United makes upgrading to business class on Turkish Airlines cheaper
United Airlines is using the downtime during the coronavirus to make a bunch of adjustments to its MileagePlus program.
We’ve seen the carrier extend elite status, remove its partner award chart, make it harder to qualify for status through Star Alliance flights and raise the cost of partner awards across the board.
Today, however, the carrier is introducing a positive update.
As a member of Star Alliance, United has long offered the ability to redeem United miles for one-cabin upgrades on many Star Alliance partners. Though there have always been a bunch of terms and conditions associated with these upgrades, one of the most limiting is that you could only process upgrades on an expensive coach fare.
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What’s changing
As of July 28, United added four new upgrade-eligible fare classes for flights operated by Turkish Airlines. United’s website has been updated to reflect this policy update.
In addition to tickets in the Y and B fare classes, you can now upgrade M, A, H and S discounted coach tickets as well. This makes upgrading a Turkish ticket much more affordable than before.
Related: What airline fare classes tell you about your ticket
Let's take a look at an example. For a round-trip ticket from New York to Istanbul, a B-class fare would run you about $2,325.20
An S-class ticket on the exact same flights is going for $1,485, or about $840 less. The same logic applies across the board — an S-class ticket is going to be significantly more affordable than one in B class.
United didn't change the number of miles required for an upgrade. So in addition to the $1,485 ticket, you'll need to shell out 25,000 United miles in each direction to upgrade to business class. This could actually represent a good deal, depending on how much the underlying S-class coach ticket costs.
If you were to outright redeem United miles for a Turkish business class seat on this route, you'd need to shell out 154,000 miles round-trip. By redeeming an upgrade instead, you'd be out 50,000 miles and $1,485 for the coach ticket (and you'd still be eligible to earn miles on the ticket).
Related: The best websites for searching Star Alliance award availability
Of course, you could book the Turkish flight via another Star Alliance partner but redeeming an upgrade is certainly an option for those who have lots of United miles. It could also make sense if you're sitting on a stockpile of transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, or if the S-class fare is quite reasonable.
Note that award and upgrade availability is capacity controlled. Pro tip: Use ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures) to set an alert.
United has been busy tweaking some of the upgrade details with its other Star Alliance partner airlines. The airline made it easier to redeem upgrades with miles and PlusPoints on ANA by expanding the upgrade window to nearly a year before departure. United made a similar change with Ethiopian Airlines earlier this month.
Related: A review of Turkish Airlines’ 787-9 in business class
Bottom line
By adding more eligible fare classes, United is making it significantly more affordable to upgrade flights with Turkish Airlines.
Previously, you'd need to purchase a flexible coach ticket in order to redeem an upgrade. Now that United's expanded the eligible fare classes, upgrading your Turkish Airlines flights with United miles has definitely become something worth considering.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). |
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Why We Chose It
There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
- 4x on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees