I appreciate those thoughts and hope you're right. It is evident how much time you've already spent understanding what is out there on this new program.

I think on the heels of the change to RPU earning it seems like UA is very focused on some new strategy with respect to upgrades (and a strategy that evidently is evolving by the quarter). That naturally leads to nervousness around benefit dilution as a knee jerk. UA has also become tighter on award space conversation for GS' as well this year. The ability to upgrade family and friends is the second largest reason I go after GS status (irrops being #1 ). So it strikes an anxious nerve in me.

There's no way any of these changes will touch "forced" GS upgrades (into J3, or because you are traveling with your companion). If any upgrade change cut that deeply into revenue J inventory it would unprofitable and they wouldn't be doing it.

I believe there were some discussions regarding SDCs with a confirmed PP only showing other flights with PP seats, so it could be the same here where, once confirmed on Polaris, they would only be able to confirm you on another Polaris seat..? In the event of a IRROPs downgrade, I'm sure writing into customer care should be able to refund the points even for StW.

You could always do a request for PP when you have a domestic connection. IIRC, PP requests, at least with the old system, does not apply to any domestic flight since they lack a PP cabin.
Plats would clear after all the 1Ks so should have zero impact on 1K/GS upgrades, but I'm wondering if StW would eat into PN if PZ=0 AND PN>0 which could potentially take seats from GSs who procrastinate?

I would be curious to learn what the load factors on Polaris were. Taken together these changes should in theory result in more Polaris upgrade requests since Platinums can now pool their points to one GPU and 1Ks can go for an entirely GPU approach for upgrades. Perhaps this will be the end of sub-$1000 ToDs to Asia and Europe?

In any event, here's to hoping RPUs do drop, they are the bane of my existence since it keeps this loyal Premier Gold from getting CPU'd on every flight!

Safe Travels,

James

They did as of 2019. Max 2 for platinum, max 4 gs/1k.

Fear not, the toothless Plats will still be in front of you :)

Not if I have a GS sponsored RPU!

-James

But, to be fair, the large amount of RPUs are still around until Jan 31.

So, we wouldn't see the dearth of RPU until next year sometime, and now that's replaced with the PlusPoint thingy, so we'll see some of those RPU back in circulation (4 per 50k (2GPU = 80 plus points) , instead of 6 per 50k (2 GPU + 4 RPU = 120 plus points) for folks over 100k PQM for domestic flyers. Under the new/old system, there would have only been 2 RPU (disquised as gpu, actually) per 50k in 2020.

Since the above is confusing: before last week there would be 2 domestic upgrades per 50k in 2020
Last year there was 6
Now there will be 4.

Domestic flyers rejoice... (at least those with GS as part of their boarding pass..)

1k premium plus GPU
 

Hello. I fly often to SIN on K fare basis. Because this lowly fare basis, I am unable to use a GPU for upgrade. Now, with premium plus availability I seem to be able to apply GPU on K fare for premium plus upgrade. Is this correct? If so, how do I request applying GPU for premium plus? Can it be done online or will it need to be done by phone? Thanks

Wow hard to keep up with all of this:) of course I only use upgrades for family and friends as I always by first for myself but could someone maybe answer this questions

1- for a GS that spent over 200k or fly over 1000000 PQM what would the points look like ?

2 will the points expire like the GPU and regionals ?

3 would the points be earned base just on miles or PQD will help to get more is there a cap of the points you can earned ?

Will they convert all existing RPU and GPU into points I have way over 100 most of them expiring this coming year :(

4 how many more points would you have to use to skip the waitlist ?

Net, I think this is good for me. And the rest is going to be a totally selfish reflection on the change.

I am currently sitting on 5 RPUs and 14 GPUs (660 Plus Points, if I did the math right). A few of those GPU’s are going to expire in January 2020 (4 of them, I think, I need to check! LOL!).

I don’t upgrade friends or family (don’t really have any travelers in my life). My company pays for business class on flights over 6 hours, so I haven’t had much use for upgrades this year. I’ve been successful at using GPU’s in the past because my personal travel is flexible - I used GPUs to upgrade the SFO-SIN legs on my TPA-SIN back in February, and to Hong Kong last year.

The reason this really works for me is that I don’t mind blowing a lot of points to guarantee an upgrade (skip the waitlist) for a personal trip. A change I’ve long wanted is less upgrade certificates that were more useful. It would be great to get 2 guaranteed long haul upgrades that you can use at any time for any seat - if you can buy the seat (e.g. PZ = 0), you can use the guaranteed upgrade. Skip the waitlist seems kind of similar to that. I don’t care so much about the number of points it costs, I worry more about the availability of it. I should have plenty of points. This scheme seems to work better for a traveler in my situation.

The big unknown is what routes and how often this SkipTheLine can actually be used.
Something tells me they are going to be rare, and expensive.
Again, we're offered some convoluted United scheme, that solely depends on available inventory, as to how good it actually is.

The concept of an RPU was GREAT, until we realized that they hardly ever cleared...

Rare & expensive is the part I’m worried about, ;)

1
Lots of points

2
Yes, same as before. Jan 31st.

3
No cap. They'll convert all your RPU and GPU inventory on December 4th, with corresponding expiration dates as current RPUs and GPUs.

4
That's a big unknown as of now

There's no real change here other than you don't have "RPU" and "GPU" rather you can freely exchange "a GPU" for "2 RPU" and back (and use "2 GPU" to upgrade a sub-W fare). At 1 million PQM you would accumulate 1,760 points (36x40 for each 25k in the last 900k PQM, plus 320 for 1K status). They will expire just like your current certs, and your current ones will turn into points expiring at the same time.

No one knows what skip the waitlist will look like yet.

Yes, you can use the GPU to upgrade to PE. You can do this online just like a normal GPU application. (Although you need to be on a flight with a PE cabin, which SFO-SIN is not.)

Note that after December 4, you will instead have PlusPoints, which will allow you to upgrade to business (effectively using 2 GPU) as well as PE.