{"id":129065,"date":"2025-07-29T00:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=129065"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:19:31","slug":"united-pluspoints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/united-pluspoints\/","title":{"rendered":"Complete Guide to Using United PlusPoints to Confirm Upgrades, Exchange for Perks, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Earning elite status with <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United MileagePlus<\/a> can take a lot of effort, but it can be worth it if you travel enough. This is especially true when you consider the benefits that come with status, including early boarding, free checked bags, and complimentary upgrades. In 2019, United revamped its loyalty program to feature PlusPoints, which can be used to upgrade your flights or redeemed for other perks \u2014 and then <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/news\/united-mileageplus\/new-pluspoints-redemption-options\/\" rel=\"noopener\">expanded the number of ways you can use them<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Let's look at United PlusPoints, how to use them, and how to find flights with PlusPoint upgrade availability.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#What_Are_United_PlusPoints\">What Are United PlusPoints?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#The_Cost_to_Upgrade_United_Flights_With_PlusPoints\">The Cost to Upgrade United Flights With PlusPoints<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Economy_vs_discounted_economy_fare_classes\">Economy vs. discounted economy fare classes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#The_Cost_to_Upgrade_Partner_Flights_With_PlusPoints\">The Cost to Upgrade Partner Flights With PlusPoints<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_to_Use_United_PlusPoints_For_Upgrades\">How to Use United PlusPoints For Upgrades<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Redeeming_PlusPoints_during_booking\">Redeeming PlusPoints during booking<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Redeeming_PlusPoints_after_booking\">Redeeming PlusPoints after booking<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_to_Find_United_PlusPoint_Upgrade_Availability\">How to Find United PlusPoint Upgrade Availability<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Enabling_United8217s_Expert_Mode\">Enabling United's Expert Mode<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Seatsaero\">Seats.aero<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Exchanging_PlusPoints_For_Perks\">Exchanging PlusPoints For Perks<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2><span id=\"What_Are_United_PlusPoints\">What Are United PlusPoints?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>United PlusPoints are awarded to those who earn either United Premier Platinum or United Premier 1K elite status. The amount you'll earn will depend on your status. United awards status based on how many <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/how-to-earn-premier-qualifying-points-pqp\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs)<\/a> and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) you earn each year.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-624\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-624 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Elite Status<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">How It's Earned<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">PlusPoints Awarded<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Platinum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">45 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs)  and 15,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs)<br \/>\n<br \/>\nOR <br \/>\n<br \/>\n18,000 PQPs<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier 1K<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">60 PQFs and 22,000 PQPs <br \/>\n<br \/>\nOR<br \/>\n<br \/>\n28,000 PQPs<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">280 (for a total of 320)<br \/>\n<br \/>\nAnd for every 3,000 PQPs you earn beyond that, you\u2019ll receive 20 additional PlusPoints<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>United PlusPoints can be used to upgrade domestic and international flights. This includes all flights and cabins of service, so you can use PlusPoints to upgrade from economy to long-haul international business class.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to a recent addition in June 2025, you can now <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/news\/united-mileageplus\/new-pluspoints-redemption-options\/\" rel=\"noopener\">exchange PlusPoints for a variety of different perks<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>TravelBank cash<\/li>\n<li>Bonus miles<\/li>\n<li>Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs)<\/li>\n<li>Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs)<\/li>\n<li>Gifting Premier status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>United PlusPoints are valid for the rest of the program year in which you earn them plus the following year and the beginning of the year after. This means that if you earn PlusPoints in October 2026, they'll expire on January 31, 2028.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"The_Cost_to_Upgrade_United_Flights_With_PlusPoints\">The Cost to Upgrade United Flights With PlusPoints<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The amount of PlusPoints you'll need to redeem for your flight will depend on a few factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The fare class you've paid for<\/li>\n<li>Your destination<\/li>\n<li>The cabin to which you're upgrading<\/li>\n<li>Upgrade availability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Costs will range from 10 to 80 PlusPoints:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>10 PlusPoints:<\/strong> Premium economy to short-haul business<\/li>\n<li><strong>20 PlusPoints:<\/strong> Economy to Premium Plus (both short-haul and long-haul) or economy to domestic first on short-haul flights<\/li>\n<li><strong>30 PlusPoints:<\/strong> Premium Plus to long-haul international business<\/li>\n<li><strong>40 PlusPoints:<\/strong> Economy to long-haul international business<\/li>\n<li><strong>80 PlusPoints:<\/strong> Discounted economy to long-haul international business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note that basic economy flights or flights containing a basic economy leg are not eligible for PlusPoints upgrades.<\/p>\n<p>Premier 1K members also have the option to skip the waitlist on eligible flights. This can be done up to 30 days in advance but will cost much more than a regular upgrade (at least double the cost).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, it's worth noting that those booked in Premium Plus will have their upgrade requests cleared before those who booked in economy.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Economy_vs_discounted_economy_fare_classes\">Economy vs. discounted economy fare classes<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Sitting in business class is all well and good, but how are you supposed to figure out which economy-class tickets are going to be 40 PlusPoints versus 80 PlusPoints for long-haul international upgrades? Here's how to tell based on fare class:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Economy (40 PlusPoints):<\/strong> Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, and W<\/li>\n<li><strong>Discounted economy (80 PlusPoints):<\/strong> S, T, L, K, and G<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_97359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-97359 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/United-Polaris-seat-Max-featured-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"a United Polaris business class seat\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/United-Polaris-seat-Max-featured-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/United-Polaris-seat-Max-featured-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/United-Polaris-seat-Max-featured-325x260.jpg 325w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/United-Polaris-seat-Max-featured.