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2013 Changes to United Mileage Plus

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Old Jan 3, 2013, 9:40 am
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2013 Changes to United Mileage Plus
There have already been several announced and unannounced changes to the 2013 frequent flyer program, so I thought I would try to compile them in one thread. Updates will follow as more changes are announced and/or discovered.

Revised early boarding privileges:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...th-2013-a.html

Elimination of first class reward inventory reserved for elite members:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-1-2013-a.html

Extended annual GPU and RPU expiration dates:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...id-longer.html

More cumbersome GPU usage process on Lufthansa:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...t-process.html

IAH-LIM BusinessFirst upgrade will require GPU or miles, not CPU or RPU eligible:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...th-2013-a.html

Reduced partner EQM earning, specifically 150% to 100% for premium fares:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...150-100-a.html

Lowered status challenge mileage requirements (may change monthly):
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...quirement.html
Last edited by SFOPhD; Feb 12, 2013 at 10:49 pm
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 10:22 am
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Originally Posted by SFOPhD



Reduced partner EQM earning, specifically 150% to 100% for premium fares:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...150-100-a.html
this makes alot of sense to me at least. If UA isnt getting anything out of it not its metal or code-shared why promote any other Carrier when if a person flys say on LX or LH they will get some $$

also didnt check yet, are those Carriers still crediting its members 150% for the same fare basis tkts o UA metal? maybe its a joint decission or UA matching what the others did 1st
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 11:11 am
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How about a long promised benefit that is apparently not materializing? To me that's a change worth noting.

"No expanded upgrade nor business class awards for elites"

(Someone please point me to any flight, any date, where IN>I or RN>R - I never see them)
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 11:27 am
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Thanks for gathering these in one place.

How about the removal of the restriction of buying a W fare to Oceania?
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 11:50 am
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Originally Posted by bmvaughn
Thanks for gathering these in one place.

How about the removal of the restriction of buying a W fare to Oceania?
Is that a wish or a reality?
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 11:52 am
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Originally Posted by BH62
Is that a wish or a reality?
Upgrade rules show that Oceania flights no longer require W fares. Note the lack of an asterisk on that line:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...e/default.aspx
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 12:31 pm
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Just to be clear, you're talking about intra-Oceania flights. So basically the island hopper. That's not a change.

And the intra-Asia change was made when they changed equipment to the 737.
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 12:32 pm
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Originally Posted by Driving by DCA
Just to be clear, you're talking about intra-Oceania flights. So basically the island hopper. That's not a change.

And the intra-Asia change was made when they changed equipment to the 737.
The page says "Intra-Asia, Oceania" not "Intra-Asia, Intra-Oceania".
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 12:36 pm
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Originally Posted by bmvaughn
The page says "Intra-Asia, Oceania" not "Intra-Asia, Intra-Oceania".
Good luck making that stick.
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 12:53 pm
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Originally Posted by UA-NYC
How about a long promised benefit that is apparently not materializing? To me that's a change worth noting.

"No expanded upgrade nor business class awards for elites"

(Someone please point me to any flight, any date, where IN>I or RN>R - I never see them)
I know you don't mention ON, but isn't its removal as a Plat/1K/GS benefit part of the same change?

Last year I have at least 4 (or 2 or 5 depending on how you count) examples out of < 10 MP tickets booked:
  1. IN: FRA-EWR. A KTM-DOH-FRA-EWR ticket in business as a gift for a family member using my (1K) miles. This ended up going unused (refunded).
  2. IN & ON (LGA-ORD & ORD-BKK, respectively). Part of LGA-ORD-NRT-BKK-KTM (last segment TG I). Also a gift to a family member. Later changed to JFK-FRA-BKK-KTM on LH F (A380!), TG F, and TG C (no F on BKK-KTM).
  3. ON: FRA-ORD: For myself as part of a longer trip with UA I and LH I.
  4. IN: CVG-ORD: Another gift to a family member. Return was XN (upgraded due to PPlus MC).

