United Airlines awards members who fly 100,000 Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) or 120 Premier Qualifying Segments with their Premier 1K status level. However, there is a status challenge going on with United that you can get the benefits with minimal effort. If you hold top level elite status with another airline and ask them for a status challenge, they may provide you with a status challenge that  provides instant United 1K status benefits during the challenge.

United’s Premier 1K Status Challenge

United offers a status challenge to their Premier 1K status level. Once a member starts the challenge, they will be award a trial period of 90 days where they can experience United’s Premier 1K status benefits.

But participating in the challenge doesn’t guarantee the benefits for long. To remain a Premier 1K throughout the current year a member must fly 35,000 Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) or 40 Premier Qualifying Segments (PQS) on United flights. This may not seem like much to retain the status if someone is coming from AAdvantage’s Executive Platinum status level. 

Email Confirmation From United

United may confirm the challenge and details with an email similar to the following.

Hello Mr. AAdvantage Elite Member,

Congratulations! You have been awarded a trial period of Premier® 1K status in the MileagePlus® program! This will make your travel with us comfortable, simple and more rewarding than ever.

Your status will be effective for 90 days. Your 90 day time frame will be April 7th through July 6th. To remain a Premier 1K member through 2013, you will need to fly 35,000 Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or 40 Premier qualifying segments (PQS) on flights operated by United®, United Express® or Copa within that 90-day timeframe*.

If you meet the above required PQM or PQS threshold(s), a Premier 1K kit will be issued and mailed to you. Until you have a card, be sure to add your MileagePlus number to your reservation in order to benefit from your Premier status.

• *Please note that qualifying activity for this promotion includes only base PQM/PQS and class-of-service bonus PQM/PQS earned on flights operated by United, United Express or Copa, and credited to your MileagePlus account. Any other bonus PQM/PQS, promotional PQM/PQS, credit card PQM, or PQM/PQS earned on other Star Alliance carriers do not count toward qualification for this promotion.

MileagePlus members are allowed to earn Premier status through the Premier Status Match program a maximum of one time in a five year period. In order to re-qualify for Premier 1K status in subsequent years, you will need to meet the published criteria.

Currently, Premier 1K status can be earned by flying 100,000 PQM or 120 PQS (including four flights operated by United, United Express or Copa) between January 1 and December 31 of each calendar year. For details about the MileagePlus Premier program, visit www.mileageplus.com/premier.

I hope you will travel with us often and take advantage of the exceptional benefits and service reserved for our Premier members around the world. Thank you for choosing United, and enjoy your Premier 1K membership.

Thanks for participating in the MileagePlus®program!

Regards,

Tasha Kay

MileagePlus

Bottom Line

The status challenge can be a quicker way to elite status with a number of airlines. The above challenge outlines United’s Premier 1K status challenge details.

So what do you think, would you do the United Premier 1K status challenge? Do you see more value in the United 1K status level or the American Airlines Executive Platinum status level?

Hat tip to Points Miles & Martinis reader WarmNuts.

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