United’s Latest Devaluation Is Here

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Update: One positive change is being made. Effective 11/1/17 you will be able to use 8K miles to fly on a nonstop flight within any single region outside of the US/Canada on a partner airline as long as the flight is less than 800 miles in distance.


United’s last major award chart change was several years ago, so it’s no surprise that they’re back for some more.

They also managed to sneak in a stealth devaluation last year by changing how they price their awards.

This is why I like having Hybrid Points as a backup where I can store points, use them at increased values, and transfer them to different airlines in case of a devaluation.

-Current United Award Chart

-United Award Chart Effective 11/1/17

-United Devaluation Announcement

In short, saver award rates will go up and new categories will be created. There will be higher pricing for domestic lie-flat business class between Newark-Los Angeles, Newark-San Francisco, and Boston-San Francisco. There will also be higher pricing for long-haul Hawaii flights between Hawaii and Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark, and Washington DC. Those flights are now all lie-flat and United will now charge more for them. If you fly to Hawaii in business or first class via Los Angeles or San Francisco you’ll pay a lower rate.

In addition United will change their higher priced “Standard” awards to “Everyday” awards. These “Everyday” award rates will fluctuate by date, but United will continue to publish what the maximum rate is for an Everyday award. In other words, the award chart will show the most you’ll pay for an award ticket, but the rate may be less than the stated price depending on the route and date.

Having a Chase United Explorer 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 will be a 42.5K rate to Tel Aviv while a non-cardholder will see the 85K standard rate which will go up to 95K in November. Cardholders also have the ability to book the last seat available in any class with Standard/Everyday awards.

United will still allow a free stopover (“Excursionist perk“) if it’s within the same region that you’re flying to. In other words if you fly from NYC to Zurich you can stopover there, fly to Paris, and then fly back to NYC without paying extra for the Zurich-Paris leg.

However other airlines like ANA, Aegean, and Singapore can book travel on United for fewer miles than United charges and without paying fuel surcharges. Note that those airlines don’t offer the expanded saver availability on United even if you have a United credit card. You need to use United miles to access that space.

-The first chart below compares the current cost of saver award travel from the US and the new cost for tickets booked as of 11/1/17. The chart includes partner rates only when United charges a premium to fly on a partner airline.

-The second chart below compares the current cost of standard award travel from the US and the new maximum cost for Everyday award travel for tickets booked as of 11/1/17.

-Mileage increases have been highlighted in bold and rates listed are for one-way travel.

United Saver Award Chart Changes

Between the US48 and: Class of ServiceCurrent Saver RateNew Saver Rate
US48/Canada ShorthaulCoach
Business
First
10K
25K
35K
10K
25K
35K
US48/Canada Coach
Business
Lie-flat Business
First
12.5K
25K
25K
35K
12.5K
25K
35K
35K
AlaskaCoach
Business
Lie-flat Business
First
17.5K
30K
30K
40K
17.5K
30K
40K
40K
HawaiiCoach
Business
Lie-flat Business
First
Long-haul First
22.5K
40K
40K
50K
50K
22.5K
40K
50K
50K
55K
Caribbean/Mexico/Central AmericaCoach
Business
First
17.5K
30K
40K
17.5K
30K
40K
Northern South AmericaCoach
Business
First
20K
35K
45K
20K
35K
45K
Southern South AmericaCoach
Business
First
30K
55K
70K
30K
60K
80K
EuropeCoach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
30K
57.5K
70K
80K
110K
30K
60K
70K
80K
110K
Northern AfricaCoach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
40K
70K
80K
85K
130K
40K
70K
80K
85K
130K
Southern AfricaCoach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
40K
70K
80K
85K
130K
40K
70K
80K
90K
130K
Middle East Coach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
42.5K
70K
80K
90K
140K
42.5K
75K
85K
90K
140K
Central AsiaCoach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
42.5K
70K
80K
90K
140K
42.5K
75K
85K
90K
140K
South AsiaCoach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
40K
70K
80K
80K
130K
40K
75K
90K
95K
140K
North AsiaCoach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
35K
70K
80K
80K
120K
35K
70K
80K
90K
120K
Japan Coach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
35K
65K
75K
80K
110K
35K
70K
80K
90K
110K
Oceania Coach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
35K
65K
75K
80K
110K
35K
70K
80K
90K
110K
Australia/New Zealand Coach
Business
Partner Business
First
Partner First
40K
70K
80K
80K
130K
40K
80K
90K
100K
130K

