Putting the “global” back
 

Maybe they are weighting the heavy international polaris flyers more and trying to cull the 100k/100 flights people who in a sense use gs services a lot more for a lot less $ per flight.

haven’t looked closely at the spreadsheet but it seems many of the high pqd types who got denied also have a lot of pqfs. A rough glance it looks like generally if you’re under $1,000 per flight you got culled unless you have a high cpm.

putting the “global” back in global services.

Just to add a data point here.

I was dropped to 1K for 2024. I ended 2023 with ~38,000 PQP (after taking off starter bonus, etc.).

More than half of my PQP was self-funded. About 12,000 was work funded travel. I'm sure we have a large corporate contract, but we have deals with lots of airlines (I work for large, multi-national company).

I wrote in asking if I could get a challenge for 2024, not expecting it, but figured I'd ask - since I already have more than 8,000 PQP booked in the first 2 months of the year - and I just heard back: I was offered the challenge: $18,000 between 01-Jan and 30-Jun. It isn't on the Premier Status tracker yet, that still shows the "pleased to welcome you to 1K" (which I hate! I earned that LOL!).

Anyway, I'm guessing that since I'm at a competitive airport (TPA) and spent a lot of my own money. and I have been 1K or GS for the last 7 years... with several years in the high 30's, peak year was 2019 (nearly $70K) that I'm a good candidate for a challenge.

I'll easily make the 18K.

18k in six months? That’s only 36k/year

Isn't it any 90 day period within that 6-month timeframe?

Bit late to posting, but first time GS as of Jan 3rd!

Was especially grateful the past few days as I had to reschedule a bunch of Max9 flights.

Data added to spreadsheet, but the gist is: 73465 PQP/59 PQF/63429 UA-paid only/$0.59 UA CPM.

BWI-based (and the only BWI person I see in the spreadsheet so far...but if you're out there and reading this, say hi!).

Yes, unless this poster got an offer different from any that I've seen or heard of.

The saga continues for me and many others.

The challenge I received via email is "In order to achieve 2024 United Global Services status, you must purchase and travel on at least $18,000 USD (base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges) worth of flights that are operated by United® or United Express®. Please complete your travel between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024, and remember to credit all flights to your United MileagePlus account. You can track your progress at https://mystatus.united.com". On-line the instructions specify "Within any consecutive 120-day period between January 1st 2024 and June 30th 2024".

Unhappily for me, my international travel is very limited in the first half of the year, and my trips to Europe, Middle East, and Asia are in the second half of the year. So, unlikely to meet the challenge. Ultimately, even if I earn as much PQP as 2023 (63,466 on UA metal), based on on what has happened this year, I still won't be reinvited back for 2025. So what's the point?

As a 3MM, I am 1K for life, so GS is the only incentive for me to spend money on UA tickets. But now that seems to be a dead end.

Plus what are the criteria for being offered a challenge. I imagine you have to demonstrate a history of spending.

Just received the email from MP regarding the challenge. They agreed that the challenge didn’t make much sense given the 86k pqp from 2023. But she did say these invites are from the marketing team at Mileage Plus.

Has anybody who hasn’t called in for a challenge received a challenge email yet? Happy to call in if it’s necessary, but was hoping all “eligible” ex-GS would receive one.

I didn’t call and I didn’t receive a challenge email but I did see this on the mystatus page
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c1a9c31d52.png

I think UA is missing this major point, if they want customers to strive for a particular status level they need to be at least somewhat clearer how it is actually earned.

A lot of 1Ks I have met think they just have to do a lot more flying and they can get GS. But it's not true, 1K and GS have never been calculated with the same criteria. 1K is calculated on all flights where you get MP credit but GS has previously excluded anything not on United. Pass Plus gave you GS yet you could fly on a partner as long as you used your Pass Plus funds. Then giving GS challenges which may well mean flying UA for three months which annualized would mean less than you flew the prior year, what the heck is that about?

These inconsistencies work against whatever UA thinks they are achieving with the program. Moreover, major changes to the program with no heads up is a disservice to current GS who would have normally requalified. Not to mention the employees fielding the calls.

And since we are all adults in the room, this looks so amateurish, fraught with errors in calculation or judgment or both. Big thumbs down to UA MP Marketing's handling of this.

This is what my mystatus says (current 1K)

Seems disingenuous since there are almost no reports of mid-year status bumps. (Actually I'm not familiar with any)

No word from UA, but I called a few days back and agent told me they’d “put me in for a review” although at about 33k PQP I knew I was way short.

just checked mystatus page and the challenge clock is there just like last year. $18k in 6 months by June 30 and says progress will be reviewed nightly. Just chalked up 5k today and now will buy some that were going to be awards next week to SIN to re-up by end January (and use awards rest of year probably.)

does this make sense for UA? Can’t see how, but I’m very thankful for it.

Here is the offer I got:

The more I think about this, the more I'm wondering if some of the people above got it right with they suggest United are considering a lot of factors and the program is to become a lot more personalized in the future, there isn't just 1 or 2 criteria, they look at each of us individually? My offer may be different because my situation is different.

• I'm not hub captive,
• I don't use many Plus Points, and never on anyone else (in fact, I just had a bunch expire)
• I rarely call
• I don't use many of the benefits (never gotten a Tarmac transfers, never opened award space, etc.)
• I have a long history of spend and loyalty (just hit my 20 year mark) - been Platinum, 1K or GS for the last 15 years.
• I've been increasing my personal spend over the last few years - including a new high last year of about $26K (of my ~$38K total).
• Etc.

By the way, just checked the MyStatus page and I don't have the challenge tracker there yet. I'll wait until after my trip today to see if it updates after I earn some PQP.