The Consolidated "Is United 1K Status Worth It?" Thread [Merged]
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: LHR
Programs: UA P, BA S, A3 *G, IHG Plat, Marriott Lt P, Hilton Gld, etc.
Posts: 1,078
The Consolidated "Is United 1K Status Worth It?" Thread [Merged]
Hi,
Any advice appreciated regarding the following:
I usually use 3 *A airlines, namely UA, SQ and LH. Up until now I had the following strategy of depositing miles: UA goes to M+ (due to 100% Prem Ex bonus) and SQ/LH goes to M&M (due to 25% executive bonus).
This year would be first one when I will be able to reach 1K should I deposit cumulative mileage to M+ account. By doing that I will lose approx. 12500 miles.
Question, is it worth doing, i.e. does cumulative benefits of 1K worth the miles. Paraphrasing, if you will be given choice to buy 1K status with 12500 *A miles, would you do it?
AX
Moderator's Note - The new thread is here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-11-posts.html
Any advice appreciated regarding the following:
I usually use 3 *A airlines, namely UA, SQ and LH. Up until now I had the following strategy of depositing miles: UA goes to M+ (due to 100% Prem Ex bonus) and SQ/LH goes to M&M (due to 25% executive bonus).
This year would be first one when I will be able to reach 1K should I deposit cumulative mileage to M+ account. By doing that I will lose approx. 12500 miles.
Question, is it worth doing, i.e. does cumulative benefits of 1K worth the miles. Paraphrasing, if you will be given choice to buy 1K status with 12500 *A miles, would you do it?
AX
Moderator's Note - The new thread is here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-11-posts.html
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Mar 30, 2011 at 2:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Hiding under the trees in Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 2.5MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,303
Yes, if only for the SWUs.
#3
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: IAD
Programs: MP - 1K
Posts: 112
I'm a lowly 2p, and would do so in a heartbeat
#4
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SFO / SJC
Programs: United 1K MM, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 581
Yes because of all the extra upgrades you'll earn on UA, including international and domestic. Plus if you let your extra 500 mile upgrades expire, you'll get part of the 12,500 miles back.
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: South Pacific
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,809
Each SWUs are worth much more than 12k miles; the other greatest feature for me compared to 1P was the no award redeposit fee feature of 1K.
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Pre-9/11 America
Posts: 5,115
Originally Posted by magicrat
I'm a lowly 2p, and would do so in a heartbeat
#7
formerly known as 2lovelife
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: ORF : UA_Premier_Gold4Life, Bonvoy_titanium, Accor_Plat
Posts: 6,952
This idea of yours is a good one, if you plan to use the SWUs earned... in fact it's the only case where it's smart to collect star partner miles in UAs Mileage Plus (to achieve the next level of status)
You'll get SWUs for next year & your upgrade/waitlists will be of a higher priority.
You'll get SWUs for next year & your upgrade/waitlists will be of a higher priority.
#8
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,603
Has the pope Catholic?
#9
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: About
Programs: Some good, some bad
Posts: 811
I said that after receiving 1P for 2006, I would try to get gold status on BA. However, now having qualified for 1K in 2007 already, I'm backing out on my plan and just going for more SWU's at the 150K mark.
#10
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: IAD
Programs: United 0, HH Gold
Posts: 2,827
Originally Posted by jib71
Has the pope Catholic?
And to the OP, yeah as a 2P last year and a 1k this year, it's just amazing the benefits. I'm able to upgrade almost every flight and the no fees for 1K deal is unreal .. you can book award tickets and cancel and/or change them at will.
#11
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,011
The SWUs and CR1s make it worth much more than 12k RDM. I would add that with the growing ranks of MP elites--and new tiers like "3P"--1K is a hedge that helps make sure you can clear standby, upgrades, etc. I'm batting 1.000 on both standbys and upgrades this year and have had several flights where I was the ONLY or one of two people to clear. I figure that as a 1P *I* would be the one being told, "Sorry, we just checked in full..."
#12
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 35,995
Originally Posted by exerda
The SWUs and CR1s make it worth much more than 12k RDM....
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,110
You also earn 100% Premier Exec bonus on LH flights between the US and Europe, so your 12,500 mile "cost" may be substantially less if you've been putting these miles in M&M.
#14
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SFO
Posts: 390
The Consolidated "Is United 1k Worth It?" Thread [Merged]
I wonder if the current number of GS members now exceeds the amount of 1K members there were, say, 10 years ago. In that case, perhaps we, as 1K members, shouldn't really complain about not being treated like the cream of the crop. Maybe we just need to accept the fact that we are just an upper-middle-class elite flyer.
I was prompted to reflect on this after reading a recent post where someone was indignant that a 1K flyer was treated in a way that lumped them in with the general passenger population. But, with irregular ops, you have to draw the line somewhere and perhaps they drew that line at GS.
So, what's the point of this soapbox post? Perhaps to say that we should lobby to have stated requirements for GS, and then all try to qualify for that level vs. continue to complain about how 1K's are treated like second class citizens. Perhaps we are.
And then, in 10 more years, when half the people on SFO flights are GS, we can revisit this topic again...
I was prompted to reflect on this after reading a recent post where someone was indignant that a 1K flyer was treated in a way that lumped them in with the general passenger population. But, with irregular ops, you have to draw the line somewhere and perhaps they drew that line at GS.
So, what's the point of this soapbox post? Perhaps to say that we should lobby to have stated requirements for GS, and then all try to qualify for that level vs. continue to complain about how 1K's are treated like second class citizens. Perhaps we are.
And then, in 10 more years, when half the people on SFO flights are GS, we can revisit this topic again...
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
Programs: UA Million Miler. (1.9M) Virgin Platinum. HH Diamond + SPG Gold
Posts: 32,330
1Ks get treated superbly overall in my 7 year 1K experience.
This was how they treated us last month when we missed our once a day SFO-SYD by minutes due to Mech out of BOS.
NO elite, UGS or 1K could have asked for more pro-active treatment and co-operation - they were paging us and re-protecting us Transpac that day and NEXT day in Biz on W tickets, and offering us options in BOS before we even knew there was an issue.
They had hotel vouchers printed and waiting when we stepped off the plane in SFO. :
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=701981
That was a good news thread about UA and yet few bothered to applaud them, but threads like this are far too common here - honestly.
You want a black UGS card - go spend another $40,000 pa on UA and it shall be yours.
This was how they treated us last month when we missed our once a day SFO-SYD by minutes due to Mech out of BOS.
NO elite, UGS or 1K could have asked for more pro-active treatment and co-operation - they were paging us and re-protecting us Transpac that day and NEXT day in Biz on W tickets, and offering us options in BOS before we even knew there was an issue.
They had hotel vouchers printed and waiting when we stepped off the plane in SFO. :
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=701981
That was a good news thread about UA and yet few bothered to applaud them, but threads like this are far too common here - honestly.
You want a black UGS card - go spend another $40,000 pa on UA and it shall be yours.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Apr 16, 2009 at 8:48 pm Reason: merge