United Standard Award Chart Changes

Between the US48 and: Class.of.ServiceCurrent Standard RateNew Maximum "Everyday" Rate
US48/Canada ShorthaulCoach
Business
First
25K
50K
70K
32.5K
50K
70K
US48/Canada Coach
Business
Flat Business
First
25K
50K
50K
70K
32.5K
50K
60K
70K
AlaskaCoach
Business
Lie-flat Business
First
35K
60K
70K
80K
42.5K
60K
70K
80K
HawaiiCoach
Business
Lie-flat Business
First
Long-haul First
45K
90K
90K
102.5K
102.5K
45K
90K
95K
110K
115K
Caribbean/Mexico/Central AmericaCoach
Business
First
37.5K
70K
85K
40K
70K
90K
Northern South AmericaCoach
Business
First
45K
75K
90K
50K
90K
105K
Southern South AmericaCoach
Business
First
65K
150K
170K
70K
155K
190K
EuropeCoach
Business
First
65K
150K
170K
70K
155K
190K
Northern AfricaCoach
Business
First
90K
180K
200K
90K
180K
200K
Southern AfricaCoach
Business
First
90K
180K
200K
100K
190K
210K
Middle East Coach
Business
First
85K
175K
195K
95K
180K
200K
Central AsiaCoach
Business
First
85K
175K
195K
95K
180K
200K
South AsiaCoach
Business
First
85K
175K
195K
90K
180K
200K
North AsiaCoach
Business
First
80K
175K
190K
80K
175K
200K
Japan Coach
Business
First
75K
170K
190K
80K
175K
200K
Oceania Coach
Business
First
75K
170K
190K
80K
175K
200K
Australia/New Zealand Coach
Business
First
85K
175K
195K
100K
200K
230K

 

Which awards will you book before the rates go up in November?

HT: Solma, via DDF

Leave a Reply

35 Comments On "United’s Latest Devaluation Is Here"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

Jb

its ridiculous..Its basically going to be 25k each way from NY to FLL..As of now its almost impossible to find 12.5 each way

dave

what will business cost on Swiss ZRH to TLV old/new?
how does one use united miles to get to tlv in Business – not using United award chart?

Ab

Current prices for non-united cardholders standard rate is 85k (not 95k as stated)

Anonymous

yes i did not see/understand zrh to tlv -what catagrty is that/

MeirS

Does this mean we can expect to see more saver business availability from EWR to the west coast bookable by partner airlines now that united had upped the fare?

smay

Problem with united card is I can’t get one bc 5/24 and had cancelled it prior to that rule. Is it possible to product change to that? From a non-5/24 card like the disney or aarp?

Pete

If you already have lifetime Gold status with United, do you need the United card at all to get the extra space? I assume I already get it with having at least Gold each year, but not sure.

Nic

The United explorer is bound by chase 5/24 – is it possible to product change into that?

Anonymous

@Dan:

i have the same question as @dave: ?

High end hobo

You forgot to mention
Beginning November 1, nonstop partner flights of 800 miles or less will cost just 8,000 miles in coach in all regions outside the US — currently, these awards cost as much as 20,000 miles each way. So you could fly Lufthansa from Amsterdam to Munich for just 8,000 MileagePlus miles; however a flight from London to Paris wouldn’t be eligible, since a connection would be required.

joe

So whats the best and most lucrative united credit card that worth signing up to ?

wow

@High end hobo:

do you have a link? if true then its great for me

jb

@Dan:

@dan my parents have a united cc. Can i use there cc to book a flight which they arent flying? How and where do you see the better rates with a united card?

Anonymous

@Dan:

how about ATH-TLV or LCA-TLV or IST-TLV? will that work for 8,000 miles or no because its not the same region?

alterb

data point: Noticed when logging in yesterday that on united.com despite not having the explorer card still showed (XN) expanded “exclusively available to you as a chase cardmember”. FYI I have the csp and the no fee united card.

MeirS

@High end hobo:
The days of England having a *A partner (BMI) are over. 🙁

alterb

@dan years ago

alterb

Doesn’t show free bag anymore

Anonymous

@Dan:

“Nope, needs to be the same region and those are all Europe-Middle East.”
you think there’s a chance that the region part won’t get enforced?

Anonymous

“United.com only shows the lowest available award rate when you’re logged in, so a cardholder will be a 42.5K rate to Tel Aviv while a non-cardholder will see the 85K standard rate which will go up to 95K in November. Cardholders also have the ability to book the last seat available in any class with Standard/Everyday awards.”

Are you saying that if you are not logged in you will never see 42.5 k rate? also why do you tie it to being cardholder? non United cardholders also see 42.5 k rate on some dates

Mark

Tlv-IST is under the 800 miles. Should make for easier connections to other carriers from Turkey.

Anonymous

@Dan: @Mark:

can’t wait for the devaluation pushing IST into the middle east…

Hide4

Does this affect Lufthansa award bookings at

Eli

Both of your award charts are the same…. Do u have a link for the future award chart?

Hawaii

same PDF file?
-Current United Award Chart
-United Award Chart Effective 11/1/17

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