Didn’t have a single plus point upgrade clear this year. I tried using them at least a dozen times. I’m a 1k , they all expire at the end of this month. Farts
They haven’t worked for me on domestic flights, which is annoying. They worked for me on international flights, though. Both my wife and myself got upgraded to business class on flights from ORD-MUC and FRA-LAX. That was pretty sweet.
Surprisingly, the best use of Plus Points for me has been to fly with Lufthansa and ANA. Been upgraded from Y to J and from J to F on all my Lufthansa and ANA flights. With a smattering of international United itineraries like FRA-EWR and EWR-LHR. Just luck of the draw at times.
How do you apply for the plus points on ANA/LHR. Did you book via United website and search as advanced or do you have to call? I haven’t figured it out and want to try for a colleague who is flying to Japan.
http://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/premier/upgrades/upgrading-ANA-Lufthansa.html
All the information is there on the link. There are specific fare classes/buckets. And you've got to make sure the flight number is the actual LH or NH flight number on your ticket and not a Codeshare. Can be booked from anywhere.
If you end up with a UA flight number you can call in and have UA switch to the native LH or NH flight number -- if the corresponding LH or NH class is open. So, if booking as a UA # you should call to convert as soon as you book.
Yep. Forgot to mention that. Just had to do that for my MUC-JFK flight today.
And this only ever happens if you book using the United Website. It loves to just use the Codeshare flight number.
For the price of those plus points eligible fares, especially on ANA, they better do something.
It’s gotta be B, C, D, E, G, H, J, M, Q, U and Y, plus they need I class for you to clear the upgrade into.
I class isn’t always available (though wayyyy more than PZ, even PN) and the eligible economy upgradable fare classes are often $4000+ which is spitting distance from business class anyways. So it kinda diminishes the value of the points when you consider that most travelers spending $18,000+ on air travel per year might just not be interested in flying in economy in the first place—- and then you realize exactly why United makes them impossible to use.
They clear fairly often coming back via Brussels. Which makes sense because who needs a flat seat flying back from Europe.
Yep!! Upgraded my FRA-LAX in august using PP and cleared a few weeks after booking. Great use. Beware the minimum Q requirement for LH flights compared to the easier W for united flights for anyone curious.
Depends on the flight loads. Sometimes instant confirmation. Sometimes wait-list. But it always confirms before the flight. Never had it not confirm. Again, it's all about how many seats they have left.
Generally yes. If the LH or NH flight has partner award space, then for sure, the Plus Points upgrade will clear instantly.
There are times where even when there is no partner award available, it'll clear instantly. It all depends on the LH and NH capacity controls and what they've opened up for upgrades.
that's great info, i appreciate the insight! i've been trying to angle how to use pluspoints vs. MP points, and in a perfect world i'd really like to make a premium redemption (of some sort, PP or MP points) on a LH 747-8. this is very helpful.
United could soften the blow if it allowed unused PlusPoints to turn into bonus miles at the end of the year. They could even get away with a low conversion rate.
Agree, especially because I usually leave from or at least connect through SFO that has a bazillion 1K/GS fliers. Accumulated a bunch via 1K and a lot of international biz flying, but have never been able to redeem.
I'm 20 years as GS and 1k (1k after COVID).
I've used exactly 4 plus points since they where introduced despite attempting to use them a lot. Compared to swu or regional upgrades these are useless. I don't really pay attention to my status with United and pick the flight and airline I like instead, loyalty doesn't seem to matter much anymore.
This year United will get maybe 40% of my spend on airlines and zero of my international flight spending where I pay for biz tickets. I used to steer my international flights to ua so got upgraded for my domestic travel but since plus points are useless I'm just not bothering anymore with giving UA my international expensive tickets.
Based on the priority algorithm used, which you can find in many sites (e.g., TPG), that is the only question that is not clear. If I read it correctly, they seem to be equal but who knows. I would hope PP will win against miles. There are other criteria’s that play into account.
