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[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQPs/PQFs in 2022 for Elite Status in 2023"

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Old Jun 7, 2022, 11:17 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Generally PQPs are earned flying
  • Paid flights -- Base fare + surcharge (remove taxes and non-airline fees)
  • Including flights ticketed and operated by must be *A or MP partner (earning depends on ticketing carrier)
  • Economy Plus® seating or subscriptions (100% PQPs)
  • Preferred seat purchases (100% PQPs)
  • MileagePlus Upgrade Award co-pays (100% PQPs)
  • Paid upgrades on flights operated by United and United Express (100% PQPs)
Purchase not eligible for PQPs: In-flight purchases, wifi for a single flight or subscription. UC membership or day pass, check bag fees / subscriptions, farelocks, ...

but there are two additional methods for earning them
1. Some Chase UA Branded credit will earn PQPs
and there is a bonus promo Bonus PQP Promo for MP Chase Cardholders - Q2 2022 -- targeted & variable bonus
Earning is 500 PQPs per $12K spend in a calendar year, cards have different annual PQP caps.
Chase MP credit card PQPs can be used to achieve all earned status levels but for 1K you also need to meet the PQF requirement. The PresidentialPlus cards PQPs can be used to meet the PQP only 1K requirement

2. You can purchase PQPs via Premier Accelerator
Consolidated Award / Premier Accelerator questions
United Airlines Award/Premier Accelerator Rates [2022]
Note prices tend to increase significantly at the end of the year
Note the Accelerator purchase costs do not earn PQPs but can count for the credit card spend.

UA has normally offered a status buy-up program in January, tends to run on the expensive side. No details are announced until mid-January
Last year's program - 2022 UA MP elite status buy-up offers(for higher status than earned in 2021)


For reference but not topic of this thread
MileagePlus Status Easier to Earn for 2022: ↓ PQP Levels, PQP Grant, Q1-21 PQP Bonus

Resource threads
UA/Star Alliance: 2022 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed
Mileage Run Discussion
Mileage Run Deals
Premium Fare Deals

Poor man's PQP run planner
Google Flights enter a starting airport, leave the destination blank, select airlines - Star Alliance, set travel days and max cost and view the Map for options. Try multiple dates.
kayak.com/explore has similar functionality
And now UA's Explore destinations

Related
Will UA Grant 2023 Elite Status if I am XXX PQM/PQS/PQD Short of Qualifying in 2022?

Previous years' thread - "I need XXX UA PQPs/PQFs in 2021 for Elite Status in 2022"
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQPs/PQFs in 2020 for Elite Status in 2021"
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQDs/PQMs/PQSs in 2019 for Elite Status in 2020"
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2018 for Elite Status in 2019"
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs/PQSs in 2017 for Elite Status in 2018
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2016 for Elite Status in 2017
[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2015 for Elite Status in 2016
& [Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQD's/PQMs in 2014 for Elite Status in 2015


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[Consolidated] "I need XXX UA PQPs/PQFs in 2022 for Elite Status in 2023"

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Old Oct 23, 2022, 8:11 am
  #106  
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Originally Posted by ekasey
Hello All,

I am pushing to get premier 1k and I am looking for a bit of help.... as usualy my company books the cheapest fare class they can so despite my busy travel schedule it looks like I will end up 3000 PQP short.

I have one trip remaining with a few flight so I wanted to see if through paid upgrades or some means I could manage.
…
I don't have a ton of budget for upgrades but there is some available.

any help is greatly appreciated.
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?
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Old Oct 24, 2022, 8:46 am
  #107  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: AA, but I play the field
Posts: 1,440
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!
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Old Oct 24, 2022, 11:00 am
  #108  
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Originally Posted by ZenFlyer
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?
If that worked, there wouldn't be much of an advantage to booking regular economy in the first place.

Originally Posted by ZenFlyer
Or would I still be docked the $99 cancellation fee that applies to BE tickets? Thanks in advance for your wisdom!
The cancellation fee would not become part of the new airfare. You'd be out the $99.
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Old Oct 24, 2022, 1:34 pm
  #109  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: AA, but I play the field
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Originally Posted by jsloan
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!
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Old Oct 25, 2022, 1:17 pm
  #110  
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Join Date: Nov 2002
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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.
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Old Oct 25, 2022, 2:04 pm
  #111  
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: 66,857
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
....Any bright ideas on how to scrounge together another 107 PQP? ... .
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.
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Old Oct 25, 2022, 3:16 pm
  #112  
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
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.
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Old Oct 25, 2022, 3:20 pm
  #113  
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: 66,857
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
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. ...
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.
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Old Oct 25, 2022, 3:43 pm
  #114  
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Join Date: Nov 2002
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
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.
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Old Oct 25, 2022, 7:20 pm
  #115  
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: 66,857
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
.... Just verifying: the price to buy the award accelerator does not accrue PQP, right? ...
correct, that would be offering PQPs at well below 1 PQP/$
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Old Oct 26, 2022, 9:27 am
  #116  
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Prices have gone up today! Now it offers 100 PQP for $179 instead of $119.
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Old Oct 26, 2022, 11:16 am
  #117  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: FRA
Programs: UA, HH, Bonvoy
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by jsloan
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?
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.
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Old Oct 26, 2022, 1:19 pm
  #118  
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Originally Posted by ekasey
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
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Old Oct 27, 2022, 7:17 pm
  #119  
 
Join Date: Oct 2022
Posts: 2
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?
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Old Oct 27, 2022, 7:22 pm
  #120  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: UA1K MM, JL JMB SAPPHIRE, Marriott Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,267
YYZ-EWR one way in G

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