Tag: UA

United Airlines offers flyers several options to upgrade their seats and enhance the overall flight experience. These include complimentary upgrades, miles or PlusPoints, paying with cash, and bidding. Each of these has its own rules, costs, and eligibility. Understanding these options can help travelers choose the most suitable and cost-effective way to enhance their flight experience.

What Can be Upgraded on United Airlines?

For some travelers, the services provided by United Airlines can be a bit expensive, as compared to other carriers. For this reason, it offers upgrades to its frequent flyers. In exchange for miles or a minimal payment, they can upgrade their seats and overall in-flight experience with this air operator.

Seat:

These seat upgrades are available in different travel classes. 

• Economy to Economy Plus
• Economy to United Premium Plus
• Economy or Economy Plus to United Polaris Business Class

Overall Experience: 

These upgrades are inclusive of:

• Priority boarding and baggage handling
• Access to United Club lounges
• Improved dining or beverage options
• More entertainment options

United Airlines Upgrade Options

Usually, United Airlines offers multiple ways of upgrading seats. These include:

• Complimentary Premium Upgrades
• PlusPoints Upgrade
• MileagePlus Upgrade Awards (using miles)
• Paid cash Upgrades
• Bid-up Program

Complimentary Premium Upgrades (CPU):

Based on the subject of availability, Complimentary Premium Upgrades are usually free. These free space-available upgrades are from the cabins in Economy Class to First Class. It is applied to premium and elite members only. 

Eligibility: 

• One must be a member of United Premier Silver or higher.
• It is available on:
  • Domestic United flights within the USA.
  • Some international destinations like Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
• Excluded routes:
  • Flights between New York or Newark (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO).

Upgrade Priority Order:

These upgrades are prioritized based on:

• Premier status level
• Fare class purchased
• Eligible United Credit Card holders 
• United Corporate Preferred participants 
• Date and Time of the request 

Confirmation Timings Based on Status:

The flyers have the advantage of upgrading seats based on these hours before departure.

• Premier 1K: 96 hours
• Premier Platinum: 72 hours
• Premier Gold: 48 hours
• Premier Silver: 24 hours

How to Request CPUs:

• No request is needed.
• United automatically places eligible members on the upgrade list.
• To monitor one’s place on the upgrade list, click on the “My Trips” section on the official website.

PlusPoints Upgrades

Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members can use PlusPoints upgrades. They can request these on United, United Express, and select partner airlines, like ANA, Lufthansa, and Copa.

How it Works:

• Travelers can request upgrades online or through the app when booking or “My Trips”. 
• If upgrade space is not available, they may be added to the waitlist.
• PlusPoints are only deducted once their upgrade is confirmed. 
• However, partner airlines are excluded from the same. 
• If one requests multiple upgrades, he/she will be charged only for the highest one confirmed.

Upgrade Pricing:

The number of PlusPoints needed varies by route, fare class, and cabin.

• 10 PlusPoints: Premium Plus to Business (short-haul)
• 20 PlusPoints: Economy to First/Business (short-haul)
  • Economy to Premium Plus (short/long-haul)
• 30 PlusPoints: Premium Plus to Polaris (long-haul)
• 40 PlusPoints: Economy to Polaris (long-haul)
• 80 PlusPoints: Discounted Economy to Polaris (long-haul)

Skip Waitlist:

Exclusive to Premier 1K, Skip Waitlist lets eligible flyers instantly confirm select international upgrades by using extra PlusPoints. Available only 30+ days before departure, it is non-refundable and non-transferable.

MileagePlus Upgrade Awards

All MileagePlus members can use miles to upgrade the eligible paid United or United Express flights. This is a great way to enjoy premium comfort, even without elite status.

How it Works:

• If upgrade space is available, requests can be instantly confirmed. 
• Otherwise, they are added to the waitlist that may clear anytime before departure.
• Waitlist priority depends on:
  • Global Services requests 
  • PlusPoints and Mileage Plus Upgrade Awards 
  • Premier status level
  • Fare class purchased
  • Certain United credit card benefits
  • Date and time of request

Costs and Pricing:

• Each upgrade requires miles plus and a cash co-pay. 
• Some domestic and nearby international routes may be exempt
  • Especially for Premier members
• Beginning November 24, 2025, United will introduce dynamic pricing costs
• So the upgrade cost will vary by route, demand, and other factors.

Star Alliance Upgrade Award

With a Star Alliance Upgrade Award, one can use miles from his/her United MileagePlus account to upgrade. These can be done for a paid and eligible flight on a participating Star Alliance member airline. It is different from upgrading a United-operated flight and has its own specific set of rules and requirements.

