Consolidated UA PlusPoints Question & Answer Thread
 

Hi all, first "post-Covid" post so forgive me if this has been answered already. I just tried to use PlusPoints for an economy-Polaris upgrade and was asked to pay an extra $70 or so airport tax in order to waitlist (the explanation being that Polaris tickets incur that extra tax). I don't remember this being done pre-Covid. Is this a new "benefit" for PlusPoints usage? Is it a mistake? Any way to avoid it? It was for a CDG-EWR flight if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance.

CDG and LHR impose an additional tax on travelers departing in a premium cabin, but UA has always charged taxes that are the passenger's responsibility, even when using instruments. Most likely you don't remember it if you either didn't upgrade departing CDG/LHR or were already in premium economy cabin and were upgrading from there (in which case the tax was already paid as part of being in premium economy).

Thanks!

Can you apply Plus Points on NZ?

What is a good Premium Economy fare for SFO-AKL?

I'm looking at mid to end of November for SFO-AKL and the NZ fares are lower than the UA flight on the same nonstop route.

And the Premium Econ is approximately 3X the Economy fare of the NZ flight and just under 2X of the UA flight. (I would think NZ has the better soft product?)

Mind you this is suppose to be a New Zealand sale through end of November.

Speaking of sales to New Zealand...have you seen this that seems to have just started today? https://www.united.com/en-us/new-zealand-sale

No; PlusPoints can be used on UA, NH, LH, and CM only.

I believe it's the same sale. UA and NZ operate a JV on those routes. The fare should be the same on either carrier, but there may be differences due to inventory.

PP expires 1/31/2023

Booked a ticket one way

1/31 BOS-SFO
2/1 SFO-NRT

The layover at SFO is 20 hours.

It appears that I can use 40 PP to upgrade the whole trip, even though PP should expire on 2/1 for the second segment SFO-NRT flight.

Anyone has any thoughts?

If you got the points, spend the points.

ETA: Which ever PPs are available at the time of the upgrade, UA's systems will extract. So, if your upgrade doesn't happen until 02/01/23, they'll pull what other PPs are there (or not which would mean no SFO-NRT upgrade).

David

There are no PP valid after 1/31/2023 in the account.

IME, if you don't have PP valid for the date of travel, the system won't allow you to apply waitlist.

This is a special case BOS-SFO-NRT as a one ticket and UA gives me the option 20 PP for BOS-SFO or 40 PP for 1/31 BOS-SFO-NRT even though SFO-NRT is on next day 2/1.

Somehow in this case I think UA system considers the whole itinerary as one-way BOS to NRT departing 1/31 and allows me to use PP expiring on 1/31.

Even though, the 2nd flight departs on 2/1.

if someone is GS, has PlusPoints, then drops below GS, but still has unexpired PlusPoints, do they still clear into/waitlist for PN or does it depend on when PlusPoints are applied?

Then do it.

David

Reaching 1K in 2022 at 13.5K PQP, at what level do the extra 20 PPs per each additional 2K PQP kick in?
e.g. addl 20 PP at 15.5 PQP, 17.5 PQP, or
addl 20 PP at 17K PQP, 19K PQP etc?

17K

So, it kicks in from 15PQP forward, even though 1K could be reached at 13.5K PQP/36 PQF ?

this has always been that way. Enjoy