United Airlines has unveiled a new “Pick Your Path” promotion that offers three paths to more miles, either status or award, depending upon your own preference. While this new promo stops far short of an outright status extension, it again makes status qualification easier, even if you have no upcoming travel plans.
Three Elite Fast Track Promotion Offers From United Airlines
Rather than a single promotion, United if offering three promotions and allowing elite members to chose which one they wish to participate in:
- A “Welcome-back Bonus” promotion that gives members deposits of bonus Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) for their first three trips
- An “Easy PQP” offer which provides member with a PQP deposit without needing to travel
- An offer which allows members to earn double miles through the MileagePlus X app
Let’s explore all three promotions in more detail.
United Airlines Welcome-Back Bonus PQP Offer
United is offering eligible Premier members the chance to earn up to an additional 25% of the outright PQPs required for their current status level if they choose the Welcome-back Bonus PQP offer. Elites who select this option will earn the following bonus PQPs for each eligible trip, regardless of fare, taken between April 29 and July 27, 2021, no matter when they booked their flight:
|
Status Level as of May 13th |
1st Trip |
2nd Trip |
3rdTrip |
|
Silver |
525 |
175 |
175 |
|
Gold |
1,050 |
350 |
350 |
|
Platinum |
1,500 |
500 |
500 |
|
1K |
2,250 |
750 |
750 |
So a 1K can earn 2,25o PQM after her first flight, then 750 for the next two, totaling 3,750 PQP.
If you do not choose one of the other promos, you will be automatically enrolled in this promotion. If you intend to do any flying by the end of July, this is the most lucrative promotion.
United Airlines Easy PQP Offer
Very simple: if you are not planning to travel before July 27th, you can choose this option and receive a 10% deposit of the “outright PQP requirement” for your current status level. That means members will receive the following:
- Premier Silver – 3,500 PQP – 350 under new promotion
- Premier Gold – 7,000 PQP – 700 under new promotion
- Premier Platinum – 10,000 PQP – 1,000 new under promotion
- Premier 1K – 15,000 PQP – 1,500 under new promotion
United has lowered status thresholds this year to reflect pandemic. Furthermore, United already deposited the following PQPs (a 25% boost) earlier this year:
- Premier Silver – 875 PQPs
- Premier Gold – 1,750 PQPs
- Premier Platinum – 2,500 PQPs
- Premier 1K – 3,750 PQPs
So practically a 1K who has not flown yet this year and wants to re-qualify could start with 3,750 + 1,500 = 5,250 PQPs and only need to spend less than $10,000 outright or $8,250 and fly 36 segments.
That’s still a lot of money, but helps if your travels have not yet resumed.
Double Miles Through MileagePlus X App
If you’ve already re-qualified for status or do not need any additional boost, you can opt for bonus award (redeemable) miles.
Members can choose to earn double miles on all transaction through MileagePlus X, up to 10,000 miles.
MileagePlus X is a mobile app that allows members to earn award miles when shopping or dining at participating merchants.
CONCLUSION
Eligible Premier members can visit united.com/pickyourpath or sign into the MileagePlus X app to make their selection. An email will also be sent to eligible members later today.
Part of me remains hopeful that United (and other carriers) will extend status one more time. While domestic U.S. travels seems ready to flourish again, international border closures may it very difficult to spend, in the case of 1K status, $15,000 on United this year. But this latest promotion will make it easier to re-qualify status and is quite generous. Even for those who do not need the elite qualifying points there are potential bonus miles to be earned.
Link?
Not yet. Consider this “exclusive”. It should hit MP shortly.
Link is here: https://promo.united.com/offers/pickyourpath
I still also believe they’re going to extend status. It’s way too early in the year for them to make the call to extend. I think this is just a way to keep those people who *are* flying doing it on United.
As a practical matter, as articulated in all of the major carriers’ earnings calls, business travel is still down massively and is going to continue that way at least through the end of 2021 (although I’m sure it will pick up). I’m a million-miler, so I’m at least locked in at gold, but I’d like to continue my 1K status into 2022 when I do expect to be traveling internationally extensively again. I’m one of those people that they really don’t want to see trying other alternatives.
We are in the same boat.
This is very helpful. Thanks for the alert.
They can offer me as many bonuses as they want. As long as the US will not let me in, I cannot complete the 4 UA flights. So this is a dead end. As a 1K member, makes me sad… why not just wave the 4 flights for non-US members?
It’s a great point and if this ridiculous ban for EU citizens continues through the summer, I bet UA will be forced to extend status.
Matthew – would love for you to hit up your contacts at UA and get their explanation as to how they think they can get away with NOT allowing MP CC-earning PQM to count at the lower PQP + segment qualification for 1K (only the higher PQP-only qualification). Is that anywhere in the T&Cs?
Will ask.
Matthew,
Could you please help me decipher which of the 3 promos would be most applicable in my case? I have about 1.5mm actual flight miles on UA, but am now retired and only traveling for leisure. Another 50K actual flight miles will get me to lifetime Platinum.
I have two trips planned at this point, one a short haul LAX-Vegas and also LAX to Lisbon – Aug. & Sept. What do you think?
Many thanks in advance and thank you for a great read always.
Hi Marc,
In your case, I would take the first promotion, try to squeeze in three flights, and keep working your way toward that 2MN goal. You want to hit lifetime Plat as soon as possible – I am always afraid UA will take that benefit away (or at least scale it back).
I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again: 2019 was a great year to hit 1MM status. Gold may not be worth *that* much, but I think it’s value will be higher than it used to be for quite a while as travel (slowly!) ramps back up. And the fact that I don’t have to worry about getting there is that much nicer. (But I still wouldn’t mind a status extension until people who travel for the government can fly.)
@Greg I agree! Pretty smart of them to throw us a tiny bone now. Hoping for better promo (or outright extension) later.
@Matthew What the best option for someone not planning any revenue fights, ever! LOL Obvi the shopping one but Mpx is useless to me since you can’t MS…
Thank you Matthew for your sage advice. I mistakenly said I have 1.5MM, it’s actually 1.95MM miles, so to your point, I too worry that I could lose out on the platinum status when I’m so close!
United also sent an email to MileagePlus members with addresses outside the US yesterday that the 4 segments on United is waived this year (but no differential on PQF or PQP besides what was mentioned above). Nice that it is not required since I likely won’t get back to the USA this year.
It seems they sent them to MP elites in Asia, but not to Europe – a colleague in Germany (1K) did not receive the email. Then again, he was already at five segments, so it was redundant.
Does a one way flight count as a “trip” or does it have to be a round trip trip?
I have an upcoming flight with Turkish, with a United segment. Booked thru Turkish. Would this qualify as eligible activity, or is it ineligible since Turkish issued ticket?