It will take more miles – or more money – for United Airlines frequent fliers to get free flights in some situations as changes to the carrier’s mileage program take effect.
United announced changes to its Mileage Plus program in mid-April, with customers subsequently sent notifications.
The changes raise the bar for some free tickets and add certain fees to take effect Oct. 16. A new fee of $75 will be charged for using miles to book travel fewer than seven days in advance, and a fee of $50 will be charged for using miles to book fewer than 14 days in advance.
“They charge you for everything,” said Larry Meskin, a United frequent flier in Denver, who said he wasn’t aware of the policy changes. “Every time you call, there’s a booking fee for this or something for that.
“Would that make a difference to me? Probably not. Your question is: Is your award travel even worthwhile?”
Another change by United, as of Oct. 16, is that the number of miles needed for domestic round- trip economy seats using a standard award will increase from 40,000 to 50,000 miles. There’s a similar requirement at some other carriers, such as American and Continental.
United’s saver awards program continues to require 25,000 miles for a round-trip ticket for economy seats within Canada and the United States, excluding Hawaii.
United said in April it reserved “a percentage” of saver award seats on every flight through March 15, 2007, to provide more flight-redemption options.
Airlines expect the busiest summer on record this year, meaning in many cases fuller flights – and fewer empty seats to book with miles.
United, the largest carrier at Denver International Airport, has nearly 48 million members enrolled in its Mileage Plus program, according to its most recent annual report issued in March.
United is also highlighting a previously existing program that offers “short haul” saver economy awards for 15,000 miles. That applies to flights up to 700 miles each way, such as Denver to Minneapolis, Dallas or Las Vegas.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-820-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost.com.
