Bad news for United MileagePlus travelers: United Airlines drastically raised redemption prices for first class travel on partners like ANA and Lufthansa, a massive devaluation. I’m updating this post with United’s statement concerning the price hike.
United MileagePlus First Class Redemption Costs Rise On Lufthansa, ANA
As flagged by Chazza in a comment on Live And Let’s Fly, Lufthansa redemption rates have risen from 121K to 154K one-way between the USA and Europe. Even more alarmingly, ANA redemption rates have risen from 121K to 242K one-way between the US and Japan, a devaluation of 100%. The change was effective April 24, 2024.
While initial searches Seats.Aero suggested some differences in pricing, it is now clear that all prices have risen for both transpacific and transatlantic first class awards.
Take a look at ANA redemptions:
On Thursday (4/25), you could fly from Honolulu to Narita at the old rate of 93,500 miles. But on Friday (4/26), the same flight appeared to cost 181,500…but that pricing discrepancy has now been updated.
Next Monday (4/29), an ANA flight from Chicago to Haneda costs 242,000 miles one-way but on May 6, 2024 the same flight appeared to cost 110K…but that too now prices out at 242K.
A similar pattern was true with Lufthansa. Some flights were initially priced at the old 121K rate while some flights were priced at 154K. For example, on Thursday (4/25) a Lufthansa First flight from Frankfurt to Chicago was priced at the old 121K rate but from Munich to Boston or Newark the price was 154K. All pricing now reflects the new 154K level.
United no longer publishes an award chart and so I did not expect any official comment or confirmation, but reached to United out anyway, specifically to ask if the change was deliberate (a yes or no question) or perhaps just a glitch. I received the following response:
“Pricing for all fares, awards and revenue is highly dynamic and always changing. Nothing further to share at this time.”
Read this how you want, but I’d say this confirms the changes were quite intentional and also warns that more changes will be coming, certainly not changes we will like based on recent trends.
We’ve also seen economy class prices go up too…I’ll break down what this means for MileagePlus in an upcoming post.
Sad – I remember the old days (early 2014 and earlier) when 60K UA miles could get you F on Lufthansa to practically anywhere. I had a wedding in Nagoya, Japan, and in December 2012 I flew Lufthansa First all the way from Chicago to Nagoya via Frankfurt for 60K miles. Was a wonderful experience and even saw celebrities in the LH F lounge in Frankfurt. Another time, after they had announced it would be more miles, (the 110K miles now?) I flew LH F from Paris via Frankfurt to Washington. Still a wonderful experience with good lounge time in Frankfurt. The lesson learned? Use those miles now – they’re a depreciating asset. Good times.
Ohhhhh, the best airline in the world.
+1
Don’t miss the video on youtube.com today on LH’s 747 landing, touch and go, at LAX this afternoon; the plane was coming in too fast; what were the pilots thinking? don’t miss the video segment.
My take: Hardly matters. 90-something% of flyers can’t plan last minute enough for Lufthansa, and have fixed dates for Japan in mind rather than being willing to just book whatever shows up & plan around that.
Lifemiles continues to be my GOAT! Booked XXX-TYO-SFO for 73k miles in split Economy/First for next year!
Issue is lifemiles right now is displaying no LH group inventory likely due to their bi-weekly tech issues. Additionally, it appears AC also increased their F redemption prices by about 10k so this may become Star Alliance broad. Tough days in the points game.
Im a huge fan of lifemiles as well and have done a ton of redemptions. However im seeing some limitations with ANA right now. I see syd to nrt then hnd to Ord on United but lifemiles cannot see the flight onwards to Japan. A lot of Ana availability seems to be blacked out for lifemiles right now 🙁
I’ve used smart search and ana etc but no bueno.
I’m using the app on my phone. Any tricks you know to building this trip on lifemiles? I’ve done this route via Japan a couple of times before.
Their website may not allow co-terminal itineraries, you may have to call to book the Australia-via-Japan itinerary you said if the airport for one flight is Narita and the other is Haneda
Legend. Thank you!!!
Thanks again for your help Willem. I called and they still couldn’t ticket it. Ugh.
I used 110k United miles instead for syd -tyo-Ord. Not the end of the world especially the way United is going.
I think the devaluation is 100% not 150% as O awards all used to be 121k and are now 242k for F. I believe the 110k was for I post May 2023. That 100% would also be in line with the increase on the HNL route you mentioned.
Regardless, this is a brutal one.
But J seems untouched? At least for now?
J was already devalued somewhat recently so maybe (hopefully) not necessary.
No doubt this is in response to customer demand.
I’ve been pretty neutral about United over the past couple of years, citing problems but also defending it from what I felt was unduly harsh criticism. No longer. This is simply inexcusable. I won’t make some silly proclamation about how I’ll never fly United again but I absolutely will say that after this I’m vastly less inclined to accrue United miles since Kirby has once again proven that passengers simply cannot trust him. Would it really have killed him to give a month’s worth of notice?
Ouch.
We’re seeing the effects of the KirbyPoints he handed out when they had the EWR meltdown, aren’t we? /s
Also seeing 242k for AI F. Crazy.
Oddly, seats.aero is now showing no F for LH And ANA after Thursday. For any program redemption. I’m wondering if this is a glitch as to the devaluation.
LH796 (FRA-HKG) on Saturday and LH441 (IAH-FRA) on Sunday are both showing availability with A3 miles (assuming you are happy to pay the eye watering surcharges).
Good the points needed went up. Getting that ride for such few points was sinful. If you want to sit in the pointy end, then pay.