I did a big mileage run at the end of 2024 to keep 1K, then tracked every United flight I flew in 2025 to see if it was actually worth it. Ended up with a little over 60 flights total.
Only 15 cleared complimentary upgrades. About 25%. Average clear was around 2 days out and I was usually sitting around 7th on the list. I also tracked day of week, route, and fare class, and none of it really moved the needle.
I know PlusPoints and other perks still matter, but I was honestly surprised how low the upgrade rate was. Definitely making me question whether forcing 1K again for 2026 is worth the effort.
0