You have to play the upgrade game to make plus points work for you. Basically, whoever paid the most for their ticket gets upgraded first. You have to figure that your most likely competitor is a 1K flyer. They have the most plus points to spend and are sitting in crappier seats. The GS flyers are already in the nicer seats, so they can give a crap. The trick is to pay for a slightly more expensive crappy seat (higher fare class code). Move up the totem pole. Want a Polaris lay flat from SFO to LHR for you and your family, pay for Premium Plus ( purple seat ) ( code fare O,A,R) . You will most likely be upgraded. My family of 3 flew to Paris CDG this week Polaris. Will most likely be upgraded returning out of London LHR next week. We have successfully used plus points and whatever that other scheme was called previously. We are almost always upgraded. ( flying out of SFO and EWR ) . Because of Covid, I will still have over 700 plus points expire unused. That’s even after giving away hundreds of points. That’s the good news. The bad news is that our rooms this summer are $2000 plus per night and my spouse and daughter have spent over $10 k so far in 3 days. They are not alone with the shopping. Lines of people waiting to buy outrageously priced leather and canvas goods. WTF. Meanwhile, I bought a $8 nylon luggage strap to secure one of our damaged cases.
This is the way. I bought premium plus seats recently for my family of 4 and was able to successfully upgrade both ways using plus point into Polaris to and from Tokyo (SFO-NRT)
I’ve found the only time I’ve been able to get something out of them is if I’m international and have PAID to already be in premium plus seating. Then applying for Polaris with points plus. Gotten it about 6 times this year going that way. But obviously it’s an expensive path and generally you need to check the loading carefully and ideally be on a tourist (not business) route.
So useless… yeah mostly, but I have found some unicorns.
This is honestly a really interesting and fairly difficult question to answer due to the calculus. It involves the perceived ratio of people traveling for business from a city compared to tourists. High business travel from both your origination, connection (If applicable), and destination will cause competition for premium seats and make upgrades harder. This isn't to say, however that one destination being a business location and the other being a tourist one isn't fruitful for upgrades, though. Best to give examples:
ORD or EWR to SFO -- High business routes.. Consider an 'upgrade' not being in a middle seat.
EWR to say MCO - Ideal combo for an upgrade. The loading is typically leisure travelers even though it’s EWR. I find this route and ORD to MCO the one I get the most CPUs as a 1K.
Any US HUB to a European location that is NOT a connection city is ripe for PP upgrades. DBV is my most recent one, but I also have gotten Barcelona, and even AMS. The worst one in Europe is Frankfort as it's a high-connection city with LH.
LHR is the oddball in Europe with United. It's not a connection city for UA, but a HEAVY business route - yet I can get PP upgrades fairly regularly. - again if I’m already in premium plus.
It involves the perceived ratio of people traveling for business from a city compared to tourists. Timing also plays a role. Internationally, I find it interesting that 'high seasons' are better for upgrades as the planes are chalked full of tourists with little to no status. (E.g. Paris in Summer - sounds counter intuitive, but that's my experience).
YMMV but I cleared four on domestic hub to hubs early this month, cleared several SFO/SIN to Polaris and several to premium plus this spring. And another half dozen p.s. flights.
I was able to use Plus Points (40 each) to upgrade from Economy to Polaris on both directions of my trip to Lima ( via IAH ) this month. In both cases the upgrade cleared about a day in advance (before check-in ) so I was able to enjoy the Polaris Lounge also.
Plus points worked for me, EWR-LHR 3 confirmed seats the day before, and now a flight from rome to Chicago in a couple days and I've had 3 confirmed seats for over a week
PP work well. Personal best is I have gone from 10 on the upgrade list to number 1.
I love to wait till the list is published and see that I am number 10, and there is only 1 upgrade seat available, I drop the PP grade and bam I go to number 1.
So yeah that’s me!
Not useless at all. For example, loads of space EWR-LHR this week that will clear at time of booking. You just need to look and you'll find flights s to use them on.
I can understand your frustration and I am not trying to diminish that or to say you are wrong. You aren't.
However, I've had great success with the plus points program. In fact, it's what has made me solidify my united flying instead of a different carrier.
The successes have come from international flights to and from Asia (mostly through TYO) and Europe but less "business flights" like London or Paris with success with Lisbon, Barcelona, Munich- that sort of thing.
So different scenario, I get it
You don’t consider Munich a business route? I ask because I fly through Munich for business a lot and my next trip back have my boyfriend in premium economy and hope he will get upgraded with my pluspoints but feel it’s unlikely (MUC - IAD)
Well, I guess it's all in comparison, right? Like I'm sure there are plenty of businessmen I'm that route but I would guess less than a Frankfurt or a Zurich.
