May 1, 2021, 4:06 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is "Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}
The details:
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, 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.
"Dynamic Award Pricing" by UA; questions, experiences, .... {Archive}
Apr 7, 2019, 8:15 pm
#751
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,142
BofA premium cash rewards for those with $100K plus in assets with the Bank. It also has a $95 fee, but offers $100 airline credit & $100 to GE per five years.
PS - obviously, would defeat the purpose if one were to have $100K in a deposit account, but ideal for orphan IRAs, where you get 100 free trades per Q on their Merrill Edge platform.
PS - obviously, would defeat the purpose if one were to have $100K in a deposit account, but ideal for orphan IRAs, where you get 100 free trades per Q on their Merrill Edge platform.
.) I already get 3% on my major spend categories, plus the free UA Club access. Of course, the UA club access is of limited use if I become a free agent.
Apr 7, 2019, 8:23 pm
#752
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Because they would get thrown into jail in every country in the world except the US where they have bought legislation from Congress that exempts them from anti-price discrimination laws. And if they tried it in the US, they'd probably lose their exemption.
Apr 7, 2019, 8:31 pm
#753
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,890
Sigh... this could impact my planned trip to MCT next March. I've been waiting to book and now, just a few short weeks before I can seriously start looking at flight options, they throw this out there. Hopefully the partner awards will actually show as saver awards (right now if I look at the furthest out I can, they are only showing standard awards on partners - this seems to be new behavior for them as I swear it used to only price as saver J awards if you were flying partners). When I get around to booking. I was hoping to do a stop in Europe, but now I'm concerned that the flights to Europe will be much more expensive in terms of miles. I guess I will continue to wait-and-see.
Apr 7, 2019, 8:54 pm
#754
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
UA has too much to lose, unless they remove the ability to search while not logged in. There are certain types of manipulation that are particularly damaging for your reputation, and this is one of them. There would be a lot of explaining to do if you saw a price of 75K when logged out and 100K when logged in.
If they think they can get the higher number of miles, I think they'll just charge that to everyone.
If they think they can get the higher number of miles, I think they'll just charge that to everyone.
The atmosphere of fear here has inspired me book a bunch of saver awards in I and O to try to get my balance under 500K, and I have been finding lots of them, even around Xmas/New Years. IMO, there is a bunch of nice international availability out there, and it is probably as good a time as any to bank some flights.
Last edited by zombietooth; Apr 7, 2019 at 9:01 pm
Apr 7, 2019, 8:58 pm
#755
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
Thanks. I have to decide whether to cut my long-standing and involved Chase/UA cord (perhaps I have to arrange for an intervention to facilitate this .) I already get 3% on my major spend categories, plus the free UA Club access. Of course, the UA club access is of limited use if I become a free agent.
.) I already get 3% on my major spend categories, plus the free UA Club access. Of course, the UA club access is of limited use if I become a free agent.So, while this card is good, it's certainly not best in class, and not a card I'd go out of my way to attain or maximize, other than the $500 sign-up bonus.
Apr 7, 2019, 9:03 pm
#756
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,142
Assuming you don't mind their ML platform to house an IRA (wouldn't use them for regular brokerage), the rewards on general non-category bonus spending is excellent. However, the Amex bus blue plus at 2% MR is still better. As to travel & such, Chase's Ink Pref at 3% is better.
So, while this card is good, it's certainly not best in class, and not a card I'd go out of my way to attain or maximize, other than the $500 sign-up bonus.
So, while this card is good, it's certainly not best in class, and not a card I'd go out of my way to attain or maximize, other than the $500 sign-up bonus.
Apr 7, 2019, 9:07 pm
#757
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
So you think that it's just coincidence that the surcharges are the same as when you book directly with the operating carrier?
The operating carrier charges them. The ticketing carrier can eat them (as part of the cost) or pass them on. DL is much, much better than the other domestic airlines in this regard.
The operating carrier charges them. The ticketing carrier can eat them (as part of the cost) or pass them on. DL is much, much better than the other domestic airlines in this regard.
Ticketing carrier most certainly does NOT pass on YQ. This has been proven time and time again, and as noted above Aeroplan came out and said that directly. As if UA would eat the YQ cost and then pay LH for it on our behalf
DL is much, much worse than any other US airline with YQ on awards. AA only charges for BA metal. UA never charges. DL charges on all metal ex-EU and on some partner airlines on all routes.
Apr 7, 2019, 9:08 pm
#758
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
At the bare minimum you should get 1.5 per MR, assuming you redeem with points purchase on your selected Airline. Moreover, I've found that by being opportunistic, Amex invariably has periodic bonus transfers to various partners, which may increase the value substantially. Finally, if you want to cash out, you can always leverage the Schwab platinum and redeem at 1.25 cp in cash, a hedge in case all of Amex's partners devalue at once and they never offer a bonus transfer again.
Apr 7, 2019, 9:36 pm
#759
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,026
There seems to be a built in assumption that while award prices will be dynamic, they will be the same for everyone. I am not sure this will be the case. Why wouldn't UA charge more for people with large balances? Why wouldn't United charge more to elites? If they are caught at it, they just shrug and say "it's not us...it's the algorithm!"
We will never know
Apr 7, 2019, 9:48 pm
#760
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,060
Many people manage accounts for multiple pax. Such schemes would be easily and quickly detected. It's not going to happen.
Apr 7, 2019, 10:25 pm
#761
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Yes, that's regular saver pricing. You're getting the UA rate, not the partner rate, because the partner flight is intraregional. If you flew ORD-PEK-BKK or ORD-NRT-BKK, you'd pay the 90K.
Apr 7, 2019, 10:27 pm
#762
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,721
Glad I am lifetime Gold - now I can just select by lowest price (factoring value of perks like free E+) without concern for how many worthless RDM miles I earn. And even worse for UA I will book competitors that offer better business class products or perhaps miles I can credit to AS which still offers an honest program. Its been fun for the past 3 decades but now I’m done as a UA cheerleader.
Anybody who spends $$ on an airline card now is a complete fool (has kind of been the case anyway for a while now) - all spend will go to transferable currencies (eg Chase, Amex) or cash back.
Airlines may May collect s few more miles for award seats but in long run will lose out $$$ from co-marketed credit cards. And of course no banks will need to buy points anymore because nobody will be buying them. Shot themselves up.
Anybody who spends $$ on an airline card now is a complete fool (has kind of been the case anyway for a while now) - all spend will go to transferable currencies (eg Chase, Amex) or cash back.
Airlines may May collect s few more miles for award seats but in long run will lose out $$$ from co-marketed credit cards. And of course no banks will need to buy points anymore because nobody will be buying them. Shot themselves up.
Apr 7, 2019, 10:45 pm
#763
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
Apr 7, 2019, 10:56 pm
#764
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,969
I am lifetime Gold also. While in theory flying with a *A carrier with better food and service is a great idea, there is still a lot of advantage flying UA when it comes to seat assignment on these long international routes.
Apr 7, 2019, 10:59 pm
#765
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I just spent a few minutes googling inhowfar, so thanks for that. I'm leaning towards "not a word" though.
Because they do not pass on VS carrier surcharges when flying to London. Good luck getting VS to do that when flying with their miles, or getting AA to do it when flying on BA in either direction.
Because they do not pass on VS carrier surcharges when flying to London. Good luck getting VS to do that when flying with their miles, or getting AA to do it when flying on BA in either direction.