Global and Regional Premier Upgrades will be valid longer

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let you know that over the course of the next couple weeks, we’ll be making a change that will give those of you who earn Global Premier Upgrades (GPU) and Regional Premier Upgrades (RPU) more time to use them. Specifically:

• Newly-earned GPUs and RPUs will be valid longer. Starting later this month, when newly earned GPUs and RPUs are deposited into your account, they will be valid through the end of the following Premier program year instead of just one year from the date of issue. So, for example, all GPUs and RPUs earned in 2012 will be valid through January 31, 2014; those earned in 2013 will be valid through January 31, 2015 and so on.
  
  
• Unused GPUs and RPUs earned in 2012 will also be extended. For those of you who currently have GPUs or RPUs in your account that were earned based on 2012 travel, these will also automatically be extended and will be valid through the end of the next Premier program year (January 31, 2014). This includes GPUs and RPUs that are waitlisted or redeposited. Upon redeposit, the extended validity date will be reflected.

These validity changes will take effect by the end of this month, and in the meantime, no action will be required on your part.

We know GPUs and RPUs are an important benefit and we hope this change will provide more flexibility in using your GPUs and RPUs. As always, thanks for the feedback and please let us know what questions you may have.

Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines

Wow very generous! A change you will like!

Very useful change!

Good news! If only I had known this before I burned my last two GPUs on domestic trips because I thought they were going to expire at the end of the month.

Excellent!

Sent from my iPhone using milepoint

Hey! It's not a real "enhancement"!

Thank you for listening to us. Forced deposit of GPUs with only a 1 year expiration date from the date of deposit penalizes those whom qualify earlier for 1K status. On Milepoint and Flyertalk, there are threads filled with people whom delayed qualifying for 1K and gave their business to other airlines. This change is truly welcome. Many thanks again for listening to us and allowing us to give our full loyalty to United!

Thanks!!!

Would those have been earned based on 2011 travel?

Oops, I misread UA Insider's post. These were earned based on 2011 travel so this change wouldn't have impacted them.

That's what I am talkin' about! This move is truly a significant enhancement that favors the traveler!


Merci beaucoup!

I would tend to agree that the "1 year from earned date" rule was counter-productive for UA precisely because of what you stated. It was depressing traveling among those of us who have turned travel into a calculus. I had delayed making PremPlat during the summer and now 1K until later because I did not want for my RPUs and GPUs to become obsolete by Fall or late Winter, which is when I tend to need them most...

Wow, this is massive news. Thank you!

Shannon-

Would this apply to GPUs/RPUs expiring on 11/30/12?

Nice! I just got to 1k and earned my GPU/RPU expiring 11/30/2013, now they will be good until 1/30/2014 -- VERY VERY NICE!!! Thanks!

Hooray!!!!

No. They must have been earned in 2012. If they are expiring in 2012, that means that were earned in 2011...

I don't think so, since by definition those would have been earned based on 2011 travel.

This is excellent. I had been decreasing travel on United at critical times to "optimize" my upgrade deposits, which was nonsense. Very happy to see this new, customer friendly policy, which is even better than UA's legacy policy (SWUs used to be deposited on Jan 1st.)

Also super happy to see 1/31 as the expiry date rather than 12/31--many of us fly for the holidays and it was always frustrating to have to use miles one way because of the 12/31 rule.

Thanks United.

Fantastic, truly the best of both pre-merger policies

Might be worth a call for recently expiring upgrades. Also feb 28th 2013 like vip upgrades.

Thanks for listening. It will be easier and better for both airline and customers

The upgrades expiring in 2012 should extend to jan 31st 2013.

Now lets work on wifi and technology like Delta.

A change I like!

Wow, and my 2013 expiring RPUs and GPUs are already updated to expire in 1/2014