United Mileage Plus and More
Written: Feb 02 '08 (Updated Feb 04 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Saves time and money -Free trips and free upgrades.
Cons: The cheaper you want to be, the longer you wait to cash in.
The Bottom Line: United Mileage Plus works because their airline works for me. If you have to travel for work, traveling in style is always best.
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| Mrsfitts's Full Review: United Mileage Plus |
Joining United Mileage Plus
When I first started traveling for work, I wasn't sure which airline I'd want to use most often, so I signed up with all of the airline Frequent Flier Programs by going to each airlines website. After a few trips on Southwest, American Air and United, I decided I'd be spending most of my time on United and dedicated building up "points" at their frequent flier program.
UAL.COM website is the first step in joining the United Mileage Plus program. At the top of their homepage is the Mileage Plus tab and when you pull-down that menu option, the first selection is Join Mileage Plus. An e-mail address is required, as well as your name and address as listed on your government issued ID.
Once all the information is filled out, and passwords selected, you’re given a Frequent Flier Number and a confirmation email is sent to your email address.
Getting Points, Achieving Status
The most common way to get points is to fly. After that, there are other ways to accumulate points:
*Hotel Partners
*Rental Car Partners
*Mileage Plus Visa
*Miles Plus Grocery Miles
*Mileage Plus Mall
*Mileage Plus Dining.
With the Hotel Partners, I get a combination of Hotel Loyalty Points (Marriott and Hilton programs) with airline miles also.
Avis and Hertz both credit your rentals, enabling you to get points with United too.
Once you join, you will be besieged with emails, letters and offers to get a Visa card with Mileage Plus. This involves a $60 annual fee, so it isn’t recommended unless you will be traveling often and want to build up points for free trips faster. Miles are equal to dollars spent, and there isn’t supposed to be a blackout day for trips using miles gained through charging with your Mileage Plus Visa.
I get $1 for every $2 I spend with Safeway or Vons -excluding the normal things like milk, alcohol and tobacco. About twice a year there will be special promotions for us to double our points by spending $1k - $2k within a 8 to 10 week period around holidays. This point feature actually allows one to double dip if they shop at Safeway/Vons and use their United Visa because you get the grocery points and the points for the dollars spent on your credit card.
I do not use the Mileage Plus Mall or the Mileage Plus dining because currently neither fit my lifestyle in stores or restaurants. Add Wendy's or Jack in the Box to the dining, and I'm in!
Now, getting points doesn't get you Elite status. For that you have to do it the old fashioned way –Fly or Pay!
The Elite Levels are:
*Premier Associate –personal invite as a bonus for an Elite member
*Premier 25,000 Elite Qualifying Miles, EQM or 30 Elite Qualifying Segments EQS (trip legs, usually 2 in a round trip)
*Premier Exec 50,000 EQM or 60 EQS
*1k-100,000 EQM or 100 EQS
The above are qualified for Each Calendar Year!
*Million Miles and Beyond –for those who’ve flown over a million miles with United, Ted or United Express in their lifetime.
Every year United offers Fast Track to those who want to get to their Elite status in half the time. For $799 you get Economy Plus seating (if available) and each flight counts for 2 EQS, so you can get to Premier status for only 7.5 roundtrips that year and enjoy all of the benefits for the rest of the year and through the next year.
Also, as the year nears the end, members are offered to cash in their points for EQS/EQM if they will be a few shy to make Elite for the upcoming year.
I use EQS because I fly from SFO to LAX, and that isn't many miles, but it is a lot of trips back and forth. My neighbor flies to Japan, Amsterdam, England, and China for work, and she tracks by EQM. She doesn't fly as many times per year, but definitely more miles than I ever will. She made 1K for 2008 and her rewards and priorities are Sweet!
Perks of Being a Mileage Plus Elite
Achieving Elite status is very important -it means the difference between using the Domestic Cattle Screening Line at the larger airports or the First Class Screening Lines –even with Coach/Domestic/Cheap tickets!
