I already predicted back in June that PlusPoints would move to dynamic pricing, so this change doesn’t surprise me. My feelings are the same as with dynamic MUA: they look good on paper but end up offering terrible value for most people. Fixed upgrade amounts, whether using miles or PlusPoints, were far more useful for anyone booking higher fare classes because they offered clarity and predictability. These new dynamic prices are almost never worth it.

Lately I’m seeing quotes of $799 or 79k miles to upgrade a ticket that already cost me nearly $2k because it booked into M, B, or Y. That same upgrade used to cost as little as 15k miles with no co-pay on TATL routes. I’d never spend 79k miles on that. I’d rather just pay the fare difference, which is exactly what United wants most travelers to do. I’m expecting PlusPoints upgrades to start at 60–80 points by 2027, up from the current 40. It’s a disappointing change, but honestly, it aligns with my expectations given how aggressively the program has been devalued since I first hit 1K back in 2020.