As other users have pointed out, for UA-ticketed travel, one PQP = $1 in airfare, excluding taxes and government fees. In order to get 3000 PQP, you’ll need to spend a minimum of $3,000 extra.

Why do you want to get 1K status? What is it worth to you?

Hi all:. Before reading some if the excellent don't-need-to-fly suggestions on this thread, I booked a short, quick turn RT in Basic Economy to get the 100 PQPs I need. In hindsight using Premier Accelerator seems much more convenient. I'm wondering, can I effectively get a refund on my BE ticket by upgrading it to full fare economy, and then canceling it to obtain an FFC for the total fare paid? Or would I still be docked the $99 cancellation fee that applies to BE tickets? Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

If that worked, there wouldn't be much of an advantage to booking regular economy in the first place.

The cancellation fee would not become part of the new airfare. You'd be out the $99.

Thank you for clarifying -- I thought that might be too good to be true. But then again I also would have thought "buy a ticket, buy PQPs, cancel ticket but keep PQPs" was too good to be true as well, so thought I'd ask. Much obliged!

Well, by my math I'll be 107 PQP short of Silver this year.

Current balance: 2564
Accrual listed in the app for my remaining trip this year: 180
Paid upgrade to F on one leg was $149 so I did it: 149
Total 2893 PQP

I'd upgrade the return leg of the trip (ORD-BOS-ORD) but it's like $450. Even buying E+ is just $80 or so. Any bright ideas on how to scrounge together another 107 PQP? There's a chance we might take a trip before year end, too, so I might just get it from flying.

The thread's wiki has a number of options, have you looked into Premier Accelerator? Up thread a couple of other near Silver purchased roughly the same amount. Warning Premier Accelerator prices will probably increase toward the end of the year, may be in November. It may take booking a short one-way and then cancelling after purchasing the PQPs. The earlier posts go into more details as well as the links in the wiki.

Ah, thanks. It's already stupidly expensive, though. The cheapest option with Premier Accelerator is $648 for 5000 award miles and 500 PQP. No thanks.

Maybe we'll go somewhere, or a F upgrade on the return will drop in price.

Did you try a cheap dummy sub 500 mile one way next February or March. People last week were get 100-ish PQP offers, still close to $1 / PQP -- see the recent activity upthread.

Yeah, a few of them. It offers 100 PQP (which isn't enough) for ~$120 or 200 PQP for almost $300, which is too much to spend on it.

Hopefully we'll go somewhere. But thanks! I'll keep looking from time to time.

Just verifying: the price to buy the award accelerator does not accrue PQP, right? If I spend $100 to buy 200 PQP, I get 200 PQP and not 300.

correct, that would be offering PQPs at well below 1 PQP/$

Prices have gone up today! Now it offers 100 PQP for $179 instead of $119.

I just wanted to check if there wasn't a more cost effective way IE upgrading to premium eco or something like that as it was only 300 USD on the way to US IE my FRA to ORD leg. Polaris was 2700 USD which is far too much for me.

Sure, I get that. I'm just asking, why are you pushing for 1K? Are you going to get $3,000 worth of value out of it? I'm guessing not. With carefully constructed business class or PE flights on other carriers, you might be able to get a 2:1 ratio, and get 3000 PQP for $1500. But, again, are you going to get $1500 worth of value out of it?

You may find you're happier as a Platinum, with some extra cash in your pocket that you might use for buyups next year :)

Award accelerator - 85 pqp short
 

I don’t have any other flights planned this year and am about 85 pqp of platinum after my trip next week (I already upgraded to first to maximize the paid for that trip). I was going to do the trick where you buy a flight and award accelerator then cancel the flight but keep the non refundable accelerator points but the lowest I am seeing is 300 points. Has anyone seen any routes that allow you to buy just 100 points?

YYZ-EWR one way in G

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b49394b419.png