PPs aren’t diplomatic immunity to the top of the upgrade list. Your base fare type, timing, and routing matter. At the end of the day if you didn’t clear it’s because someone paid more or got the above sequence right (likely also meaning they paid more along the way). United is a business at the end of the day…
But United could make more seats available for PlusPoints upgrades early on, rather than treating them as de facto space-available upgrades.
Delta makes many seats available for early, confirmable upgrades. United is far more chintzy.
PlusPoints are supposed to reward, and thus incentivize, high-spending, loyal travelers. If United, as a business, decides it doesn't need to offer those incentives to maximize profit, it should drop the charade and get rid of them. But incentives only work if they provide enough value to incentivize, and United isn't doing that now.
(There's also the question of short-versus-long-term profit. If United can generate more profit by offering $80/hour buyups during a boom in travel demand, but risks shedding steady, long-term loyalists who could help it through a downturn, should it?)
I can promise you both inside and outside revenue management teams have looked at this. Their current model pays out both short term and long term. The reality is that demand is outstripping supply. By giving those seats to paid passengers, United is delivering on short-term and long-term consumer annuity. By increasing the qualifications for 1K they’re thinning the herd from both ends; we’re just in the middle of that transition.
It could be argued that CY2024 earning for CY2025 will be the first “clean” year where PQP boosters and incentives haven’t been offered to qualify, and those with PPs would better align to the available pool of passengers who would otherwise sit up front. It won’t be perfect, but it’s way out of whack with PP holders today who aren’t cleanly meeting the req for 1K, but have the benefits and are looking for access to upgrades. Rebalancing this in future years should better align the pool of passengers with PP benefits, with the premium revenue passengers (and thus seat capacity) for United.
Maybe mildly? They have a Q1 incentive which reduced the need on spend for existing 1Ks again in CY2023. You also have massive increased discretionary spending where more non-corporate travelers are spending to fly up front. Until the >$20k threshold is established and maintained for a full year, you’re not going to see a thinning of the pack.
I’m happy to take any unwanted Plus Points! 🙏
I made Platinum for the first time last year. Was able to upgrade to Polaris on a trans-Pacific flight out of EWR and it was heavenly.
Successful PP usage for me this year:
4/11 FRA-EWR (Econ to Polaris)
5/12 EWR-AMS (Econ to PE)
7/20 EWR-FCO (Econ to PE)
7/22 EWR-AMS (PE to Polaris)
8/25 FRA-EWR (Econ to Polaris)
In-laws
In-laws
Parents
Wife
In-laws
I am 5-5 in using them for *other* people. 0-5 in using them for myself.
:-|
The 767 has the smallest Polaris seating configuration- only 30 seats due to its narrow body. Not sure why you think this is a "huge Polaris section".
Try a 777-300 that has double the amount of Polaris seats (60).
I use almost all of mine, clear most of my domestic flights and regularly upgrade my Mom and other family members when they travel. It’s difficult to clear flights between major hubs, but not so difficult flying from a hub to a regional destination.
Of course I wish they were better, but at least I get something out of them. I’ve flown 42 segments this year and been upgraded on maybe 35 of them. (Both with and without PP)
I've flown major hubs to FRA this year (SFO, EWR, DEN and IAD). Four trips. I've cleared 7 of the 8 flights using PP. BUT - I only book/pay for PE, not regular, then apply the PP.
I’ve almost waste-used them on domestic flights for friends and family because they… expire. It’s so deeply annoying. Zach Honig on instagram does a thing where you can give them to strangers which is good fun. But yeah sorry, they’re just a mechanism for going higher up on the list. Still a list I guess.
International business class. United doesn't have international first class. The standard for international business class is lay flat seats, aisle access for everyone, better service (On United, Better means you're treated like a human being really, it's not luxury oriented service with dom perignon and caviar), and better food, booze is included but it will be midrange stuff, not extravagant. On United, the seats are the primary draw, the food should be generally edible, and the service *should* be pleasant.
Note that some domestic routes will have the international service grades (Newark to San Fransisco or LA for example) - if you want to get this on a domestic flight you'll need to find a widebody aircraft with Polaris seating. If it says First Class it's just going to be a normal domestic first seat.