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Max Prosperi\/ AwardWallet<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"The_Cost_to_Upgrade_Partner_Flights_With_PlusPoints\">The Cost to Upgrade Partner Flights With PlusPoints<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>United PlusPoints can be used to upgrade flights on Copa Airlines, ANA, and Lufthansa. The cost for this is always 40 PlusPoints per flight segment. So, you'll want to utilize this option on longer flights.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Use_United_PlusPoints_For_Upgrades\">How to Use United PlusPoints For Upgrades<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are two main ways to redeem your United PlusPoints. The first is done when booking, while the second can be used after you've already purchased your flight.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Redeeming_PlusPoints_during_booking\">Redeeming PlusPoints during booking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You'll first want to navigate to United's <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.united.com\/en\/us\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>. Here, you'll be presented with the standard search bar. Rather than using this, you'll instead want to click the <strong>Advanced Search<\/strong> button in the bottom left of the screen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_211392\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/385\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-211392 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-home-page.png\" alt=\"United home page\" width=\"750\" height=\"385\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-home-page.png 1362w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-home-page-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-home-page-1024x526.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-home-page-768x394.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Ensure you're signed in for this next step since the option to redeem PlusPoints will only appear if you're eligible. Once on the Advanced Search page, scroll down to <strong>Upgrade Type<\/strong>. From the drop-down menu, choose the option to search for flights that are upgrade-eligible using your PlusPoints.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129077\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/490\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129077 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Advanced-Search-PlusPoints-upgrades-300x196.png\" alt=\"Advanced Search PlusPoints upgrades\" width=\"750\" height=\"490\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Advanced-Search-PlusPoints-upgrades-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Advanced-Search-PlusPoints-upgrades-1024x668.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Advanced-Search-PlusPoints-upgrades-768x501.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Advanced-Search-PlusPoints-upgrades-1536x1003.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Advanced-Search-PlusPoints-upgrades.png 1572w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Once selected, scroll back up to put in all your flight information, then hit <strong>Find Flights<\/strong>. United will present your results next.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129080\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/453\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129080 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-PlusPoints-upgrade-results-300x181.png\" alt=\"United PlusPoints upgrade results\" width=\"750\" height=\"453\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-PlusPoints-upgrade-results-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-PlusPoints-upgrade-results-1024x619.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-PlusPoints-upgrade-results-768x464.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-PlusPoints-upgrade-results-1536x928.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-PlusPoints-upgrade-results.png 1940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>From here, you'll be able to choose the flight you'd like and which upgrade you're looking to score. As you can see, in this example it's possible to upgrade to Premium Plus or <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United Polaris business class<\/a>. As you go through the booking process, your points will be redeemed, and you'll be immediately confirmed into your upgraded cabin.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Redeeming_PlusPoints_after_booking\">Redeeming PlusPoints after booking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It's also possible to redeem your PlusPoints after booking flights. To do so, you'll want to log into your account, and then navigate to your trips.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129082\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/344\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129082 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-manage-trips-300x137.png\" alt=\"United manage trips\" width=\"750\" height=\"344\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-manage-trips-300x137.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-manage-trips-1024x469.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-manage-trips-768x352.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-manage-trips-1536x704.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-manage-trips-2048x938.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Select the trip that you'd like to upgrade and hit <strong>Manage Trip.\u00a0<\/strong>This will bring up the details of your booking. At the top, you'll see the option to <strong>Upgrade Cabin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129083\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/288\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129083 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-300x115.png\" alt=\"United upgrade cabin\" width=\"750\" height=\"288\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-1024x393.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-768x295.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-1536x590.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-2048x787.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>From here, you'll be presented with all the different ways you can upgrade your ticket, including cash upgrades, Mileage Upgrade Awards (MUAs), or PlusPoints.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129086\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/365\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129086 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-300x146.png\" alt=\"United upgrade cabin with PlusPoints\" width=\"750\" height=\"365\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-300x146.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-1024x499.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-768x374.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-1536x748.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-2048x998.png 2048w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-upgrade-cabin-PlusPoints-823x400.png 823w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>If there's current upgrade availability, you'll be able to confirm your upgrade immediately. Otherwise, you'll be placed on the waitlist.