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

Old May 1, 2021, 4:06 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
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 6, 2019, 11:25 am
  #646  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,145
Originally Posted by st530
I'm around 2.65 M lifetime UA miles and will probably slog through with United and the Chase MileagePlus Club Card for a couple of more years to get to 3 M, then re-assess. Or should I switch now to AMEX Plat or Chase Sapphire Reserve even if I'll still be flying mostly all UA for a couple of more years? (Not as savvy with the CC's as I should be ...)
Do you value the UA Club membership from the credit card? If so, keep it even if you don't put your spend on it.
Do you rely on the PQD waiver via the Club Card? If so, you might need to keep it for $25K spend.
My personal plan will be to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x travel/dining) and Chase Freedom Unliimted (for everything else at 1.5x transferrable points into Chase Ultimate Rewards). Then I can decide what miles I may want to convert those rewards into per Chase's transfer partners.

Originally Posted by glbltvlr
No - just commenting that UA has effectively raised the miles required for international J to the UK by not releasing any Saver seats. The suggestion above to look at partners was good. There do seem to be Swiss and TAP J seats open in the fall for 70K each way. Not a fan of the extra stop, but if that's what it takes.
Indeed, partners will be your best bet. Consider economy for the return if it's a day flight.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 6, 2019 at 11:52 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
FlyingHighlander is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 11:34 am
  #647  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BUR / LAX
Programs: UA MM/Gold; WN A-list; HH something depends
Posts: 1,519
Originally Posted by glbltvlr
I've accrued over 500K miles that I'd like to use for a couple of J tickets to the UK, but the redemption rate has been raised so high that I haven't been able to use them.
I've found UA almost impossible for savers to where I want to go, so partners+connect it is. Well worth a possible stop (or even a Southwest positioning flight depending where you live) to get value and redeem for J, and the partner airlines are lovely. From LA, routing through SF or Houston or Chicago means a short (E+) hop on UA, connecting to a partner to maximize the long haul business flight. Can't really do an overnight stop or 23 hour stop anymore, but I can still find fun opportunities to have enough time to run into Zurich, Frankfurt, wherever for a few hours if that's my connection point -- we actually enjoy the impromptu mini-adventures even if we just check out a museum.
abaheti is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 11:57 am
  #648  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,948
Originally Posted by sincx
Why did prices drop after deregulation? Competition. Why are prices going back up? Reduced competition due to consolidation.

And for the record, the underlying source for the services decreases and price increases is a WSJ article, which is about as far away from "anti-globalization" as you can get.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/airline...est-1441912457
Airline Consolidation Hits Smaller Cities Hardest
Fliers fare unevenly after big carriers merge, place emphasis on profits
Routes to smaller cities and towns are less profitable than large business centers. What I think you are upset about is that major airlines will no longer subsidize unprofitable routes merely for the sake of the route network. I believe in paying what the market says something should cost, not what a government bureaucrat says it should cost. While I am not happy having to pay 1K O/W for Y fares to CPR and HDN, etc., I am happy that UA is maintaining these routes and giving me the option to get there.

Did you know that candy prices are up almost 20% in 1 1/2 years? What about real estate in Palo Alto?
Sorry, my friend, it is all about supply and demand. It has nothing to due with lack of competition or anti-competitive practices.
zombietooth is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:18 pm
  #649  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 470
So this means 60-80K business saver international flights to Europe/Australia are gone?! This blows since I have been racking up ultimate reward points (close to 300K) and just got the business united explorer...if I remember well, transferring points to united to get the business saver awards was the best value of UR points, even was better than the %150 travel value with chase reserve...
PS: I live in Wisconsin and ORD Chicago would be the ideal airport for international travel
good_boy_1234 is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:21 pm
  #650  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 709
Originally Posted by good_boy_1234
So this means 60-80K business saver international flights to Europe/Australia are gone?!
No.Just that Polaris seats will be few and far between. At least for the time being, partner J seats seem to be available.
glbltvlr is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:31 pm
  #651  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,606
This latest devaluation should finally put to rest the myth that Oscar is some sort of insider activist for UA Elite flyers. Kirby is determined to do away with any incentive to maximize your flying with UA. De nada!
manstein58 is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:33 pm
  #652  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,299
This makes me really glad I just purchased an EK F/J ticket (accruing to AS) over a *A itinerary for my next BKK trip. With 400k UA miles, I am now in burn mode, and I expect to buy away from UA even more with this change. Not clear to me that 1K will be worth it after this year.
Kacee is online now  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:47 pm
  #653  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-SIN-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,605
Originally Posted by aussieinsf
Delta has SkyPesos. Will it become MileagePaisa for United or does someone else have a better option?
(100 Indian Paisa = 1 Indian Rupee, approx. 70 Indian Rupees = 1 US Dollar)
^ Precisely!

Originally Posted by manstein58
De nada!
Right on.

Originally Posted by glbltvlr
No - just commenting that UA has effectively raised the miles required for international J to the UK by not releasing any Saver seats. The suggestion above to look at partners was good. There do seem to be Swiss and TAP J seats open in the fall for 70K each way. Not a fan of the extra stop, but if that's what it takes.
Personally, I have had the experience of finding *nothing* between EWR and BOM with partners recently - as against Aeroplan availability showing - which was becoming very suspicious in any case...

That's why I took the (very weird) step (for me) to start putting spend on my Barclays M&M card (now doing it in force) - as I was able to book LH flights immediately vs. *nothing* except Y being shown through United MP... (Yes, only United metal as well showing!)

