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"Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}

Old May 1, 2021, 4:06 pm
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This is an archive thread, the active thread is "Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}

Award travel updates

Introducing a broader range of award prices

Updates to award travel are on the horizon. For flights on or after November 15, 2019, well 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 whats currently published in our chart. You may have already seen these prices, and youll be able to get them immediately.
  • Other award prices may be higher than what you see today, especially if youre traveling at a popular time. These prices will take effect immediately for travel November 15 or after.
  • Starting November 15, were removing close-in fees, so you wont 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 whats 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 whats listed in our chart, which you may have already noticed. After November 15, award prices may also be higher, especially if youre 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.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...l-updates.html


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"Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}

Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:19 pm
  #571  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Programs: UA, LX, DL
Posts: 9
In the end I really think this is a good thing. When FFP's were first introduced about 40 years ago they created one the biggest incentive bubbles ever. The misinformation to the markets that was created by rewarding almost every consuming activity with airline points allowed demand for travel to explode and with it huge consumption for resources and services that was really not needed. Frivolous traveling has become the norm, unethical expenses are being booked in almost every company for the sake of collecting miles, huge amount of damage is being done to the environment both on the ground and in the air to accommodate everyones travel whims, and airliners are being built and hydrocarbons are being pumped in complete disregard of climate change. Thankfully the airlines now operating as monopolies or oligopolies are not noticing that by getting greedy they risk destroying the long term love affair of consumers with their product.

I had always been a huge fan of these programs collecting millions of milles since I was in my early twenty's (I'm now in my mid 50's). I was able to enjoy Pan Am's First Class galore (among others) with availability and service that would make today FF's eat their heart out. Nonetheless, I always suspected of the detrimental effects that unchecked growth of these programs would bring about -some of which I mention above. So, I'm thankful that United is taking these steps (unknowingly) in order to bring us all back into our senses. Perhaps we will now start booking again based on our real travel needs at price points that we can afford rather than for the sake of collecting ever more worthless miles.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:26 pm
  #572  
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Originally Posted by mahasamatman
While everyone's focusing on the negatives, I really like the fact that the close-in fees are going away.
That may be a bone they tossed to keep the furor down and maybe entice people not to bail.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:30 pm
  #573  
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Eliminating the close-in fee is another Delta copy.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:44 pm
  #574  
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Originally Posted by mahasamatman
Dynamic pricing has been here for a while - I just paid 65,000 for a domestic round-trip two weeks ago. But the cash fare was ridiculous, so it was still a deal in the end.
It's not the dynamic pricing that's the negative -- it's the lack of a cap.

Your 65K redemption today could be 150K in December.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:44 pm
  #575  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BUR / LAX
Programs: UA MM/Gold; WN A-list; HH something depends
Posts: 1,518
Wow. I just booked award tickets for November 29 yesterday. I normally use my UA miles for international business class, and we usually travel off season. Fingers crossed. It could be ok for me at least for a little while. I know partner awards aren't supposed to change, but just for kicks I checked the flights I booked yesterday as 80k one way saver and there's still availability on *A at 80k saver, including my itinerary. This round trip for two and knocked my UA balance down to 90k'ish, with my Chase balance considerably higher -- so glad I switched over to the Sapphire Reserve!
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:49 pm
  #576  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G
Posts: 880
OK. One question. How will wait-listing for I class work. Right now, you buy Saver (X class) and wait list for Business (I class) by having the mileage difference pre-deducted from your account. But if future I class awards have no fixed mileage price (until they are released, anyway), how can you pre-deduct the miles from a person's account? Further, what if when I class is released it is priced at a ridiculous number of miles. Will you have to pay it, or can you refuse it at that time. Or is the concept of a Saver award just going away?
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:55 pm
  #577  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,711
So I got an email today from United telling me I'm switching all my spend to Marriott cards..

Since I'm always chasing status, I use my miles for friends and family when the mileage value is better than the cash fare, and a little bit for the change flexibility as a 1K.

Dynamic pricing just means the value redemptions (ie someone needs to get to a funeral tomorrow and the airfare is $700 but there's still saver availability) will go away.

And if the miles basically just have cash value, might as well just use a cash back card.

Feel like United is killing the Golden Goose here... Kinda hard to sell miles no one wants.

Last edited by raehl311; Apr 5, 2019 at 7:57 pm Reason: Typo
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 7:56 pm
  #578  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL SM/MM, AA Gold, HH Dia, PC Plat, ALL Gold, MR Gold
Posts: 4,547
I don't see anything positive in UA's announcement except for one thing: The announcement itself. Delta never communicated their changes, and their stealth approach continues today.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:00 pm
  #579  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
Originally Posted by Polytonic
Seems like I chose the wrong year to start crediting back to United. Thankfully I'm only ~20k RDM in so far.

Hopefully they won't touch the partner award chart.
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking."
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:02 pm
  #580  
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Posts: 16,622
Originally Posted by wco81
That may be a bone they tossed to keep the furor down and maybe entice people not to bail.
dont think i ever paid that fee, so... not an enticement for me,
notquiteaff is online now  
Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:02 pm
  #581  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,711
Originally Posted by 3Cforme
Eliminating the close-in fee is another Delta copy.
The close in fee exists to protect last-minute-fares-cost-more cash pricing.

When you just charge more miles for last minute fares to begin with it doesn't serve a function anymore. Just make the number of miles needed so exorbitant that only the cash fare is an option.

Far more effective than a close-in fee that still often isn't enough to stop cheap mileage redemptions relative to cash airfare.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:03 pm
  #582  
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Originally Posted by seenitall
OK. One question. How will wait-listing for I class work. Right now, you buy Saver (X class) and wait list for Business (I class) by having the mileage difference pre-deducted from your account. But if future I class awards have no fixed mileage price (until they are released, anyway), how can you pre-deduct the miles from a person's account? Further, what if when I class is released it is priced at a ridiculous number of miles. Will you have to pay it, or can you refuse it at that time. Or is the concept of a Saver award just going away?
Either waitlisting will go away, or there will be some kind of underlying price that they use when I is not available. (I think the GS T->XN privilege will fall in the same boat). I'm not sure they've figured it out yet.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:05 pm
  #583  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,711
Originally Posted by mahasamatman
While everyone's focusing on the negatives, I really like the fact that the close-in fees are going away.

Dynamic pricing has been here for a while - I just paid 65,000 for a domestic round-trip two weeks ago. But the cash fare was ridiculous, so it was still a deal in the end.
​​​​​​
The close-in fees aren't going away, they're just switching to miles. After Nov. 15 that 65,000 miles + close-in fee ticket will just be a 100,000 mile ticket.

Originally Posted by nomad420
Off topic but basic rule here, if someone is scheduled to fly on that flight that PAX (original ticket holder) has priority over all others regardless of status. From what I understand they WILL NOT do it (even for GS).
​​​​​They'll do it if the Y fare is higher than what they'd have to give out in IDB compensation...

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 5, 2019 at 9:49 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:22 pm
  #584  
nsx
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Originally Posted by zebranz
and what will be the new name of MP?
MileagePonzi
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 8:28 pm
  #585  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,950
Originally Posted by seenitall
... How will wait-listing for I class work...
Dynamic pricing, in theory, balances supply/demand and makes waitlisting obsolete. A high-demand J seat that today goes for 70,000 miles and has a WL of 20+ can ostensibly be priced at 200,000 miles come November. Academically, I am curious how many takers there will be at that price.

OTOH, I'd be interested to explore the feasibility of a bidding system for the unsold seats close-in.

Last edited by sinoflyer; Apr 5, 2019 at 8:31 pm Reason: OTOH
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