Changes at United in 2014

[mav Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

I received this e-mail from United today.
Upcoming changes to Premier qualification requirements

Dear Maria,

As you are a valued MileagePlus® member, we want to make you aware of upcoming changes to our Premier® qualification requirements. These changes apply to 2014 qualifying activity for status through 2015 and do not affect your 2013 qualifying activity for 2014 status.

Starting in 2014, Premier qualification requirements will include a minimum annual spending level. We will track qualifying spending with Premier qualifying dollars (PQD): dollars spent on most United® tickets, including partner flights and Economy Plus® purchases. These changes do not affect Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or Premier qualifying segments (PQS).


Learn more






A minimum of 4 paid segments on United, United Express or Copa Airlines is needed for any Premier level.




For 2014, the PQD requirement for Premier Silver, Premier Gold and Premier Platinum qualification will be waived for members who spend at least $25,000 in Net Purchases using a MileagePlus Chase co-branded credit card issued in the U.S. There is no PQD waiver for Premier 1K® qualification.

We will provide you with more information on the 2014 program going forward, including details on how you can track your Premier qualifying dollars, plus information on some new program enhancements. We appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you on board.

Learn more

Starting in January 2014, Premier qualification for members living in the United States will include a minimum annual spending level. We will track this new requirement with Premier qualifying dollars (PQD) – dollars spent on most United tickets, including partner flights, and Economy Plus purchases. The changes will not affect Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or Premier qualifying segments (PQS). The new criteria will look like this:


•Premier Silver: [25,000 PQM or 30 PQS] and $2,500 PQD
•Premier Gold: [50,000 PQM or 60 PQS] and $5,000 PQD
•Premier Platinum: [75,000 PQM or 90 PQS] and $7,500 PQD
•Premier 1K: [100,000 PQM or 120 PQS] and $10,000 PQD

A minimum of at least four paid flights operated by United, United Express, or Copa Airlines will be needed to qualify for any Premier status.

For 2014, the PQD requirement is waived for Premier Silver, Premier Gold, and Premier Platinum qualification for members whose address with MileagePlus is within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and who spend at least $25,000 in Net Purchases in 2014 on a MileagePlus co-branded credit card issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A. There is no PQD waiver for Premier 1K qualification.

As mentioned above, there are more details and a FAQ posted at www.mileageplusupdates.com, and over the next few days we’ll be communicating this information to our members. In the meantime, if you still have any more questions after going through the FAQ, please post them here and I’ll do my best to clarify.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

A frequent buyer instead of frequent flyer program, huh?

[buzglyd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buzglyd]

I think it's a good idea for people who actually spend money on plane tickets to get status.

United had too many ways into the Club without actually flying.

I rarely get upgraded these days and I am a legitimate Gold on United.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

The big exception is for the co-branded credit card users.

DL, leader of the race to the bottom started all of this. I wonder if, like Delta, the dollars part does not include some or all partner airlines? That could really screw people flying many overseas routes.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

If you read FlyerTalk, the upgrade problem is related to the fact that UA started selling upgrades, often for peanuts, to occaisional travelers, which left a lot fewer available for elite upgrades. This mangling of their elite program will NOT change the fact that they will continue to sell cheap upgrades rather than giving them to elites. Now some might say that is smarter for the airline, and that issue has been hotly debated on FlyerTalk, but the bottom line is that as long as they are doing it, elite upgrades get a lot scarcer.

As to other ways to get into the club, I wish they would deep six the credit card benefits that imitate elite benefits, but airlines make too much money from credit cards to do that.

BTW, if you want to be elite on Star Alliance, the easiest airline to do that on is Aegean. Just credit your UA flights to Aegean.

I think it's a good idea for people who actually spend money on plane tickets to get status.

United had too many ways into the Club without actually flying.

I rarely get upgraded these days and I am a legitimate Gold on United.

[dvf_diva Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvf_diva]

Interesting. Need to look into Aegean!

[dvf_diva Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvf_diva]

Just checked out Aegean. Very useful! Just need 4000 miles in calendar year to qualify for Blue, which then translates to Star Alliance Gold? Does the 1000 miles enrollment bonus count towards that 4000 requirement?

I've got two short domestic flights for T-giving, and on UA, I'd earn 418 miles each way. On Aegean, because booking class T and W, I'd get 500 miles. That's an automatic 20% bonus!

For Xmas, I've got a long haul on S class outbound; I think it is better to use my UA FF number because S class accrues at only 50% and R class doesn't qualify at all for either airline. Instead of 5069 miles, I'd earn only 2534 on the outbound. However, if my 1000 mile enrollment bonus counts towards the 4000 requirement, the 2534 miles on outbound plus 1000 from T-giving would put me at Elite (Blue) level for Aegean.

Arggg. What to do?!?

[dvf_diva Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvf_diva]

My sister has convinced me that I dont need this Aegean FF account because my UAL CC already gives me priority boarding and a free checked bag.
She has said that Silver on UAL is better than Silver on Star Alliance, I think I know what she means now that I've looked at the benefits of the two.

[dvf_diva Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvf_diva]

Sorry, can't edit my previous post, but I wanted to ask -- does anyone thing it is worth earning my UAL miles on Aegean instead? I don't do a ton of traveling now that I have a little one, but we do take at least two long haul trips a year, often on UAL or AA, and three or four short hauls on UAL/Delta/AA. Probably adding another two or three flights down to MCO from NYC area in 2014, too.

TIA for any advice!

[johnf0614 Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnf0614]

yeah very interesting. I'll have to look into this myself!