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Reader Question: What Counts Towards United Elite Status

ByKeri Anderson
a man walking on a plane

I just got an email from a reader who is qualifying for airline status for the first time. He’s been collecting miles for awhile and pretty good at booking award tickets, but is new to status. He’s recently had multiple international business trips and asks:

“I earned United silver status this year and I’m close to gold but might not make it this year.  If I get within, say, 2,000 miles of gold, and then get the final 2,000 miles next year, will I get gold for 2014 and through 2015?  Or do I lose the miles I accumulated this year (for status purposes)–i.e., I’d need 25,000 or 50,000 new miles next year to make gold? Also, do the bonus miles you get for flying business count for status? “
Do miles for status accumulate from year to year?
Sadly no. Only miles earned Jan 1-Dec 31 count towards status, so to hit Gold status you need to fly 50,000 premier qualifying miles (PQMs) by Dec 31.

Do the bonus miles you get for flying business class count towards status?
The bonus redeemable miles you earn for flying a higher class of service do not count towards status, but airlines do typically award bonus elite miles as well for higher classes of service and full fare. On United  “Y” and business class or higher fares earn 150% PQMs, Breakout of earning here: www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/premier/qualify.aspx

Is going for United Gold worth it if you’re close?
If you really are going to come within a few thousand miles of hitting the next status in 2013, I think it’s worth adding an extra trip to make Gold because of the perks:
  • Select an economy plus seat at booking instead of day of as a Silver.
  • Earn a 50% mileage bonus on all flights. So if you fly 40,000 miles next year you’ll earn 60,000 redeemable miles vs 50,000 (silver has a 25% bonus).
  • Higher in the queue for upgrades or getting rebooked if your flight is cancelled.
  • Make same day flight changes with no fee
  • Reduced fees on award ticket bookings, changes, and cancellations
If you’re not close to Gold through pre-planned trips, then the extra perks probably aren’t worth the extra cost and hassle to get there.
If you do need a mileage run, I highly recommend a day in Alaska. In only one day, you can see alot, like flight seeing over Mt McKinley, whale watching/glacier cruise in Seward, seeing a moose at the zoo, or just driving around the gorgeous countryside around Anchorage.
Other questions from folks just starting to get into elite status?
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Heels First’s Travel Advice–Sophisticated Travel, Uncomplicated Advice. The travels and tribulations of two frequent flyers jumping into the world of travel, sharing their travel advice. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.

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