Fly to London, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and other cities with unprecedented United Polaris award availability
The coronavirus has caused demand for travel to basically evaporate. Though now's not the time to travel, we at TPG definitely encourage you to starting planning your next vacation for sometime later this year into next.
Fortunately, United's made trip planning really easy since the carrier has released an unprecedented number of saver award seats for some of its most popular routes in Polaris business class. When we crunched the numbers last month, we found a nearly 1,400% jump in business-class award availability on United. And that still holds true today.
Redeeming points for United Polaris represents a fantastic value, so let's dive into some of the award space we're seeing.
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United's nonstop to London
Fancy a visit to the queen? Well, you can get there in style — and on points — with all the United award space we're seeing.
Let's look at Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to London-Heathrow (LHR). There's just three days in 2021 that doesn't have Polaris availability for four passengers. Many dates have up to nine seats if you're looking to bring the extended family!
It's typically very hard to get from the west coast to Europe in business class on points. But, that's not the case for the rest of 2020 into the first three months of 2021.
All the dotted lines above indicate dates that have Polaris award availability for nine from Los Angeles (LAX) to London-Heathrow (LHR). You'll note that there's just two dates in 2021 that don't have space.
United's nonstop to Tel Aviv
Newark (EWR) to Tel Aviv (TLV) is one of United's most flagship routes, and one that I fly with quite a bit of frequency. Scoring award or upgrade space on these flights is like finding a needle in a haystack. But now, that's totally changed.
From Jan. to March 2021, there's only a handful of dates that don't have Polaris award space for four passengers. That's right — almost every single date that's bookable in 2021 is available as an award for an entire family!
Take a look at the calendars above. Every date that has a dotted line indicates Polaris availability for at least four passengers.
Plus, this insane amount of award availability isn't limited to just Newark to Tel Aviv. It's also available in the reverse direction — and on United's other flights to Israel to/from San Francisco (SFO) and Washington-Dulles (IAD). Though we searched for four passengers, many of these flights actually have space for up to nine passengers!
We're even seeing these trends beginning in August 2020, though that may be too soon to begin traveling internationally.
United's nonstop to Tokyo
What about Asia? Well, United's got you covered there too. There's still a ton of Polaris award availability, though it's a bit less than to Europe and Israel.
The dotted lines above indicate dates that have Polaris awards for two passengers from San Francisco to either Tokyo-Haneda (HND) or Tokyo-Narita (NRT). We're also seeing similar trends to Asia from other United hubs as well.
RELATED: Tokyo-Narita vs. Haneda: Which airport should I fly into?
How to redeem miles for United flights
As a member of Star Alliance, you can book United awards with quite a few partner programs. I'll list the best options below and their associated credit card transfer partners, and then discuss why now's actually a good time to book with United directly.
- Air Canada Aeroplan — transferable from American Express Membership Rewards and Capital One Miles
- Avianca Lifemiles — transferable from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards
- Singapore KrisFlyer — transferable from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Turkish Miles & Smiles — transferable from Citi ThankYou Rewards
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Uc3F7FF2z/
Why booking through United MileagePlus makes sense
Though you could transfer credit card points to any of the above programs, it makes sense to redeem through United MileagePlus, especially if you're booking flights in 2020.
For one, if you carry a cobranded United card or if you're a Premier member, then you get access to expanded availability — but only if you book directly through United.
Taking a look at calendars above. You'll see that there's even more award space available if you carry a United card!
Related: Unlock expanded award availability with United credit cards
Another reason to book with United is because the carrier is waiving all redeposit fees for award ticket cancellations made more than 30 days before departure for the remainder of this year. That means that you can lock in the award space now and then cancel it later on for a full refund if it's still unsafe to travel.
Finally, booking with United may allow you to utilize the carrier's Excursionist Perk to effectively add a stopover. For example, if you wanted to visit Europe in February, you could include time in both London and another European city. By booking a multi-city trip — with time in both London and, say, Frankfurt before returning to the U.S. — the intra-Europe flight prices at 0 miles.
As you can from the above example, you'd enjoy two, long-haul flights in United business class and a free flight within Europe for 120,000 miles and less than $200 in taxes and fees — and these screen shots show availability for four passengers.
Bottom line
As you're looking to plan travel for the end of 2020 and into 2021, there's no better place to search than with United. We're seeing unprecedented amounts of Polaris award availability on some of the carrier's flagship routes. Plus, with the ability to redeposit awards for the remainder of 2020 without a fee, there's no better time to lock-in your award.
All award space available at time of publishing. All photos by the author.
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Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.