Renewing your United Club membership with miles being suspended?

I got another informative email from Mileage Plus letting me know that I should use my miles to renew my membership (which doesn't expire until another 6 months ). But here is the kicker:

Anyone know what is up with that? How long is the "temporary" suspension and why is it even being suspended?

I'd guess it's somehow related to the system switch-over in March. Not clear to me why it would be an extended period that's worth mentioning unless they want to scare people into using some miles now.

I just got the same email and wondered exactly the same thing. This is so bizarre that it may signal a major policy change, especially since it seems that the "suspension" may coincide with the promised March 2012 launch of the new program...

A plausible explanation, as I quickly went ahead and renewed my UC membership...

Yep, worth renewing with miles now just in case. You know things never get better with "enhancements".

Terrible use of miles in any case.

Rather than a "temporary suspension", I believe that UA will discontinue use of award miles to purchase United Club membership. When I received the notice above by email, I had forgotten that I was already a UC member until 12/2012, so I went ahead a "renewed" before the "suspension went into effect. Then when I checked my pre-existing UC card later, I was puzzled to find out that it expired in 12/2012. Fearing that I had wasted miles, I planned to call UA to tell them that I'd made an error in purchasing the membership because I was already a member until 12/2012, but then I forgot all about it. However, moments ago, I just received another UC membership card that expires in... 2013! This means that UA sold me a second UC membership that goes into effect NEXT year (01/2013-12/2013), suggesting that the "suspension" might be discontinuation, otherwise I do not understand why they would sell UC memberships a year in advance...

This isn't new. You've always had the ability to renew in advance, and indeed, the process just extends your membership by one year. I've done that occasionally to take care of promos throughout the year (although they've been rare lately.)

I was not aware of that, as it is unclear to me why one would purchase a membership so far in advance when the club in question could go belly without notice....

Because the new card just says "Valid thru Dec 30,201", I will just use it and shelve the one that expires in 2012, since I have just effectively purchased a 2-yr membership...

I extended mine before my drop in status this year to get the discounted 1K rate

Just a bump to this thread, anyone know if UA will bring back the renew with miles option?

Just got a renewal reminder (my membership expires end of July), but will probably hold off renewing until the last minute cause I'd like to use miles if at all possible...

I would put a good likely hood it comes back, the march 2012 suspension coincides with SHARES merger, in which UA has stated they had to cut some product lines due to the merger not accepting them. But intend to put them back on the market.

I also have gotten a "sense" thats all- from a few conversations/communications with UA that this probbaly will come back. I had renewed with miles in early Feb upon expiration. Also affected I belive was the Miles & Money options for hotles,cars, etc at least for now??!!

Well I gave up on waiting and just renewed my membership through next July 2013 for 375.

I think if mileage option isn't available next year, this may very well be my last year of membership.

It would seem to be a smart business move to continue with using miles as an option,along with money..
Anyone had any back & forth with United on this in last few months?

IMHO, it is best to pay the fee rather than use miles as payment. The best use of miles is for an international C or F ticket redemption.

That really depends...I'd rather pay the fee with miles because it barely makes a dent in my RDM stock, or I know that as a top elite I can replenish the miles rather quickly. Cash, well, it's every day currency that I'd rather use for something like purchasing a ticket for a needed MR.

Literally, YMMV...

This is indeed the credited response. Spot on. +1.

for anyone interested, i sent an email to united customer service requesting the option to renew my club membership with miles. i was told that function is not available on the website at this time, but they agreed to renew using miles with just an email request from me.

i replied to confirm the request, and received an email a few minutes later that the transaction was completed.

47,500 miles for a one year renewal (i'm a 1K member).

A

Aha- in hope & belief that they will continue to honor that for elite fliers(at varying rates accoprding to status), thanks for the notice. I had renewed just before March 3 so its not yet an issue but I knew from frequent Q1 conversations that it would be ,unless they reinstated it as an option. They had sounded like something may come up but no promises.