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pstrasma

Value of Presidential Plus card Flexible PQMs

If you hold a Mileage Plus Presidential Plus (PP) card, have you made any new year's resolutions about:
a) renewing the card for another year, or
b) how much to spend on the card?

This legacy Chase credit card is not taking new applications. The cards benefits have changed several times since 2011 as tracked in a FlyerTalk post started in 2011 and still active today (with 133 pages). To answer these questions for myself in 2015, I compiled the following comparison of current card-derived vs. status-derived benefits. Personally, I’ve found the card useful for maintaining Premier Gold status for the last several years. With reduced travel last year, I’m down to Silver for 2015 and find myself wondering how important the 20,000 flexible Premier Qualifying Miles (FPQM) I have built up will be as United transitions to a revenue-based program.

Overall, the current benefits of the PP and the replacement Club card are nearly identical. The key trade-off is increased redeemable mile (RDM) earnings with the Club card vs. FPQM with the PP card. Basically, the Club card earns an incremental 0.5 RDM / $1 vs. the PP card’s 0.2 PQM / $1. This sets a 2.5 RDM : $1 PQM ratio, which puts a price on PQMs earned this way at $0.025 to $0.050. Given that PQMs cost $0.12 if purchased early in the year via award accelerator, this is a pretty good deal for those who anticipate falling short of the upcoming year’s desired Silver / Gold / Platinum threshold.

Benefits unique to the PP card:
- 1000 FPQM per $5,000 spend (or 0.2 / $1)
- FPQMs are only valid for Premier Silver / Gold / Platinum status, expire 3 years after earning
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend (x2 hotel & rental cars for personal card, x2 restaurants, gas, office supplies for business card)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) waiver (no minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)

Benefits unique to the Club card:
- 1.5 RDM / $1 card spend
- PQD waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)

Benefits shared between PP and Club cards:
- $395 annual fee
- United club membership (vs. $425 Platinum, $450 Gold, $475 Silver, $500 GM, +$250 with spouse)
- Waiver of 4 segment on United flights for Premier qualification
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- 2 free checked bags (vs. 1 Silver, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum)
- Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum
- Hertz Hertz President's Circle status (vs. Five Star for Premier Silver / Gold)
- CPU on award tickets
- No <21 day award booking fees (vs. $50 Silver, $25 Gold, $0 Platinum)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Concierge service

Benefits compared to Explorer card:
- only $95 annual fee
- only 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 companion
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend, +10,000 bonus after $25,000 card spend)
- 2 single-use club passes
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend)

Sources (accessed Jan 1, 2015):

Chase United Card Benefits
https://www.chase.com/online/Credit-...ewards-new.htm

United Premier Status Benefits
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx

United Premier Status Qualification Requirements
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/qualify.aspx

Main FlyerTalk thread on Presidential Plus card changes
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...d-changes.html

NJRonbo

Seems as if the value of the Presidential Plus card has declined.

Used to be partnered with AVIS, which gave you 2 free class upgrades when booking a mid-sized vehicle. I used to book mid-sized vehicles and drive off with a Lincoln, Cadillac or BMW.

Now they are partnered with HERTZ. Their plan is for a 1 free class upgrade and does not include luxury vehicles.

So, for me, a huge downgrade in what this card is now offering as far as car rental is concerned.

TennisNoob

Has anyone found anyways to maintain Avis Presidents when this is over in 2016? Or have any status match alternatives?

Hertz sucks!

Takes about 3-5 days for UA to process it. Given the 1st was a Holiday, give them some time.

Xyzzy

Enterprise matches the Avis status t National's Executive Elite. Alternatively, use Avis enough to requalify. I never find I receive much of an upgrade with Avis even with the status.

WIRunner

National's match process is surprisingly simple. You can download your card from Avis' webpage and use it during match process. I requested a match Monday night at about 8:30, and had the approval the next morning. Looked at a few rentals going forward and they priced out the same (Cruze for Cruze), but I was able to go up to a full size car for the same price. Hopefully the experience at the counter is the same or better than Avis. Hertz has always felt like a cluster when it came to getting anything done.

The match website is here: https://statusmatch.emeraldclub.com/usen/ If you don't have an Emerald Club number already you'll need to wait a few days for the number to propagate through their system.

TennisNoob

What status? I've been getting BMW's more than 50% of my travels. In Canada I get Audi's for booking full size. You just have to ask for the manager and complain that every other Avis has given you BMW's. Than than manager would come out and say thank you for your business and give you the premium car. I've only had no success at SFO. It was rather a slap in the face there. The worst car I got so far was an Sonata in Toronto. Other than that, the worst car I've gotten in the U.S. so far was an Cady CTS.

Thanks, I will definitely give that a try!

Xyzzy

Avis Presidents Club is what the PP card comes with.

If I have to do what you do to get a nicer car my status is clearly not worth very much. I've got plenty of my own empirical evidence to support that conclusin. The above simply adds to it

WineCountryUA

The Avis - Hertz issue is bigger than just the PP card and being actively discussed in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...nk-active.html. So there seems to be a better place to have that discussion.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

GSBEWR

Just a clarification, but there is a difference here. The Explorer card only gives Premiere Access in regards to actual boarding. The Premier Access for the PP and Club cards also include at check-in and (where available) security lanes.

distrips

I currently have the United Club card. I get the lounge and 1.5 miles on all purchases. I spend a lot so get many free flights thus making it hard for me to earn United Status. I am thinking of upgrading to Presidential (which I confirmed they are offering again) in order to get my PQM and become Silver. I am just wondering how available the benefits are. My regular work route is EWR-MCO8-12 times a year.

TIA

jstigall

I think you answered this one yourself. You use Miles more, so keep the club card. Your Club card gets you free bags, Club Access and priority boarding. Changing to Presidential Plus would give you less miles and the chance to get Silver. Silver gets you Economy Plus 24 hours before a flight.

So do you want more free flights or free economy plus is the question.

distrips

I guess I read the reward chart. I thought silver qualified for comp 1st upgrades based on availability

visorboy1974

Silver does qualify for comp F upgrades.

joshwex90

I'm confused - I thought the Club replaced the Presidential Plus. You're saying that they will begin offering PPlus again, AND make it an UPGRADE from the Club card?