Earning Velocity points on UA flight with Milageplus upgrade mixed in

[amagz]

Question that I can’t seem to find an answer on…

I have an upcoming international UA flight, booked through UA. I have entered my Velocity number on the booking to get Velocity FF/status points from the UA flights. Desperately need this to re-qualify status with VA…

There is a Polaris upgrade available using UA Milageplus points. I am thinking to purchase points and use it for the upgrade. Not a bad deal with the current Milageplus purchase bonus promo…

So my question, if I do upgrade to Polaris using purchased Milageplus points, will I still earn Velocity points on the original fare booked?

Would involving Milageplus for use of the points upgrade somehow impact me not getting Velocity status points?

Anyone know how the system works in this scenario?

 

[mlg]

I upgraded a UA flight (MEL-SFO) with MileagePlus points last year and still received Velocity points and status credits with no issue. So hopefully you should have the same experience!

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

There is a Polaris upgrade available using UA Milageplus points. I am thinking to purchase points and use it for the upgrade. Not a bad deal with the current Milageplus purchase bonus promo…

So my question, if I do upgrade to Polaris using purchased Milageplus points, will I still earn Velocity points on the original fare booked?

Slightly off the original topic, but (if you don't mind me asking) how many Mileageplus points is the Polaris upgrade asking for, and what fare type are you upgrading from??

 

[amagz]

I upgraded a UA flight (MEL-SFO) with MileagePlus points last year and still received Velocity points and status credits with no issue. So hopefully you should have the same experience!

Ok great, thanks for the heads up. It’s never clear cut mixing programs and it’s not outlined anywhere

 

[amagz]

Slightly off the original topic, but (if you don't mind me asking) how many Mileageplus points is the Polaris upgrade asking for, and what fare type are you upgrading from??

That’s no worries… So I got a paid fare, premium economy MEL-SFO connecting to SFO-EWR. It’s offering me 30k Milage points plus USD$450 for both… but…

MEL-SFO is available for upgrade but the upgrade for SFO-EWR is waitlisted. The waitlist is long for that flight and despite my Velocity status (which UA wouldn’t recognise for this anyway), I got low chance of getting that upgrade to Polaris on this leg.

I have none Milageplus points but can buy the 30k points for around USD$750 with current bonus miles promo. $750 + $450 co-pay = USD $1200 or AUD ~ $1800

I don’t think I can justify A$1800 for the one leg although it is the 15 hour flight but I do already have PE.

I think I will wait and see what’s offered on the UA app or at check-in. My price would be around $1000 for MEL-SFO if I can get it. Already paid good money for PE…

To note, the ‘money’ upgrade option through the UA app for MEL-SFO is currently USD $2200 for the one leg. J is relatively empty and the waitlist is short for that flight, so I am hoping closer to the flight next weekend, the price will drop significantly.

Hope that helps weigh up what your looking at it

 

[bcworld]

I upgraded a UA flight (MEL-SFO) with MileagePlus points last year and still received Velocity points and status credits with no issue. So hopefully you should have the same experience!

I have done this too...but I DID have an issue.

I was booked in Premium Plus MEL-LAX and EWR-LAX-MEL....earning with Velocity but I successfully upgraded these 3 sectors for 30k miles + USD450 in each direction.

I had other flights on my itinerary where I travelled in the originally booked class - those 3 sectors posted with 24-48 hours to my Velocity account.

The upgraded sectors never showed up.

I retro claimed online first for MEL-LAX...I got claim successful and the correct points and status credits for my original Premium Plus booking.

Great...then I retro claimed for EWR-LAX-MEL. This time my claim was rejected with the reason being that I had allegedly claimed the miles in another program...I had not, and they certainly hadn't gone to my mileage plus account. From this point on I was engaged in an almighty cough fight with Velocity for about 2 months before this was finally resolved.

As an aside...both my transpacific upgrades cleared days in advance...for EWR-LAX my upgrade cleared at the gate after boarding started...I scraped in last or second last on the upgrade list. BUT....a few days later UA refunded me the 30k miles and 450USD as if the upgrade hadn't cleared!

Post automatically merged: Feb 18, 2024

I don’t think I can justify A$1800 for the one leg although it is the 15 hour flight but I do already have PE.

If you're booked in Premium Plus you are basically at the top of the upgrade priority list...that trumps most UA status fliers who are booked in the main cabin.

 

[amagz]

I have done this too...but I DID have an issue.

I was booked in Premium Plus MEL-LAX and EWR-LAX-MEL....earning with Velocity but I successfully upgraded these 3 sectors for 30k miles + USD450 in each direction.

I had other flights on my itinerary where I travelled in the originally booked class - those 3 sectors posted with 24-48 hours to my Velocity account.

The upgraded sectors never showed up.

I retro claimed online first for MEL-LAX...I got claim successful and the correct points and status credits for my original Premium Plus booking.

Great...then I retro claimed for EWR-LAX-MEL. This time my claim was rejected with the reason being that I had allegedly claimed the miles in another program...I had not, and they certainly hadn't gone to my mileage plus account. From this point on I was engaged in an almighty cough fight with Velocity for about 2 months before this was finally resolved.

As an aside...both my transpacific upgrades cleared days in advance...for EWR-LAX my upgrade cleared at the gate after boarding started...I scraped in last or second last on the upgrade list. BUT....a few days later UA refunded me the 30k miles and 450USD as if the upgrade hadn't cleared!

Post automatically merged: Feb 18, 2024

If you're booked in Premium Plus you are basically at the top of the upgrade priority list...that trumps most UA status fliers who are booked in the main cabin.

This is the exact time of cough scenario I could foresee occurring that led me post and ask the question here!

Love the consistency that the first retro claim worked but the next one didn’t! I called Velocity to ask and they couldn’t even understand the question posed, let alone provide an answer.

Bonus win though to have an upgrade at the gate and then have the points + pay refunded

My review date is a few days after my flight and really worried about jeopardising another year of perks of 15 hours of pleasure…

Thanks for sharing

 

[mlg]

I was also waitlisted for the second leg SFO-EWR, but sadly my upgrade didn’t clear. I thought I’d be close to the top of the upgrade list as Premium Plus but I ended up way down, at number 20 or so. So just something to factor into your decision.