bmwe92fan

After 12 years of GS I was summarily dismissed as expected -- I did not ask for a challenge or expect to receive one -- but here is my offer -- pretty standard but makes no sense seeing the numbers posted in this thread. FWIW -- this doesn't tempt me at all -- but as someone that travels back and forth to Tokyo 10 times a year -- my wife thinks it may be worth it - the ability to upgrade award tickets is not an insignificant savings for us...

My wfies logic is simple -- I can buy two one ways for me -- make $18k in spend in two days - get 150k miles -- and have another year of mileage upgrades -- honestly didn't think I would consider it but I am....

AirbusFan2B

Maybe the challenge is also a way to eliminate GS status granted from corporate contracts to folks that travel little. $18K spend across 120 days comes out to an annual run rate close to historic qualification levels.

qwicker

Also denied GS this year as previously reported with $43k-ish UA metal, $0.35 CPM out of EWR. See the challenge now posted to my account.

I realize we're all just speculating but I wonder if they're sort of baiting many of us to spend $18k in 1H24. Like imagine if some number or analytics people said we need X dollars of extra revenue to meet some random metric. I could see someone trying to be clever and denying long time GS members but then offering a relatively modest challenge (equivalent to just $54k in a year) to coax them into spending that revenue in a specific period. For sure some will feel snubbed and maybe go elsewhere but I reckon most will do what they need to do to meet this challenge. Perhaps their metric is give GS to those unlikely to meet the challenge (explaining some of thr lower PQP quality we've seen) to keep their loyalty but deny those who are highly likely to succeed at the challenge.

Just a thought

globetraveler

LAX based traveler, did not receive an email invitation for the challenge (nor did I request it) however upon reviewing the “My Status” page I see the offer: $18k in 120 days between Jan and June.

bagspacked

On the corporate discount argument, I’m not sure United is really in the wrong here.

I don’t know the terms of any corporate contracts, but I recently spoke with someone about PassPlus, which is sort of an individual corporate deal I suppose. Her pitch was that if I spent 75K I got a GS nomination. If I qualified myself, I could use it on someone else, but if not I could use it on myself.

So in that simplified example, if I just spent 75k regularly United would have 1 GS member. If I spend 75k on passplus, I would probably qualify outright given my spend, and then I’d get to nominate someone else. So now they have 2 GS members.

I’d think it’s similar for large corporations, they get many GS nominations as part of their corporate deals and in addition their flyers were earning GS on their own.

Now, United seems to be trying to avoid the “doubling” that might come from some of these arrangements.

flynnr

I also have the Challenge clock showing up now. $18K in a 120 day period between Jan 1 and Jun 30.

cesco.g

Does yours not include the 120 days rolling qualification?

RobOnLI

What I would like to know is why this $18K over 120 days is not open to everyone. If many GS (per the FT boards which are a super small subset of the actual flying populous) were denied invite or re-invite to the program and are given this challenge, why can't a 1K or anyone else for that matter?

No, I think this is a fool's errand to chase GS after not being requalified by spending $18K just to spend however much you will in the calendar year to rinse & repeat in early 2025?

-RM

ironmanjt

Because not "everyone" (esp. 1Ks) has a history of spending with UA that at least at one time justified GS?

You're entitled to your opinion, but, to re-earn GS for less than 1K would cost, knowing I'd fly that much this year regardless is a no-brainer. The poster just above who mentioned their Japan trips exactly matches my logic. Buy my next couple trips, requalify, then enjoy XY+PN upgrades for a year. Nets out to saving a ton.

scubadu

It is absolutely fascinating (and predictable!) how quickly this thread has moved from, "UA is firing their best customers, the bloggers/vloggers are going to be all over this, this is UA's 'Delta moment' and UA isn't moving fast enough, this will be addressed as soon as MLK holiday is over" to basically, "How fast can I hand over $18,000 more USD to United and complete my challenge as quickly as possible?" I wonder who has who "on the ropes?"

Predictable, but frankly, it happened even faster than I could have imagined.

Regards

Jerseymn

Long term 1K, got GS this year with 89K PQP 2023, have a question on upgrading award tickets with pluspoint, does it also follow PN, PZ rules to get instant upgrade? I mean if there are PN, PZ tickets available for money buying and I buy it with miles, can I use pluspoints to guarantee the upgrade? Thanks!

sfosin

Yes, it is instant if PZ or PN are available, even from an award ticket.

Rock214

Definitely true in some cases. Not true in others. Yesterday I shifted all my flying through the end of February to one of United’s competitors. They status matched me almost immediately after I sent the request. Today I’m transferring all my billing accounts off my United Chase card, and on to their competitors card. I spent well over $100k on the Chase card last year. It’s the one with Club membership which I continued to pay for despite being GS because it allowed me to bring in guests. What I discovered yesterday is their competitor’s club card also permits authorized users club access. And they can bring in guests as well. So my wife, who had United Club access as a result of being GS with my million mile benefits, will now have club access (with guests) without me being a GS equivalent. The more I dig, the more foolish I feel for dumping $130,000 into United last year. Shame on me.

Boghopper

When they figured the tantrum would pass they figured right.

scubadu

And do you really, genuinely believe that the competitor you've moved to (obviously, it's likely AA, doubt DL 360 is very competitive program for most GS folks) will not do something similar to you in the next year or two? Seriously?

I mean did you spend anytime reviewing the CK threads in the AA forum and all the similarly angry folks who feel the CK program lacks "transparency" around requirements, just as UA GS folks feel? Some of those AA folks were trying to figure how to get GS via Pass Plus! Do you genuinely believe that any of the "big 3" are really any different at the end of the day?

Trust me, there will likely come a day when you'll feel foolish for spending $130K on AA in the future as well!

Regards