I'm actually considering calling Chase to cancel my United credit cards, 1 by 1, specifically asking them if they have others with Miles&More, Alaskan - because of the recent announcement.

I had to waitlist a biz saver on an EWR-Europe flight on UA metal for my daughter - doubt it will clear until the last possible moment - just like our GPUs are doing these days...
SuperFlyBoy is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:50 pm
  #654  
mr8
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: UA1K | *A Gold
Posts: 767
Originally Posted by zombietooth
...
Did you know that candy prices are up almost 20% in 1 1/2 years? What about real estate in Palo Alto?
Sorry, my friend, it is all about supply and demand. It has nothing to due with lack of competition or anti-competitive practices.
So people are consuming 20% more candy or did the supply of candy decrease somehow?
Wouldn't supply and demand dictate that flying in/out of regionals with less demand = cheaper fares and high demand hub-to-hub be more expensive...?
Originally Posted by good_boy_1234
So this means 60-80K business saver international flights to Europe/Australia are gone?! ...
My guess is the economy award tickets will probably go down (YAY for chase!) and premium cabin redemptions will go up..
Thanks Chase!
mr8 is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:56 pm
  #655  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,960
I am at the risk of losing my 1K next year and I have been debating whether to go for it through mileage runs like I did last year. This really helped me decide against it.

I am one of those people who spend more time managing my frequent flyer miles than investments. My logic is simple: I know my returns with my miles (i.e. because of award charts) but I don't know how the market will behave. I mostly stopped flying on WN when they RR 2.0 came out because of variable pricing. So, without knowing my returns for UA miles, why try so hard to get them?

Now, I wonder how UA will calculated / allocate domestic connection legs for *A connections. For a while, it was really bad. For example, there can be tons of *A TPAC award flights out of SFO/LAX but there is none getting you to SFO/LAX.

You wonder what is next....
username is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 12:58 pm
  #656  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA LT GS | UA LT Club | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,250
I feel the 1Ks are missing the forest from the trees.

1. Average 1K probably accumulates ~200K miles/yr
2. This new system is probably a 20% devaluation = $400
3. You're still awarded 6 GPUs/yr. Worth $2K each = $12K
4. The new PP will suck up a huge # of GPUs making Polaris upgrades more accessible.
5. Mileage devaluation will require more miles for flights, thereby leaving fewer miles for Polaris upgrades. So again, Polaris more accesable with GPUs.

So the financial impact of the devaluation is minimal when you look at the big picture.

If you're not 1K, I agree you're screwed. UA needs fodder to fill the seats not consumed by high volume flyers. You need to figure out whether you want to be this fodder.
​​
spartacusmcfly is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 1:02 pm
  #657  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 951
Bottom line, for those with a sizable amount of miles in their account what is the best advice? I don't have any travel that I would normally use miles for planned, should I start dumping miles pre-nov 15 flights that I would normally spend $$$ on? Or we are all just SOL at this point?
100% Green is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 1:09 pm
  #658  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 8,956
Just for kicks, I am searching some flights and seeing what shows up post-11/15 on .bomb.

-LAX-MEL on Friday 12/20: Economy @ 115k, Polaris @ 260k
-SFO-PPT on Tuesday 11/26: Economy @ 64k, Polaris @ 175k
-SFO-SYD on Tuesday 12/17: Economy @ 115k, Polaris @ 260k

Seems like for peak holiday travel in the winter, 115k/260k are the high watermarks so far.

Going to the other extreme - searching for winter travel midweek to Europe/Asia after the holidays...

EWR-BRU on Tuesday 1/21: Economy @ 30k (saver level), Polaris @ 111k
EWR-LIS on Tuesday 2/4: Economy @ 30k (saver level), Polaris @ 60k (saver level)
IAD-MUC on Tuesday 1/28: Economy @ 30k (saver level), Polaris @ 155k
ORD-NRT on Wednesday 1/22: Economy @ 35k (saver level), Polaris @ 175k (on this route, you can fly NH metal @ saver level of 80k)
EWR-PVG on Tuesday 1/14: Economy @ 35k (saver level), Polaris @ 175k
DEN-NRT on Wednesday 1/29: Economy @ 35k (saver level), Polaris @ 70k (saver level)
PsiFighter37 is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 1:10 pm
  #659  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,948
Originally Posted by mr8
So people are consuming 20% more candy or did the supply of candy decrease somehow?
Wouldn't supply and demand dictate that flying in/out of regionals with less demand = cheaper fares and high demand hub-to-hub be more expensive...?

My guess is the economy award tickets will probably go down (YAY for chase!) and premium cabin redemptions will go up..
Thanks Chase!
Demand is way up for candy and flavored coffee products, and cocoa and vanilla production are lagging (Vanilla cost is up 1,000% over the last 5 years).

Demand on many Western US regional flights is high relative to capacity because of the oil business, but you can't upgauge easily to many of the smaller airports to increase seat availability. Flights to airports with low demand have mostly already been eliminated and capacity shifted elsewhere.

Last edited by zombietooth; Apr 7, 2019 at 12:51 pm
zombietooth is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2019, 1:44 pm
  #660  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,352
Originally Posted by 100% Green
Bottom line, for those with a sizable amount of miles in their account what is the best advice? I don't have any travel that I would normally use miles for planned, should I start dumping miles pre-nov 15 flights that I would normally spend $$$ on? Or we are all just SOL at this point?
Partner awards are the only thing not gutted so far, I think. Of course finding space was already difficult, and SQ is unavailable currently.

Of course, if it makes sense for your own budgeting and qualification to redeem saver awards pre-nov 15, it seems you may as well do that.
fumje is offline  

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