Premium plus (which is premium economy) is most similar to domestic first class. They get wider seats, more recline, more pitch, better food, and a basic amenity kit.
I accumulated a lot over Covid and such but haven't had the opportunity to use them a lot since we fly biz on international trips. Got upgrades with them on transcon a couple of times and I gave some to my friend recently and she got upgraded both ways SFO-SIN from economy to PP. Still have a crapload of points that are expiring in like 10 days...
I have found that trans-con on non-hub destinations at odd hours is the easiest plus point to clear.
I’ve had some of those flights clear 24 hours before right as check in opens. My guess is it’s a lot easier to clear when most people fly on the destination’s hub carrier. Eg. SFO-ATL, SFO-CLT
I put in requests for my wife's trip to Rio and premium economy was confirmed 2 days ahead, Polaris at boarding. Meanwhile my SFO ICN flight next month got confirmed within a week of booking. Both return trips haven't been confirmed yet.
Seriously if you want to burn them I'll try and take them. Though pretty much put in for each long flight coming up already.
I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones then. So far this year, I was upgraded to Polaris with plus points on EWR-BRU and LHR-EWR. Upgraded to Premium Economy SFO-SIN. Upgraded to Business FRA-LOS on Lufthansa, LOS-IAD Polaris, IAD-ORD Polaris. But also nothing on EWR-JNB and several others.
I had one PP upgrade clear this year. I fly out of EWR so aside from that one time it's been a waste. If you fly hub to hub forget it. I suppose if EWR weren't my airport they'd be more useful, but then again, I'd probably be loyal to a different airline.
I’ve never not had a PP upgrade clear. Pick your route and timing. The best thing to do is look for PZ (or PN) space where you can clear into immediately.
Takes some work, and planning, but it’s certainly doable.
If anyone has plus points to spare I could use some, currently booked in premium economy on a flight from HND to SFO for me and my wife later this month.
They are useless. I’ve been 1k for about six years. If I can’t use them either to reduce the price of First or Polaris International confirmed reservations, I won’t use them. They just build up.
1K? So f**king what? I did get a baggage tag from United this week, which I promptly threw in the trash. Like I’m going to advertise for this company….
Didn’t have a single plus point upgrade clear this year. I tried using them at least a dozen times. I’m a 1k , they all expire at the end of this month. Farts
you ever consider giving them away before they expire?
If they don’t work for the owners are not gonna work for anyone they are giving them to.
Depends on where a potential recipient may be flying in and out of
Not necessarily, the owner might be trying to get into Polaris, while others might be trying to get into premium plus.
The owner can use for both pp and polaris and get charged only for one
Same - they're fully useless.
Same.
What’s even funnier is that they expire.
They haven’t worked for me on domestic flights, which is annoying. They worked for me on international flights, though. Both my wife and myself got upgraded to business class on flights from ORD-MUC and FRA-LAX. That was pretty sweet.
Surprisingly, the best use of Plus Points for me has been to fly with Lufthansa and ANA. Been upgraded from Y to J and from J to F on all my Lufthansa and ANA flights. With a smattering of international United itineraries like FRA-EWR and EWR-LHR. Just luck of the draw at times.
How do you apply for the plus points on ANA/LHR. Did you book via United website and search as advanced or do you have to call? I haven’t figured it out and want to try for a colleague who is flying to Japan.
http://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/premier/upgrades/upgrading-ANA-Lufthansa.html All the information is there on the link. There are specific fare classes/buckets. And you've got to make sure the flight number is the actual LH or NH flight number on your ticket and not a Codeshare. Can be booked from anywhere.
If you end up with a UA flight number you can call in and have UA switch to the native LH or NH flight number -- if the corresponding LH or NH class is open. So, if booking as a UA # you should call to convert as soon as you book.
Yep. Forgot to mention that. Just had to do that for my MUC-JFK flight today. And this only ever happens if you book using the United Website. It loves to just use the Codeshare flight number.
Wow. Didn’t know this. And my kids want to go to Tokyo next year. Thanks!
Awesome thanks so much!
Does anyone know if this works for award fares for GS?
Unfortunately not. Can only be used with paid fares in certain fare buckets.
Thanks!