• Must hold a confirmed and eligible paid ticket
• Flight must be ticketed under the operating airline’s number (no codeshares)
• Only upgrades one class/cabin
• Availability depends on the operating airline’s upgrade list
• Must be requested and confirmed before departure, not at the airport
• Miles are deducted only if the upgrade clears

Paid Upgrades

Also known as cash upgrades, paid upgrades on United allow a flyer to upgrade to a higher cabin without using Miles or PlusPoints. However, Basic Economy fares are not eligible for it. Usually, these are non-refundable unless the flight is cancelled or changed by the airline.

Types of Cash Upgrades:

• Buy-up at booking:
  • When purchasing on the official website of United, one may be offered an upgrade, priced based on availability and demand.
• Pre-flight offers:
  • After booking, one can check his/her reservation on the website or app. Prices often change, so it is worth checking regularly.
• Last-minute and gate upgrades:
  • Around check-in (24 hours before departure) or at the gate, United may discount unsold premium seats. Hence, one may find good deals.

Bid-Up Program

On select flights, eligible passengers receive an email invitation to bid for an upgrade. Flyers have to set an amount above the minimum accepted bids. Usually, these are from $200 to $500 for long-haul business and are charged only if successful.

How to Request an Upgrade?

To request an upgrade for the United Airlines flight seats, one has to browse the official website or the app of the carrier.

• Sign in to your MileagePlus account.
• Go to “My Trips” and open your reservation.
• Select “Upgrade cabin”.
• If you are using PlusPoints, choose that option from the dropdown menu.
• Decide whether to pay with PlusPoints or MileagePlus miles.
• Then confirm your request.
• If upgrade space is available instantly, you can complete the transaction at that moment.
• If not, you will be placed on the waitlist.
• Your miles or PlusPoints will only be deducted if the upgrade clears.
• Another option is to check availability before booking.
• It is done by using the “Advanced Search” feature.
• Select either “MileagePlus Upgrade Awards” or “PlusPoints” upgrades.

For frequent United travelers, the carrier provides multiple ways to upgrade. These vary from complimentary premium upgrades to miles and PlusPoints. However, for casual flyers, paid upgrades and the bidding system are there. Hence, if one plans strategically, he/she may enjoy extra legroom, better service, and even a luxury experience at a minimal cost.

FAQs

While traveling with United Airlines, fliers might have noticed that its airfares are more expensive than those of other US-based air operators. Although the services, customer support, onboard experiences, etc., are quite appreciable, the overall travel is costly.

One of the reasons why United Airlines is so expensive is its pricey tickets, as it mainly counts on business travelers. Additionally, there is no such ‘low-cost fare’ policy. Besides, there are several other reasons why this carrier may constantly increase airfares.

A closer look at these can help understand whether this carrier has cost-effective or expensive services and how worthwhile these are.

Common Reasons that Explain Why United is So Expensive

Behind the increased airfares of United, there are several reasons to observe. The carrier counts on business and corporate passengers more than others. In order to retain them, it offers luxurious and extremely comfortable travel experiences through its services. As a result, the ticket prices go up. Though the rates are competitive for these passengers, others will find the same expensive.

Here are other common reasons that make United an expensive carrier.

1. Excessive Dependency on Luxury Travelers

A major reason why United flights are so expensive is that it mostly depends on luxury travelers who are higher-paying. Such flyers, particularly in the Business Class and First Class, tend to pay more to get additional services, flexibility, and excessive convenience. This results in higher prices as the carrier focuses more on fulfilling their expectations and demands.

2. Revenue Share of Leisure/Business Fliers

United counts on business/corporate fliers as a huge part of its total revenue is collected through these. As per some industry reports, approximately 60% of the entire revenue is generated from business fliers. It means leisure travelers only have a share of 40%. These stats allow the airline to set high fares so that it can maximize its profits.

3. Prioritizing Corporate Accounts and Business Routes

This is a crucial reason that hints at why United is so expensive. When you see its coverage or route network, you will realize that it focuses more on major business routes such as New Zealand, Singapore, Rome, etc. Along with this, it manages corporate accounts with big market leaders. 

Such market leaders enjoy traveling with United as it offers special discounts and preferential services. While this approach benefits corporate and business passengers, it results in higher airfares for others for similar destinations.

4. Last-Minute Travel Needs and Higher Fares

It is an obvious fact that bookings done fewer days before travel will cost flyers more. Since United majorly serves business and corporate flyers, their demand for last-minute travel needs to attend events, meetings, or any official trips can drive up increased fares. 

