Check your Global Service tracker
 

Mine didn’t update properly with the spend overnight. Not sure why not but I’m within $1000 of meeting the challenge. Not sure if it’s a Friday evening of a holiday that made it so the tracker didn’t update or if I’m close enough they are just moving me but the tracker didn’t update properly.

For those working hard to meet the challenge for certain GS benefits, suggest you keep an eye on the continued devaluation. As I’d long expected, it seems more loop holes are apparently being closed including using pp to upgrade non-GS mileage tickets. Keep in mind the rules say for you and a companion. So who knows if they will go further at limiting to 2 on a reservation for mileage tickets, and/or only if the Gs is flying. Just don’t be disappointed if you spend all the money and these further changes come. That’s said, if you’ll make the 18k easily anyway then no biggie. My hope is they don’t make all these changes but best to have one’s eyes open wide!

Met the 18K challenge. It took until evening of the next day for status to update.

Congrats. Will sit at ~16k after a weekend trip to Paris this Friday. Could easily have put it over the top by buying exorbitant Polaris, but decided with the fare difference to hit the 18k, to instead treat myself to three travel weekends after that. "PQP per segment" and "premium cabin purchase" be damned. Not gonna lie though, I was quite sad to see 4 out of the 10 flights I booked for the next months have open PN but not PZ....

we all have our maths…if those are Polaris flights I’d drop the $2k no questions asked since four Polaris upgrades guaranteed is easily worth that to me. Sounds like you know your red lines and are sticking to them!

You got it! In reality the Polaris tix this weekend would have actually gotten me way over 18k (PE return was 3k, Polaris return was 9k), but you're absolutely right. we all have our maths :)

GS members were never allowed to upgrade MP award tickets that used miles from Non GS accounts. I know it worked for some people in the past but it was never a stated benefit. That said, If a GS member uses miles and PP they can upgrade non GS members. e.g., I always buy an award ticket for my wife and kid (both non GS) and apply PPs.. have had no problems incl. this past weekend.

Well, I’m done with the challenge, and got the Welcome back to GS notification. Didn’t go out of my way to buy expensive tickets but instead enjoyed many wonderful weekends around the globe almost every week so far this year. Onwards now and what happens, happens at the end of this year.

Welcome back!

Welcome back - right there with you! I finished about three weeks ago myself, and the mystatus site updated within about 12 hours of the last flight. Similar situation to you: no super expensive trips, but great visits on some new(ish) routes including CHC, MNL, DXB, IAH-SYD (UA's longest!), and a fun jaunt on UA1 to SIN for some good food. Trips I needed to take anyways, and I might have gone XY->PN if I was still GS so no doubt I'll be getting plenty of value the rest of the year.

Ironically, came back from DXB using a OneWorld RTW, and I forget how good we have it on Star Alliance sometimes. Paying for seats in business class? 6 of 6 flights so far delayed over an hour? Refusal of lounge access because a RTW ticket is considered "business lite" and Group 5 boarding. OneWorld has it all! :cool:

It always shocks me when there is charge to select a seat in business. My new pet peeve. I can reluctantly accept airlines blocking some of the better seats but no way should they charge for a regular seat assignment.

Anyway, welcome back!

Not to forget the outrageous “Fuel Surcharge” fees of $500+ on many OW carriers for award tickets. Star Alliance remains the best.

Welcome back.

Not wanting to take the thread off course, I just pulled a Business Award on BA from MXP-LHR-DEN and the BA website wanted £34 for the MXP-LHR and then £147 or something to select a seat on their A350 to DEN. Bloomin outrageous. I posted about this over on the BA forum and its mayhem already with all the saying this is a good thing :)

Like the others, I am grateful for *G and the fact that we dont pay for seat assignments...

Most/all of that is UK Taxes for the "luxury" of business class travel.

Curious if anyone has a datapoint for a ex-US qualification, ie LHR, DUB, ZRH?