I am not a status junkie but I did ask the question twice!
I asked a country manager based in Asia and a supervisor at M+ over the phone.

I got the same answer both time ( 5 years apart):

M+ is a frequent FLYER program, not a frequent PURCHASE program!

This question gets asked at least two to three times a yr on Ft- a quick search would tell you - you want the status miles - put your butt in the seat.

IOW- you cant tear it up

Last year it cost me: $4416.75
but, I also got the 25k rollover to 2004 and $900 in bump vouchers :cool:

So far this year, I have earned another $1200 in bump vouchers so this year should be even cheaper :D

They have .... it's called United Global Services (UGS)

$50K + per year gets you an invite as I understand it...

Isn't this somewhere around the mythical UGS $$$ number? I know nobody knows for sure but would like to know where the UGS is kicking in. Do you think you'll make it?

I think they already have with the advent of the UGS.

1K for $3500, 15 RTs SMF-JFK
 

Some of you might be interested in SMF-JFK for $231 all in.

I have been a 1k for the last 8 years, always flying on my own dime. Has cost me between 3k to 5k each year to obtain 1k. Last 5 years all flights have been trans pac. Used to live in the US now live in Thailand. Do at least 5 transpac flights a years.

Given the recent 99+ fares on SMF->DTW/MSP/MEM and using creative routing, I suspect you could have made 1K in about 16 round trips for ~$2300 and many hours of your life that you simply would never get back. :)

That's on the "carrot" side. I'm thinking on the "stick" side. For example, if you can make 1K for around $3000 (as some have posted) and someone else spends $25K and doesn't make UGS, there is a difference in revenue for UA. My supposition was that at some point UA will say that for people like me who buy the cheapest fares, you won't get a mile for mile EQM like they have done at Delta.

Again, this is not something I am wishing for. Quite the contrary. :p

Looking at those links from the prior threads it looks like I spent $9,200 for three years of 1K. I don't do many pure mileage runs; mostly one week vacations. Nothing that out of the ordinary. For a leisure traveler the main thing is waiting for the sale fares to appear and grabbing the tickets quickly.

I'm waiting for Asia fares to drop again for the fall season. I'll need a $600 SIN trip or a couple of LHR trips to get the miles for 1K before year's end 2004. I am hoping there will be a good fare for Vietnam when those flights start in the next couple of months. Always nice to see some place new :cool: .

If only it were that easy
 

A very nice lady from the Singapore office told me that you don't even have to fly to be a UGS. If you are the boss of a company, and you have employees flying with United on your corporate account in excess of what you have stated above (approximately, I guess...), then you will get the black card.

at this point i have about 102,000 EQM and have spent a little over $9500

Considering the absolute Public Relations Buzz-Saws that US, DL and CO ran into when they did it, and then had to retract it for at least one year to appease their existing customers, I do not think UA will do so.

In fact, UA continue to go out of their way to remind customers that every fare basis earns at least 100% mileage credit.

Not to mention UGS seems to be such a crock. It strikes me as nothing more then an "Ego Stroke". Darned if I can figure out one gets other then a card and boarding with First Class (which is where you probably already are sitting) and that also seems to be the opinion of current and former UGS alumni. It sure isn't United's old VIP Program.

UA may not make a profit on my 6 cents a mile. They may not even break even. But it's still 6 cents that helps pay the bills this month. :)

Always a fun challenge. 1K 100 segs- PFC/ZP/AY- $1720 min
1K miles - BOSSIN BIS $2500 incl taxes 3.8times