3/31/2023 0 Comments United 398 tickey![]() ![]() United is making this move primarily because it's sensing competition from credit card travel portals that allow cardholders to redeem points toward flights - and still earn redeemable miles and elite credits, Bondar told TPG. You'll definitely want to crunch the numbers before booking.įor example, if you're considering paying $500 for a ticket or redeeming 35,000 MileagePlus for the same flight, be sure to factor in that you'll earn 350 PQPs from the redemption (compared to roughly 500 PQPs from the cash ticket). United's announcement doesn't use the "permanent" wording, so it'll be interesting to see if this feature is extended beyond 2023.įor elites, this could definitely shift the calculation of whether it makes sense to redeem miles or pay cash for an upcoming United flight. In this case, United is technically playing catch-up with Delta, which announced a similar permanent improvement earlier this year. Note that Premier qualification on awards is limited to flights operated by United or United Express. When you redeem MileagePlus miles for flight awards, you'll earn 1 PQP per every 100 miles redeemed as well as 1 PQF for every flight taken. For the first time, United is going to grant PQPs and PQFs on award bookings. If you're rising the ranks to Premier status for the first time, you'll need to earn the full set of PQFs and/or PQPs. This starter bonus effectively makes it a (bit) easier for someone to requalify. ![]() Interestingly, United is already promising to make this same head-start deposit in 2024 based on the Premier status you achieve in 2023. You'll still need to do a lot of flying (or swiping, more on that below) to help you cross the finish line. Free PQPs certainly don't hurt, but they alone won't help you requalify for status. These deposits will be processed in early 2023. Specifically, you'll receive the following number of PQPs in 2023 based on the status you earned in 2022: If you earn Premier status in 2022, you'll automatically receive a starter pack of PQPs in the new year that'll give you a head start at requalifying. To that end, Bondar shared that "one of the things we expect to see is the volume of members that achieve status at each tier gets in line with our ability to ensure that we are delivering great value to members once they achieve that level."Įveryone is going to have to crunch the numbers to see if the new metrics work for their travel patterns.īut, at least the airline is softening the blow by introducing new pathways to earning Premier status. Just ask the TPG team how many complimentary upgrades they received on United this year. While it may feel good to unlock elite status, the downside is that with so many members, it's hard for airlines to actually deliver the benefits they promised to offer. Higher requirements will mean that you need to spend and fly more to achieve status.īut, the flip side is that as airfares have risen over the past few months and demand has bounced back, more and more flyers have found themselves qualifying for elite status. ![]() ![]() Of course, the move will sting for anyone who got used to United's reduced requirements during the pandemic. At the same time, United halved the thresholds required for aspiring elites who planned to travel during 2020.įor 20, United reduced the requirements by about 25% to 30% (depending on the tier you were targeting) to compensate for lower demand associated with the pandemic.Īnd now, as 2023 is just weeks away and there's no sign of travel slowing down, United is bringing back the requirements it first unveiled back in 2019 but never actually implemented. United acted quickly by becoming the second airline to formally extend all existing status. See privacy policy.īut, just a few months after United introduced the revamped Premier program in 2019, the pandemic shut down the travel industry and grounded frequent flyers. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. ![]()
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