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Find_United_PlusPoint_Upgrade_Availability\">How to Find United PlusPoint Upgrade Availability<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>United PlusPoints can be extremely valuable when used properly, especially if you redeem them for upgrades to United's Polaris business class. However, finding availability can be frustrating, and putting yourself on a waitlist doesn't necessarily mean your upgrade will clear.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Enabling_United8217s_Expert_Mode\">Enabling United's Expert Mode<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The first thing you'll want to do when searching for upgrades is enable <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/united-expert-mode\/\" rel=\"noopener\">expert mode for United<\/a>. This can be found in your preferences section under settings. Once you're logged in, click on your name at the top of the page to go to your account.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129091\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"900\/65\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129091 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-toolbar-300x22.png\" alt=\"United toolbar\" width=\"900\" height=\"65\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-toolbar-300x22.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-toolbar-1024x74.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-toolbar-768x55.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-toolbar-1536x111.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-toolbar-2048x148.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>On the left-hand side, you'll see a section for Settings. Expand this and select <strong>Special Preferences and Accommodations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129090\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"400\/920\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129090 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-account-settings.png\" alt=\"United account settings\" width=\"400\" height=\"920\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-account-settings.png 528w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-account-settings-130x300.png 130w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-account-settings-445x1024.png 445w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Scrolling down again brings you to the Expert Mode box, which you'll want to tick.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/621\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129089 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-Expert-Mode.png\" alt=\"United Expert Mode\" width=\"600\" height=\"621\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-Expert-Mode.png 700w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/United-Expert-Mode-290x300.png 290w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Save this preference, and Expert Mode will be enabled. What does this do, exactly? Well, it shows you how many seats are available in which fare classes during a standard search. This means you don't need to use the advanced search for PlusPoints upgrades if you don't want to.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you'll be able to tell what upgrades can be had at a glance.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_211396\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/442\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-211396 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-flight-fares.png\" alt=\"United flight fares\" width=\"750\" height=\"442\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-flight-fares.png 1148w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-flight-fares-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-flight-fares-1024x604.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/United-flight-fares-768x453.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>If you're looking to upgrade your flights, look at the available fare classes on the bottom left of your results. The class you're looking for will depend on which upgrade you're trying to use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>PZ:<\/strong> Upgrades to United Polaris.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RN:<\/strong> Upgrades to Premium Plus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The number after the PZ or RN result indicates how many seats are available in that fare class. In the screenshot above, PZ5 indicates that there is one seat available for upgrade to business. RN9 indicates that there are nine Premium Plus seats available for upgrade.<\/p>\n<p>Note that United's counting system only goes up to nine, so there may be more Premium Plus seats available. You just won't see that reflected in your results.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Seatsaero\">Seats.aero<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Expert mode can make it simpler to find upgrade space, but the real heavy hitter here is <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/travel\/seats-aero-guide\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Seats.aero<\/a>. This website can save you a ton of time when it comes to searching for confirmable upgrade space.<\/p>\n<p>You'll need a Pro account if you'd like to use the PlusPoints finder on Seats.aero. It costs $9.99 per month but is well worth the expense if you have PlusPoints to burn.<\/p>\n<p>Once logged in, select the <strong>Tools<\/strong> dropdown at the top of the page.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_129099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/527\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129099 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Seats.aero-United-PlusPoints-finder-300x211.png\" alt=\"Seats.aero United PlusPoints finder\" width=\"750\" height=\"527\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Seats.aero-United-PlusPoints-finder-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Seats.aero-United-PlusPoints-finder-1024x719.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Seats.aero-United-PlusPoints-finder-768x539.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Seats.aero-United-PlusPoints-finder-1536x1079.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Seats.aero-United-PlusPoints-finder.png 1780w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Seats.aero<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>This handy tool displays every flight with upgrade space available for PlusPoints. You can sort by date, route, how many seats are available, and the time the space was last seen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_211397\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/462\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-211397 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-PlusPoints-finder.png\" alt=\"Seats.aero PlusPoints finder\" width=\"750\" height=\"462\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-PlusPoints-finder.png 1287w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-PlusPoints-finder-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-PlusPoints-finder-1024x631.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-PlusPoints-finder-768x473.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Seats.aero<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>You can also toggle between the different fare types to look for business or Premium Plus upgrades. Finally, it's also possible to set an alert to notify you when upgrade space appears.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_211400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"900\/533\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-211400 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-United-upgrade-alert.png\" alt=\"Seats.aero United upgrade alert\" width=\"900\" height=\"533\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-United-upgrade-alert.png 1290w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-United-upgrade-alert-300x178.