If you’re sitting on PlusPoints from United Airlines, you now have six more months to use them.
United Airlines Extends PlusPoints
PlusPoints are the upgrade currency United Airlines uses for its MileagePlus elite flyers. Platinum members earn 40 PlusPoints while 1K members earn 280 PlusPoints per year. Most domestic upgrades from economy to business class cost 20 PlusPoints while longhaul upgrades from economy class (booked in W-class or above) cost 40 PlusPoints to business class.
During the pandemic, many were unable to use their PlusPoints and United extended them last year as part of its push to retain elite status flyers (not everyone, however, received a status extension).
> Read More: United Confirms Selective Elite Status Extension, Announces Reduced Earning Requirements For 2022
An email went out to MileagePlus members with PlusPoints this morning, noting:
Tavel in comfort and style when you use your PlusPoints to upgrade your trip to United Premium Plus or United Polaris. We have extended PlusPoints that were set to expire on July 31, 2022, and January 31, 2023, by six months so you have more time to take advantage of them. Your account already reflects this extension.
Flights have been running full this summer, with plenty of paid premium cabin travel, making upgrades elusive. With the suspension of inbound COVID-19 testing on international flights to the USA, demand has grown even more.
I was fortunate to use PlusPoints on a recent flight from London to Los Angeles, but in looking at a trip I will take next month, it does not appear I stand a chance to use these points. It will be good to have extra time to use them and I hope to upgrade my family to business class when we travel to Europe for Christmas.
CONCLUSION
United Airlines will extend PlusPoints for six months for all current holders of these points. The extended expiration date should already be visible in your MileagePlus account.
Now American Airlines, how about matching? I have two systemwide upgrades set to expire at the end of July that I would love six more months to utilize!
Love to see Marriott extend their SNAs that are about to expire too (for the rare occasion they actually work).
Yes I received the email too. Big props to UA for the generous move. I have over 800 points set to expire in January 2023. Been burning them as fast as I can. UA certainly has their issues, many discussed here, but I feel like they have been very fair in areas like this. Much appreciated!
Sounds good on paper, but only 1 time out of around 10 flights has my PlusPoints upgrade cleared .
I wonder if/when United will reduce status qualifications for 2023
“I wonder if/when United will reduce status qualifications for 2023”
My fingers are crossed they will do it again for 2023.
Same here! I have tried a dozen times this year to use my Plus Points on trips around the US as well as several international flights. Not one cleared!
Do you know WHY they did it? Neither do I. Oh wait, yes I do, its because they are almost impossible to use. I have six work trips in the next few months and I have 600 plus points. I was able to use plus points to upgrade myself on exactly ONE of my trips. And that was only because I adjusted my dates significantly and had some wiggle room. The rest of the points I have zero idea how to get value from. For those of us earning and using miles and points for work, these things are almost useless. You might even say they are….pointless. And yes I am grumpy about it.
YMMV – I’ve had little luck on domestic flights but I’m 100% where it counts, on long hauls, specifically several IAD – Accra _ IAD round trips and FRA – IAD recently.
The issue is not a lack of flying to use them, it is a lack of PZ upgrade space.
On domestic flights, I am often buying up to F, so don’t really use them. I have applied a number of PPs this year to family members’ tickets, and maybe one has gone through. What I want to use them for is international upgrades. I look regularly (and did so regularly pre-COVID), and it has become almost nonexistent – not seen one on any US-EU route in 2022, and only a handful EU-US. And even then, the combined price of buying business on the leg over and upgrading with PPs on the return has been over $4K, more than other airlines. So I bought or got save awards on those other airlines instead. Given the current state of Polaris food and service versus that on AF, KLM, Austrian and BA (Do&Co), I am happy with that.
Incidentally, upgrade space on BA and AF has been expanding while that of UA has been shrinking, judging from my searching.
Me too. I’ve resorted to use them on such segments as PDX/SFO–only to not have them clear. Sigh!
Might be a dumb question, but do you have to be 1K or Plat to use PP’s? I’m sitting on 400 PP’s but I don’t know that I will requalify for 1k (or even Plat) at current levels.
You don’t have to hold status to use them. They just must be used (not just applied, but used) prior to expiration date.
AA systemwide upgrades are about worthless anyways. If you haven’t used them by now, is another 6 months isn’t going to help.
Either club membership or the $200 flight credits are the only thing worth choosing. Thankfully they no longer force the SU on us.
So odd that they use Justin Trudeau and Joe Chivas in the stock photo. That’s quite a combo.
If you’re on a busy route / time the best you can do is to buy an E fare or higher, often more expensive than a Z fare.
Here is another example of why UA’s loyalty program really confuses me. So I am looking at US-EU in September, and am flexible on connections. In fact, I am fine with a long connection in the EU since it gives me a chance to eat and shower during the connection and arrive where I am going closer to check in time (particularly as so many arrivals lounges are closed).
So what can I get on UA? $10K business class most routes, but as low as $7K. There is no PZ, but I can waitlist with my PPs (I still have 240) both ways – which brings the price down to $1.6K and 160 PPs, but I will bet they won’t go through and I will wind up in economy. So I am not willing to do that.
And yet because there are some saver awards on the dates I want, I can get RT in business class for 147,000 miles. I could buy 147,000 miles for $2.8. Though I don’t need to buy any miles because I already have so many from cards.
Does that really make sense to incent people like me to use miles rather than cash?
Buying Premium Plus for a bit more (guaranteeing a better experience) and upgrading from there (with higher priority over those trying from Economy) is the smart move.
But if you can get r/t in biz for 147K, that’s a no-brainer.
UA- NYC
What is your track record so far doing this with Plus Points?