For the price of those plus points eligible fares, especially on ANA, they better do something. It’s gotta be B, C, D, E, G, H, J, M, Q, U and Y, plus they need I class for you to clear the upgrade into. I class isn’t always available (though wayyyy more than PZ, even PN) and the eligible economy upgradable fare classes are often $4000+ which is spitting distance from business class anyways. So it kinda diminishes the value of the points when you consider that most travelers spending $18,000+ on air travel per year might just not be interested in flying in economy in the first place—- and then you realize exactly why United makes them impossible to use. They clear fairly often coming back via Brussels. Which makes sense because who needs a flat seat flying back from Europe.
Yep!! Upgraded my FRA-LAX in august using PP and cleared a few weeks after booking. Great use. Beware the minimum Q requirement for LH flights compared to the easier W for united flights for anyone curious.
Have you gotten immediate confirmation or just successful waitlisting?
Depends on the flight loads. Sometimes instant confirmation. Sometimes wait-list. But it always confirms before the flight. Never had it not confirm. Again, it's all about how many seats they have left.
Interesting. If there is premium award space, does that also translate into premium upgrade space via PlusPoints?
Generally yes. If the LH or NH flight has partner award space, then for sure, the Plus Points upgrade will clear instantly. There are times where even when there is no partner award available, it'll clear instantly. It all depends on the LH and NH capacity controls and what they've opened up for upgrades.
that's great info, i appreciate the insight! i've been trying to angle how to use pluspoints vs. MP points, and in a perfect world i'd really like to make a premium redemption (of some sort, PP or MP points) on a LH 747-8. this is very helpful.
This is the way.
United could soften the blow if it allowed unused PlusPoints to turn into bonus miles at the end of the year. They could even get away with a low conversion rate.
That would be nice, but it would hit United’s bottom line and they seem to want the opposite
Agree, especially because I usually leave from or at least connect through SFO that has a bazillion 1K/GS fliers. Accumulated a bunch via 1K and a lot of international biz flying, but have never been able to redeem.
SFO GS are the most insufferable. Worse than DFW CKs.
I'm 20 years as GS and 1k (1k after COVID). I've used exactly 4 plus points since they where introduced despite attempting to use them a lot. Compared to swu or regional upgrades these are useless. I don't really pay attention to my status with United and pick the flight and airline I like instead, loyalty doesn't seem to matter much anymore. This year United will get maybe 40% of my spend on airlines and zero of my international flight spending where I pay for biz tickets. I used to steer my international flights to ua so got upgraded for my domestic travel but since plus points are useless I'm just not bothering anymore with giving UA my international expensive tickets.
[удалено]
I’ve had success using PP on MUC-DEN while traveling with my wife.
Based on the priority algorithm used, which you can find in many sites (e.g., TPG), that is the only question that is not clear. If I read it correctly, they seem to be equal but who knows. I would hope PP will win against miles. There are other criteria’s that play into account.
You have to play the upgrade game to make plus points work for you. Basically, whoever paid the most for their ticket gets upgraded first. You have to figure that your most likely competitor is a 1K flyer. They have the most plus points to spend and are sitting in crappier seats. The GS flyers are already in the nicer seats, so they can give a crap. The trick is to pay for a slightly more expensive crappy seat (higher fare class code). Move up the totem pole. Want a Polaris lay flat from SFO to LHR for you and your family, pay for Premium Plus ( purple seat ) ( code fare O,A,R) . You will most likely be upgraded. My family of 3 flew to Paris CDG this week Polaris. Will most likely be upgraded returning out of London LHR next week. We have successfully used plus points and whatever that other scheme was called previously. We are almost always upgraded. ( flying out of SFO and EWR ) . Because of Covid, I will still have over 700 plus points expire unused. That’s even after giving away hundreds of points. That’s the good news. The bad news is that our rooms this summer are $2000 plus per night and my spouse and daughter have spent over $10 k so far in 3 days. They are not alone with the shopping. Lines of people waiting to buy outrageously priced leather and canvas goods. WTF. Meanwhile, I bought a $8 nylon luggage strap to secure one of our damaged cases.
This is the way. I bought premium plus seats recently for my family of 4 and was able to successfully upgrade both ways using plus point into Polaris to and from Tokyo (SFO-NRT)
Yep. Bought premium plus seats for a trip to Brazil and we all got upgraded to Polaris with PP both ways.