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-United-upgrade-alert-1024x606.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Seats.aero-United-upgrade-alert-768x455.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Seats.aero<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Clicking on a Seats.aero link takes you directly to United's website for results. It's important to be logged in and have expert mode enabled since the result page brings up every flight available for the day. You can compare flight numbers against Seats.aero to cross-reference availability.<\/p>\n<p>Note that Seats.aero isn't providing fully live award availability. This means you'll want to double-check that there is still space available to use your PlusPoints, which you can do by reviewing available fare classes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/airlines\/far-advance-can-book-airline-award-tickets\/\" rel=\"noopener\">How Far In Advance Can You Book Airline Award Tickets?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Exchanging_PlusPoints_For_Perks\">Exchanging PlusPoints For Perks<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you're one of the many who struggle to use PlusPoints, United has also created the option to exchange them. The cost of each perk varies, and each perk has a maximum number of PlusPoints you can exchange. Each year, you're able to exchange up to 600 PlusPoints for perks.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_219432\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"900\/369\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-219432 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange.png\" alt=\"PlusPoints Exchange\" width=\"900\" height=\"369\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange.png 2306w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange-1024x420.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange-768x315.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange-1536x630.png 1536w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/PlusPoints-Exchange-2048x840.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><center><em>Screenshot of United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>To exchange your PlusPoints, you'll first need to log in to your account. From there, you'll want to navigate to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.united.com\/en\/us\/mileageplus\/exchangepluspoints\" rel=\"noopener\">United's exchange PlusPoints page<\/a>. You can then review available perks, add them to your cart, and check out.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>United PlusPoints can be incredibly valuable to those who maximize them. This is especially true if you redeem them for long-haul international business-class flights, which often cost thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>However, finding confirmable upgrade availability for PlusPoints can be frustrating. Enabling expert mode and subscribing to Seats.aero's pro tier can save you a lot of time and effort in the process. And if worst comes to worst, you can also opt to exchange your PlusPoints for a variety of perks, including gifting elite status or getting you closer to your next level of elite status.<\/p>\n<div class=\"qs-card\" data-id=\"4048245\">\n            <div class=\"qs-data\">\n                <div class=\"qs-view\">\n                    <div class=\"qs-cardname\">United Quest\u2120 Card<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-image\"><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/4a0f5eb9-f9b0-42ec-86be-4f4cf1af0205.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"United Quest\u2120 Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='United Quest\u2120 Card' data-ccid=\"4048245\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/UnitedQuestCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-rates\"><span class=\"qs-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"4048245\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005127&type=3&u1=02a5442e3719a19d9bf9f0c8b475181e&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after qualifying activities<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"qs-info\">\n                    <strong class=\"qs-cardname\">United Quest\u2120 Card<\/strong>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after qualifying activities<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee:<\/strong><b>$350<\/b><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-tabs\"><a class=\"qs-more\" href=\"#more\">Show more<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"wwl\">Why We Like It<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"hl\">Highlights<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"er\">Earning Rates<\/a><div class=\"qs-tab-wwl\">The United Quest Card offers a great mix of benefits that should easily cover the cost of its annual fee over the long term. Unique perks include a $200 United travel credit, annual 10,000-mile award flight discount, 2 free checked bags, and priority boarding.<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-hl\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ??>\n<html><body><ul><li>Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 PQP<\/li><li>NEW! 10x total miles on eligible United flights and 4x miles on all other eligible United&#xAE; purchases<\/li><li>1x mile on all other purchases<\/li><li>Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 8 weeks of February 1, starting in the calendar year following your account open date.<\/li><li>Free first and second checked bags--a savings of up to $360 per roundtrip (terms apply)<\/li><li>Receive a $200 United&#xAE; travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary<\/li><li>NEW! Save at least 10% when booking flights with miles. Premier members earn even more.<\/li><li>Member FDIC<\/li><\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-er\"><ul>\r\n<li>4X miled per $1 spent on United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases*<\/li>\r\n<li>5X miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent on all other travel<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent at restaurants<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent on select streaming services<\/li>\r\n<li>1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n*10X total miles per $1 spent on eligible United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> flights<\/div><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <a class=\"qs-share\" href=\"\/find-a-card\/UnitedQuest\/\" title=\"copy\"><svg width=\"12\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/awardwallet\/public\/builds\/icon\/icon-sprite.svg?v2026-4-2415d7705b#share-square\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United PlusPoints are awarded to Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members after earning status. These highly valuable points can be used to confirm upgrades to Premium Plus or business class before you take off. Here&#8217;s how they work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":106466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12068],"tags":[12622,12772],"coauthors":[36395],"class_list":["post-129065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-award-programs","tag-elite-status","tag-united-mileageplus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129065"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257177,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129065\/revisions\/257177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129065"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=129065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}