not saying that's what *should* have happened, I'm just curious, since either way there is going to be one very angry customer.)
If any part of this version is unclear or needs more details, I can ask for clarification (since he's right down the hall!).
I guess my fundamental question is two-fold:
(1) what likely happened here?
(2) would UA policy permit downgrading a non-GS from C to Y (with comp) to permit a misconnecting GS to take the C seat? It seems that could have happened here, but didn't. (I'm not saying that's what *should* have happened, I'm just curious, since either way there is going to be one very angry customer.)
According to her…Some GS agents think they need to remove the confirmed standby flights to successfully check you in (the agent at check in was getting errors trying to check me in with two confirmed flights in the record so removed one…). There is a way to get around that but apparently some agents don’t know how to do it.
PL agent put the protection back in for me and reissued. Then (without prompting) called the GS lobby to tell them they messed up my protection and explained how to do it correctly.
not enough like them around.
May 17, 2022, 10:57 am
#440
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: BOS+SFO+SIN
Programs: UA GS 2MM+, JetBlue Mosaic, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, & Hertz PC
Posts: 113
May 17, 2022, 10:23 pm
#441
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
I think I've seen it ... Once.
Compared to my industry where I'm on one end of it several times a week.
May 18, 2022, 1:10 am
#442
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
May 18, 2022, 1:25 am
#443
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
May 18, 2022, 4:08 am
#444
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,116
I forget the exact situation but a GS agent at EWR tried to correct an issue with a gate agent acting improperly and the gate agent was ... overall rude and messed up several things along the way during the delayed boarding process
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 18, 2022 at 1:45 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
May 18, 2022, 5:03 am
#445
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO / LHR
Programs: UA GS 2.2MM / UC / AS Gold 75K / Bonvoy Plat / Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,028
May 18, 2022, 9:00 am
#446
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K | Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 459
But pay aside, there are plenty of companies with low wage workers that create a culture where employees feel pride in their work and their company which is usually what drives differential performance at the front line. United is still challenged in that area from my perspective.
May 21, 2022, 1:58 am
#447
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS 2mm
Posts: 93
Inconsistencies in coach
Flew to Maui with the family this week in coach. Had some interesting inconsistencies with service. On the flight over ordered a burger and two glasses of wine. Assumed it was free as a GS but charged via the new pre-register your card in the app (didn’t realize until after I landed and got the email receipt - kind of a crappy experience).
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.
Wish they would clarify or be consistent with this. I’m usually in biz but when with the family flying in the US always in coach. The $28 of food/wine isn’t the end of the world but the inconsistencies is annoying. I’m at $40k PQD already this year (nearly all 016) and have a few trips SFO-SIN planned in the next quarter (plus some LATAM and EMEA travel) - all in biz. Crap like above just makes me want to fly Singapore airlines instead of United bc it’s meaningfully better and I’ll still prob make GS or worst case 1k if I end at $60/70k spend. Sigh
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.
Wish they would clarify or be consistent with this. I’m usually in biz but when with the family flying in the US always in coach. The $28 of food/wine isn’t the end of the world but the inconsistencies is annoying. I’m at $40k PQD already this year (nearly all 016) and have a few trips SFO-SIN planned in the next quarter (plus some LATAM and EMEA travel) - all in biz. Crap like above just makes me want to fly Singapore airlines instead of United bc it’s meaningfully better and I’ll still prob make GS or worst case 1k if I end at $60/70k spend. Sigh
Last edited by kj5hp; May 21, 2022 at 2:04 am
May 21, 2022, 5:40 am
#448
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New York City
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 390
Flew to Maui with the family this week in coach. Had some interesting inconsistencies with service. On the flight over ordered a burger and two glasses of wine. Assumed it was free as a GS but charged via the new pre-register your card in the app (didn’t realize until after I landed and got the email receipt - kind of a crappy experience).
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.
Wish they would clarify or be consistent with this. I’m usually in biz but when with the family flying in the US always in coach. The $28 of food/wine isn’t the end of the world but the inconsistencies is annoying. I’m at $40k PQD already this year (nearly all 016) and have a few trips SFO-SIN planned in the next quarter (plus some LATAM and EMEA travel) - all in biz. Crap like above just makes me want to fly Singapore airlines instead of United bc it’s meaningfully better and I’ll still prob make GS or worst case 1k if I end at $60/70k spend. Sigh
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.
Wish they would clarify or be consistent with this. I’m usually in biz but when with the family flying in the US always in coach. The $28 of food/wine isn’t the end of the world but the inconsistencies is annoying. I’m at $40k PQD already this year (nearly all 016) and have a few trips SFO-SIN planned in the next quarter (plus some LATAM and EMEA travel) - all in biz. Crap like above just makes me want to fly Singapore airlines instead of United bc it’s meaningfully better and I’ll still prob make GS or worst case 1k if I end at $60/70k spend. Sigh
Can you confirm you credit card was charged ?
The first time it happened to me I thought I had been charged to but I wasn’t.
It shows on the app and you get an email but you’re not charged.
PS : I would fly SA in a HEARTBEAT !!
May 21, 2022, 10:52 am
#449
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,850
Flew to Maui with the family this week in coach. Had some interesting inconsistencies with service. On the flight over ordered a burger and two glasses of wine. Assumed it was free as a GS but charged via the new pre-register your card in the app (didn’t realize until after I landed and got the email receipt - kind of a crappy experience).
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.....
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.....
Complimentary Food & Beverage for Global Services & 1K Members when Seated in Economy
you'll receive one free alcoholic beverage and one free Choice Menu food item when traveling in United Economy
May 21, 2022, 11:21 am
#450
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Flew to Maui with the family this week in coach. Had some interesting inconsistencies with service. On the flight over ordered a burger and two glasses of wine. Assumed it was free as a GS but charged via the new pre-register your card in the app (didn’t realize until after I landed and got the email receipt - kind of a crappy experience).
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.
Wish they would clarify or be consistent with this. I’m usually in biz but when with the family flying in the US always in coach. The $28 of food/wine isn’t the end of the world but the inconsistencies is annoying. I’m at $40k PQD already this year (nearly all 016) and have a few trips SFO-SIN planned in the next quarter (plus some LATAM and EMEA travel) - all in biz. Crap like above just makes me want to fly Singapore airlines instead of United bc it’s meaningfully better and I’ll still prob make GS or worst case 1k if I end at $60/70k spend. Sigh
On the flight home, thanked by the flight attendant for being a global services member and got free food + drinks for me and the fam plus a few extra wine orders. No charges.
Wish they would clarify or be consistent with this. I’m usually in biz but when with the family flying in the US always in coach. The $28 of food/wine isn’t the end of the world but the inconsistencies is annoying. I’m at $40k PQD already this year (nearly all 016) and have a few trips SFO-SIN planned in the next quarter (plus some LATAM and EMEA travel) - all in biz. Crap like above just makes me want to fly Singapore airlines instead of United bc it’s meaningfully better and I’ll still prob make GS or worst case 1k if I end at $60/70k spend. Sigh