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United Elite Maximizer - Worth It?

July 26, 2012
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3 min read
United Elite Maximizer - Worth It?
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Like the American Airlines Miles Multiplier option and Delta's Mileage Booster United offers the ability to buy miles as well as elite qualifying miles through their Award Accelerator program. But don't get too excited yet, because the prices can be astronomical.

I have an upcoming award ticket from Europe to the US in business class and it offered me the chance to purchase either an additional 5,002 miles for $116 or 10,004 miles for $231. That includes a 7.5% excise tax. All in all, these extra miles would cost me about 2.3 cents each. Not great, but less than the 3.5 cents plus 7.5% tax they normally cost.

Curious, I followed up and entered my Mileage Plus number just to see what the final tally would be, and the price actually jumped drastically to about twice as much! I'm not sure if this is just a United glitch (wouldn't be the first time that happened), but it was shocking to see the price skyrocket.

In this case, it looked like if I wanted to buy the extra miles, it would cost me $276 for 5,002 miles, and $414 for 10,004 miles. That would break down to either 5.5 cents a mile, or 4.1 cents a mile. In other words, the 25,000 miles it would cost me to redeem for a roundtrip domestic award ticket would be valued at $1,025. Buying Chase Ultimate Rewards Points at 2.5 cents each (5,000 maximum a month) and then transferring them to United, or even directly from United at 3.5 cents a piece would be better deals.

Even worse, look at the little box in the corner. If I wanted to make those miles elite qualifying miles, it would cost an out-of-this-world $1,800 more! That would bring my total cost for 10,004 EQM's to $2,214, or 22 cents each! No thank you, United.

Understandably, elite qualifying miles are more valuable to many who value elite status, but 22 cents each is just lunacy- you might as well just buy business class tickets to Europe and get value out of that cash outlay.

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As usual, these options are rarely if ever worth the price airlines demand for them, and the only reason I would ever consider such a purchase would be if I was absolutely desperate for EQM's in an extreme hurry and had absolutely no time to fly or earn them through a promo. Personally, I'd much rather garner miles through a few well-placed credit card applications, like the 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points I could earn and then transfer to United with a Chase Ink Bold or the 40,000 I'd earn with the Sapphire Preferred if I didn't already have the cards, or scoring 4,000 United miles by signing up for a Netflix subscription. The bottom line is, there are much better options out there, so beware the United Elite Maximizer.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.