• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  United Airlines • Upgrades  >  United Introduces PlusPoints, A New Upgrade Currency
United AirlinesUpgrades

United Introduces PlusPoints, A New Upgrade Currency

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 24, 2019September 24, 2019 35 Comments

United Airlines is jettisoning regional and premier upgrades for a new points currency called PlusPoints. Believe it or not, the news is actually quite positive.

On December 04, all your regional or global premier upgrades will vanish from your account. As ominous as that sounds, they will be replaced with a new currency called PlusPoints. This new currency will have distinctive advantages over the old upgrade system. New perks include:

  • Applying for upgrades on multiple flights at once
  • Bypassing minimum fare class restrictions
  • Cheaper upgrades from Economy Class to Premium Plus
  • Cheaper upgrades from Premium Plus to Polaris Business Class

PlusPoints: A New Flexible Upgrade Currency For United Platinum and 1K Members

One of the biggest complaints I hear from my Award Expert clients and fellow United flyers is that United’s upgrade instruments are worthless. That’s usually hyperbole, but these are not always easy instruments to use.

Each year, Platinum members receive two regional premier upgrades (RPUs) upon qualifying or re-qualifying for status (75K elite qualifying miles [EQM]). These RPUs are valid for one-way upgrades from economy to first class (what United calls its domestic premium cabin) on flights within North America, Canada, and the Caribbean.

1K passengers (100K EQMs) receive two additional RPUs and six Global Premier Upgrades (GPUs), which are valid to upgrade any one-way longhaul international trip booked in W-Class or above, a mid-range economy class fare.

Starting on December 4th, those upgrades will be converted to PlusPoints at a rate of 20 PlusPoints per RPU or 40 PlusPoints per GPU. Going forward, MileagePlus embers will earn 40 PlusPoints upon surpassing the 75K EQM Platinum threshold and 280K additional points upon surpassing the 100K EQM 1K threshold.

New PlusPoints Award Table

With RPUs and GPUs extinguished, a new upgrade chart will take effect.

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

Note the upside to this new chart. Upgrades will be earned at the same rate as before, but the new upgrade currency has become so much more flexible.

Don’t feel like paying up to W for the gamble of an upgrade? You no longer have to, you’ll just pay the premium via the higher costs of the upgrade. Want to upgrade to Premium Plus? It will cost the same as a domestic upgrade to first class. 

PlusPoints Can Be Applied On All United Platforms

Currently, upgrades can be applied over the phone or online (desktop version only). PlusPoints will also be native to the United app, making it even easier to apply upgrades.

As is the case now, upgrades can be applied to reservations for friends, companions, and loved ones, even if the sponsoring member is not traveling with them.

PlusPoints Only Pulled When Upgrade Confirms

Say you have enough points for two upgrades but three trips coming up. You can request upgrades on all three trips at once: points will no longer be deducted until the upgrade confirms. That way, if your upgrade fails to clear for one trip you won’t have (potentially) lost out on another trip. When the upgrade clears, the points will be deducted. In my example above, if your upgrades cleared for the first two trips, your would automatically drop off the waitlist for the third trip.

Special Bonus For 1K Members

From “time to time” United may allow 1K members to use additional PlusPoints to bypass the waitlist and receive a confirmed upgrade at time of booking, even when upgrade fare classes (PN for Global Services members, PZ for everyone else) are not available.

Cutting the queue for a premium will only be offered on longhaul flights and not be available on a consistent basis.

No Change To Complimentary Premier Upgrades

The new PlusPoints program will not alter United’s complimentary premier upgrade program, which confirms upgrades for elite members for free on most North and Central American flights on a space-available basis.

No Change To Upgrades on Lufthansa or ANA

Lufthansa and ANA flights will still be upgradable. 40 PlusPoints will be required per segment upgrade.

One Downside

It’s a small matter, but currently if a Global Premier Upgrade is applied and only the domestic segment(s) clear, the entire Global Premier Upgrade is returned…the domestic upgrades are essentially free.

Under the new program, if only the domestic part of your international trip clears, you will be charged the price of a domestic upgrade, 20 PlusPoints, instead of the full 40. This is quite fair, though less generous than before.

Where It Could Go Bad

Forgive me for being cynical, but I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. There is little downside to today’s announcement. In fact, the flexibility is worthy of celebration and will make the upgrade benefit far more valuable for many MileagePlus Platinums and 1Ks.

My concern is that in assigning a points value to these upgrades makes them subject to inflation, like any other award chart devaluation. The one nice thing about GPUs and RPUs was that the value was always fixed.

My concern is that is the 20 PlusPoints domestic / 40 PlusPoints international upgrade pricing may not stick around for years to come, as RPUs and GPUs have.

Hopefully my fear is misplaced.

More info here.

CONCLUSION

Luc Bondar, United’s Vice President of Loyalty and President of MileagePlus, said:

We’re making it even easier for our Premier members to use upgrades when and how they want. The new PlusPoints program increases the overall number of upgrade opportunities for top tier Premier members, expands the fare classes where they can be used, and lets members request upgrades on multiple flights all at once. We already make it easy for members to manage all of their upgrades online, and the move to PlusPoints is yet another way we are making MileagePlus the best loyalty program in the industry. 

