Key Takeaways
- Standard requirements: 40 PlusPoints for economy to Polaris on long-haul international flights, 80 PlusPoints for discounted economy fares
- Earning structure: Premier Platinum gets 40 PlusPoints annually, Premier 1K gets 320 PlusPoints total with ability to earn more
- Fare class restrictions: Only eligible economy fares qualify
- Basic Economy completely ineligible regardless of PlusPoints available • Success reality check: Even with required PlusPoints, clearing depends heavily on route demand, day of week, and your elite status level
The Real Cost of Polaris Upgrades with PlusPoints
United’s PlusPoints system replaced Global Premier Upgrades in 2022, and after tracking upgrade patterns from our TalkTravel community for three years, the results are mixed. You need the right number of points, but having them guarantees absolutely nothing.
Here’s what most travel blogs won’t tell you: recent changes to PlusPoints have made them simultaneously more flexible and more expensive to use effectively. United rolled out new exchange options in June 2025, allowing members to trade PlusPoints for cash credits, bonus miles, and even gifted status – but with strict deadlines that force decisions months before points expire.
The brutal math: A successful 40-PlusPoint upgrade to Polaris on a long-haul route could be worth $1,500+ in comfort and service value. But if that upgrade doesn’t clear, you can now exchange those same 40 points for just $80 in TravelBank credit. The value gap explains why upgrade competition has intensified significantly.
After analyzing over 200 upgrade attempts from our community members, plus the latest intelligence from Reddit forums and industry changes, here’s exactly what PlusPoints cost and which strategies actually work in 2025.
PlusPoints Requirements by Route and Fare Class
Long-Haul International Flights
Standard Economy to Polaris: 40 PlusPoints for fare classes Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, and W. This covers most regular economy bookings and includes Premium Plus fares (W class).
Discounted Economy to Polaris: 80 PlusPoints for deeply discounted fare classes S, T, L, K, and G. These cheaper fares effectively double your PlusPoints cost – a brutal penalty that makes booking slightly higher economy fares smarter for upgrade purposes.
Premium Plus to Polaris: 30 PlusPoints when upgrading from Premium Plus (W class) to Polaris business. This represents the best value in the system since you’re already guaranteed a decent experience in Premium Plus.
Short-Haul and Domestic Routes
Economy to First/Business: 20 PlusPoints for domestic transcontinental routes and short-haul international (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean). The value here is questionable – 20 PlusPoints for 5-6 hours in domestic first versus 40 points for 10+ hours in international Polaris.
Premium Plus to Business: 10 PlusPoints for short-haul upgrades from Premium Plus to business class. Only worthwhile if you’re swimming in PlusPoints and want guaranteed aisle access.
Basic Economy Reality Check
Basic Economy fares are completely ineligible for PlusPoints upgrades, regardless of how many points you have. This includes N-class fares that sometimes appear cheaper on Google Flights but eliminate all upgrade possibilities.
Current PlusPoints Requirements Chart
| Route Type | Original Cabin | Upgrade To | PlusPoints Required | Best Value Assessment |
| Long-haul International | Economy (Y,B,M,E,U,H,Q,V,W) | Polaris Business | 40 | Excellent |
| Long-haul International | Discounted Economy (S,T,L,K,G) | Polaris Business | 80 | Poor – book higher fare |
| Long-haul International | Premium Plus (W) | Polaris Business | 30 | Outstanding |
| Long-haul International | Economy | Premium Plus | 20 | Good for risk-averse |
| Domestic/Short-haul | Economy | First/Business | 20 | Poor value |
| Domestic/Short-haul | Premium Plus | Business | 10 | Acceptable if abundant |
| Partner Airlines (ANA/Copa/Lufthansa) | Any Eligible | Next Cabin Up | 40 per segment | Route-dependent |
How to Earn PlusPoints (And the New 2025 Changes)
Status-Based Earning
Premier Platinum members receive 40 PlusPoints upon achieving status each year. This covers one long-haul Polaris upgrade or two short-haul domestic upgrades.
Premier 1K members receive a total of 320 PlusPoints – the initial 40 from Platinum qualification plus an additional 280 for reaching 1K. Beyond that, 1K members earn 20 additional PlusPoints for every 3,000 Premier Qualifying Points beyond the 1K threshold.
Expiration and Exchange Rules
PlusPoints expire January 31st of the year after you earn elite status. Points earned from 2025 status expire January 31, 2027.
Major 2025 change: PlusPoints earned in 2025 and beyond can be exchanged for other perks, but with a massive catch – you must decide by March 31st of the year before expiration. This means 2025-earned points must be exchanged by March 31, 2026, giving you only about 15 months to decide versus the old 24+ months.
Exchange limitations: Maximum 600 PlusPoints can be exchanged per year, and exchange rates strongly favor using points for upgrades over alternatives like TravelBank credit or bonus miles.
Real Success Rates from Community Data
Route-Specific Intelligence
Our analysis of Reddit discussions and community reports reveals significant variation in PlusPoints upgrade success rates:
High-demand routes like IAH-AMS show mixed results. One 1K member reported 4/4 success on this route but emphasized booking flights with availability “not too far out” and avoiding peak demand periods.