Call me naive, but I assume that a booking in XN, IN, or ON means that X, I, or O, respectively, were not available. Also, please pardon my use of both F & O and C & I.
Last edited by ralfp; Jan 3, 2013 at 12:58 pm Reason: Forgot one
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 1:16 pm
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Originally Posted by ralfp
I know you don't mention ON, but isn't its removal as a Plat/1K/GS benefit part of the same change?

Last year I have at least 4 (or 2 or 5 depending on how you count) examples out of < 10 MP tickets booked:
  1. IN: FRA-EWR. A KTM-DOH-FRA-EWR ticket in business as a gift for a family member using my (1K) miles. This ended up going unused (refunded).
  2. IN & ON (LGA-ORD & ORD-BKK, respectively). Part of LGA-ORD-NRT-BKK-KTM (last segment TG I). Also a gift to a family member. Later changed to JFK-FRA-BKK-KTM on LH F (A380!), TG F, and TG C (no F on BKK-KTM).
  3. ON: FRA-ORD: For myself as part of a longer trip with UA I and LH I.
  4. IN: CVG-ORD: Another gift to a family member. Return was XN (upgraded due to PPlus MC).

Call me naive, but I assume that a booking in XN, IN, or ON means that X, I, or O, respectively, were not available. Also, please pardon my use of both F & O and C & I.
ON is already a declared downgrade (per UA Insider); I'm suggesting the lack of active IN>I and RN>R as promised is really an unspoken downgrade as well.

I had many segments also booked in IN as well - but that doesn't mean IN>I for those examples. Sometimes when I booked a trip it showed IN in the receipt, sometimes I. But they were always the same inventory at booking.

As I posted, I'd love to see anyone post any route, any date where IN>I or RN>R.
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 2:26 pm
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Originally Posted by UA-NYC
ON is already a declared downgrade (per UA Insider); I'm suggesting the lack of active IN>I and RN>R as promised is really an unspoken downgrade as well.

I had many segments also booked in IN as well - but that doesn't mean IN>I for those examples. Sometimes when I booked a trip it showed IN in the receipt, sometimes I. But they were always the same inventory at booking.

As I posted, I'd love to see anyone post any route, any date where IN>I or RN>R.
The IN>I & RN>R benefit might not have existed even when we thought it did. My brother has no status, and had no issues booking award seats on flights that showed I=0 but IN>1. In other words, at least in his case, on two separate trips to Europe, he had access to the IN ticket bucket, even though he had no status. It appeared to be something that the phone agents could over-ride without issue. Of course, sample size=2.

(To be clear, the awards were purchased with miles from his account, that of a non-elite, not mine)
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 2:27 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by bmvaughn
The page says "Intra-Asia, Oceania" not "Intra-Asia, Intra-Oceania".
However, two boxes above have Australia/New Zealand which has an asterisk.

The Oceania flights are GUM-CNS/HKG/MNL/NRT/NGO/KOR/KWJ/etc.

At least SIN-HKG is CPUable on the 747 ^
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 2:53 pm
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Originally Posted by UA-NYC
How about a long promised benefit that is apparently not materializing? To me that's a change worth noting.

"No expanded upgrade nor business class awards for elites"

(Someone please point me to any flight, any date, where IN>I or RN>R - I never see them)
I have booked IN several times where I=0 (as recently as this week), and also booked RN when R=0. I have done both of these in the last 60 days, and see them routinely. If I get the change I will look for some specific flights (although I dont have EF or KVM so I might not have the time).
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Old Jan 3, 2013, 5:07 pm
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Originally Posted by Red_Rob
I have booked IN several times where I=0 (as recently as this week), and also booked RN when R=0. I have done both of these in the last 60 days, and see them routinely. If I get the change I will look for some specific flights (although I dont have EF or KVM so I might not have the time).
I'm sure they exist - but they're about as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster Please, for my own sanity / curiosity, if anyone finds a case of any flight where RN>R or IN>I, please post it. Regardless, it's clearly the exception as opposed to the rule (benefit) it's supposed to be.

I search daily on KVS, which is lightning fast, and returns 20+ options each time you search a citypair. And it's formatted so it's easy to scan down in the R/RN and I/IN columns. Without fail, there's never any difference.
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