United Continues Devaluing Award Tickets

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Is anyone surprised?

Last April, United hired a new CEO of MileagePlus from Comcast with no airline experience.

What has happened since then is deplorable. The airline repeatedly  increased  mileage  rates in 2023. Again in 2024, and now there have been more big changes over the past few weeks to first class awards worldwide and for coach and business awards outside of the US.

As members flocked to book United awards with partner airlines, the airline started blocking partner airlines from booking most awards. Of course, if all airlines reciprocate, it’s the end of alliances and mileage programs as we know them.

Want to let United know how you feel about mileage devaluations and the lack of an award chart? You can write to customer care here or sound off on X/Twitter.

In middle of Pesach, United massively increased partner first class award rates. Rates from the US to Europe and Northern Africa went from 121K/143K to 154K miles each way. The US to Southern Africa and the Middle East went from 143K/154K to 181.5K. The US to Asia and Oceania went from 121K to 242K.

Those are insane increases!

A week later, United partially walked back those changes.

Rates from the US to Europe and Northern Africa are now 140K miles each way. The US to Southern Africa and the Middle East are now 165K. The US to Asia and Oceania are now 220K.

Either way, those are some absurd increases.

Here is the current United hidden award chart that I’ve put together:

There are much better ways to book these awards.

Lifemiles charges 120K miles for US-Japan first class awards on ANA:

Or better yet, Virgin Atlantic charges 72.5K points to fly one-way from the west coast to Japan or 85K points to fly one-way from the east coast to Japan in first class. Plus, they often offer 30% transfer bonuses, as they currently do from AMEX and Chase to drop that down to just 55.7K/65.3K points each way!

That sure beats 220K United miles:

Lifemiles charges 87K miles for US-Europe first class awards on Lufthansa:

Or you can use 90K Air Canada miles:

Either way, that beats using 140K United miles:

Lifemiles charges 120K miles for US-India first class awards on Air India:

Or you can use 130K Air Canada miles:

Either way, that beats using 220K United miles:

United has also massively increased mileage requirements within other regions, by insane percentages.

For example, a flight from the Middle East to Europe will now set you back 22.5K United miles in coach or 65K miles in business class:

You’ll save a fortune by using 12.5K Air Canada miles in coach or 20K in business class:

A flight from Johannesburg to Ethiopia has skyrocketed up to 35K United miles in coach and 90K in business class:

Or use 25K Air Canada miles in coach or 45K in business class:

A flight from Bangkok to Tokyo has gone way up to 35K United miles in coach and 90K in business class:

Or use 25K Air Canada miles in coach or 45K in business class:

A flight from Melbourne to Perth has jumped up to 22.5K United miles in coach and 65K in business class:

Or use 12.5K Air Canada miles in coach or 30K in business class:

Of course, you can still segments like any of those via a United Excursionist Perk for free, which can now save 90,000 miles…

Economy:

Business class:

Excursionist perk pricing:

In addition to saver award rates, the standard award rates have also climbed to unheard of levels.

For example, The Island Hopper jumped from 110K in business to 400K miles each way!

Of course, these aren’t quite an Apples to Apples comparison, as United allows free cancelations on awards, versus hefty fees from programs like Air Canada and Lifemiles. But in general, those programs are now much more attractive than United for booking Star Alliance saver award travel.

Unless it’s for travel on United, which may or may not be made available for partners to book, you’ll just have to try and see. In those cases, United has made their own miles more valuable, not by lowering rates, but by throttling partner access.

For that reason, I have been writing for well over a decade to accumulate bank points and not airline miles whenever possible.

That way when an airline devalues, you aren’t stuck with that airline’s miles and have other options to choose from. You can open airline cards for the signup bonus, but your everyday cards should earn flexible points over an airline card. Then you can decide how to use those points when you’re ready to redeem them.

If you do use a United card for everyday spending, you should stop now. The cards are fine for free bags, discounted mileage awards, expanded availability, and other benefits, but they are a poor value for spending.

Not all airlines are taking this path. Many have kept their award charts. We have even seen Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Qatar improve their award charts to make their programs more attractive. But US programs are truly racing to the bottom. Will any of them realize they’re going to have to step up their game?