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 Tel Aviv to Newark on:
- December 3, 2018: (4 saver award seats for all members, 4 upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 18, 2018: (No saver award seats for all members, 6 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 7 upgrade seats available for all members)
There is business saver award space from Washington DC/IAD to Tel Aviv on:
- July 14, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, 1 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 2 upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 28, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, 5 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 6 upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 18, 2019: (No saver award seats for all members, 6 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 7 upgrade seats available for all members)
There is business saver award space from San Francisco to Tel Aviv on:
- December 3, 2018: (2 saver award seats for all members, 2 upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 5, 2018: (1 saver award seats for all members, 3 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 4 upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 29, 2018: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- 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)
- April 8, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- April 9, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- April 21, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- April 23, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- May 14, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- May 21, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- May 25, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- May 28, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- June 2, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- June 3, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- June 4, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 9, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 15, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 16, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- July 22, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 5, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 6, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 10, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 11, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 17, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 18, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 20, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 26, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- August 27, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 3, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 10, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 16, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 17, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 23, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- October 5, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
There is business saver award space from Tel Aviv to San Francisco on:
- December 5, 2018: (2 saver awards seats for all members, 3 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, 3 upgrade seats available for all members)
- December 26, 2018: (4 saver awards seats for all members, at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available for all members)
- April 9, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 5, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- September 25, 2019: (4 saver awards seats for all members, at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available for all members)
- October 15, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
- October 16, 2019: (1 saver awards seat for all members, at least 9 saver awards seats for Platinum/1K elites, at least 9 upgrade seats available for all members)
- October 25, 2019: (At least 9 saver award/upgrade seats available for all members)
Select Newark and San Francisco flights above are on United’s brand new 77W or 787-10 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. Read about the 65K limited time signup bonus and more details on this card here.
-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 Marriott (60K:25K ratio) can take 2-10 days.
–Aegean charges a mere 30K miles in coach or 45K miles in business class one-way. They don’t charge fuel surcharges for United flights. Transfers from Marriott (60K:25K ratio) 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 Marriott (60K: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 Marriott to ANA (60K:25K ratio) can take 2-10 days.
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17 Comments On "Rare United Polaris Business Class Saver Award And Upgrade Space Between Newark Or San Francisco And Tel Aviv!"
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Any idea if Aegean (A3) will let you book EWR-SFO-TLV on a single award, or does that exceed maximum permitted mileage? How about IAD-SFO-TLV as an alternative too.
Not sure, let us know if you try.
If only I can find EWR-SFO or IAD-SFO in Saver I would try 🙂 A3 does not allow more than 2 legs per award and UA does not release many seats on the EWR-SFO route.
Try for a date with saver coach to SFO to see?
Can you use a club pass to access a Polaris lounge?
No.
Can you upgrade an existing mileage reservation? thank you
If there is a saver award, sure.
On Dec. 3 there are 10 people on the upgrade list, so why is there 4 saver/upgrade seats available.??
The system often requires that you call in to push it through.
Thats ridiculous.
It’s about time United fixed their system!
Dan if i have saver economy from TLV- EWR Thru IAD on May 24 Can i book and call in to be wait listed for Business Class ?
Is that the plan B Method ? Is it still working ?
“-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 Marriott (60K:25K ratio) can take 2-10 days.”
That means I can fly ewr-tlv on united business for 82.5k amex points (or 198k marriot)?
Ridiculous that an award seat becoming available makes news. The value proposition of united (and other) miles is not what a lot of people would have you believe if redeeming it at decent valuations is so hard.
Do you think “Plan B” would work if I am not Platinum/don’t have United CC?
What about life miles?