I have a confession: When I first joined the TPG team in 2018, I was as loyal as a fox — at least when it came to airline loyalty programs.
In fact, I rarely bother adding my frequent flyer numbers when booking as I rarely fly the same airline more than once or twice a year.
Fortunately, I woke up.
Not only do I now see the value of earning miles on every flight, even if elite status is not possible, but I pledge allegiance to the Star Alliance and specifically, unified airline.
At the time of this writing, I am on 83 Premier qualifying points, one Premier qualifying flight and final act of passion achieved. top elite status in United’s MileagePlus program, Prime Minister 1K. And I plan to close the gap next week with a short trip in the country to visit a friend.
Although it’s become increasingly easy for me to stay loyal to an airline — I live only 20 minutes from one of United’s biggest hubs in Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – I also tried my best this year to claim the top spot. This is how I achieved elite status with United and also help myself achieve success next year.
Spend more than necessary
There’s nothing I love more than a flight deal, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve valued certain amenities so much that I’m no longer automatically forced to book the cheapest flight I can find. However, I never thought I would be the one to choose to spend more money on tickets to earn more points.
For example, over the summer I booked flights to Turkey on Turkish Airlines, a Star Alliance partner. But before confirming my booking, I reviewed United’s earnings chart for flights operated by Turkey. I realized the W class fare I considered ineligible for any income (read: no). So, after consulting with colleagues, I decided to pay around $500 more for the flexible fare, while staying in economy class, qualifying for 100% mileage have accumulated.
And, what I can only describe as a fluke, I ended up having to reschedule that trip – so I’m relieved to have booked a more flexible fare that allows for reissue.
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By purchasing a higher economy fare class, I have earned a maximum PQP (500) per sector for flights between Istanbul and Newark, plus some extra points for Turkey domestic flights. Turkey between Bodrum and Istanbul.
This ride, which has a total of 1,096 PQPs and four segments, is an important reminder to read the fine print before booking a partner flight, especially if you plan to rely on an alliance to gain status. with an airline.
Of course, even the most carefully researched plans can sometimes fail.
Related: United’s best-kept elite secret: How to earn PQP faster with partner flights
Ask for help
Asking for help makes my hands sticky.
But in addition to my colleagues, who should probably also earn 1K status purely on PQF (in this case top-qualified offers), I also spent a not-so-considerable amount of time. told to contact United this year when things were not going well with my income.
Leveraging Star Alliance partners is a great way to achieve elite status with United, although the process is not always smooth.
The last segment of my aforementioned Turkish Airlines fight didn’t automatically accrue and I spent months emailing customer support trying to get flight credit there. Finally, about six months after the trip, after many emails and a few phone calls, United succeeded. But I have to be persistent and diligent.
Likewise, I had a problem with a recent flight of SAS when two segments from the multi-city journey do not accumulate. That issue was resolved much quicker but required email and chat with United’s messaging service.
Asking for help and defending yourself is important when every point and every segment counts. That’s why travelers also need to keep a close eye on their account balances — if you’re not paying attention, you might not even realize you’re missing out on a niche or series of hard-earned points.
Related: Ways to earn miles with United MileagePlus
Purchased an upgrade
Technically, this is a failed attempt at earning more PQP, but the strategy is still worth it.
me recently SAS . in-flight upgrade auction, hopefully, when my ticket is reissued, it will code to a higher fare class and thus earn more PQP. (My K class discount economy ticket only qualifies for 50% of mileage.) As you might have guessed, this didn’t work out.
However, I’ve earned more PQP in the past by upgrading on United operated flights. Last year, I was able to buy from the economy to Premium Plus to score extra points on the flight to London.
Buying an upgrade after booking a standard economy fare can be a great way to get a better tier of service and extra points, as it’s often cheaper than booking a full premium fare. However, make sure you only do this on flights operated by United if you’re looking to earn more PQP.
Related: Last Minute Strategies to Win United Premier Elite
Get out of my way
Last year, I flew from Arizona to New York and back to Arizona two days later to earn two more legs. This year, my colleagues could barely convince me to skip the crazy journey that would take me flying from Australia to the East Coast via the West Coast, and back to the West Coast a day later.
Now that I’m a 1K poor segment, I’m starting to regret that decision.
While stops and extras don’t play a big part in my strategy this year, they’re always a top priority and can be an easy way for travelers to bridge the gap with location. excellence. One of the Top strategies to achieve elite status is adding a take-off and landing point for another non-stop flight, which you can sometimes do for free with same-day flight changes.
Related: Your Ultimate Guide to United Airlines Partners
Got a new credit card
Of all the things I’ve done to earn 1K, signing up for a co-branded United card is the most affordable. This year, I opened United Club Infinite Card, now has a generous signup bonus of 100,000 miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening. Aside from the increased mileage, I’m mainly attracted by the card’s lounge benefits, which offer cardholders access to United Clubs and choose star alliance United and partners in-flight lounge.
But United Club Infinite cardholders can also earn up to PQP 4,000 per calendar year — PQP 500 for every $12,000 spent on the card.
If it weren’t for the 500 PQP I’ve earned this year from credit card spending, I might have missed out on 1K by an extremely small margin.
You can’t outright purchase to achieve United status, but points earned from the card may qualify for 1K when the traveler also meets the PQF requirement. All of that makes the hefty $525 annual fee easier to swallow. That, and a free bloody mary from United Club.
Related: The ultimate guide to elite status with the United card
Booked an extra trip
I know what you’re thinking: It’s almost 2023 and I still not yet hit 1K.
Don’t fret, friends. I have one last trip booked for the end of this year. Call it a New Year’s trip with my friend in North Carolina, or a baby’s first mile run. Both are correct.
On December 30, I’ll be making my last flight of the year and, except for unforeseen circumstances, cross the finish line to hit 1K with 32 hours and 49 minutes to spare. (There’s plenty of time to book a backup flight if things go awry.)
That last flight will accrue one segment and 246 PQP, taking me to 2023 when I fly back on January 2 and collect the first segment and points for the year.
Related: 6 things you need to know about United Airlines MileagePlus
bottom line
Can I get where I want to go faster or cheaper this year? Sure. But with the promise of a free snack and drink even on economy class, hitting 1K is a top travel priority for me this year.
Next year, unfortunately, United is fulfill elite status requirements it intends to introduce before the pandemic halts travel. The good news is that United will once again split the initial PQP rewards among travelers who achieve status in 2022. For 1K passengers, that’s a balance of 2,500 points from the jump. Even travelers with entry-level Silver status will be successful with 500 PQP. United will also begin issuing PQFs and PQPs for award flights.
In 2023, the 1K requirement will increase from 36 PQFs combined with 13,500 PQPs (or just 15,000 PQP claims) to 54 PQFs and 18,000 PQPs (or just 24,000 PQPs). So travelers will need to be more knowledgeable about their trip to cross the finish line, because loyalty to a single airline is rarely enough to reach the top.
Leveraging PQP- and PQF earning strategies such as these throughout the year can be an essential part of successful bidding for status. I’ve been considering using my United card for all my big purchases next year, and I probably wouldn’t book a cheaper flight with a non-union airline unless absolutely necessary. And if I have to fly back and forth around the world to earn more niche, so be it.
See you all next year at the boarding prep.
