Three Key Tips if Your United Elite Status is Dropping Tomorrow

Many will be dropping in status tomorrow on United Airlines — myself included — but it is not too late to take advantage of at least three important perks, two of which will be going away even if you maintained your status for 2015.

1. Global Entry Reimbursement

United Airlines has compensated the $100 Global Entry application fee for 1K and Platinum members for the last three years. By visiting this page and requesting a “personalized code” United generates what amounts to a debit card with $100 on it that you can use to pay for the application fee on the DHS GOES website. I have no experience concerning whether the debit card can be used for other items…

Today is the last day to take advantage of this benefit even if you are a 2015 1K or Plat because as part of its efforts to “improve” MileagePlus, United has eliminated this benefit.

If you have already taken advantage of this you will see the message below (note, ironically the message)

united-global-entry-refund ^{Error…unless United secretly plans to bring back this benefit…}

2. No Co-Pays on Many MileagePlus Upgrade Awards (last day for p.s. co-pay waiver for 2015 elites)

Through the end of the day, if you have elite status and want to upgrade p.s. flights using your miles (p.s. flights, operating between JFK and SFO/LAX offer an enhanced level of service and a fully lie-flat bed) no co-pay will apply. Starting tomorrow, a co-pay will apply for all members, including elite members.

Elite members are still exempt from co-pays on most North American flights and flights within Oceania (exception being flights between EWR/IAD/IAH and HNL) but if you are losing your status tomorrow and want to upgrade a future trip with points, do look into securing those upgrades today.

3. Remember to Redeposit Awards

If your status is dropping and you have cancelled or pending award tickets that you intend to cancel, redeposit your miles today in order to avoid pricier redeposit fees tomorrow. If you plan to change routing or dates, do so today as well.

Here is a look at United change fees for award travel–

united-airlines-award-change-fees