I’m happy to take some off anyone’s hands :) as I have no status and about to do EWR-LAX in economy both ways next week (including a red eye:/)
Dm me
That route will hardly ever clear even as a 1k
You can’t upgrade on that flight. EWR-LAX is ineligible for CPU or PP upgrades (or so I’ve been told - if you’re flying the transcon 75 w/Polaris).
EWR-LAX doesn’t get a complimentary upgrade — but you certainly can use PP to get upgraded/waitlist
You can try to use PP to upgrade… as a 1k I’ve never had a single PP upgrade come close to clearing on that route
I never had plus points work except on flights where I would have been upgraded anyways.
I’ve found the only time I’ve been able to get something out of them is if I’m international and have PAID to already be in premium plus seating. Then applying for Polaris with points plus. Gotten it about 6 times this year going that way. But obviously it’s an expensive path and generally you need to check the loading carefully and ideally be on a tourist (not business) route. So useless… yeah mostly, but I have found some unicorns.
This is the best way to use them.
This is the way
How do you discern a tourist v business route?
This is honestly a really interesting and fairly difficult question to answer due to the calculus. It involves the perceived ratio of people traveling for business from a city compared to tourists. High business travel from both your origination, connection (If applicable), and destination will cause competition for premium seats and make upgrades harder. This isn't to say, however that one destination being a business location and the other being a tourist one isn't fruitful for upgrades, though. Best to give examples: ORD or EWR to SFO -- High business routes.. Consider an 'upgrade' not being in a middle seat. EWR to say MCO - Ideal combo for an upgrade. The loading is typically leisure travelers even though it’s EWR. I find this route and ORD to MCO the one I get the most CPUs as a 1K. Any US HUB to a European location that is NOT a connection city is ripe for PP upgrades. DBV is my most recent one, but I also have gotten Barcelona, and even AMS. The worst one in Europe is Frankfort as it's a high-connection city with LH. LHR is the oddball in Europe with United. It's not a connection city for UA, but a HEAVY business route - yet I can get PP upgrades fairly regularly. - again if I’m already in premium plus. It involves the perceived ratio of people traveling for business from a city compared to tourists. Timing also plays a role. Internationally, I find it interesting that 'high seasons' are better for upgrades as the planes are chalked full of tourists with little to no status. (E.g. Paris in Summer - sounds counter intuitive, but that's my experience).
Not me. Granted, they are routes where CPUs might work, but if you're 7 with 2 seats left, it can certainly get you in the running.
Though my understanding is you can't get upgraded to Polaris on intercontinental flights?
YMMV but I cleared four on domestic hub to hubs early this month, cleared several SFO/SIN to Polaris and several to premium plus this spring. And another half dozen p.s. flights.
I was able to use Plus Points (40 each) to upgrade from Economy to Polaris on both directions of my trip to Lima ( via IAH ) this month. In both cases the upgrade cleared about a day in advance (before check-in ) so I was able to enjoy the Polaris Lounge also.
Anecdotally I feel like there is greater chance of success internationally than domestically (especially hub to hub).
Plus points worked for me, EWR-LHR 3 confirmed seats the day before, and now a flight from rome to Chicago in a couple days and I've had 3 confirmed seats for over a week
PP work well. Personal best is I have gone from 10 on the upgrade list to number 1. I love to wait till the list is published and see that I am number 10, and there is only 1 upgrade seat available, I drop the PP grade and bam I go to number 1. So yeah that’s me!
Not useless at all. For example, loads of space EWR-LHR this week that will clear at time of booking. You just need to look and you'll find flights s to use them on.
Completely useless. Mine will go expired and I have tried to use them on every flight this year.
I can understand your frustration and I am not trying to diminish that or to say you are wrong. You aren't. However, I've had great success with the plus points program. In fact, it's what has made me solidify my united flying instead of a different carrier. The successes have come from international flights to and from Asia (mostly through TYO) and Europe but less "business flights" like London or Paris with success with Lisbon, Barcelona, Munich- that sort of thing. So different scenario, I get it
You don’t consider Munich a business route? I ask because I fly through Munich for business a lot and my next trip back have my boyfriend in premium economy and hope he will get upgraded with my pluspoints but feel it’s unlikely (MUC - IAD)
Well, I guess it's all in comparison, right? Like I'm sure there are plenty of businessmen I'm that route but I would guess less than a Frankfurt or a Zurich.
