May 1, 2021, 1:27 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Award travel updates
The details:
Archive: "Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}
Introducing a broader range of award prices
Updates to award travel are on the horizon. For flights on or after November 15, 2019, we’ll no longer publish an award chart listing the set amount of miles needed for each flight.The details:
- Some award prices will be lower than what’s currently published in our chart. You may have already seen these prices, and you’ll be able to get them immediately.
- Other award prices may be higher than what you see today, especially if you’re traveling at a popular time. These prices will take effect immediately for travel November 15 or after.
- Starting November 15, we’re removing close-in fees, so you won’t be charged the extra fee of up to $75 for booking last-minute award travel.
- A flexible award travel calendar is available on united.com or in our app.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is changing?
For travel on or after November 15, we will no longer publish an award chart listing the set amount of miles needed for award flights. Award pricing will now fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including demand. Additionally, starting November 15, we will no longer charge a fee of up to $75 for award flights booked within 21 days of departure.When will these updates take effect?
The award pricing changes apply immediately to flights on or after November 15, 2019. Until then, award prices will be the same as or lower than what’s currently published in our award chart.How many miles will I need for award travel after November 15?
Award prices will now fluctuate based on a variety of factors. Some air awards will be available for less than what’s listed in our chart, which you may have already noticed. After November 15, award prices may also be higher, especially if you’re traveling at popular times. Use our flexible award calendar to get a monthly view of the award prices for a specific destination.Why are you making these changes?
Increasing award prices for the most in-demand flights allows us to offer better returns for our shareholders. If your award travel is flexible, these updates will help you make the most of your miles.How will these updates affect award travel availability?
United MileagePlus members with Premier® status and qualifying United Chase Cardmembers can continue to book award travel without blackout dates. For other members, most award flights that are available today will continue to be available after these updates take effect.Do the lowest-priced awards have any extra flight restrictions?
No. Our lowest priced awards do not have any added restrictions; the fare rules for all award travel apply.How can I find the lowest priced award for my travel?
The award calendar on united.com or in our app will continue to show the lowest available price for your destination.Will I earn miles on my flight if I book an award?
No. As with current award bookings, award travel in the future will not be eligible to earn miles with MileagePlus or any other loyalty program.What if I need to change my existing award?
If you need to change your award ticket, you will be issued a new ticket for which new pricing and additional fees may apply.What if I purchase a close-in award before November 15
The close-in booking fee will still apply to all tickets booked within 21 days of departure prior to November 15, 2019. We will not refund fees paid prior to November 15, even if travel occurs on or after November 15.
Archive: "Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}
"Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... (No Award Chart Nov 2019)
May 2, 2023, 4:16 pm
#121
Join Date: Jul 2022
Programs: United MileagePlus
Posts: 336
Maybe but its a pretty clear increase across the board. And i did specifically ask the chat agent did the price of USA-Europe economy awards go from 30 to 40k last night. The answer was a simple yes. No hesitation. Seems they were told something. While there are no charts anymore their is a baseline saver price. [...]its pretty clear that they have increased average economy award pricing.
And that answer was clearly wrong, as displayed later in the thread. (The UK is in the Europe region).
The end of the award chart means just that -- there is no more chart. UA does not publish fares. I've seen domestic Y "saver" awards at higher than the old 12.5K each way, and I've seen them at much lower than 12.5K.
The end of the award chart means just that -- there is no more chart. UA does not publish fares. I've seen domestic Y "saver" awards at higher than the old 12.5K each way, and I've seen them at much lower than 12.5K.
May 2, 2023, 5:43 pm
#122
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: Chase and American Express
Posts: 260
Its very odd. They have 9 business class seats open but still charging 158k points for it. On seat map there are 15 empty seats.
Anyways didnt feel like waiting any longer so i chose a flight with a 2 hour layover in geneva for 76300 miles each for 3 people. Got 711 pqp for it. Email says i get 1 pqf but my future flight tracker says i get 2. I wonder which one is right.
Anyways didnt feel like waiting any longer so i chose a flight with a 2 hour layover in geneva for 76300 miles each for 3 people. Got 711 pqp for it. Email says i get 1 pqf but my future flight tracker says i get 2. I wonder which one is right.
May 2, 2023, 6:08 pm
#123
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,852
UA has losts of historu on later purchasers and UA is probably preferring cash upgraders (of which it also has history)
Seatmaps can be very misleading
1 for each UA operated flight. No credit for partner award flights.
May 2, 2023, 6:39 pm
#124
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 73
Clearly overnight (to 5/1) a big change was implemented. Is it possible that it's not forever? Sure. But I've searched so many fares, dates, cities, etc, and it was pretty clear that 10K was added. Hopefully this isn't forever, but as of now, this is where we are at. The label of "saver award" to 40K EU fares has never been seen (by me) before.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 2, 2023 at 9:11 pm Reason: Discuss the issue, not the poster(s)
May 2, 2023, 9:46 pm
#125
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: Chase and American Express
Posts: 260
My ewr - geneva connecting flight also had 9 seats left according to expert mode but i guess frankfurt has a different threshold now. I've been watching for about 2 weeks now and united has not gone lower than about 120k for frankfurt even on the last day. January/february i had no problems getting for around 63k i believe both times i went for trade shows.
Guess the future flight tracker is glitching then. I'll update you guys if it counts the geneva - lufthansa flight
May 3, 2023, 5:37 am
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,042
Clearly overnight (to 5/1) a big change was implemented. Is it possible that it's not forever? Sure. But I've searched so many fares, dates, cities, etc, and it was pretty clear that 10K was added. Hopefully this isn't forever, but as of now, this is where we are at. The label of "saver award" to 40K EU fares has never been seen (by me) before.
