Going for the Gold on United

Last year I was so excited to finally see "Premier Silver" in my United Airlines MileagePlus profile. After almost not making it to the 25,000 and hitting that level on one airline in one year for the first time I was overjoyed and couldn't wait to see what airline status was all about. And in all honesty...I kind of like it! 

To achieve	You must earn
Premier Silver	25,000 Premier qualifying miles or 30 Premier qualifying segments
Premier Gold	50,000 Premier qualifying miles or 60 Premier qualifying segments
Premier Platinum	75,000 Premier qualifying miles or 90 Premier qualifying segments
Premier 1K®	100,000 Premier qualifying miles or 120 Premier qualifying segments
Premier qualification is based on the calendar year (January 1 - December 31).

I don't think it's as horrible as some people make it out to be. Do I get upgraded to first all the time? No, not even close. But do I get to take advantage of some great benefits? Yes! I get access to Economy Plus and the elite security lines so when I get an upgrade...life is even better!

But let me tell you...once you start with status it's really hard to stop and I found myself panicing this year in January about how I was going to re-qualify for next year. Thanks for some well placed sales from The Flight Deal out of Washington I went a little crazy and booked some mileage runs for the first half of the year. So here we are in May and I am at 23,802 Premier Qualifying Miles and will pass over the 25,000 mark in two weeks. So clearly...I had nothing to worry about.

But with a move across the country coming up and lots of good opportunities out of Seattle coming out, especially ones to come back to DC and visit in the fall, I couldn't resist booking a few more fun mileage runs. After adding up all of the miles I have planned I realized I would only be about 6,000 miles short of Premier Gold status for this next year. Being that closeI think I am going to have to go for it. I really love the extra benefits that come with Premier Gold:

Benefit	Premier Silver	Premier Gold	Premier Platinum	Premier 1K®
Qualification requirements (in a calendar year)
PQM/PQS criteria, including four flights* operated by United or Copa	25,000 PQM or 30 PQS	50,000 PQM or 60 PQS	75,000 PQM or 90 PQS	100,000 PQM or 120 PQS
Economy Plus seating benefits
Complimentary access to Economy Plus	At check-in	At booking	At booking	At booking
Economy Plus companions	+1	+1	+8	+8
Upgrades
Complimentary Premier Upgrades
Complimentary Premier Upgrades companion upgrades
Complimentary Premier Upgrades confirmation (as early as)	Day of departure	48 hours	72 hours	96 hours
Instant upgrades on Y- or B-class full-fare economy tickets
Instant upgrades on M-class economy tickets
Regional Premier Upgrades eligibility
Global Premier Upgrades eligibility
Premier mileage bonuses
500 award miles and PQM minimum accrual
Premier bonus award miles on United, Copa and select partner carriers	25%	50%	75%	100%
Premier priority travel services, including Premier Access℠
Priority check-in
Priority security screening, where offered
Priority boarding privileges
Priority baggage handling**
Premier Priority Desk phone line				1K 1Call dedicated line
Access to most sold-out flights
Lounge access when travelling internationally
Compensation for Global Entry application fee
Travel benefits with Star Alliance members
Star Alliance Silver or Gold status	Star Alliance Silver	Star Alliance Gold	Star Alliance Gold	Star Alliance Gold
Fee waivers and discounts
Complimentary checked baggage allowance	1 bag at 50 lbs. (23 kg)	3 bags at 70 lbs. (32 kg) each	3 bags at 70 lbs. (32 kg) each	3 bags at 70 lbs. (32 kg) each
Discounted same-day flight changes	$75 (standard rate)	No fee	No fee	No fee
Discounted United Club℠ membership rates
Phone service fee	$25	$25	No fee	No fee
10% discount on in-flight duty-free
$60 statement credit for MileagePlus Chase Credit Card Cardmembers
Award travel benefits
Priority award waitlisting
Standby for international awards
Unrestricted access to United Standard Awards
Better availability for United Saver Awards in economy
Better availability for United Saver Awards in select premium cabins
Reduced close-in award booking fee	$50	$25	No fee	No fee
Reduced award redeposit fee for tickets issued on or after June 15, 2011	$125	$100	No fee	No fee
Reduced award change fee	$50	$25	No fee	No fee

The option to access Economy Plus at booking, an earlier window to get an upgrade and Star Alliance Gold status allowing lounge access while traveling internationally are great. But I am most looking forward to the ability to execute same-day flight changes. That will be great when I want to get home earlier, see a better routing, or want to maximize my miles. I've often been tempted to change my flights and actually got them to wave the fee one time to get me on another flight, but the ability to do that frequently is something I am looking forward to. How's your year in status going? Skipping status full on? I want to hear your strategy and the benefits you see!
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