Because I fly out of SFO and LAX, this perk saves me considerable time, the First Class lines are fast and easy. I don’t have to wait 45 minutes in a line full of kids that just finished a weekend at Disneyland, and then another 30 minutes at the screening line. I’m usually through both lines at both airports in less than 15 minutes.
Also, if space is available, and the flight you're on has a First Class cabin, often you are waitlisted for a free upgrade. Getting waitlisted and getting the upgrade do not usually go together, because Premier Exec and 1K member have priority over you, and there’s only 8 seats in First Class on the flights I frequent.
I also get 4 500-mile complimentary upgrades each year -it takes 2 for each leg to Colorado from my house, but it makes longer trips nicer.
I also get my status on Star Alliance and Partner airlines. When my mother took ill, only US Airways flew straight to her town from my local airport. They are part of the Star Alliance network and my husband & I got upgraded to first class and our miles counted towards United Mileage Plus.
One perk that can benefit a good friend or spouse is that United Mileage Plus offers special awards to those who achieve milestones between the major classes of Elite. When I got 40 EQS, I was able to give my husband his own Premier Associate membership –which allows him to use the First Class screening at airports too. I also chose extra EQS to be applied the next year because I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough trips that upcoming year. That turned out to be a good move on my part, I just made it for 2008!
Mileage starts adding up faster for every Elite status you attain. I get a 25% bonus on my miles, while someone with more Elite status will get a 100% bonus -or double their miles for every flight, making it easier to keep their higher status the next year.
Elite members also pay a reduced rate for yearly membership into United's Red Carpet Club. You can use your points for this also.
Using Those Accumulated Miles
There are several levels of points usage available.
*Standard Award -this takes the most amount of points but eliminated blackouts
*Saver Award –This allows you to fly free for half the points necessary, but the days available are very limited. I had to look for months to finally get 2 First Class tickets to Hawaii for 150,000 points instead of 300,000 the Standard would've cost.
*United Upgrade- I bought 2 very cheap tickets to Colorado to attend my daughter’s graduation, and then used 15,000 points to upgrade to first class. If you are not an Elite, you must pay the higher price coach tickets to use this option. Standard Award would’ve cost 90,000 points for my First Class tickets.
*Star Alliance and Airline Partner -I haven&'t used points for these, but did get the same upgrade I would've gotten on a United flight as mentioned above.
To use the points I checked the chart under Mileage Plus tab for all 3 categories to see if I had enough. I then clicked the hyperlinked Book Award Travel which takes you to the regular booking tool, but only lets you book on certain days depending on which way you are using your points. Saver award travel is generally mid-week.
I start looking months in advance of what I want to use my points for. Also if you book online more than 2 weeks out, you do not pay for cashing in the points. There is a fee if you book through their telephone travel agent.
My dates are normally flexible, so I keep searching until something appealing shows up or I get an email detailing that month’s special Saver Award destinations.
I've had my 500-mile complimentary upgrades expire because there normally isn't a trip I can use them on. I either fly puddle-jumpers or I get complimentary upgrades. I've been able to use them when the 1-class plane got switched with a 2-class plane and no one had previously booked a First Class ticket.
Currently, as long as you fly every 18 months, the frequent flier miles are supposed to remain intact.
Flying United -Mileage Plus
As mentioned, I belong to all of the major airline’s Frequent Flier programs, yet United is the one I have decided to stick with. I love being someone special, I love being one of United's Elite members of their Mileage Plus program. If you have to fly, fly United and join their United Mileage Plus program.
****Note February 4th, 2008****
I just received an Email from United's Mileage Plus program:
"As of February 4, 2008, United has a new checked baggage policy. Non-elite Mileage PlusŪ members and non-members traveling on non-refundable Economy tickets within the United States, Canada and U.S. territories, may check one bag for free and a second for a $25 fee. The new policy applies to tickets purchased beginning February 4, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008."
Since I usually pack my tools, I usually check 2 bags -this is another reason to get Elite status in the Mileage Plus program.
Recommended:
Yes
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Mrsfitts
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Member: Pam Fitts
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Reviews written: 203
Trusted by: 442 members
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