On my recent trip to cover the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland’s World of Frozen, I was able to upgrade to United Airlines’ Polaris business class without spending any extra cash. As you’d imagine, my 15-hour flight was much more comfortable thanks to a lie-flat seat, tasty meals after takeoff and before landing, and plenty of space to do my inflight skincare routine.
I won’t spend time today harping on the importance of inflight moisturizing, but I will clue you in on some tips for getting upgraded on your next flight.
On my United flight, a friend utilized PlusPoints to secure my upgrade. As a United MileagePlus member, you earn PlusPoints when you earn Premier Platinum or Premier 1K status. You can then use those PlusPoints to upgrade yourself or a friend, space available, to premium economy or even business class.
You can boost your way to United status — and work towards earning PlusPoints — with the United Explorer Card, which can earn you up to 1,000 PQPs (Premier Qualifying Points) per year to go toward status. Other United credit cards can unlock even more PQPs to get you closer to unlocking elite status and potential upgrades.
United isn’t the only airline that allows you to use awards or status to upgrade to a better seat. While it depends on when and where you fly, in my experience, Delta Air Lines is fairly generous with complimentary upgrades for Medallion members, thanks to my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. When you hit Platinum or Diamond Medallion status, you can use your Choice Benefits to redeem for upgrade certificates, as well.
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There are numerous monthly perks and credits you should be using on your credit cards in 2024. We've compiled them here so you won't forget about them.
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