The devil is in the details, but Bondar clearly laid out a compelling case in a conference call yesterday that there are no tricks, just treats.

For those who are used to business as usual, the status quo is not changing much at all. You can still use your earned upgrades in the same manner as before. But for those who want more flexibly, PlusPoints represents an upgrade, not downgrade, to the United MileagePlus program. At least for now.

Previous Article Review: Hyatt Place Yerevan
Next Article Delta’s New JetBlue Containment Strategy In Boston

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • summer travel

    Conflicting Information Creates Cloudy Summer Travel Picture

    January 29, 2023
  • Marriott Elites Soft Landing, Hyatt Globalists Back To 2019 Levels

    January 8, 2023
  • United Polaris Washington Dulles Paris window seating

    Good Availability For Thanksgiving Business Class to Europe

    October 23, 2022

35 Comments

  1. Daniel Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:11 am

    Also makes it easier to allow PointsPlus earnings in other ways. Chase and UA could get creative and offer these as spend benefits on the credit card.

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 10:22 am

      We’ll see. That would be nice, as long as it was not too easy to earn these.

    • HGA Reply
      September 25, 2019 at 2:06 pm

      Do they expire?

      • Matthew Reply
        September 25, 2019 at 3:17 pm

        Yes, same as GPUs and RPUs currently do.

  2. M Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:11 am

    I’m slightly confused as to whether United is eliminating the need to find upgrade inventory. Could you please clarify?

  3. Stuart Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:18 am

    Well, damn. Another reason for me to really think about jumping ship to United. I just wish they would actually match my Exec Plat with 1K right away.

    • George Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 1:32 pm

      You should call them and see. I jumped ship two years ago from Exec Plat, and they matched me to 1K immediately for 90 days. They then gave me that 90 day window to earn 35,000 PQMs (no PQD requirement) to get 1K for the following year. Haven’t looked back to AA since..

  4. Andy Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:37 am

    I don’t think Economy (G fare) to Polaris is allowed. You’ve indicated it is here. I fly some long haul G fares and will have 800 points next year so a bit pissed about this.

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 10:23 am

      It is currently prohibited, but I was told fare class restrictions would be waived, with the exception of N-Class Basic Economy fares (for 80 PlusPoint upgrades starting on 04 Dec). United told me they will update their website to include G…stay tuned.

      • Andy Reply
        September 24, 2019 at 3:46 pm

        Wow excellent. Now my only complaint is that they didn’t do this last year. I often fly planes that go out with with a lot of empty Polaris space. The real unhappy campers here are going to be the non-revs. They’re now behind anyone on a discount fare with 80 ppoints.

        • Andy Reply
          September 24, 2019 at 4:22 pm

          United will win here with customers like me. I can now make real use of any high GPU points surplus. If they were looking for a cheap way to get me to shunt more of my business to United, that makes everyone happy, this was pretty ace.

  5. Vince Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Are you sure about G being eligible? It’s excluded from UA’s materials…

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 10:25 am

      The website will be updated. G will be upgrade eligible.

  6. Henry Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:54 am

    Matthew, Any idea what the cost will be to upgrade award travel now? Before I could use 1 GPU to upgrade to Polaris as a global services member

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 10:24 am

      No changes as a Global Services member.

      • Henry Reply
        September 24, 2019 at 5:08 pm

        So you think it will be 4ok pointe equivalent of one GPU?

  7. Mark Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 9:55 am

    Curious as to what the expiration will be on the converted RSU and GPUs for those that earned them in the 2018 qualifying year.

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 10:25 am

      Identical to the GPU/RPU system.

  8. Gene Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 10:23 am

    @ Matthew– Pay cash and fly a better airline.

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 11:10 am

      Some of us have tighter budgets than FCQ+1

      😉

  9. Steve S Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 10:26 am

    The downside you mentioned is kind of a big deal since they only give Platinums 40 points. My trans pacific flights go from Denver to SFO then onward, and it’s usually a Sunday morning early flight where I get a CPU anyways. Now it will deduct 20 pts, I probably won’t get the int’l upgrade, and i only have 20 pts left so can no longer try for an Intl upgrade next time. I hope now that points are fungible they shrink the disparity between 40 and 280 pts (why not 80, 280??)

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 10:31 am

      If both legs clears, only 40 points will be deducted. To prevent an unwanted loss of 20 points on a DEN-SFO flight, you can request a points-supported upgrade only on the longhaul segment.

      • Moisés Reply
        September 24, 2019 at 10:50 am

        So are you saying we could “opt out” of certain segments? I would hate for a short SAT-IAH or LAX-SFO to eat up points if what we’re looking for is the upgrade on say IAH-NRT or SFO-PEK which is what I would want my points going towards.

        • Matthew Reply
          September 24, 2019 at 11:05 am

          @Moisés: Indeed, you can opt out and still be eligible for a CPU on those routes. But if your longhaul clears, you cannot go back and add the domestic segment using the same 40 PlusPoints.

