How To Upgrade On Your Next United Airlines Flight

Good value, or even free, cabin upgrading is one of the most desirable perks of loyalty programs. Miles or points collected in the program can usually be used towards upgrades, and elite status can lead to free upgrades.

United Airlines offers different ways to upgrade for its MileagePlus members. This is possible on both domestic and regional flights, as well as on long-haul flights into the excellent Polaris business class cabin. The system is a bit complicated when decoding complementary, PlusPoints, and MileagePlus upgrades, all with a different clearing order. So here’s your guide to upgrading on your next United flight.

The three types of upgrades

With a program as big and complex as MileagePlus, it is no surprise that there are different ways for members to upgrade. In summary, United Airlines has three different types of upgrades.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

• The first is Complimentary Premier Upgrades (CPUs), available on domestic US, Canadian, and Mexican routes, excluding premium transcontinental flights (Newark to San Francisco and Los Angeles). These don’t require any additional payment and are cleared in order of status, depending on the fare class.
• The second type is upgrades through PlusPoints. PlusPoints are awarded to Premier Platinum and 1K members only. These points can then be used to apply for upgrades, which are confirmed depending on availability.
• Thirdly, there are MileagePlus Upgrades. As the name suggests, this allows travelers to use miles to apply for a move to the next cabin, depending on availability. These are available on all United routes and may require a cash co-pay.

Photo: United Airlines

All upgrade requests are determined based on the following priority:

• United Global Services member requests.
• United Premier Plus passengers (where available).
• PlusPoints and MileagePlus request upgrades.
• Premier status level (in descending order: 1K, Platinum, Gold, Silver).
• Fare class (Y, B, and M fare classes are eligible for instant upgrades, for example).
• Chase United MileagePlus credit card and Presidential Plus cardholders.
• United Corporate Preferred members.
• United Chase Card members with $25,000 in annual spending.
• Date and time of request.

Complimentary Premier Upgrades

Complimentary Premier Upgrades (CPUs) are cleared in the order listed above but are only available on flights within the mainland US (excluding premium transcontinental ones) to or from Alaska, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

You may be used to seeing these upgrades on the boarding gate screens at airports, but you could be confirmed for an upgrade well before that. Elite members on any tier booked into the Y and B fare classes (highest economy fares) are instantly confirmed if there is space onboard, as well as M fare class travelers who are Premier 1K or Global Services.

Photo: United Airlines

Upgrades begin confirming 96 hours before travel for 1K Members, 72 hours before for Platinum, 48 hours before for Gold, and on the day of departure for Silver members. Notably, upgrades also apply to one companion on the same PNR, and those traveling on Award tickets are eligible but only if they hold a co-brand credit card.

MileagePlus Upgrade Awards

If you don’t wish to rely on availability, don’t hold top-tier United status, or are flying outside the Americas, MileagePlus Upgrade Awards (MUAs) are the next best way to move up a class. These upgrades are available on all routes and clear in the same order as listed above, outranking complimentary requests. Within MUAs, the order is determined by status level, fare class, and so on.

Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock

United has an online tool to determine how many miles you need, which can vary from as little as 7,000 to 30,000 on long-haul flights. These upgrades also require a co-pay, so be prepared to pay anywhere from $75 to $600, depending on the route. Premier members of any tier flying within the continental US (no premium transcontinental), Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Alaska, and from the West Coast to Hawaii don’t have to pay a co-pay.

Photo: United Airlines

Of course, these awards are much harder to come by since the airline reserves most seats for revenue travelers. To see availability, click on Advanced Search and then select Upgrades > MileagePlus Upgrades. This will show the available upgrade options and if routes are waitlisted or not.

PlusPoints

The last method to upgrade is using PlusPoints. MileagePlus members who reach Premier Platinum are given 40 PlusPoints, and 1K members receive another 280 PlusPoints for upgrades. The graphic below shows how many points you need to upgrade in each cabin.

Photo: United Airlines

As you can see in the priority listing above, PlusPoints sit right after Global Service member requests and, therefore, are a valuable way to upgrade. Unlike MUAs, PlusPoints spent on United are only deducted when your upgrade clears, allowing you to book multiple upgrade requests and remove them if the highest one clears.

For upgrades to Polaris business class, United only charges 30 PlusPoints from Premium Plus and 40 from Economy, so it can be worth booking a higher fare economy class if considering an upgrade. PlusPoints also expire at the end of the program year, in which you reach Premier Platinum or 1K, so they must be spent.

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Skipping the Waitlist with PlusPoints

To make PlusPoints upgrades even more lucrative, United introduced “Skip Waitlist” awards. On select international flights, Premier 1K members can spend double the PlusPoints to confirm the upgrade instantly.

However, there’s a huge catch (in addition to the points needed) – these awards cannot be changed and must be booked 30 days in advance. Additionally, they have an even more limited scope of use.

Read more about United Airlines MileagePlus, its rule, and perks in our comprehensive guide.

The benefits of the upgraded cabin

Upgrading is always welcome, but it is important to know what you are getting when you do this. As is common with many large international airlines, United offers two different business/first class products. The domestic and regional first class products on narrowbody and some widebody aircraft are typical of the main US legacy airlines. It offers:

• More spacious dedicated 2-2 seating on narrowbody aircraft.
• Onboard catering.
• Lounge access is not offered based on cabin. This will depend on the the travelers’ status or lounge membership.

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

The long-haul product found on most international routes and widebody aircraft is very different. United brands this as Polaris. Over time, the new seating has been installed on most (but not quite all) widebody aircraft. Polaris offers:

• Lie flat seats/beds, mostly with aisle access. The product differs between aircraft types.
• Enhanced onboard service, meals, bedding, and amenities.
• Polaris lounge access is available at major airports, including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles. At other locations, you will get United or partner lounge access.

Related

Review: United Boeing 777 Polaris Business Class, London – Washington

Do you regularly upgrade cabins with United? Which method do you use, and how do you find the process and upgraded cabin experience? Let us know in the comments section below.