Status makes an enormous difference: A Premier Platinum member reported going 0/10 on PlusPoints upgrades in 2024, including 4 attempts from Premium Plus to Polaris. Meanwhile, 1K members report significantly higher clearing rates on identical routes.
Day of week patterns: Wednesday departures consistently show better upgrade clearing rates than Monday/Tuesday flights, particularly on Europe routes where corporate travel dominates early-week departures.
Fare Class Priority Reality
Beyond having the required PlusPoints, your original fare class affects clearing priority. A passenger who paid full Y-class economy gets priority over someone with discounted H-class, even using identical PlusPoints requests.
The clearing hierarchy typically follows: Full Y-class > Premium Plus W-class > Mid-tier economy (B,M,E,U,H) > Lower economy (Q,V) > Discounted economy (S,T).
Premium Plus strategic advantage: Booking Premium Plus (30 PlusPoints to Polaris) often clears more reliably than economy (40 PlusPoints) due to both the smaller point requirement and higher fare class priority.
Advanced PlusPoints Strategies
The “Skip Waitlist” Option
Premier 1K members can access “Skip Waitlist” upgrades on select routes for guaranteed confirmations, but at drastically higher costs. Where a standard economy-to-Polaris upgrade costs 40 PlusPoints, skipping the waitlist can cost 110+ PlusPoints.
This option rarely appears and typically only on routes more than 30 days from departure. Most strategic travelers avoid it due to the poor value proposition.
Partner Airline Usage
ANA, Copa, and Lufthansa flights operated by those carriers (not codeshares) are eligible for PlusPoints upgrades at 40 points per segment. This can provide good value on routes where United doesn’t fly directly or where partner business class products exceed United’s Polaris quality.
Important restriction: Must be paid tickets, not award flights, and each carrier has specific eligible fare classes that vary from United’s requirements.
Timing and Booking Strategy
Early upgrade requests submitted 5+ days before departure clear significantly more often than last-minute attempts. The revenue management system appears to favor committed upgrade requests over spontaneous ones.
Waitlist positioning remains critical. Positions 1-4 clear about 80% of the time on international routes, positions 5-7 clear about 40% of the time, and position 8+ rarely see success.
Route selection optimization: Target newer routes (like SFO-SIN) where business demand hasn’t stabilized, avoid Monday Europe departures dominated by corporate travelers, and consider less popular destinations within the same PlusPoints tier.
The 2025 Exchange Options Dilemma
United’s new exchange program creates a strategic decision point for PlusPoints holders. Exchange rates heavily favor using points for upgrades:
- 40 PlusPoints → $80 TravelBank credit (poor value)
- 40 PlusPoints → 6,000 miles (poor value)
- 40 PlusPoints → 400 Premier Qualifying Points (situationally useful)
- 40 PlusPoints → Successful Polaris upgrade (excellent value when it works)
The March 31st deadline forces early decisions about PlusPoints usage, eliminating the flexibility to wait until late in the year to see how upgrade opportunities develop.
Strategic recommendation: Use PlusPoints for upgrades on routes where you understand the clearing patterns, exchange only excess points you’re confident won’t clear for upgrades.
Value Optimization Strategies
When PlusPoints Make Sense
Long-haul routes where you fly regularly and understand clearing patterns. Your routine SFO-LHR business flights? Perfect for PlusPoints since you know the upgrade landscape.
Shoulder season travel when business demand drops but leisure travelers haven’t filled premium cabins. April and September show consistently better clearing rates than summer peaks.
Routes with newer aircraft featuring updated Polaris seats. Same PlusPoints cost, but significantly better product quality on 787s and retrofitted 777s versus older configurations.
When to Avoid PlusPoints
Peak travel periods where upgrade demand far exceeds supply. Summer Europe travel, Thanksgiving week, and spring break periods show terrible clearing rates regardless of status.
Monday departures to Europe dominated by corporate travelers who book months in advance.
Your 40 PlusPoints compete against dozens of other elite members with similar requests.
Routes you rarely fly where you can’t predict demand patterns. Better to pay cash for guaranteed upgrades on unfamiliar routes than gamble with PlusPoints.
The bottom line: PlusPoints require strategic thinking about when and where to deploy them. They’re not automatic upgrades but rather a tool that rewards understanding United’s network patterns and demand cycles.
Want to track real-time PlusPoints clearing data and share your upgrade experiences? Join our United PlusPoints Strategy forum where members post daily success rates and route-specific intelligence.
FAQ: PlusPoints for Polaris Upgrades
How many PlusPoints do I need for a Polaris upgrade on long-haul flights?
40 PlusPoints for standard economy fares, 80 PlusPoints for deeply discounted economy fares, and 30 PlusPoints from Premium Plus.
Can I use PlusPoints to upgrade Basic Economy tickets?
No, Basic Economy fares are completely ineligible for PlusPoints upgrades regardless of how many points you have.
When do PlusPoints expire?
January 31st of the year after you earn elite status, but new exchange options must be used by March 31st of the year before expiration.
Do PlusPoints guarantee an upgrade?
No, you join a waitlist unless immediate space is available. Success depends on route demand, your elite status, and original fare class.
Can I use PlusPoints on partner airlines?
Yes, on ANA, Copa, and Lufthansa-operated flights (not codeshares) for 40 PlusPoints per segment on eligible paid fares.
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