      • Steve S Reply
        September 24, 2019 at 10:55 am

        Good to know you can break it up by segment. Yeah I knew it wouldn’t deduct 60 for upgrading both but when you only get 40 pts you gotta make em count!

  10. Arthur Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 11:05 am

    It will be interesting to see how this really plays out.

    One thing I note is that with the bars for earning 1K being raised so much the last year, I suspect there will be fewer people who will see much advantage. I will probably only be Plat, after several years of 1K. (Not because of PQDs, but PQMs. Also, UA has not been very competitive on price in international business class, so I have been flying other, cheaper airlines, with better food and service.)

    A second is that I have certainly found that PZ upgrade space has become scarcer in the last year. There won’t be any advantages in this change if it is not available.

    Which brings me to a third point: You say “From “time to time” United may allow 1K members to use additional PlusPoints to bypass the waitlist and receive a confirmed upgrade at time of booking, even when upgrade fare classes (PN for Global Services members, PZ for everyone else) are not available.” That would be great for 1Ks if that happens – but I have a suspicion it will be quite elusive.

    By the way, any change to miles plus copay upgrades?

    • Matthew Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 11:09 am

      No change to the mileage upgrade + co-pay system at this time.

  11. UA-NYC Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    Another shoe will drop. Remember 1K boarding enhancements? Great, they value us!

    Then – $3k more PQD.

    • Steve S Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      I’m gonna hit 1K this year thanks to paid intl business class travel and am selfishly excited to see if the # of 1Ks decreases as many won’t get the PQD! (I’ve been Platinum for last 3 years…)

      • UA-NYC Reply
        September 24, 2019 at 3:56 pm

        Steve it likely may but don’t think it will help you’re upgrade rate any more! They just end up selling more in advance or more at checkin. 11 year 1K speaking. Upgrade rates keep going down.

  12. MeanMeosh Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    Help me understand as someone who isn’t familiar with UA’s upgrade system, and I’ll admit up front that I may be missing something obvious here. Is this really an improvement if UA doesn’t also increase upgrade availability? In other words, doesn’t it just mean an increased number of upgrade points now chasing the same (limited) number of available upgrades?

    • Gene Neps Reply
      September 24, 2019 at 7:02 pm

      Exactly! I’ve tried using my RPUs and failed. In May, I booked a trip to SIN. In July a friend with GS Status gifted me with GPUs. Only the SAN-SFO cleared immediately, I’m waitlisted for everything else even though a majority of the Polaris seats show empty. Today I booked SAN-EWR a full month in advance. Again, a majority of the first cabin shows available but I’m waitlisted anyway.

  13. Jared H Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    Wow looks like I’m flying Premium Plus a lot now, its a no brainer for just the price of 1 RPU.

  14. USBusinessTraveller Reply
    September 24, 2019 at 11:35 pm

    What? An airline making positive changes to its FF program? You’re kidding. And UNITED? Gimme a break!!

    But it’s true.

    For me (1K) this is overwhelmingly positive. I’ve already switched to a strategy of book Premium Plus long haul and GPU from there (100% success) and from December I can upgrade that for less, giving me more PlusPoints (it’s a cheesy name) for a couple of domestic upgrades.

    The only downside is not getting the free domestic upgrade on a GPU when the long haul doesn’t clear. And I’ll need to be wary of that as my long hauls invariably include a SFO-PDX. But I’ve been upgrading domestics by segment (by phone) when I have long segment/short segment trips anyway (say DTW-ORD-PDX or MIA-SFO-PDX) to protect the value of the instrument.

    Good one UA. Kirby’s recent claim that United had to compete on quality was met with massive derision. For frequent fliers like me this is a big quality upgrade.

  15. Dodson Reply
    September 26, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    Of course you’re right Matthew, no changes such as these are ever made to, net-net, benefit the customers. Adjustments, over time, will occur as market conditions warrant as they should. However, my up front question is: will these various categories be separate class buckets, or will this still just show up as PZ / PN. My suspicion is there will be now multiple upgrade buckets so these various tiers can be better controlled. Like, all else equal, Plus – Polaris might be open but not W – Polaris, etc. Has it been explicitly stated that it’s all just PZ/PN still?

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • summer travel
    Conflicting Information Creates Cloudy Summer Travel Picture January 29, 2023
  • Waldorf's take on eggs Benedict with truffle sauce and caviar
    Extending Hilton Diamond Status For Three Stays (Or Less) January 29, 2023
  • Review: Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea January 28, 2023
  • American - Delta JFK Incident Pilot Analysis
    A Veteran Commercial Airline Pilot Analyzes American – Delta Runway Incident At JFK January 28, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Casting Couch? Kuwait Airways Forces Prospective Flight Attendants To Undress For “Research Purposes” January 4, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Captain Runs Out Of Cockpit After Woman Yells “I Hope Y’All Crash And Die!” January 17, 2023
  • SWISS First Class Awards Bookable With United Airlines MileagePlus January 5, 2023
  • United Airlines 2023 Status Extension
    United Airlines Quietly Extends MileagePlus Premier Status…Again January 14, 2023

Archives

January 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Dec    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.