31 Oct
2025
United Plus Points are bonus currency, which can be earned by the top passengers of United Airlines, the top of the frequent flyer ranks, namely, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K. The points will allow the qualified members to upgrade their tickets into premium cabins such as Premium Economy, Business, or First Class. United Plus Points are far more flexible than other types of upgrade- they can be redeemed on international flights as well as in-country flights, and are often not subject to the strict fare-class rule. Additional benefits in June 2025 also enable members to redeem Plus Points to get benefits like TravelBank cash, bonus miles, and even elite status as a present.
United plus points worth it because they will help a traveler bring a lot to their trip, so they can experience more comfortable, priority services, and quality amenities without necessarily purchasing a more expensive ticket upfront. The level of your elite status will define the number of Plus Points you will start with-e.g., members of the Premier Platinum level start with 40 Plus Points, members of the Premier 1K level start with 320 Plus Points, and may receive additional Plus Points as they continue to fly.
The United PlusPoints are earned through the process of joining United Airlines as an elite member. Here is how to earn them:
The United Plus points upgrade is earned primarily when flying with United and meeting those elite qualification criteria- it is not earned by spending on a regular credit card in and of itself, except when it is taken together with qualifying cards.
United PlusPoints is an upgrade currency that reflects in the United Premier Platinum and the United Premier 1K programs, which gives members the opportunity to upgrade their seats to superior cabins on United and some partner airlines. The following procedure is to upgrade using United PlusPoints:
United PlusPoints and an elite currency are awarded to the elite members of United Airlines as elite Platinum and elite 1K. These are coupons to allow passengers to change their seats on United flights and also on partner airlines and to travel between economy and premium cabins, including Premium Economy, Business, or First Class. Unlike regular upgrade certificates, PlusPoints can be used more flexibly, being activated on a wide variety of routes and fare classes with no large date or fare restrictions. The number of PlusPoints needed varies according to your route, fare category, and the cabin to which you will be upgrading.
The United PlusPoints are earned whenever one reaches the major status of a Premier Platinum, which starts with 40 points and significantly rises to 320 points when one reaches the major status of a Premier 1K, with a further possibility of earning more points when one travels beyond certain levels. In 2025, United Airlines expanded the use of PlusPoints. Members may now redeem points for other desirable benefits, including TravelBank cash credits, award miles, and qualifying credits to elite status, and even to gift Premier status to other travelers besides flight upgrades. However, each of these other redemptions is restricted annually and will usually be of lower value per point than the upgrades.
Knowledge of the particular upgrade choices at every PlusPoints level enables members to strategize the utilization of their points for the ultimate travel experience. The amount of PlusPoints needed, as well as the nature of the upgrades unlocked by each level, are listed below:
10 PlusPoints:
Some free 10 PlusPoints allow you to upgrade Premium Plus to the United Business class on short flights. This will enable passengers who were already in a premium cabin to upgrade to business class on short flights within the United network.
20 PlusPoints:
On short-haul flights, with 20 PlusPoints, you can upgrade your Economy seat to United First class or United Business class. Also, you can change your Economy to Premium Plus on either short-haul or long-haul flights. It is a flexible method of experiencing a better cabin without having to use many points.
30 PlusPoints:
On long-haul flights, one can use United Plus points upgrade to Premium Plus and Polaris Business Class at 30 PlusPoints. This refurbishment is the next step into the top tier of international business with United, offering more comfort and services.
40 PlusPoints:
The 40 PlusPoints allow an upgrade to Polaris Business Class during long-haul flights, without having to leave the Economy class. This is applicable to qualified fare classes like Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, and W that usually indicate full or standard economy fares. This upgrade is a great leap in the travelling experience, considering the distance and length of these flights.
80 PlusPoints:
To upgrade discounted economy fare classes, including S, T, L, K, and G to Polaris Business Class on long-haul flights, 80 PlusPoints are needed. Such discounted fares are usually more restricted, with additional points being needed to upgrade to reflect the reduced base fare paid.
Flight upgrades represent the best option to maximize your United Plus points value, but other ways to use them include TravelBank cash, MileagePlus miles, status-qualifying points, and gifting elite status, which offer great options at different trade-offs. This explains the differences so that travelers can make informed choices regarding the optimal use of their PlusPoints.
United PlusPoints are mainly created to be redeemed in flight upgrades. What makes them the most valuable here is the fact that the upgrade to premium cabins of United flights is usually much more expensive in terms of money. When you use PlusPoints instead, your out-of-pocket cost is reduced significantly, and each point will cost you a lot of money. Due to the fact that the difference in the economy price and the business or first class price can be very large in some cases, particularly on long routes, the effective value of a single PlusPoint in upgrades may exceed $30 or even more. It is this high-quality use of points that has led to upgrades being commonly the best method of maximizing value.
An additional option of utilizing PlusPoints is through its conversion into TravelBank cash, which is a travel credit that acts as a stored balance redeemed to book flights or services with United. This is easily converted, but has significantly lower monetary value per point than upgrades. The redemption rate is set at 200, so one PlusPoint can be redeemed to earn approximately 2 dollars as TravelBank cash. There is flexibility in this option and the ability to redeem points to purchase flights without complex rules of booking, but due to the fixed United Plus points exchange, this option is not as valuable as the redemption options at the premium.
MileagePlus awards miles. It is also another helpful method of using points, particularly when you like award flights over an upgrade. UA MileagePlus miles are normally worth 1.3-1.5 cents apiece. This is equivalent to about 225 cents or $2.25 per PlusPoints when it is converted into miles. This is a decent value, but by no means is it equal to the United Plus points value that upgrades contribute, and thus the miles are a fine but secondary redemption option.
United Airlines Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) are points that a person can earn or retain toward an elite status with United Airlines. PQPs can be earned from PlusPoints and do not directly relate to cash worth, but carry great indirect value to frequent fliers as they wish to earn or retain United elite status. Earned elite status opens up such benefits as priority boarding, waived fees and free upgrades. Consequently, when the members are targeting the upper levels, the conversion of PlusPoints into PQPs can be quite useful despite the fact that it is difficult to put this measure directly into dollar terms.
The PlusPoints may also be redeemed to grant other MileagePlus members the status level of Premier. This alternative stands out as it gives the users an opportunity to share the elite airline status privileges of priority check-in, no-fee fees, and upgrade eligibility with friends or family. This value lies in the extent to which the recipient benefits from such perks. Although it is difficult to place a direct monetary value on, gifting status is a viable means to extend the benefits of travel not only to the point holder.
United Plus Points provide the elite travelers with flexibility and good upgrading to premium cabins, which has been a great boost to their traveling experience. Having different redemption options, members can make the most of their points by using them as upgrades, TravelBank cash, or as a gift to elite status. The Plus Points are an advantageous tool for frequent flyers.
Recent Blogs
Disclaimer:- tripstrolly.com website's primary objective is to connect travelers with airlines. We work hard to deliver information that is trustworthy and correct. tripstrolly.com and its affiliates disclaim any liability for special, consequential, or punitive damages. You acknowledge the terms and conditions and agree to them by using tripstrolly.com. Visit our website at (https://www.tripstrolly.com/contactus) to contact us with any questions or issues.
Copyright © 2021-, tripstrolly.com All rights reserved.