Jan 27, 2024, 4:51 pm
The way of the Dodo? - 1K upgrades, PP or CPU
Jul 19, 2022, 11:01 am
#316
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
Hello everyone,
I am 1K with United and fly a lot. At this point I have 900 PlusPoints. Because I often fly paid business, I really have not had the opportunity to try to use them. So in trying to plan a vacation with my wife for winter break or next summer I thought I would try to find some routes where I could use the points for “Skip the Waitlist” immediate confirmation of an upgrade. Basically no PN or PZ inventory even exist on Europe. Asia flights. Well after two days of searching I can tell you that that option does not exist. I really don’t want to wait to the day of travel and then end up in economy or economy plus. I haven’t any idea of how to use the PlusPoints up. Does anyone have ideas or are these points virtually useless?
I am 1K with United and fly a lot. At this point I have 900 PlusPoints. Because I often fly paid business, I really have not had the opportunity to try to use them. So in trying to plan a vacation with my wife for winter break or next summer I thought I would try to find some routes where I could use the points for “Skip the Waitlist” immediate confirmation of an upgrade. Basically no PN or PZ inventory even exist on Europe. Asia flights. Well after two days of searching I can tell you that that option does not exist. I really don’t want to wait to the day of travel and then end up in economy or economy plus. I haven’t any idea of how to use the PlusPoints up. Does anyone have ideas or are these points virtually useless?
I agree, dont play the lottery
Jul 19, 2022, 2:31 pm
#317
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
Jul 19, 2022, 7:37 pm
#318
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
I failed to clear waitlist from Premium Economy to Polaris EWR-ZRH (supposed to be easier and lots of unassigned seats when I booked) end of May. Flight departed with me and my wife as no. 1 & 2 on upgrade list.
Jul 19, 2022, 7:41 pm
#319
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,074
having used hundreds of +Ps this year on TATL flights all I can say ... book early and be strategic w/ routes. Pick the high-J 763 routes. You can find PZ.
Also, paid J is great ... but you realize you use +Ps to upgrade to First? Great use and pretty easy upgrade overall IMHO.
Also, paid J is great ... but you realize you use +Ps to upgrade to First? Great use and pretty easy upgrade overall IMHO.
Jul 19, 2022, 7:51 pm
#320
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,337
That is a tough route to upgrade with bankers filling the Polaris seats often.
Jul 20, 2022, 12:08 am
#322
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
).
Jul 20, 2022, 7:01 am
#323
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
Jul 20, 2022, 8:10 am
#324
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
Yeah, I've noticed quite a bit of PN available out there but, oddly, 6 months out, it is usually just PN1 with an empty J-cabin. However, there is almost no PZ to Asia and, most of my business associates are not clearing on their trips to Japan and are kvetching about spending 12-14 hours in coach (their company no longer covers paid J-travel for executives). My business visa for Japan should be coming through any day now and, if my PlusPoints don't clear within 48 hours of travel, I'll just cancel for FFC and use miles (there have been plenty of last-minute JN awards to Japan lately).
Last edited by zombietooth; Jul 20, 2022 at 8:24 am
Jul 20, 2022, 8:29 am
#325
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,090
Hmm. Maybe at some point I will experiment by buying international PE well in advance, put some PPs on it, and see if I clear.within a few weeks, while continuing to monitor. If it doesn't, I can then cancel and do something else. I always have use for credits, mainly by flying domestic. However, I have pretty much selected all my international flights for the rest of the year already and am in business class on other airlines. I'm just not willing to take even a 25% chance I might be sitting in economy on a long flight with my back.
Jul 20, 2022, 1:06 pm
#326
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LAX IAH AMS
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 1,269
I am flying every week and always buy F, and what I have found in casual discussions with my cabin-mates is that few of them are elites in any program. They just no longer want to fly in the back and obviously have the disposable income to do it. There has been a paradigm shift, I believe, in travel, where even folks who only fly a few times a year now see value in paying for F. I don't know if it's a desire to be as far away from other pax as possible or just a new fatalism along the lines of, "Hey, I could die tomorrow from COVID or something else, so I might as well spend my money now.".
The upshot of my philosophizing; fewer 1Ks probably won't make much of a difference in your UG rate. Higher F prices certainly would.
The upshot of my philosophizing; fewer 1Ks probably won't make much of a difference in your UG rate. Higher F prices certainly would.
Jul 20, 2022, 2:40 pm
#327
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
Fascinating. Same flight early June, I cleared more than a week out.
Jul 20, 2022, 3:21 pm
#328
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
I cleared EWR-GVA a month out booked in Premium Plus. My return (in just over a week from now) has still not cleared and as of yesterday only has 6 seats occupied in a high J 767.
Another benefit of Premium Plus is that the domestic segments get booked into a really high fare class (B for me) which is great for scoring upgrades, even on PS routes.
Another benefit of Premium Plus is that the domestic segments get booked into a really high fare class (B for me) which is great for scoring upgrades, even on PS routes.
Jul 20, 2022, 5:33 pm
#329
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,118
This is the biggest point and I've been saying this for a while. I usually fly 50% Y / 50% F (paid for both). My success rate on upgrades without plus points or RPU (in the past) was extremely high. Now, I put PP on everything and there have been flights where I did not clear. People are paying for F - period. I have a family member that is way up there on the wealth scale.... flies private some but has always been fine with Y when he flies commercial for legs shorter than 3 hours. Based in dallas so most of his flights fall into that category. Had this exact conversation with he and his wife recently and they now pay for F - period. Not scared of covid but maybe just got used to the front and didnt want to go back.
Jul 21, 2022, 6:19 am
#330
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
If I have to transfer to or from a US domestic airport - which I prefer more and more, given the chaos the European hubs are in - this is the one feature that I appreciate the most. Being booked into B or Y will make sure that I hove near the first few folks to be upgraded.