Back in September, United announced changes to how members can request upgrades. Previously, elite members could use certificates to upgrade to the next cabin of service on short or long haul flights. Platinum members got 2 Regional Premier Upgrades (RPU), while 1K and Global Services got an additional 6 Global Premier Upgrades (GPU).
As of this morning, United launch PlusPoints, which does away with the certificate system and instead, installs a points based debit system.
United’s upgrade changes are one of those rare moves that are actually beneficial to the customer. Key points are:
- Points won’t be deducted until you actually clear, which in theory means you can request multiple upgrades.
- The amount of points deducted are only what you clear. This means if you’re flying Atlanta – San Francisco – Hong Kong, and only the Atlanta – SFO portion clears, only 20 points will be deducted, rather than the 40 it would take for the SFO-HKG portion.
- Platinum members can now request for Polaris upgrades
- For additional points, you can skip the waitlist on select flights
- Discount economy fares are finally upgradeable, meaning you no longer have to shell out more money and still not get the upgrade.
As of this morning, elites with current certificates have been converted to the new Points. Moving forward, here is what the earning looks like for Platinum and 1K members:
| Status level | Current | New |
| Platinum | 2 Regional Premier Upgrades | 40 PlusPoints |
| 1K | 2 Regional Premier Upgrades and 6 Global Premier Upgrades* | 280 PlusPoints (plus the 40 you earned with Platinum status) |
| 1K earning additional upgrades | 1 Global Premier Upgrade for every 25,000 PQM or 30 PQS | Additional 40 PlusPoints for every 25,000 PQM or 30 PQS |
One of the biggest winners with these changes is that Platinums now have the ability to request upgrades to Polaris Business, something they previously couldn’t. I’m most intrigued by the “Skip the Waitlist” option and how the select flights asterisk affects usability.
What about my current RPU/GPU requests?
Existing requests using GPU’s or RPU’s remain in place. Currently, Leigh and I are awaiting an upgrade from economy (V) to Polaris Business on the 777-300ER. I don’t see an ability online to “skip the waitlist”, so I’ll give the 1K Desk a ring later today to see if that’s possible.
Of course I would be thrilled if our upgrade to Polaris already cleared. With that said, the advantage of it having not cleared means that if we’re only able to get to Premium Plus, then I won’t have to burn all 40 points (per person), where previously it would’ve taken the GPU either way.
How Much will upgrades cost?
Flights are broken down into either long haul or short haul.
Short haul is defined as flights without United Polaris business and include flights within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and premium transcontinental service; flights between the U.S. and Canada; Bogota, Colombia; Central America; Caribbean; Mexico and Quito, Ecuador; flights between Guam and Honolulu, including island hopper service; and intra-Asia flights.
| Upgrade from: | Upgrade to: | PlusPoints |
| United Economy® | United First® or United Business® | 20 |
| United Economy | United Premium Plus | 20 |
| United Premium Plus | United Business | 10 |
Long haul is defined as flights with United Polaris business, including flights between the U.S. and Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, South America, and Tahiti.
| Upgrade from: | Upgrade to: | PlusPoints |
| Discounted Economy* | United Polaris business | 80 |
| United Economy | United Polaris business | 40 |
| United Premium Plus | United Polaris business | 30 |
| United Economy | United Premium Plus | 20 |
How to book using PlusPoints
In practice, not much has changed with how to view, request, or confirm upgrades. You’ll still need to use the Advanced Search feature when booking, which takes you to this page. At the bottom, you’ll want to select Points Plus as the Upgrade Type.
Once you get to the search results, you’ll noticed the UI is much cleaner than it was before. Confirmable upgrades are clearly denoted.
What I don’t see is the ability to Skip the Waitlist, so at this point, it’s usefulness appears to be TBD. I would expect to learn more as the new program moves into next year. It would also be nice to be able to see the first available date with confirmable space, rather than having to manually search multiple days.
Overall thoughts
Again, it’s nice to see a positive development in the travel world, especially as more and more companies devalue their programs. Upgrades have always been the most valuable rewards for United’s elites, and improving usability is a win for everyone. The only downside I see is for 1Ks and Global Services, because now that Platinums have the ability to go from coach to Polaris, they can take upgrades if there’s availability at the time of booking.
The biggest benefit I see is the flexibility that comes with a point system vs certificates. Depending on your travel patterns, a 1K can potentially upgrade:
- 16 one-way short haul flights
- 16 economy to Premium Plus flights
- 12 Premium Plus to Polaris flights
As a 1K that’s about to re-qualify, I’m personally excited about these changes, though I do wish there was an easier way to search for clearable upgrade space. I’m hoping the Skip the Waitlist ability becomes easier to use, as I would absolutely use more points on my flight in a couple of weeks.
What are your thoughts on United’s upgrade changes?
