United Announces Heartbreaking Award-Travel Changes
Update 4/5/19: United has clarified that these changes will kick in on, not after November 15. This post has been updated to reflect that revision.
You know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you have to say goodbye to a beloved pet, or your favorite restaurant decides to exclude you from their delivery zone? I've got that today — and this time, United Airlines is to blame.
Luc Bondar, United's vice president of loyalty and head of the MileagePlus program just detailed some changes I find heartbreaking, which have already kicked in for travel beginning November 15.
First, I'll mention a positive development Luc shared: United will be eliminating its close-in booking fee. Currently, the airline charges a fee for booking award travel less than 21 days before departure — $75 for general members, $50 for Silver elites and $25 for Gold elites. That's going away for travel beginning November 15.
Luc included one other tiny bit of good news — itsy-bitsy relative to the devaluation coming, really. As we reported earlier this week, miles and elite credits are now posting as soon as a flight arrives — two and a half minutes, on average, so essentially before you even step off the plane. That's great, and covered in full detail here.
The End of Award Charts
Now, prepare to have your day ruined. While award charts can be confusing to interpret, power users have no trouble deciphering the intricacies, and in some cases even have certain region pairings memorized. I could tell you in my sleep that United prices Polaris business class awards between North America and Europe at 60,000 miles each way, for example, while Star Alliance business requires 70,000 miles for the same redemption.
For travel beginning November 15, those charts will no longer apply, and the airline will be removing them entirely for United-operated flights after that date. Luc explained that this will allow the airline to "do a better job of matching award supply with customer demand," but that can be done with a chart still in place, if you ask me. This feels more like a copycat move, following in the footsteps of Delta, which yanked its own charts in early 2015 and has quietly been boosting redemption amounts ever since.
Pulling the charts eliminates much-appreciated transparency, but not to worry — I've added them all below (for travel including the Mainland US, Alaska and Canada), so they'll serve as a reference even after United deletes them from the site later this year.
Expanded Dynamic Pricing
United rolled out its first batch of "dynamic" redemptions in 2017, with the introduction of "Everyday" awards, which replaced standard pricing. Then, last week, we noticed a new far-lower saver award tier, with certain economy awards available for as little as 5,000 miles each way. As TPG Family editor Summer Hull speculated there, those lower redemption turned out to be a sign of big changes to come — the devaluation we've learned about today.
Luc said that following the introduction of dynamic pricing, the overall average redemption price decreased in 2018. Beginning November 15, variable redemptions will become the norm — rates will vary from one day to the next, and even from one flight to another, across all redemption fare classes, which won't be changing at this time. With this model, Luc explained that "customers who have more flexibility are able to get better award pricing than they see today." So what does that mean in practice? Summer Hull digs in.
Partner Awards
While United's own flights are priced a bit lower — if you're able to find a saver award, that is — moving forward you might actually save by booking a partner redemption, instead. For now, the airline hasn't shared any plans to increase the rates of partner awards, such as those operated by Star Alliance carriers, including ANA, Lufthansa, Swiss, Thai and others.
And what about those charts? "As of now, we do not have plans to remove the partner award chart, but that could change in the future," a spokesperson added.
Partners also open up an interesting alternative to MileagePlus, even when it comes to redemptions for United-operated flights. At this point, United doesn't have any input when it comes to how partners price flights booked using their own currencies, so customers with transferrable points will have a huge advantage in the future.
For example, rather than transferring points to MileagePlus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to book a Polaris seat to Europe pricing at 110,000 miles through United, you could send 55,000 Amex points over to Aeroplan, and book the same United-operated flight there. Time will tell when it comes to how this will actually play out — there would need to be availability in the "I" fare class, for example — but that's certainly been the case with Delta.
Bottom Line
Fellow travelers often ask me why I choose to fly United, even after the infamous #BumpGate incident, poor in-flight experiences and countless other service issues. Well, first, United and Star Alliance fall under my airline beat, so earning top-tier Premier 1K status is actually part of my job. But I choose United for personal travel when I'm paying out of pocket as well.
Aside from the frequent upgrades I enjoy as a 1K, the primary reason I choose United is MileagePlus — I've found the program to be tremendously valuable, and I know what to expect when it comes time to redeem. Removing published award charts is a huge step in the wrong direction, though, and if it turns out that I no longer find value in premium-cabin awards, I'll be far less likely to keep coming back.
If you've been building up a large cache of United miles yourself, it's time to start thinking about redeeming those miles before the new rates kick in. I'm especially concerned about what the airline may have in store for partner redemptions in the future — no news isn't necessarily good news here, though as of now, it's still possible to book at fixed rates. And with a published award chart to reference.
Current Award Charts
Finally, since they'll soon be going away, I wanted to capture United's current award charts. Note that these no longer apply for travel beginning November 15, but they'll still serve as a useful reference for which awards represent a "good deal."
TPG featured card
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.