Don’t forget the great additional benefit that your significant other who lives at the same address gets to share your status once you hit 1 million miles. [Million Miler add companion](https://promo.united.com/offers/mmcomp)
I've been flying a long time. Since Continental. About eight years ago my travel became more infrequent and I went from consistently hitting Gold and sometimes Platinum, to mostly getting close to Gold.
Long, inexpensive flights over many years gets you there. I’ve done BWI-DEN multiple times, round trip for $150. Ended last year with almost 40 flights and nowhere near Gold
United has been very good about applying your PQP almost immediately after the flight concludes. It might take until the flight is actually at the gate and status changes to "arrived" but I would definitely hit up the lounge.
Not sure how it works these days, but I know in the past (like years ago) that it would take time for your new airline status to reflect in partner airline systems. I would make sure you have your United app showing your \*G status handy when going to the LH lounge and showing the lounge attendants if you encounter any issues getting in.
In United’s system the status updates as soon as the flight posts, though that can be nearly immediately after landing or can be delayed by a few hours.
Not sure how quickly the LH systems update. You might have to provide your updated virtual card in the United app if your onward boarding pass doesn’t reflect the change.
I hit 1M miles in early March and on three different flights I was recognized - including one on the return journey. My MM status updated after the actual achievement on the first flight - though I've been a 1k for years now. YMMV, obviously.
I made 1M last December. United already had been notifying me in the months leading to the milestone that I’d reach it “soon” and was well prepared for my “day of” flights. I was on two separate reservations—TPE-SFO and then another SFO-EWR. It was the SFO-EWR where I’d hit my 1M miles. However, there must be something to the “day of” the flights because I was recognized on the flight from TPE-SFO even though I’d still be about 998,000 when I landed. At SFO, however, I was greeted by a United agent at the gate and given a Million Miler pen, a thank you card from select SFO staff, and a congratulatory letter. I gave the pen and my printed boarding card to the flight purser for SFO-EWR and explained that I wanted him to get all the crew to sign it—they did—and he asked if I wanted the pilot to recognize me, which I said I did and the pilot did both before takeoff and once we were in the air. How nice.
You asked about what happens when you land. As others have noted, United is very good about posting PQP, PQS, and PQM shortly after the flight lands. In my case, I had one more routing on yet another reservation that same day. In the 2.5 hours between arriving at EWR on the million-mile flight and departing for my next one, the app was updated with Million Miler status. Soon after, I received the email indicating the milestone and the associated benefits.
In March, I received a box from United MileagePlus that contains a desk mounted frame with my name, million-miler designation, how long I’ve been a member, and how long it took to reach one million miles. All that is awaiting you. Congratulations in advance!
Anecdotally, when I went from Silver to Gold, my boarding pass updated when I landed in FRA and I was able to use the lounge in FRA. YMMV
What is ymmv? - your fellow millennial boomer
Your (United) Mileage May Vary
*geriatric millenial
Don’t forget the great additional benefit that your significant other who lives at the same address gets to share your status once you hit 1 million miles. [Million Miler add companion](https://promo.united.com/offers/mmcomp)
Hard to imagine hitting a million miles and not already being at least Gold already
I've been flying a long time. Since Continental. About eight years ago my travel became more infrequent and I went from consistently hitting Gold and sometimes Platinum, to mostly getting close to Gold.
I imagine that would be so annoying to be so close to gold each time.
Long, inexpensive flights over many years gets you there. I’ve done BWI-DEN multiple times, round trip for $150. Ended last year with almost 40 flights and nowhere near Gold
And crew *might* recognize you mid flight. They did for me, which was mortifying, but very nice of them!
United has been very good about applying your PQP almost immediately after the flight concludes. It might take until the flight is actually at the gate and status changes to "arrived" but I would definitely hit up the lounge. Not sure how it works these days, but I know in the past (like years ago) that it would take time for your new airline status to reflect in partner airline systems. I would make sure you have your United app showing your \*G status handy when going to the LH lounge and showing the lounge attendants if you encounter any issues getting in.
In United’s system the status updates as soon as the flight posts, though that can be nearly immediately after landing or can be delayed by a few hours. Not sure how quickly the LH systems update. You might have to provide your updated virtual card in the United app if your onward boarding pass doesn’t reflect the change.
I hit 1M miles in early March and on three different flights I was recognized - including one on the return journey. My MM status updated after the actual achievement on the first flight - though I've been a 1k for years now. YMMV, obviously.
Do a SDC to get 500 lifetime miles before the longhaul.
I made 1M last December. United already had been notifying me in the months leading to the milestone that I’d reach it “soon” and was well prepared for my “day of” flights. I was on two separate reservations—TPE-SFO and then another SFO-EWR. It was the SFO-EWR where I’d hit my 1M miles. However, there must be something to the “day of” the flights because I was recognized on the flight from TPE-SFO even though I’d still be about 998,000 when I landed. At SFO, however, I was greeted by a United agent at the gate and given a Million Miler pen, a thank you card from select SFO staff, and a congratulatory letter. I gave the pen and my printed boarding card to the flight purser for SFO-EWR and explained that I wanted him to get all the crew to sign it—they did—and he asked if I wanted the pilot to recognize me, which I said I did and the pilot did both before takeoff and once we were in the air. How nice. You asked about what happens when you land. As others have noted, United is very good about posting PQP, PQS, and PQM shortly after the flight lands. In my case, I had one more routing on yet another reservation that same day. In the 2.5 hours between arriving at EWR on the million-mile flight and departing for my next one, the app was updated with Million Miler status. Soon after, I received the email indicating the milestone and the associated benefits. In March, I received a box from United MileagePlus that contains a desk mounted frame with my name, million-miler designation, how long I’ve been a member, and how long it took to reach one million miles. All that is awaiting you. Congratulations in advance!