Last edit by: limey1K
2024 GS Qualification spreadsheet and new easy complete Form!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
Please enter as much data as you have available for prior years too.
Option #2 is an easy to complete Form!!: https://forms.gle/kiy5m2f5cNCkAtEe9
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
Please enter as much data as you have available for prior years too.
Option #2 is an easy to complete Form!!: https://forms.gle/kiy5m2f5cNCkAtEe9
*** 2024 GS Notification Thread*** (including first time qualifiers & challenges)
#766
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,329
One nice thing in LAS is some of the GAs (for whatever reason) announce the number of GSs and 1Ks just before boarding. 6am flight this morning to IAH was 3 GS and 18 1Ks. A one-third drop in GS would result in only a one-twentieth (roughly) increase in 1Ks.
#767
Join Date: Dec 2023
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K since 2017, Marriott Ambassador since 2018
Posts: 10
OK explain details to me please. Again there were flights I often paid $1500+ in prior days to flight upgrading a $500-$600 one-way fare paid by company. Still $2000 one-way. My question is if revenue and margin is ultimate goal how much over $2000 can they get from SFO- BOS one way on any type of ticket? This is just example of many similar flights in 2023, some to smaller hubs.
#768
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Somewhere in EWR
Programs: UA GS, HH Diamond
Posts: 861
OK explain details to me please. Again there were flights I often paid $1500+ in prior days to flight upgrading a $500-$600 one-way fare paid by company. Still $2000 one-way. My question is if revenue and margin is ultimate goal how much over $2000 can they get from SFO- BOS one way on any type of ticket? This is just example of many similar flights in 2023, some to smaller hubs.
#769
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 162
You can easily "up-fare" on the website. DO NOT CLICK UPGRADE. Of course you can also call
Let's say you're on a round trip. Go to change flight, for each leg click the "change this flight" button but don't change the origin, destination, or date.
Then, you'll see a list of flights on the same dates as your original trip. If you're booked in Economy, it will show "not available" for the economy seats on that flight, but should show an ability to book to First if there are seats available. The dollar amount displayed is the fare difference In this way, you're not upgrading, you're changing your ticket to a regular first class fare. This should provide normal PQP, GS $, and all other credits as if you'd bought First outright.
In my experience, the fare difference through upfaring is the same or very similar to what they offer as upgrade offers. I never purchase the upgrades and instead up-fare via the method above.
United does give PQP for upgrades, but it's not the same as the above. It's a separate process which you can see because upgrade PQPs hit your account several days after travel.
Let's say you're on a round trip. Go to change flight, for each leg click the "change this flight" button but don't change the origin, destination, or date.
Then, you'll see a list of flights on the same dates as your original trip. If you're booked in Economy, it will show "not available" for the economy seats on that flight, but should show an ability to book to First if there are seats available. The dollar amount displayed is the fare difference In this way, you're not upgrading, you're changing your ticket to a regular first class fare. This should provide normal PQP, GS $, and all other credits as if you'd bought First outright.
In my experience, the fare difference through upfaring is the same or very similar to what they offer as upgrade offers. I never purchase the upgrades and instead up-fare via the method above.
United does give PQP for upgrades, but it's not the same as the above. It's a separate process which you can see because upgrade PQPs hit your account several days after travel.
#770
Join Date: Dec 2023
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K since 2017, Marriott Ambassador since 2018
Posts: 10
If you up-fare, purchase an economy ticket from your work platform and then call GS and upgrade yourself, versus just clicking the buy up option on the website you are actually purchasing a FC fare and this should count towards the challenge as I do this on many of my domestic fares since I can only buy FC on INTL with our work platform. If this didn't count about 30-40% of my UA spend would be gone and I certainly wouldn't be GS.
You can easily "up-fare" on the website. DO NOT CLICK UPGRADE. Of course you can also call
Let's say you're on a round trip. Go to change flight, for each leg click the "change this flight" button but don't change the origin, destination, or date.
Then, you'll see a list of flights on the same dates as your original trip. If you're booked in Economy, it will show "not available" for the economy seats on that flight, but should show an ability to book to First if there are seats available. The dollar amount displayed is the fare difference In this way, you're not upgrading, you're changing your ticket to a regular first class fare. This should provide normal PQP, GS $, and all other credits as if you'd bought First outright.
