Yesterday, United Airlines announced a number of changes for MileagePlus members with elite status. While not all bad news, I’d say the changes are more negative than positive. Let’s analyze each one.
Better boarding
Effective on September 18, 2018
- Premier® 1K® members will be called to board during pre-boarding ahead of Group 1
- Premier Gold members will now board with Boarding Group1, previous in Group 2
I wrote about the new boarding process here. I’ve seen it in action several times now and it still requires some work. The biggest issue I see is that when additional groups are called, they enter the blue group one lane, not the intended green lane. Lines and jetbridges remain clogged.
Baggage allowance for Premier members
Effective on September 28, 2018:
All Premier® members, regardless of Premier status, will receive the same standard weight allowance for checked baggage: 70 lbs. (32 kg.)
Additionally:
- All Premier members flying in United Business®, United First®, or United Polaris® business class are allowed up to three bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
- Premier Gold members flying in United Economy® between the U.S. and Europe are allowed three bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
- Premier Silver members flying in United Economy between the U.S. and Europe are allowed two bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. (32 kg) per bag.
Although not stated above, Premier Silvers will still be allowed to check one bag domestically on a complimentary basis. Premier Golds receive two bags and Premier Platinum and 1K members can check up to three bags free. This is a nice upgrade for Premier Silver members.
Premier qualification requirements
Effective on January 1, 2019:
- Premier qualification dollar (PQD) requirement for Premier 1K status will be raised from $12,000 to $15,000.
- P-class fares will earn 150% Premier qualifying miles (PQM), reduced from 200%.
This is a big hit on P-fares. I’ve increasingly bought P-fares (discount first class fares) because they are often very reasonable and sometimes cheaper than even economy class, especially when extra fees are factored in. And I suppose that is exactly why United decided to cut earnings on these fares…
Increasing the minimum spend on 1K status to $15K will certainly make 1K more exclusive, but see below for why it might be lonely at the top. The PQD waiver for international members remains in place.
Premier upgrades
Effective on January 1, 2019:
The way a Premier 1K member earns additional upgrades will be changing.
- For every 25,000 Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or 30 Premier qualifying segments (PQS) after qualifying for Premier 1K status, we’ll add one Global Premier Upgrades into your account.
- No additional Regional Premier Upgrades can be earned after qualifying for Premier 1K status.
Currently, 1K members can earn two additional Regional Premier Upgrades for every extra 25K miles they fly. Now, one GPU will earned instead. If you’re doing a lot of international travel, that may benefit you. For those who do primarily domestic travel, you’re essentially losing one confirmed upgrade.
The bigger problem with GPUs is that for international longhaul travel, only W-fares (mid-level economy fares) and above can be upgraded. You must pay extra, sometimes several hundred dollars extra, just for the chance of upgrading. If your upgrade does not clear, you do not receive any refund. All the changes above would be much more palatable if United removed fare class restrictions from using GPUs.
CONCLUSION
I would not say there are any dealbreakers in the changes above. 1K status will indeed become more exclusive with the increased spending requirement and reduced earnings for P-fares. But I also think 1K becomes less valuable through the change in upgrades.
Premier Silver members should enjoy the increased baggage allowance.
More details here.
image: Shutterstock
More exclusive, but less valuable. I’m sure that exact desire was expressed by one (1) of those magical ‘customer focus groups’. Sheesh.
Hah, or maybe it’s also in the “rule book”. Check previous post on this blog.
I’d support raising 1K minimum to say $20k or $25k. Would also thin the crowd that gets GPUs thus making them more valuable because you could actually use them!
Another misinformed “but the crowd is thinned! so more upgrades for me!” post.
Repeat after me:
“The number of 1Ks has no relevance on upgrades clearing”
“The number of 1Ks has no relevance on upgrades clearing”
“The number of 1Ks has no relevance on upgrades clearing”
The ONLY things that matter are 1) how many TODs United tries to get on a given flight and/or 2) if they want to open up the trickle of R space for sub-GS mortals.
“I don’t have enough RPUs,” is said by nobody that I’ve ever spoken to. Why does an RPU matter that much? They’re only relevant for 1Ks on PS, Hawaii and northern South America routes, unless I’m missing something. I’d much rather have a GPU, because I want an upgrade on international, and also, those are much better for friends I want to help traveling than RPUs are. Personally, and my Dad is 1K, I think these are great changes. Enlighten me please on why the RPUs are so valuable for 1Ks.
Hi Alan, I go back and forth between Newark often on PS and those RPUs come in so handy.
If PS didn’t have the co-pay, I’d agree that RPUs, even seldom clearing, aren’t that amazing…but when they are saving 20K miles PLUS $150-250, on the rare chance they do clear, that’s a great benefit
GPU’s are the same as RPU’s just better, and they can always be used as RPU’s if you don’t want to use them for international travel.
Source: have been a 1K for years and used them as such many times.
I am happy with the new rules. Until fairly recent as 1K it was easy to get international upgrades using the GPU in advance. It’s getting a lot harder. I have tons of unused RPUs; they’re almost worthless because it’s so hard to use them in advance. Less competition but being able to use GPUs would be good.
That’s interesting because I am always able to use my RPUs but have trouble using the GPUs. I’m happy to take the extra ones off you hands! 😉
What really bothers me is that P fares already purchased for next year will all of a sudden earn less. How United thinks that’s o.k. Is beyond me.
@UA-NYC what’s a TOD?
Tens Of Dollars upgrades. It’s why those F seats mysteriously disappear from T-24 to bordering and no upgrades happen.
And will this affect your status? How much a year do you spend/anticipate on UA?
This calls into sharp focus the value of 1k. The boarding 1 minute earlier is not work $3000. We already pay more for tickets to apply GPUs, and before $12k for the privilege of doing so. I feel I will now be better off getting gold status on other networks to compliment gold on Star Alliance. With the money I would save buying k class tickets on UA I could put those savings that would have been used to upgrade to Unreliable GPS, I could just by biz class on the best option on which ever airline. This is quite freeing of the Unitied hoops and hurdles to maintain 1k. So let’s see. This might be a freeing moment, and a financial shift from UA to others.
Spot Friggin On.
UA sucks pretty bad in a number of ways and when they are not seeing how far they can encroach on seat comfort they are shoving you into a lower status or making the existing status less valuable. The 6 1K guys that board seconds earlier than me on flights from SFO->IAD, IAD->DEN, IAD->SFO and so on are inconsequential. Upgrades on international flights is not possible without more expensive fares (I have sat looking at 18 empty business class seats as a previous 1K member… whats the point?).
Flying corporate rates is impossible to get to $12,000/yr PQD let alone $15,000. I barely get above the $9000 range with 100,000+ miles.. so I fail to equate the value of a “preferred airline” with regards to my corporate travel.
There is also NO way I am changing my spending to a United Mileage card. I earn plenty on my Sapphire and when I am fed up with United those points will spend elsewhere just fine. Thanks but no thanks…
One group that wins from this are million milers. Their lifetime Gold now means that they board in Group 1. (For me, early boarding has been the main practical benefit of 1K, but with the new qualifying rules I’m not going to make 1K any more.)
Exactly @Levy Flight. And even more fun when you don’t even care about alliances. If you plan and are flexible about departure airports you should also end up saving money … While flying premium.
1K status has been gradually watered down. From $10,000 to $12,000 and now $15,000.
GPU’s are hard to use and now we get less RPU’s.
I think the best way to spread benefits is to get higher status on other carriers to complement
what United offers.
It would be nice to think United gives additional benefits for its highest level flyers rather than water down what they us to get.