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500-mile upgrades
 Information on 500-mile upgrades applies until Unlimited Domestic Upgrades are in place in the second quarter of 2010. 500-mile upgrades will continue to be issued and valid for use until that time for all members. With Unlimited Domestic Upgrades, your upgrade experience will be even easier as you will have an unlimited balance of upgrades that will be automatically requested at purchase. Learn more about Unlimited Domestic Upgrades.
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Earning 500-mile
upgrades
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Purchasing 500-mile
upgrade kits
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Mileage Plus elite members earn four 500-mile upgrades per 10,000 qualifying flown miles on United and United Express. 500-mile upgrades are automatically deposited in each members upgrade bank and can be viewed in Upgrade summary. 500-mile upgrades will continue to be issued and valid for use until Unlimited Domestic Upgrades are introduced in the second quarter of 2010. After launch, elite members may use Unlimited Domestic Upgrades; General Members may continue to use existing 500-Mile Upgrades until their regular expiry dates.
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All Mileage Plus members are welcome to purchase 500-mile upgrade kits+ for US$ 325 from Travel Options by UnitedSM, Each upgrade kit includes four 500-mile upgrades. Elite members enjoy a $125 discount off the published price. Remember to log in before you purchase to view special pricing.
+ Purchased upgrade kits are non-refundable |
| 500-mile upgrade quick reference guide |
| Upgrade availability |
Upgrade seats are dependent upon on demand for paid premium fares and may not always be available. In general, many first or business class bookings do not occur until a week or two before departure, so upgrade seats may not be available until closer to your flight date. Upgrades may only be requested once your ticket has been issued. |
| Upgrade processing times, clearance and waitlists |
500-mile upgrades are processed according to your Mileage Plus status. Upgrade equests made prior to these processing times will show up as Status: Pending in your itinerary. Upgrades will be confirmed if seats are available when your request is processed, otherwise, you will be placed on a waitlist. You can check the status of your request in My Itineraries.
If upgrade seats become available, the waitlist will be processed based on your elite status, ticketed booking class and time of request, in that order. If your upgrade request has not cleared by the time you check in, you will be placed on the Upgrade List when you check-in. Available premium seats will be allocated at the gate according to your Mileage Plus status and booking class. |
| How to earn |
Elite members earn four 500-mile upgrades per 10,000 qualifying flown miles on United and United Express. |
| How to purchase upgrade kits |
Visit Travel Options by United. Upgrade kits contain four 500-mile upgrades each.
Purchased upgrade kits are non-refundable. |
| Expiration dates |
Earned and purchased 500-mile upgrades expire on the last day of the calendar month, 12 months after deposit into Upgrade bank.
Flights upgraded using a 500-mile upgrade must be flown on/before the expiration date of the upgrade. |
| Valid carrier |
Flights marketed and operated by United and United Express.
For flights operated by United but marketed by another airline, upgrades are permitted on a standby basis at the airport only, subject to availability. |
| Valid travel regions |
Within Region 1 (United States, Canada, Caribbean, Central America and Mexico)
Upon the launch of Unlimited Domestic Upgrades, 500-Mile Upgrades will no longer be valid for use on 3-cabin transcontinental p.s. routes |
| Certificates required |
" One 500-mile certificate per 500 miles flown.
" Multiple 500-mile upgrades may be used on longer itineraries.
" Flown mileage is calculated using the origin and destination of the complete itinerary, not individual segments unless upgrade is only available on select
segments. |
Upgradeable
booking classes |
" United Business (C,D,J)
" United Economy (Y,B,M,E,H,U,Q,V,W,S,T,K,L) |
| Upgrade service classes |
" United Economy to United First (on 2-cabin aircraft)
" United Economy to United Business (on 3-cabin aircraft) except
transcontinental p.s. service
" United Business to United First (on 3-cabin aircraft) except transcontinental
p.s. service
" Double upgrades from United Economy to United First are not permitted (when
traveling on 3-cabin aircraft)
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| Non-upgradeable booking classes and tickets |
" Booking classes Z and G
" Award tickets (booking classes XY, NY, XC for Saver awards and booking classes Y and C for Standard awards)
" Tickets already upgraded to United Business (booking class NC)
" Tickets purchased through Priceline and Hotwire, where the airline is not disclosed until after payment |
| Upgrading companions |
Permitted for one companion traveling on the same flight as the sponsor.
Additional 500-mile upgrades required. |
| Transferability |
500-mile upgrades may not be transferred to another traveler. |
| Mileage accrual |
Miles earned will be based on the originally ticketed class of service, not the upgraded class of service. |
Terms and Conditions for 500-mile Upgrades
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