Jul 8, 2022, 4:27 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2023
(including LH/NH PlusPoints successes)

Consider posting:
1. Route
2. Date
3. Fare class
4. Y-O, Y-J, O-J (O=PremiumPlus), J-F (for LH/NH)
5. # of PlusPoints
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear

For Reference:
PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2022
PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2021
PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2020
GPU / PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2019
GPU upgrade SUCCESS 2018
GPU upgrade SUCCESS 2017
GPU upgrade SUCCESS 2016
GPU upgrade SUCCESS 2015

related threads
PlusPoints NON-Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2023
PlusPoints NON-Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2022
PlusPoints NON-Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2021

PlusPoints Polaris flight upgrade SUCCESS 2023

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Jan 30, 2023, 10:37 am

#76

n12hx

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: DC

Programs: UA1K

Posts: 137

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmxu

I would purchase a W class ticket to save 40 Pluspoints because the fare difference between W and S is small (<$100). I do not have an unlimited number of Pluspoints.

Not a choice, unfortunately, as this is federal gov travel. The hoops to go through to book the next higher fare class are many and painful, and I have more PPs than I expect I'll use this year.

Jan 30, 2023, 3:46 pm

#77

lhrsfo

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: London & Sonoma CA

Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold

Posts: 10,227

PE to J cleared SFO-LHR for two people early February about a week prior to the flight.

Jan 30, 2023, 11:53 pm

#78

rankourabu

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2002

Location: Canada

Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL

Posts: 23,314

Does EWRSFO count lol?
Cleared at gate on lowest K fare.

Would have cleared earlier but this was a last minute rebooking after a missed flight, so there were only 3 seats left.

Jan 31, 2023, 1:30 am

#79

UA_Flyer

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Apr 2003

Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist

Posts: 12,338

Cleared on multiple flights in Jan (72 hours before depature):
SIN-SFO
SFO-EWR
IAD-SFO
SFO-SIN

None of my frequent flights between EWR/IAD-FLL cleared since November. Seems FLL is a tough market to clear this time of the year.

Jan 31, 2023, 12:42 pm

#80

SFOtoMEL

Join Date: Dec 2022

Posts: 6

1. Route: SFO-MEL
2. Date: 2 Feb 2023
3. Fare class: Premium Plus (R)
4. Premium Plus to Polaris
5. # of PlusPoints: 30 x 2
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: 7 weeks
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: 36 hours

jcturnbull likes this.

Jan 31, 2023, 1:00 pm

#81

Kmxu

Join Date: May 2012

Location: ORF, RIC

Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum

Posts: 6,958

Booked IAD-SNN RT last December, with ORD-SNN-ORD upgrades cleared at booking. There was a schedule change and was not motivated to visit Shannon, Ireland anyway. Saw PZ spaces on IAD-LHR-EWR. Wife has not never visited London before. So, I decided to change the route and grabbed the PZ spaces. The July 2023 expiring PPs are all gone with this booking.

1. Route: IAD-LHR
2. Date: 24 May 2023
3. Fare class: W
4. Y --> J
5. # of PlusPoints: 40 x 2 pax
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: ~4 months
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: at booking

1. Route: LHR-EWR
2. Date: 29 May 2023
3. Fare class: W
4. Y --> J
5. # of PlusPoints: 40 x 2 pax
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: ~4 months
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: at booking

gsalem94122 likes this.

Jan 31, 2023, 4:07 pm

#82

tkw00t

Join Date: Jul 2017

Posts: 14

to those who are losing 1k status tomorrow but with pluspoints til july - what are your plans/strategy now to use them since it was hard as hell to clear as a 1k and i imagine will be even more difficult to clear as a silver/gold/plat?

Jan 31, 2023, 4:29 pm

#83

marks88

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: IAH

Programs: Former UA1K transitioning to WFBF mentality

Posts: 779

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkw00t

Looking for guaranteed PZ space. Actually not that hard to find for TATL, even 2-3 months in advance, as long as you are fine not leaving on peak days and (if in IAH, as I am) connecting in ORD/IAD. Then using them on a few LH tickets.

Last edited by marks88; Jan 31, 2023 at 4:35 pm

Jan 31, 2023, 5:34 pm

#84

david_oz

Join Date: Jul 2008

Location: IAH, YYC

Programs: UA 1K

Posts: 753

1. Route: NRT-LAX
2. Date: 2/27
3. Fare class: K
4. Y -> J
5. # of Plus Points: 80 x 2
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: 5 months
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: Approx 1 month before departure

Feb 1, 2023, 12:31 am

#85

94010flyer

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: SFO

Programs: UA 1K and MM

Posts: 174

Route EWR-LHR
2. Date 5/23/23
3. Fare class R
4. Y-J
5. PPS 30
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased - ticket purchase on 1/30/23
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear
Did not show PZ availability at booking but confirmed right after request was made - 1K applying PPs to sister and bro-in- law tickets— they don’t have any UA status

Feb 1, 2023, 1:37 am

#86

Kmxu

Join Date: May 2012

Location: ORF, RIC

Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum

Posts: 6,958

There are not many business travelers around the Memorial weekend. It is interesting to note that UA zeroed out PZs for my flights. The daytime IAD-LHR on May 24 had PZ9 when I booked yesterday. LHR-EWR on May 29 had only PZ4. The remaining LHR-EWR/IAD/ORD/IAH flights on that day had PZ0. 😂

SPN Lifer likes this.

Feb 2, 2023, 5:59 am

#87

david_oz

Join Date: Jul 2008

Location: IAH, YYC

Programs: UA 1K

Posts: 753

1. Route: ICN-SFO
2. Date: 2/5
3. Fare class: V
4. Y -> J
5. # of Plus Points: 40
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: 5 days
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: the evening after I booked it. 4 days before departure
Edit

Kmxu likes this.

Feb 2, 2023, 6:09 am

#88

Kmxu

Join Date: May 2012

Location: ORF, RIC

Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum

Posts: 6,958

Quote:

Originally Posted by david_oz

This is similar to my experience last month. There were lots of pax on upgrade standby lists, who did not have 1K status. So, it is an easy upgrade for 1K on this route (SFO-ICN-SFO). My fare class was T.

BTW, do not forget to request for PJ.
Have a good journey.

Feb 5, 2023, 5:41 pm

#89

marks88

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: IAH

Programs: Former UA1K transitioning to WFBF mentality

Posts: 779

1. Route: MUC-BOM
2. Date: 2/14
3. Fare class: H
4. Y -> J
5. # of Plus Points: 40
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: 9 days
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: 9 days (not instant, about 7 hrs after waitlisting).

LH flight was not showing I on this segment alone, but was showing I for JFK-MUC-BOM. Maybe married segments? Tried my luck and got upgrade some 7 hrs later, even with email from UA.

Total cost for oneway IAH-BOM in J was $850 for upgraded H fare. Great deal. Also cleared EWR-Europe on UA, but many flights were open.

cfischer likes this.

Feb 6, 2023, 6:29 pm

#90

nd2010

Join Date: Oct 2008

Posts: 765

1. Route: DEL-EWR
2. Date: 1/29
3. Fare class: O
4. O -> J
5. # of Plus Points: 25000 miles each
6. How many days/weeks in advance ticket was purchased: 6 months, myself plus two others. First upgrade request put in October for myself. Second upgrade request put in 5 days before the flight for the other two.
7. How many hours/days/weeks before departure did upgrade clear: 36 hours before departure for all 3. I was #5 on the waitlist. 35 + 3 blocked/48 J seats booked before the upgrade cleared. O was overbooked