This carrier makes the best use of this last-minute travel demand and increases ticket prices. Hence, United Airlines flights are very expensive.

5. A Lack of ‘Low-Cost’ Airfare Norms

Most airlines that offer reasonable air travel experiences often have low-cost airfares. However, this is something that is missing with United Airlines. With this operator, a flier may not find benefits like affordability. 

Along with this, most affordable airlines offer Basic Economy with limited to no additional services so that every flier can enjoy the air travel experience. This is not the case with this major American carrier. It does have Economy/Premium Economy tickets though but on limited routes only. But even if cheap fares are not observed, cost-effectiveness is ensured.

6. Absence of Basic Economy on Some Routes

The US-based airline has Basic Economy fares available on only selected routes. Thus, it is hard for it to compete in such a cut-throat competition wherein every carrier is offering lucrative benefits and special discounts.

Since Basic Economy means comparatively low airfares, its absence on major destinations automatically puts pressure on other cabin classes. This also ends up with increased fees. 

Please note that this airline has Economy and Economy Plus options on all routes that are more affordable than premium cabins. However, due to the in-flight facilities offered, United is still so expensive.

7. Limited Partnership with Low-Cost Airlines

Most airlines share partnerships with other carriers so that they can offer maximum benefits to their travelers. United Airlines only has a limited number of partnerships with low-cost carriers. This restricts cheaper fares for passengers, too.

Since inexpensive air travel partners can add more value by offering economical fares, without them, United struggles when it comes to offering affordable tickets.

8. Higher Fees for Flight Changes and Cancellations

A budget-constraint traveler who has traveled with United Airlines will know that it charges more to modify or revoke a reservation. This makes people with limited travel budgets find it difficult to change/cancel tickets.

As soon as a flier manages his/her reservation, the applicable fees are added up immediately. For the same, charges with other air operators are quite lenient.

Is United Expensive due to a Reduction in Seats and Flight Consolidation?

Seat reduction and flight consolidation are the factors contributing to high-fare flights with United. Why are United flights so expensive is also possible because of the merger with Continental Airlines, resulting in such fares.

Below are some more reasons that cause seat reduction and flight mergers:

1. Merger with Continental Airlines

In 2010, United Airlines and Continental Airlines were merged. As a result, a limited number of flights are available now. Even though mergers are meant to serve a wider network of routes, this consolidation streamlined the services, but routes became limited. With limited flights, the airfares automatically increased.

2. Use of Jets on Certain Routes

To improve profitability and optimize operations, United Airlines has replaced mainline planes with jets on some routes. Although it is more like a strategic step by the operator, from the passengers’ viewpoint – seats are reduced on those routes, resulting in increased airfares. During peak periods of travel, the flight tickets for these routes are hard to get.

3. Crowded/Overbooked Planes with Limited Supply

There is a basic formula of economics to determine the upsurge and drop in the price of something and that is – an imbalance in the demand and supply. With United Airlines, you will see a huge gap between these price determinants. 

For some routes, there is a reduced number of planes, and the peak in demand causes them to be crowded. This is why United is so expensive, especially during the peak season. 

Why has United Increased its Airfares?

Inefficiencies associated with operations are yet another reason that makes the ticket prices of United Airlines higher than others. Higher maintenance, poorly designed cost structure, etc., are some contributing factors. 

Here is detailed information in relation to such price hikes and operational inefficiencies:

1. Use of Old-style Planes 

The fleet of United Airlines consists of 950+ aircraft. Some of the planes are quite old. To operate them safely and securely, regular yet expensive maintenance is needed. For instance, Boeing 767-300ER is nearly a 32-year-old aircraft in its fleet. 

Since such planes cannot be operated without proper maintenance, the overall cost goes up. To manage its profits and revenue, the same is possibly collected from travelers in the form of higher airfares, indicating why United Airlines is so expensive.

2. An Inadequately Designed Cost Structure

For any carrier, fuel costs, labor wages, employees’ benefits, etc., are some important expenses. Since the cost of fuel fluctuates a lot, the profitability can be greatly affected. This is where a smartly constructed cost structure plays a leading role. 

However, United Airlines struggles a bit in this aspect, even after being a popular and old air operator. As simple as that, when a carrier has difficulties relating to its cost structure, it will end up with higher fares.

United Airlines is so expensive, but it aims to provide better value for each penny spent by passengers. Its exceptional in-flight services and world-class travel experiences are cost-effective. Though it is working to minimize operational inefficiencies and factors that cause price hikes, currently, it is more suitable for luxury travelers.