June 19, 2025 UPDATE: The chart below shows how the new uses for United PlusPoints. These apply only for PlusPoints that expire in January 2027 or later (i.e., those earned this year).
United will allow up to 600 PlusPoints to be exchanged per PlusPoints expiration date (600 total across all perks per expiration date). For example, if you have 1,000 PlusPoints that expire on January 31, 2027, you may
exchange up to 600 of them. As reflected in the chart above, of these PlusPoints, you can use a maximum of 100 PlusPoints for TravelBank cash, 100 for bonus miles, 160 PlusPoints for PQP, 320 for PQF, and 600 to gift 1K status to someone.
It’s nice to have the option to gift 1K status, but that will take some serious spending in order to receive (1Ks receive 320 PlusPoints per year after earning 28,000 PQPs and earn 20 additional PlusPoints for every 3,000 PQPs earned thereafter. You can gift lower tiers of elite status as well, including Silver for only 40 PlusPoints and more valuably, Gold status for 100 PlusPoints, which represents a sweetspot in order to enjoy Star Alliance Gold status.
I would hope that you could get more value with 100 PlusPoints than 15,000 miles or $200 in travel credit, but both are better than just letting the PlusPoints expire.
In short, this is what I expected: nothing especially valuable, but still nice to have added options.
My original story from March 7, 2025 is below.
While it has not provided valuation rates, United Airlines has let frequent flyers know of several specific additional uses for their PlusPoints later this year.
United Airlines Hints At Expanded Uses For PlusPoints
In a March 5, 2025 update, United Airlines shared that PlusPoints will have several more uses starting later this year.
Coming this summer, PlusPoints earned upon achieving Premier Platinum and Premier 1K status will become even more versatile. In addition to using PlusPoints to request premium seat and cabin upgrades, you’ll soon be able to redeem PlusPoints for new perks, including:
- Gifting Premier status to other MileagePlus members
- Premier qualifying points (PQP) or Premier qualifying flights (PQF)
- TravelBank cash
- Bonus miles
Key details are still lacking…how many PlusPoints to gift status? How many PlusPoints per PQP or PQF? What kind of bonus miles? How much TravelBank cash?
But for the first time, United has given us a concrete idea of the expanded uses for PlusPoints starting later this year.
I talk to many frequent United flyers who are fed up that they can never use their PlusPoints each year. These expanded options are certainly better…at least in theory…than letting upgrades expire or wasting them on shorthaul routes.
With more options for PlusPoints, upgrades will theoretically be easier as some choose to use their PlusPoints to chase status or for travel credit
Will The Upgrade Valuation Change?
Since United introduced PlusPoints in 2019, the valuation of PlusPoints has not changed.
| Upgrade | PlusPoints |
| Economy (W+ fare) to Polaris | 40 |
| Economy (G,K,L,S,T fare) to Polaris | 80 |
| Economy (all fares) to Premium Plus | 20 |
| Premium Plus to Polaris | 30 |
| Economy to United First (“domestic”) | 20 |
(United also occasionally offers “Skip The Waitlist” upgrades at variable rates)
My concern (read: fear) is that with these “enhancements” to PlusPoints, we may see these rates change or at least be further restricted. I’d hate to see all economy to business class upgrades suddenly cost 80 points or domestic upgrades to go up from 20 to 30.
With all United has done to make status harder lately, devalue award redemptions, and most recently devalue its Million Miler program, it would not surprise me to see inflation of PlusPoints too.
Believe me folks, I’m not hoping for it…I just want to prepare us for it.
CONCLUSION
United has now shared of at least four specific additional uses for PlusPoints coming later this year. Frequent flyers who often find their PlusPoints expiring should see an upside to this, though I am concerned that United will use this opportunity to increase redemption costs for upgrades. Time will tell…
image: United
@ Matthew — No doubt this will be yet another kick in the teeth. The sooner, the bettter. Delaying an announcement is simply fraudulent at this point.
Oh goodie, we can now use our plus points for less valuable things! I feel so grateful. Who needs upgrade space when you can use your plus points for getting status next year?
I was 1K for several years before the pandemic, and almost all of my PPs (and GPUs before that) went unused, except to the extent that I used them on a short domestic flights I didn’t really care about. I’d have gladly traded all of them each year for one skip-the-waitlist on a TATL flight. But inability to upgrade showed me that 1K wasn’t really worth much. And I didn’t think buying UA Polaris at retail, which is often expensive relative to competitors, is value for money. I’ve been gold/silver since. Though I guess they don’t care, since they seem to fill the Polaris cabins anyway.
By the way, Matthew, did you see the FT article on AF doing a booming business selling long haul J to leisure travelers from the US? That would include me.
@ Matthew What a pathetic joke.
So they take away 1 million miler spouses getting anything higher than Gold, but now open up the candy store to give away higher than gold status each year via pluspoints.
And about to change the upgrade mileage chart.
I’m fine with alternate ‘bad’ redemption options to use up the miles/points of unsavvy members, but only if it helps prop up the good value those who care have relied on.
I’m surprised at how little they value the travel certificate…guess they have a really large amount of breakage on pluspoints.
Bring back mileage expiration and real value for the program.