United Airlines is introducing new benefit choices for MileagePlus elite members who never get upgraded: alternative ways to redeem PlusPoints besides moving up to a higher cabin.
- United used to award regional and global confirmed upgrade certificates. These were replaced by PlusPoints for their Platinum and 1K members, and the idea was that they were more divisible. It always hurt to burn a global upgrade confirming space to fly Chicago – Detroit instead of San Francisco – Sydney, but flyers with unused certificates at the end of the year found themselves in that position.
- PlusPoints allowed United to vary the price of upgrades, although they’ve only done so to a limited degree. Pricing in points has remained the same, but sometimes flyers are offered the option to spend more points to confirm an upgrade even when the cheapest inventory isn’t available.
- Coach to business class (W fare or higher): 40 PlusPoints
- Coach to business class (G,K,L,S, or T fare): 80 PlusPoints
- Coach to premium economy: 20 PlusPoints
- Premium economy to business class: 30 PlusPoints
- Coach to domestic first: 20 PlusPoints
- Coach to business class (W fare or higher): 40 PlusPoints
In theory United elites receive unlimited complimentary upgrades. In practice, on many routes much of the time those are impossible even for top status flyers. If you want an upgrade, you need to confirm one using PlusPoints. Except, for many flyings on many routes much of the time those are impossible, too!
- There aren’t enough domestic first class and international business class seats
- United, like other airlines, is aggressive in upselling premium seats – preferring to take ‘tens of dollars’ from an infrequent flyer for a domestic first class seat rather than providing it to a customer spending $30,000 with them annually. Plus, deadheading pilots have priority over even Global Services members on day of departure.
As a result, many MileagePlus elite members find that the PlusPoints they earn expire unused. United recognizes this, and instead of improving their position on upgrades, they’re going to offer things members can use PlusPoints for besides upgrades.
Later this year, United will introduce new options for PlusPoints earned in 2025, expiring January 31, 2027 or later. These new redemption options will include:
- Gifting elite status
- Elite qualifying points or flights
- TravelBank cash to spend on the airline
- Redeemable miles
We do not yet know what the pricing will be for these options, for instance what ratio of PlusPoints will generate how much of a United credit, how many redeemable miles, or how much status credit.
Live and Let’s Fly worries that these new options foretell PlusPoint price increase for upgrades, or new restrictions on their use (such as higher fare requirements). He sees that as a logical continuation of “all United has done to make status harder lately, devalue award redemptions, and most recently devalue its Million Miler program,” although it should be the opposite.
With increased requirements for earning status, United should not be devaluing that status. If anything they should be enriching it. Although I certainly wouldn’t make a bet in that direction!
On the other hand, I’d note that Global and Regional upgrades are a choice benefit at Delta, and systemwide upgrades are a choice benefit at American. So really this is just United copying their major competitors.
I honestly think that it’s literally too few seats physically. 12-16-20 domestic first seats is no longer enough. It’s time for them to increase the size of Domestic First to 8 rows on a 737 and maybe decrease Economy Plus by a few rows to make up for it.
@Dan: Probably correct. We have seen airlines greatly increase the fraction of premium seating on international flights. People seem very willing to spend big bucks on comfortable travel. At least until the next recession.
Thank God I left long ago before that horrible merger which United never recovered from
Mileage Plus was once my Global favorite in the 90s till about 9-11
Then came TED and rest of the clusterF that followed
Honestly, I’ve been impressed with UA the past few years, even when considering their award devals in the past few years
My partner is a UAL manager and I fly on a standby pass 10-20 times/year.
Airlines are in a dilemma where frequent fliers demand upgrades. One wrote here that they need to shrink economy and expand business class/Polaris.
A 777-200 fuselage is already 45% premium, but only holds 14% of the seats.
Some domestic flights list 120 eligible upgrade passengers for only 2-4 available biz seats. Nearly all flights have 5x more eligibles than seats available. Maybe the bar is too low for “eligibility?”
Everybody thinks they deserve an upgrade. I look at the loads before my flights to see if I have a chance at getting a standby seat…any seat and I’m thankful.
On top of that, there’s a push to lower carbon footprints. Having one passenger in biz taking up the same space as four economy ones is not “green.”
Effectively there is no upgrade program at United anymore. That is a fact. The rest of this post makes my eyes glaze over.
And you know that if United is willing to sell upgrades for tens of dollars, they have data showing that they can’t improve loyalty beyond where it is and/or that a dollar in the hand is worth two in the bush.
There is minimal competiton, and the major airlines make money (except for American). The game may not be completely over but short of a major economic depression, its winding down.
Complimentary upgrades including long haul requiring some kind of “system wide certificate” may not be going away entirely but will be available far less. Airlines will continue to monetize the premium cabins and any open seats (after deadheading pilots) will be the scraps to be given out.
