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 8, 2019, 5:48 pm
#796
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boulder, CO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 120
Over the past 15 years I have been using old UA card earning 3X UA miles. My average spend per year has been around $100K-$150K.
I still have 3.3 million miles in my UA account.
I am canceling this card and switching all my spending on Chase Sapphire Reserve and other cards. I should have known better and done this earlier.
UA is following evil DL with this dynamic award pricing after removing transparency of award chart.
Soon we will see skyrocketing one-way J award to Europe at 300K or half million miles each.
I still have 3.3 million miles in my UA account.
I am canceling this card and switching all my spending on Chase Sapphire Reserve and other cards. I should have known better and done this earlier.
UA is following evil DL with this dynamic award pricing after removing transparency of award chart.
Soon we will see skyrocketing one-way J award to Europe at 300K or half million miles each.
I also am becoming increasingly convinced status isn't worth much in general. I was Gold (granted not that high) for about 2 years and never had a single domestic upgrade clear, whether complimentary or mileage based. So it's useless for that. Silver is worth about $95 because it's basically free Explorer Card benefits (checked bag, priority boarding). Free E+ at booking is useful with Gold, but with the TOD upgrades and lower domestic F prices in general, I find myself in F about half the time anyway (or, on work flights, my employer will pay for E+) -- so free E+ is lower value for me. So ultimately, I'm going more and more free agent / kayaker. I'll still try to get Silver on UA since I live in the SF Bay Area, but beyond that, I see little reason to chase status. I just booked my next trip on DL because they had the cheapest domestic F for my routing.
Apr 8, 2019, 6:12 pm
#797
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,514
Much like airlines cancelling on an error fare, the collective FT hive is currently in the bargaining stage?
Apr 8, 2019, 6:31 pm
#798
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
I redeemed 14k CSR UR points for a JetBlue transcon flight yesterday. UA wanted 18k for a $152 cash fare flight (less than 1 cent per point) at an unfavorable time of day. No thanks. And JetBlue has free seat assignments!
Apr 8, 2019, 6:37 pm
#799
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
I checked the Chase UR engine for TATL J.
Nothing under 300k.
Plus such purchases via UR wouldn't give PQDs so not true that it would help your status.
Nothing under 300k.
Plus such purchases via UR wouldn't give PQDs so not true that it would help your status.
Apr 8, 2019, 6:50 pm
#800
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boulder, CO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 120
I would agree though, that you will, by definition, never get "outsize awards" using the UR mall -- you get a flat 1.5 cents per point. My suspicion though is that the flat 1.5 per point will look better and better with this new dynamic award pricing. It already looks good on domestic routes in a lot of cases.
Apr 8, 2019, 6:53 pm
#801
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Only if the ticket is issued on UA stock or you're flying UA metal. So, for UA-operated flights, that won't be an issue. If you're buying a partner flight, it'll likely to be issued on partner stock, and you won't get PQDs for legs not operated by UA.
Apr 8, 2019, 6:53 pm
#802
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,514
Credit card currency is best used for premium cabin redemption (F / J) via partner transfer. Don't stay with just UA and *A. Diversify. There are so many possibilities.
Apr 8, 2019, 6:57 pm
#803
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boulder, CO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 120
Yeah this is true. You could probably get away with it on the borderline "joint venture" flights (E.g., "operated by ANA") as part of an itinerary that includes UA metal, but that gets super hard to verify in the UR mall -- that's very fair. But for run of the mill all UA routings, particularly domestic ones, the UR mall can be a good option.
Apr 8, 2019, 7:03 pm
#804
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Herndon, Virginia
Programs: Mileage Plus 1k, 2.3MM Flyer, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 187
I just wonder why UA feels compelled to do reductions in benefits like this all the time. Just because they can? It seems petty and vindictive to the elites who account for the vast majority of the revenue. I recognize that airline managements have a complex that causes them to hate their customers but I am just amazed at how, over time, they can continually take $1 and return a dime (maybe) to their customers. How do they think in such a transparent world they can opt for increased opaqueness and call that an improvement. How can this create the positive customer feeling environment they claim they want?. How much money does actions like this save? Is it really so meaningful when it creates so much animosity. I just remain perplexed.
Apr 8, 2019, 7:08 pm
#805
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boulder, CO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 120
I just wonder why UA feels compelled to do reductions in benefits like this all the time. Just because they can? It seems petty and vindictive to the elites who account for the vast majority of the revenue. I recognize that airline managements have a complex that causes them to hate their customers but I am just amazed at how, over time, they can continually take $1 and return a dime (maybe) to their customers. How do they think in such a transparent world they can opt for increased opaqueness and call that an improvement. How can this create the positive customer feeling environment they claim they want?. How much money does actions like this save? Is it really so meaningful when it creates so much animosity. I just remain perplexed.
Apr 8, 2019, 7:19 pm
#806
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,514
I just wonder why UA feels compelled to do reductions in benefits like this all the time. Just because they can? It seems petty and vindictive to the elites who account for the vast majority of the revenue. I recognize that airline managements have a complex that causes them to hate their customers but I am just amazed at how, over time, they can continually take $1 and return a dime (maybe) to their customers. How do they think in such a transparent world they can opt for increased opaqueness and call that an improvement. How can this create the positive customer feeling environment they claim they want?. How much money does actions like this save? Is it really so meaningful when it creates so much animosity. I just remain perplexed.
Last I checked, and similar to most airlines, UA has large liabilities on its balance sheet for accrued miles. This is a play to potentially save a lot of money.
Devaluation is part of the game when all of us signed up to earn miles.
Apr 8, 2019, 7:19 pm
#807
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,090
DL can get away with this because they are higher quality. People don’t expect to use skymiles. I usually put mine on flying blue. Or for upgrades (which DL just made easier). I don’t know that it will work as well at UA’s quality level.
Apr 8, 2019, 7:27 pm
#808
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,514
I don't understand your statement about "People don't expect to use Skymiles.". Are you saying most people don't have enough miles when they see the results of a redemption search?
To be fair, SM has good US domestic redemption rates. You can use VS for DL's INTL premium cabin.
Apr 8, 2019, 8:19 pm
#809
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
Incorrect -- buying in the UR mall does indeed grant PQDs. This is because Chase is buying a revenue ticket on your behalf -- you are just paying Chase UR points instead of dollars. But Chase is paying UA dollars. It's treated by UA exactly as if you purchase a UA ticket from, say, Orbitz or a travel agent. As long as you don't get some kind of weird bulk fare, you get full PQDs and PQMs.
Apr 8, 2019, 8:23 pm
#810
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
When you can't grow revenue quickly, the best thing to increase or stabilize your stock price is to cut costs and liabilities.