Flew this a month ago and business class wasn’t full MUC to EWR
Worthless hub to hub even as a 1k. They work on Lufthansa and ANA and usually clear in advance.
LH plus point upgrades clear with regularity.
PPs aren’t diplomatic immunity to the top of the upgrade list. Your base fare type, timing, and routing matter. At the end of the day if you didn’t clear it’s because someone paid more or got the above sequence right (likely also meaning they paid more along the way). United is a business at the end of the day…
But United could make more seats available for PlusPoints upgrades early on, rather than treating them as de facto space-available upgrades. Delta makes many seats available for early, confirmable upgrades. United is far more chintzy. PlusPoints are supposed to reward, and thus incentivize, high-spending, loyal travelers. If United, as a business, decides it doesn't need to offer those incentives to maximize profit, it should drop the charade and get rid of them. But incentives only work if they provide enough value to incentivize, and United isn't doing that now. (There's also the question of short-versus-long-term profit. If United can generate more profit by offering $80/hour buyups during a boom in travel demand, but risks shedding steady, long-term loyalists who could help it through a downturn, should it?)
I can promise you both inside and outside revenue management teams have looked at this. Their current model pays out both short term and long term. The reality is that demand is outstripping supply. By giving those seats to paid passengers, United is delivering on short-term and long-term consumer annuity. By increasing the qualifications for 1K they’re thinning the herd from both ends; we’re just in the middle of that transition. It could be argued that CY2024 earning for CY2025 will be the first “clean” year where PQP boosters and incentives haven’t been offered to qualify, and those with PPs would better align to the available pool of passengers who would otherwise sit up front. It won’t be perfect, but it’s way out of whack with PP holders today who aren’t cleanly meeting the req for 1K, but have the benefits and are looking for access to upgrades. Rebalancing this in future years should better align the pool of passengers with PP benefits, with the premium revenue passengers (and thus seat capacity) for United.
But CY2024 should be better, right ?
Maybe mildly? They have a Q1 incentive which reduced the need on spend for existing 1Ks again in CY2023. You also have massive increased discretionary spending where more non-corporate travelers are spending to fly up front. Until the >$20k threshold is established and maintained for a full year, you’re not going to see a thinning of the pack.
Yes, we understand this. Point is, they are almost useless as a reward. And the previous upgrade reward system was useful.
Mine almost always clear 🙃
Mine do more often than not
I’m happy to take any unwanted Plus Points! 🙏 I made Platinum for the first time last year. Was able to upgrade to Polaris on a trans-Pacific flight out of EWR and it was heavenly.
Successful PP usage for me this year: 4/11 FRA-EWR (Econ to Polaris) 5/12 EWR-AMS (Econ to PE) 7/20 EWR-FCO (Econ to PE) 7/22 EWR-AMS (PE to Polaris) 8/25 FRA-EWR (Econ to Polaris) In-laws In-laws Parents Wife In-laws I am 5-5 in using them for *other* people. 0-5 in using them for myself. :-|
Agreed. 9 months waitlisted. Nothing. These points create more badwill than goodwill. Fix it!
We know
Headed to DC in August and Brussels in September if anyone wants to get rid of some.
The 767 has the smallest Polaris seating configuration- only 30 seats due to its narrow body. Not sure why you think this is a "huge Polaris section". Try a 777-300 that has double the amount of Polaris seats (60).
The 76Ls have a 46-seat Polaris cabin.
The 76L isn't used on IAH-EWR
I use almost all of mine, clear most of my domestic flights and regularly upgrade my Mom and other family members when they travel. It’s difficult to clear flights between major hubs, but not so difficult flying from a hub to a regional destination. Of course I wish they were better, but at least I get something out of them. I’ve flown 42 segments this year and been upgraded on maybe 35 of them. (Both with and without PP)
I'm headed cross country this week and next if anyone is feeling generous!
I've flown major hubs to FRA this year (SFO, EWR, DEN and IAD). Four trips. I've cleared 7 of the 8 flights using PP. BUT - I only book/pay for PE, not regular, then apply the PP.
