2009 MP Changes - UA Restores 500 Mile Min for Elites and New Award Redemption Rules
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,982
2009 MP Changes - UA Restores 500 Mile Min for Elites and New Award Redemption Rules
There are some changes posted on the bomb, including restoration of 500 mile minimum for elites and mileage needed for awards!
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...%2F2009prgchng
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...%2F2009prgchng
#2
Moderator, Hertz; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
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hmm
good the 500min is back BUT
looks like they raised it up some miles, and some routa a lot noting that C went up a lot (incl routes with the new C)
good the 500min is back BUT
looks like they raised it up some miles, and some routa a lot noting that C went up a lot (incl routes with the new C)
Code:
Within U.S. (excluding Hawaii) and Canada 25,000 45,000-50,000 60,000-70,000 To Hawaii 35,000-40,000 75,000-80,000 90,000-100,000 To Caribbean or Central America 35,000 60,000 80,000 To South America 50,000-55,000 80,000-100,000 110,000-135,000 To Europe 50,000-55,000 80,000-105,000 120,000-135,000 To Japan, North Asia, South Asia 60,000-65,000 90,000-125,000 120,000-145,000 To Central Asia via the Atlantic 80,000 120,000 160,000 To Australia or New Zealand 80,000 110,000-135,000 140,000-160,000 To Oceania 80,000 120,000-135,000 150,000-160,000 To Middle East 75,000 115,000 140,000-145,000 To Africa 80,000 120,000 160,000
Last edited by jason8612; Nov 3, 2008 at 12:55 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MBS/FNT/LAN
Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold
Posts: 9,630
including restoration of 500 mile minimum for elites
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...%2F2009prgchng
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...%2F2009prgchng
WOO HOO ^^^^^^^^^
IMhO: The 500 mi minimum deserves its own thread/title
#4
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP 2MM
Posts: 644
Upgrades seem to follow up AA has been doing, letting you upgrade from any fare bucket but charging a co-pay.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Effective July 1, 2009, we are generally reducing the miles required and will collect a co-pay when miles are redeemed to upgrade a United Economy ticket. (Upgrade awards requested prior to the effective date for travel after the effective date will not be affected.)
So this is good... at least gives a lot of time..
It seems SWU doesn't require co-pay?
Mileage upgrade awards require less miles but $$ as co-pay
This is huge!!!!
Thanks for the heads-up
So this is good... at least gives a lot of time..
It seems SWU doesn't require co-pay?
Mileage upgrade awards require less miles but $$ as co-pay
This is huge!!!!
Thanks for the heads-up
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,982
For saver*A awards from N America, only Caribbean, Oceania, Africa and Central Asia are the same in all classes, all other regions are up by as little as 5K miles (Y award to Hawaii, Europe, S America, Asia) to as much as up by 25K (F award to South America, North Asia, Australia).
#7
Moderator, Hertz; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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How is the co-pay figured out?
I book B fares, restricted.
I book B fares, restricted.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,498
If you read it carefully, they are applying the 500 mile minimum to elites retroactively so it's like it never went away!
"And, this policy change will be applied retroactively to United flights flown between July 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008. By the end of this year, we will update the flights flown as an elite member during that time. The update will apply the 500-mile minimum (for redeemable miles and Elite Qualifying Miles) and will adjust any class-of-service bonuses, elite bonuses and promotional bonuses."
"And, this policy change will be applied retroactively to United flights flown between July 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008. By the end of this year, we will update the flights flown as an elite member during that time. The update will apply the 500-mile minimum (for redeemable miles and Elite Qualifying Miles) and will adjust any class-of-service bonuses, elite bonuses and promotional bonuses."
#9
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: UA 1K/ 1MM, SPG Plat
Posts: 364
I'm unclear on whether SWU and CR1 require co-pays?
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Land of King Richard the Second (Chicago)
Programs: UA 1P
Posts: 730
#11
Moderator, Hertz; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Co-pay will not be assessed on Lufthansa paper upgrades, Systemwide Upgrades, Confirmed Regional Upgrades or 500-Mile E-Upgrades.
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...prgterms#jump3
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...prgterms#jump3
#12
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SOW
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Posts: 768
#13
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BCN
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 1,084
Interesting to compare the new redemption rates for US-Europe vs. US-Middle East and US-Africa...
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
EU-N.A.: C-class 80 - 105'000, F-class 120 - 135'000 miles
pretty steep increase, at + 31%, especially for C-class.
Same for N.A. - Asia C-class: 90 - 125'000 = + 39% !!!
I would be fine with an increase along the lines of coach, e.g. EU-N.A. + 10%.
After all F-class was raised just recently.
pretty steep increase, at + 31%, especially for C-class.
Same for N.A. - Asia C-class: 90 - 125'000 = + 39% !!!
I would be fine with an increase along the lines of coach, e.g. EU-N.A. + 10%.
After all F-class was raised just recently.
#15
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSP, WLG, or the forward most A seat in Y I can get
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Posts: 491
Prediction: This thread will get a lot of posts
Analysis: The net effect of the changes are ambiguous.
Positive: If you do a lot of short hops (500 mile minimum back, and backdated!), redeem only in US (unchanged award levels), and either don't upgrade with miles, or upgrade only from Y/B.
If you're an elite booked in Y/B you mostly get a complimentary upgrade request, so the lack of copay is meaningless here.
Negative: If you use miles to upgrade on long haul flights booked into economy classes with moderate restrictions, significant copay now required.
Award redemption: Some significant increases. The Australia - NZ bargains (20K in Y, 30K in C) that used to exist are gone (35K in Y, 50K in C). Some significant (20% greater) increases in other places too.
Analysis: The net effect of the changes are ambiguous.
Positive: If you do a lot of short hops (500 mile minimum back, and backdated!), redeem only in US (unchanged award levels), and either don't upgrade with miles, or upgrade only from Y/B.
If you're an elite booked in Y/B you mostly get a complimentary upgrade request, so the lack of copay is meaningless here.
Negative: If you use miles to upgrade on long haul flights booked into economy classes with moderate restrictions, significant copay now required.
Award redemption: Some significant increases. The Australia - NZ bargains (20K in Y, 30K in C) that used to exist are gone (35K in Y, 50K in C). Some significant (20% greater) increases in other places too.