Not cool: United keeps raising partner award costs without notice

[Mattg]

Last week, United MileagePlus increased the cost of partner airline first class awards by as much as 100% without giving any notice. One day a trans-Atlantic first class award cost 121,000 miles, and the next day it was 242,000 miles. (See Ouch: United MileagePlus Devalues International First Class Awards)

United seems to have been making a habit of this since they eliminated award charts. E.g. I was looking a few months ago at an award on Copa Airlines flying POS-PTY-BZE in J. It was around 22,000 miles a few months ago. Now, it's 71,500 miles!

This week, UA MileagePlus also suddenly raised intra-Europe J awards from 27,500 to 33,000 miles.

The devaluations also hit Australian routes. Star Alliance J awards between Australia and Asia are now 99,000 miles instead of 55,000 miles last week! Again, no notice and no mention to members of any changes.



United, this really isn't cool. I'm glad I already used most of the miles I'd saved up before this latest round of devaluations. MileagePlus used to be my main Star Alliance program but between this and the changes to earning status, I won't be earning any more miles with United for the foreseeable future.

 

[levelnine]

This is what all airlines want. No award charts so that devaluations can happen frequently and go under the radar — noticed only by the most observant of users & not requiring any email blast to all members saying the T&Cs of the program are changing. It's the end game of FF programs — they'll all eventually get there.

The bigger concern out of UA is that they've started restricting access to award seats on their own flights using partner programs, which means you can't ignore these devaluations by using miles in another program.

 

[SYD]

They used to be my *A program of choice but it just got too complicated especially after I stopped flying UA a lot transpacific so I went on a plan to run down 100s of Ks in points a while back. I have maintained a modest stash of points for potential use for the odd short one way flights but it sounds like that door is closing also…

It's the end game of FF programs — they'll all eventually get there.

Then one airline will come along and say, “Look we’re different, not toasters - Free flights!”.

 

[fly2earth]

Good I burned them all up with their premium toasters so I can make Qantas Club toasties at home 24/7

 

[SYD]

Some more coverage…

https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/05/03/united-award-massacre-continues-many-partner-redemptions-increase-by-over-100/

 

[clifford]

Some more coverage…

https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/05/03/united-award-massacre-continues-many-partner-redemptions-increase-by-over-100/

And some more:

United MileagePlus Devalues Partner Business Class Awards

United MileagePlus has hugely increased the cost of partner business class awards, in particular on regional flights. Here are the details.

ml.onemileatatime.com

I thought that something like this might be happening, so I've blown my remaining Mileage Plus miles on a couple of trips to the UK this year at 90,000 miles each way. One shudders to think what the price is now.

I'm a lifetime Platinum with UA Mileage Plus (Star Alliance Gold), but it's highly unlikely I'll be flying UA again. They were good in the day, but since they were taken over by the cowboys at Continental...

 

[JohnK]

I think I have 19,500 UA miles sitting there gathering dust for at least 5-6 years. They've been pretty much useless for a family of 3 and not really worth collecting any more miles.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

The lesson here, and with *ALL* airline loyalty programs - SPEND THE MILES!
Don't save them up for 'that one big trip in X years'.
Don't warehouse points in an airline/hotel program thinking they are 'safe'.

Always spend them at the earliest possible opportunity.

 

[SYD]

Apparently, they’ve rolled back a little on some of these enhancements…

https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/05/21/united-airlines-partially-walks-back-recent-award-massacre/

Yesterday, I got around to comparing my last redemption (2x HKT-SIN on SQ whY). Which at 8k x 2 and A$60 was great value v one way cash fare at the time. It was showing 12.5k (similar $s) yesterday, so I must have checked after the slight improvement.

 

[SYD]

Apparently, they’ve jacked up intra Asia again. I’m not even going to bother looking.

I think I’ll revert to SQ KF for any random *A earn in the future. I can always convert to VFF if for some reason I can’t burn them from KF.…

 

[Mattg]

I'm going to use up my remaining United miles ASAP and be done with that program. This really isn't OK, United.

Luckily intra-Europe Y redemptions are still good value (for now).

 

[Gold Member]

I think I’ll revert to SQ KF for any random *A earn in the future. I can always convert to VFF if for some reason I can’t burn them from KF.…

With no hard expiry like SQ, my go to is Air Canada MP for miscellaneous *A earners. But I will always check with WhereToCredit to help validate since earn rates vary quite a lot among different booking classes.

 

[Gold Member]

I'm going to use up my remaining United miles ASAP and be done with that program. This really isn't OK, United.

Luckily intra-Europe Y redemptions are still good value (for now).

Based on my research, the best use of miles intra EU is for Business class flights totalling just under 750 miles - that comes out to 30K MP points. Fly a single mile above that threshold and it blows out massively.

Edit: Type - 30K, not 20K.

 

[Mattg]

Based on my research, the best use of miles intra EU is for Business class flights totalling just under 750 miles - that comes out to 20K MP points. Fly a single mile above that threshold and it blows out massively.

Yeah...

On those routes I don't mind booking Y for 6,000 miles as I still get all the ground benefits through *G status. Intra-Europe J on a flight under 1-2 hours isn't really worth the extra 14K miles to me, but horses for courses

 

[Gold Member]

Yeah...

On those routes I don't mind booking Y for 6,000 miles as I still get all the ground benefits through *G status. Intra-Europe J on a flight under 1-2 hours isn't really worth the extra 14K miles to me, but horses for courses

I think it might be 8K now, although they seemingly keep changing it to confuse us all. Still, 8K in Economy for up to 750 miles is amazing value.

 

[SYD]

I think it might be 8K now, although they seemingly keep changing it to confuse us all. Still, 8K in Economy for up to 750 miles is amazing value.

Especially when some of the airlines still have a one way surcharge (basically Flex Y)!

Intra Asia was 8k also - as mentioned up thread.