In my experience, the fare difference through upfaring is the same or very similar to what they offer as upgrade offers. I never purchase the upgrades and instead up-fare via the method above.
United does give PQP for upgrades, but it's not the same as the above. It's a separate process which you can see because upgrade PQPs hit your account several days after travel.
Let's say you're on a round trip. Go to change flight, for each leg click the "change this flight" button but don't change the origin, destination, or date.
Then, you'll see a list of flights on the same dates as your original trip. If you're booked in Economy, it will show "not available" for the economy seats on that flight, but should show an ability to book to First if there are seats available. The dollar amount displayed is the fare difference In this way, you're not upgrading, you're changing your ticket to a regular first class fare. This should provide normal PQP, GS $, and all other credits as if you'd bought First outright.
In my experience, the fare difference through upfaring is the same or very similar to what they offer as upgrade offers. I never purchase the upgrades and instead up-fare via the method above.
United does give PQP for upgrades, but it's not the same as the above. It's a separate process which you can see because upgrade PQPs hit your account several days after travel.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 19, 2024 at 3:31 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
#771
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO / LHR
Programs: UA GS 2.2MM / UC / AS Gold 75K / Bonvoy Plat / Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,050
Seems that way. Apple is rumored to be $150M in annual value for UA, and Roche, McKinsey, Facebook, Google all $30M+ and they get allocated significant GS and other amenities per year. Seems this is designed to scale back double dipping and give control back to corporate travel managers. The Corporate Travel Manager I spoke to that I referenced upthread mentioned that discounts were expanded for 2024, as were the amenity pools.
#772
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 1,904
Could be a significant drop (percentage-wise) in GS, less percentage (upward) change in 1K.
One nice thing in LAS is some of the GAs (for whatever reason) announce the number of GSs and 1Ks just before boarding. 6am flight this morning to IAH was 3 GS and 18 1Ks. A one-third drop in GS would result in only a one-twentieth (roughly) increase in 1Ks.
One nice thing in LAS is some of the GAs (for whatever reason) announce the number of GSs and 1Ks just before boarding. 6am flight this morning to IAH was 3 GS and 18 1Ks. A one-third drop in GS would result in only a one-twentieth (roughly) increase in 1Ks.
#773
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,697
Matches my experience in DC. My employer was rumored to be $20M+ with United, and of the 12 GS I knew only one could tell you what it was and what the benefits were. Maybe it's a public sector thing, but these 11 (all earned by flying - not gifted by travel managers) were certainly nowhere near as savvy as the crowd here on FT.
#774
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 162
We are definitely a subset on this board...
#775
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,310
Was he headed on to MFR? If so, he might be one of the dozens there that think Global Entry is the same as Global Services!
#776
Join Date: Dec 2020
Programs: Mileage plus
Posts: 16
Can anyone tell me how it’s possible not to get GS after 7 years straight with this insane spend???…. all on UA metal/international and organic!
And almost comically, not eligible for challenge and denied again after a review.
And almost comically, not eligible for challenge and denied again after a review.
#777
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,697
not sure if you’ve read the rest of this thread but I’m guessing you traveled on a corporate account / with a corporate discounted fare program? Seems everyone w that criteria has been dropped from GS for 2024.
#778
Moderator: Trip Reports
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA GS-2MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 3,815
#779
Join Date: Dec 2020
Programs: Mileage plus
Posts: 16
Idaho
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 19, 2024 at 10:30 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
#780
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 12,033
Seems that way. Apple is rumored to be $150M in annual value for UA, and Roche, McKinsey, Facebook, Google all $30M+ and they get allocated significant GS and other amenities per year. Seems this is designed to scale back double dipping and give control back to corporate travel managers. The Corporate Travel Manager I spoke to that I referenced upthread mentioned that discounts were expanded for 2024, as were the amenity pools.
Seems like another approach would have been to grant GS using their regular metrics, then do a tally of GS granted per corp account, and subsequently reduce the amenity pool offered, i.e. set Z = X - Y.
Gaming that out further, perhaps they expected or knew that their account managers at Apple, McKinsey, etc would have taken issue with having their allocations reduced, which means that they decided it was better to confuse and annoy the Y GS rather than explain to account managers that they already had nominated several of their employees for status.
Perhaps that is the right choice? But if it is, perhaps more than a minimal level of communication to members ("welcome to 1K") would have been helpful? 🤔