Originally Posted by
gitismatt
I don't think I will ever make DM, at least not at my current travel pattern, so never having the opportunity to earn GUCs is kind of a bummer for me. This UA program would effectively give me the option to have one long-haul international upgrade opportunity. That said, it doesn't look like Platinum UA members will be able to earn additional points without making it to 1K so my 40 points would basically be one one-way long haul upgrade for the year. While an international upgrade beats a regional one, I also feel like the 4 RUCs I get with DL beats one single upgrade. If I were to be at a level where DM/1K were attainable I think I would have more of a thought on this.
I do imagine a lot of 1Ks will be pissed that they're now also competing with Plats
How many domestic upgrades can a UA Platinum get with those 40 upgrade points?
One international upgrade per year can work if something ends up clearing at the gate, but it's not very helpful if you want to pick flights with upgrade availability because buying business class in only one direction can be very expensive (combinability of fares rules, for instance).