egzactly

Please correct me if I’m in the wrong thread - can anyone provide some insight on the best way to earn premier silver? I fly United around 10 times a year so the PQF won’t be an issue. The issue is getting the PQPs. As of now it seems like the most efficient way is to just open a United quest/infinite and spend like $100k. (Which seems dumb since I’ll only get premier for that calendar year)

anyone know a better way?

mariol

at 10 round trips per year, they only need to average 400 PQP to hit silver. And it only takes $10k spend on a new quest card (including the sign up bonus) to get 1000 more pqp. Definitely don’t need 100k in spend.

WineCountryUA

Purchase F fares and get the PQPs?

The other questions is why get silver?
Instead purchase an annual E+ subscription (as low as $600) (or purchase E+ for individual flights) and get a MP Chase credit card ($95) for boarding group 2

egzactly

you’re making a fair point. I guess now that I think of it it’s for the upgrades. Although that’s only day of departure. i wonder if there are any DPs of using the ritz Carlton credit on E+ subscription. (Or Amex plat credit)

WineCountryUA

What upgrades? Upgrades for SIlver are very rare amd only involving a few outstations. I would rather have E+ at booking (via the E+ subscription) vs an unicorn ugrade

egzactly

What's the fastest way to reach UA Premier Gold? I'm assuming by combining spending with the right united cards, but i've just been a bit overwhelmed looking through the options. Does anyone have a simple calculation with the least spending possible to reach gold? Reaching 24 PQF should be a little difficult but I think I can get it done.

Repooc17

Before going spending happy, what are you looking to get out of Gold?

WineCountryUA

I am confused is to what the goal is? and Why?

The primary / traditional method of status earning method is flying and spend sufficient cash. PQF are based on ticket prices. Flying on some partners at certain mid-level fares can be a more cash efficient way to earn PQFs if you are interested in flying to certain international locations.
Credit card spending can earn PQPs, if you have a high annual spend. UA is the less generous on credit card elite credits versus AA or DL. But it can be done.
Are you spending $100K on credit cards now? To get PQPs, you would have to forgo cashback cards -- multiple thousand of dollars for 100K spend.

But alot depends on why you are doing this and how much fly and credit card spend you are already planing on doing. Many of the traditional benefits of status, such as upgrades are becoming a past memory.

radonc1

I actually received......0 starter PQPs from UA and they had the efforntary to note it on my app as
Feb 1, 2024
Starter PQP 0 miles

No email either.

Guess I have been a 1K for too long a time

jsloan

It says “0 miles” for everybody, because it was PQP only, not miles.

On the app, you can’t see the actual value, but on the web you should be able to see the PQP if you expand that line item — and, of course, your PQP total should have increased by 1250 if you’re 1K.

Get2DaChopper

This is why I joined this forum. I had no idea that UA gifted PQPs at the beginning of the calendar year. I checked my account, and sure enough, there were 250 PQPs added to my account 01 FEB. I only started flying UA last year because they are the only US flagged carrier that operates out of DXB. I'll deal with the lower standards of service with a Polaris seat, rather than spend the additional $2-3k more Emirates, Etihad, & Qatar charge for the same flight. Got one more round trip back home to NYC in May, and I'll have Gold organically at the end of that trip. May come in handy in the fall when I head back to the Pacific Islands that UA serves.

Lori_Q

I too was frustrated by the lack of info on the app. The app shows 0 Miles, with no option to see the PQPs. The Activity page in the web version of united.com shows a more complete entry - 1250 PQP and 0 Miles.

OtherGuy

I've somehow already qualified for 1k for 2025. Not really sure how that happened. I have spent a lot of money on the credit cards but I thought I could only get 10k PQPs off of that. Otherwise just 19 flights, but I'm at over 24k PQPs.

I see I also got a Club Card PQP Annual Cap Extension of 3925 and a lot of chunks for PQP Earn Club Card that totaled 10k.

david_oz

I know it’s early in the year, but my fiancé already knows she will fall short of the PQPs needed for 1K by quite a bit. Probably in the 5,000 - 6,000 range. She really really wants to retain it and is willing to do a mileage run or two to get over the line. We have most of our planned travel already locked in the the year.

Any suggestions for the highest PQP at the lowest cost? IAH based but willing to fly anywhere in the world, and also willing to do two mileage runs inside a nested return. Also willing to be pretty flexible

After some pretty extensive searching the best I’ve been able to come up with is a BCN/MAD-IAH return on AC PY, or a TUN-IAH return in AC/LH J. We would probably nest these inside economy fares from IAH.

These options might save $1k-$2k but I feel like she should be able to do better. Eg. Last year I got a $2,300 CGK-EWR which gave me 5,100 PQP and bookended two fantastic trips. I can’t find anything in that league right now and would appreciate any help.

WineCountryUA

Suggest looking at or posting in UA/Star Alliance: 2024 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed (as that thread is dedicated to this sort of question) versus here. (same for responders.)
Note the thread has a preferred posting format to follow or would have moved your post there directly.
You will find many active UA forum participants there