United has excellent nonstop award availability between North America and Israel in coach, especially for United cardholders who have access to greatly expanded award availability. However nonstop business class award space between North America and Tel Aviv is notoriously scarce. So it’s news when any non-Shabbos dates have business class award space to/from Tel Aviv.
Both Newark and San Francisco now have United’s excellent Polaris lounge product that is accessible with a business class ticket. I loved United’s Chicago Polaris lounge.
There is business saver award space from Newark to Tel Aviv on:
- July 15, 2018: (6 saver award seats for all members, 7 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 8 upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 16, 2018: (6 saver award seats for all members, 7 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 8 upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 8, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 21, 2019: (7 saver award seats for all members, at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 22, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
There is business saver award space from Tel Aviv to Newark on:
- December 23, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- December 24, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- December 26, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 10, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 19, 2019: (8 saver award seats for all members, at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 21, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 22, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 23, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
There is business saver award space from San Francisco to Tel Aviv on:
- July 14, 2018: (8 saver award seats for all members, at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- July 15, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 16, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 17, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- December 29, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- December 30, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 31, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- January 1, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- January 2, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 8, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 10, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 21, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
There is business saver award space from Tel Aviv to San Francisco on:
- September 27, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- December 23, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 24, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 26, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- December 27, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 9, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, but at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
- April 23, 2019 (3 saver award seats for all members, 8 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available)
Select Newark and San Francisco flights above are on United’s brand new 77W Polaris planes with direct aisle access for every business class seat. You can choose from solo seats or seats for people traveling together.
Business class seats include United’s newly launched Polaris business class service with Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and pillows. Savvy travelers will also request a Saks Fifth Avenue mattress pad, gel cooled pillow, slippers, and pajamas, as those are not proactively offered by flight attendants as there aren’t enough of them for everyone.
Upgrade awards:
You can always waitlist for an upgrade award, but the dates above have flights that are confirmable now by calling United.
If you have a paid ticket, the cost of an upgrade varies based on your ticket’s fare class as follows:
In other words, it will cost 35K United miles plus $600 for a one-way upgrade from most discounted coach tickets to business class.
Business saver class award booking options:
-You can transfer miles from Chase Ultimate Rewards to United (1:1 ratio) instantly. United charges 42.5K one-way in coach or 75K one-way in business class for United flights to Israel. Awards can be cancelled for free within 24 hours. United never collects fuel surcharges. After 24 hours, non-elites will pay $75 to cancel awards more than 60 days before a flight or $125 within 60 days of a flight. Awards can be booked online.
You can also redeem 75K United miles for business class even when there is only coach available. Read this post for how to do that via “Plan B”.
Having a Chase United card greatly expands the saver award space that you can book. United.com only shows the lowest available award rate when you’re logged in, so a cardholder may see a 42.5K rate while a non-cardholder will see the 95K standard rate. Cardholders also have the ability to book the last seat available in any class with Standard/Everyday awards.
-Air Canada charges 40K in coach or 82.5K in business class one-way. There are no fuel surcharges for United flights. Points transfer instantly (1:1 ratio) from AMEX. Transfers from Starwood (20K:25K ratio) can take 2-10 days.
–Aegean charges a mere 30K miles in coach or 45K miles in business class one-way and you’ll need even fewer Starpoints than that thanks to the Starwood 20K:25K transfer ratio. Factoring in a 25% discount that’s effectively 24K Starpoints in coach or 36K Starpoints in business class one-way. They don’t charge fuel surcharges for United flights. Transfers from Starwood can take 2-10 days.
–Singapore charges 45K in coach or 69K in business class one-way. There are no fuel surcharges for United awards. You can transfer points from AMEX, Chase, or Citi at a 1:1 ratio, but it will take a day or 2 for points to show up. Transfers from Starwood (20K:25K ratio) can take 2-10 days.
–ANA charges 65K miles in coach or 104K miles in business class round-trip, one-way awards aren’t available. There are no fuel surcharges for United awards. It can take 1-3 days to transfer points from AMEX to ANA (1:1 ratio) and transfers from Starwood to ANA (20K:25K ratio) can take 2-10 days.
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11 Comments On "Rare United Polaris Business Class Saver Award And Upgrade Space Between Newark Or San Francisco And Tel Aviv!"
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I have just been upgraded today for September 8 the 10:50pm flight from EWR to TLV ams there’s at least 9 more R seats available
So your arriving at about 5pm on Erev Rosh Hashanah…
Arriving 4:20 PM. That’s 2 hours and 10 minutes before the zman
I didn’t think United upgraded on those legs.
Used a GPU
If there is no J saver available but there is economy and upgrades, can you plan B instantly into J?
No.
Does the points have to be in the account of the passenger or someone else can give him an upgrade
Someone else can give the upgrade with their miles
United has way too many seats on the new Polaris business as to the demand, I just flew and got both ways upgraded for me and my wife, 1 way with GPU and the other with mileage, on both flights they were 20+ available seats a night before the flight!! this never used to be.
Which route?