And what will happen at the next recession? Airlines will park planes and go to government on bended knees for relief. Just like COVID and just like after 9/11. No airlines is going fly around half filled planes and go back to the golden days.
I got tired of goofing around with MileagePlus. 2024 was a year of hell in terms of upgrades as a 1K, then they increased qualification levels to the point where I’d never retain 1K and even Platinum was a maybe. So I decided that was it for me with UA. I status matched over to AA and am enjoying life as an Executive Platinum, where upgrades have been more a rule than an exception and the food’s better at Admirals Clubs.
As a long-time 1K, now purposeful Premier Platinum, one of the main reasons I did not ‘fight’ to retain status for this year, and will probably let it slide even further this year: PlusPoints.
Sure, there are going to be some outliers who ‘make them work,’ but I’ve ‘died on the Waitlist’ far too many times whenever I’ve tried to use these silly ‘benefits.’ It feels like a bait n’ switch.
Do them like Delta’s RUCs and GUCs where we can actually confirm them, or let us liquidate them (like, I guess UA is starting to do this year). I feel like AA isn’t far behind UA with AA’s systemwide upgrades–there’s less and less confirmable upgrades. Not cool, guys.
I have yet to be offered an upgrade for less than 140.00 per segment. While that’s certainly not expensive, it’s not cheap if you have to make connections.
I just weigh the price difference between coach and first/business. Many times it’s a better deal to just buy the premium ticket than pay for a segment upgrade, or wait to see if I get comped.
United could always go back to handing out 500 and 1000 mile upgrade certs and do away with the idea of unlimited upgrades.
Which is why the future of air travel for most people will be finding the Cheapest Middle Seat that meets your schedule.
Like a lot of things in life, if you set your expectations going in, you learn to deal with it…
@Denver Refugee — That’s a bleak outlook, sir. I mean, anytime I’ve flown United, it’s usually routing through Newark, and to me, that really sets the tone for the entire experience. Like, nothing wrong with that particular city, but, let’s be real, it’s not as ‘uplifting’ as New York. At least there are somewhat decent views of NYC from EWR! Bah!
They couldn’t care less about us. Major elites probably don’t CHOOSE to fly United due to status; they have status because they fly a lot and United is most convenient from where they live or work. Why would they add more FC seats just to give them away as free upgrades. Nowadays, if you want to be up front, you have to pay for it with either dollars or miles.
@1990 what the hell are you talking about? There is NOTHING wrong with Newark airport. NOTHING. If you’re flying through EWR to visit the city of Newark then there is definitely something wrong with you as I’ve suspected for years hearing you bitch about absolutely everything. You are the nightmare customer everyone dreads sitting next to.
That the same seat is available either with miles+$ or PP+money is also unfair. PPs are the more valuable perk, I would argue. The same seats shouldn’t be available for both, with seats set aside for PP only, whether confirmed upgrade or when on the wait-list. Status has usually been earned over years – sometimes decades. I think PP and mile wait-listers should be separate, with PP at the head of the line. I received an extensive survey regarding PPs last year, one of Uniteds “weight these PP trade items in order of preference” games, very detailed and long. Almost none of the items to consider were anything that higher status – or companion status – doesn’t already have.
The value of status at any airline is dubious nowadays. I no longer chase it at all, just buying F or J or not taking the trip at all. In 2924 I had four AA Systemwide upgrades that expired. There simply was no upgradable space unless you traveled at unrealistic times or took bizarre routings.
In fact, the tenor of this travel blog and those of Gary’s peers should pivot towards those of us who prefer “free agency” and how to maximize the travel experience as such.
@David zread — Years? You must be thinking of someone else. I’ve worked in Newark—I’ll give it shit as much as I want. I’ve said plenty nice about the new Terminal A and Polaris at C, as well as UA’s updated lounges, and La Compagnie’s takeover of the old Virgin Clubhouse lounge. Otherwise, please, LGA and JFK over EWR, any day.
I’ve been Gold & Silver elite many times over the years. Now just a lowly Silver elite. I’ve given up any hope of ever getting a Y to Biz/ first upgrade. Consider myself lucky when I can get a same day upgrade to Economy Plus.
Chasing status is dead.
Also, “airlines want.to be green by adding more Y than F/J”, is downright laughable.
Buy better aircraft, don’t fly empty aircraft around to squat on slots before lecturing us how we peons must travel in 29-31 inches because…..environment.
What a crock of *
Someone spending 30k a year being considered an elite is a very low bar.
Frequent flyer with status have the same opportunity to buy an upgrade as a seasonal flyer. The best customers are the big spenders , and it works like that in every business .
First world problems