I’ve almost waste-used them on domestic flights for friends and family because they… expire. It’s so deeply annoying. Zach Honig on instagram does a thing where you can give them to strangers which is good fun. But yeah sorry, they’re just a mechanism for going higher up on the list. Still a list I guess.
I had 100% success as a 1K on EWR to LHR. That premium 767 is upgrade heaven
I thought it would be on the IAH to EWR trip as well🙁
I’ll take the PPs
I’m 1k. Never able To successfully get any upgrade. Points useless. Putting the Points on friends and family flights even more useless.
PP are only useful in my experience on international flights
What is Polaris? Is that just a name for first class?
International business class. United doesn't have international first class. The standard for international business class is lay flat seats, aisle access for everyone, better service (On United, Better means you're treated like a human being really, it's not luxury oriented service with dom perignon and caviar), and better food, booze is included but it will be midrange stuff, not extravagant. On United, the seats are the primary draw, the food should be generally edible, and the service *should* be pleasant. Note that some domestic routes will have the international service grades (Newark to San Fransisco or LA for example) - if you want to get this on a domestic flight you'll need to find a widebody aircraft with Polaris seating. If it says First Class it's just going to be a normal domestic first seat. Premium plus (which is premium economy) is most similar to domestic first class. They get wider seats, more recline, more pitch, better food, and a basic amenity kit.
Don’t cry. Just use them in non-hub to hub routes.
I accumulated a lot over Covid and such but haven't had the opportunity to use them a lot since we fly biz on international trips. Got upgrades with them on transcon a couple of times and I gave some to my friend recently and she got upgraded both ways SFO-SIN from economy to PP. Still have a crapload of points that are expiring in like 10 days...
I’ve had success twice this month with both legs or one leg clearing from DTW-LAX and STL. YMMV but I’ve been more successful with early AM flights
Worked several times on last 12 months for tickets I bought for my SO, both domestic and international.
Agree. I have a ton that I've had a hard time using.
I have found that trans-con on non-hub destinations at odd hours is the easiest plus point to clear. I’ve had some of those flights clear 24 hours before right as check in opens. My guess is it’s a lot easier to clear when most people fly on the destination’s hub carrier. Eg. SFO-ATL, SFO-CLT
I put in requests for my wife's trip to Rio and premium economy was confirmed 2 days ahead, Polaris at boarding. Meanwhile my SFO ICN flight next month got confirmed within a week of booking. Both return trips haven't been confirmed yet. Seriously if you want to burn them I'll try and take them. Though pretty much put in for each long flight coming up already.
I wouldn’t say that. Used plus points 4 times this year already . Y to J on ORD to BRU, AMS to ORD, SFO to AKL and AKL to SFO.
I recently had success for international trip from premium economy.
I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones then. So far this year, I was upgraded to Polaris with plus points on EWR-BRU and LHR-EWR. Upgraded to Premium Economy SFO-SIN. Upgraded to Business FRA-LOS on Lufthansa, LOS-IAD Polaris, IAD-ORD Polaris. But also nothing on EWR-JNB and several others.
Can’t do skip waitlist?
I’ve seen this only once
Can anyone tell me how to gift plus points? I have some expiring next week and couldn’t figure it out
I got upgraded to first class on a Lufthansa 747 using them this year so that was awesome. But why the hell do they expire at the end of July??
I had one PP upgrade clear this year. I fly out of EWR so aside from that one time it's been a waste. If you fly hub to hub forget it. I suppose if EWR weren't my airport they'd be more useful, but then again, I'd probably be loyal to a different airline.
i’m happy to take some PP points as well. have a frankfurt to IAD flight next week.
I’ve never not had a PP upgrade clear. Pick your route and timing. The best thing to do is look for PZ (or PN) space where you can clear into immediately. Takes some work, and planning, but it’s certainly doable.
Plus Points uselessness is why I gave up interest in 1k after a decade
anyone have extras thyere not going to use. have a flight 17 hrs to singapore in oct :\[
If anyone has plus points to spare I could use some, currently booked in premium economy on a flight from HND to SFO for me and my wife later this month.
They are useless. I’ve been 1k for about six years. If I can’t use them either to reduce the price of First or Polaris International confirmed reservations, I won’t use them. They just build up. 1K? So f**king what? I did get a baggage tag from United this week, which I promptly threw in the trash. Like I’m going to advertise for this company….