May 3, 2023, 5:41 am
#127
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
We just booked a trip for two weeks from now from TYO to NYC -- same price as ever - no changes... This is dynamic pricing -- and people are booking now for summer holidays to the EU -- so if you want to use miles you are going to pay more.... Welcome to Kirbyland...
May 3, 2023, 8:57 am
#128
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
If you've waited until now to use your points for summer travel in '23 you should have no complaints on points prices. Flights are quite full and every seat that is redeemed is a seat that could be sold for cash.
May 3, 2023, 10:25 am
#129
Join Date: Jun 2022
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond, United MileagePlus Platinum
Posts: 26
Anyone else also seeing paid upgrades increase on award tickets? A week ago ORD-FCO in Oct was $1500 one way, $2500 on the return for Polaris from a XN fare. Both shot up to $5100 for each leg seemingly overnight (same time as we're seeing all of this other US>EU award price increases). PP is now $2500 for each of the flights (up from ~$1400).
I'm aware these have always been dynamically priced based on demand and whatever cash price UA thinks they can get. Just odd to me they'd both increase 100-300% to the same price for PP and Polaris - especially when I can book the same flights via cash fare in Z RT for $4400. Curious if there are any other DPs out there.
Mods - sorry if this belongs in another thread. Just seems to be correlated with what others are seeing here re: XN fare increases.
I'm aware these have always been dynamically priced based on demand and whatever cash price UA thinks they can get. Just odd to me they'd both increase 100-300% to the same price for PP and Polaris - especially when I can book the same flights via cash fare in Z RT for $4400. Curious if there are any other DPs out there.
Mods - sorry if this belongs in another thread. Just seems to be correlated with what others are seeing here re: XN fare increases.
May 3, 2023, 10:43 am
#130
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 274
There is definitely a baseline increase. LHR is always treated differently since it's a competitive market and cash price much cheaper. But to most part of continental Europe, the baseline was 30/33k while now it's pretty much always 43.9k.
The baseline is quite easy to verify, just look at the 30 days calendar, and pick some random cities that's not ZRH/FRA/MUC, And to people arguing it's dynamic pricing, why they are all same to different cities. And it's not just summer, I didn't check carefully, but I'm pretty sure it extends all the way to end of schedule. So there has always been a fixed baseline price so far, and it did just got a significant jump.
The baseline is quite easy to verify, just look at the 30 days calendar, and pick some random cities that's not ZRH/FRA/MUC, And to people arguing it's dynamic pricing, why they are all same to different cities. And it's not just summer, I didn't check carefully, but I'm pretty sure it extends all the way to end of schedule. So there has always been a fixed baseline price so far, and it did just got a significant jump.
May 3, 2023, 11:35 am
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Sorry, don't agree with this at all. MileagePlus markets its points as valuable currency and United makes a lot of money from the program. The idea that the only seats that should be available for awards are "leftover" or "surplus" is a fallacy.
May 3, 2023, 11:50 am
#132
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Anyone else also seeing paid upgrades increase on award tickets? A week ago ORD-FCO in Oct was $1500 one way, $2500 on the return for Polaris from a XN fare. Both shot up to $5100 for each leg seemingly overnight (same time as we're seeing all of this other US>EU award price increases). PP is now $2500 for each of the flights (up from ~$1400).
I'm aware these have always been dynamically priced based on demand and whatever cash price UA thinks they can get. Just odd to me they'd both increase 100-300% to the same price for PP and Polaris - especially when I can book the same flights via cash fare in Z RT for $4400. Curious if there are any other DPs out there.
Mods - sorry if this belongs in another thread. Just seems to be correlated with what others are seeing here re: XN fare increases.
I'm aware these have always been dynamically priced based on demand and whatever cash price UA thinks they can get. Just odd to me they'd both increase 100-300% to the same price for PP and Polaris - especially when I can book the same flights via cash fare in Z RT for $4400. Curious if there are any other DPs out there.
Mods - sorry if this belongs in another thread. Just seems to be correlated with what others are seeing here re: XN fare increases.
May 3, 2023, 12:13 pm
#133
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,405
My primary point is that nobody would have created a thread, or commented on it, just because they saw a cash price increase. We need to treat award flights the same way, because that's what UA is doing.
Every seat on a UA-operated flight is available. If you would like to pay fewer miles, your inventory options are smaller, and possibly non-existent. (Although, if you're patient, they may return). There is no fallacy here -- just a difference of opinion, and your opinion, while very pro-consumer, is obviously not shared by UA, based on their actions.
May 3, 2023, 12:26 pm
#134
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
They are available, just not at the traditional economy saver award levels (30k to Europe). On the good flights, these are typically not at saver levels now if searching for the summer. You can still get 40K level each way but expect to stop in Newark etc, which I assume these are still considered somewhat surplus or distressed. From the west coast it's 70K typically for summer of 23. Given that the flights are selling for $1500 plus theres still some value here.
Last edited by escapefromphl; May 3, 2023 at 12:31 pm
May 3, 2023, 12:30 pm
#135
Join Date: Jul 2022
Programs: United MileagePlus
Posts: 336
Similar parallel imo to X fare prices jumping overnight (but hopefully I fares remain stable in price), but obviously not a 1:1 situation. Anyways, i think the whole purpose of this thread is to share a blanket devaluation of UA miles for economy-cabin travel, not whether or not dynamic pricing exists (it does).