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flight_classUnited Upgrades

How many PlusPoints does it take to upgrade to Premium Plus, Polaris, or first?

Updated

6 min read

The current chart

United still prices PlusPoints upgrades on a published, fixed chart as of today, based on your starting cabin, your destination cabin, and whether the route is domestic or international long-haul. This makes it possible to plan roughly how far your PlusPoints balance will stretch.

Current PlusPoints cost by upgrade path

Starting cabinTarget cabinRoute typeApprox. PlusPoints
EconomyFirst or businessDomestic or short-haul20
Premium PlusBusinessDomestic premium flight10
EconomyPremium PlusDomestic or short-haul20
Standard economy faresPolaris businessInternational long-haul40
Premium PlusPolaris businessInternational long-haul30
Discounted economy faresPolaris businessInternational long-haul80

Where the best value tends to be

Upgrading from Premium Plus into business tends to cost fewer PlusPoints than jumping straight from economy into business on the same route, since you're covering a smaller gap in cabin. If you're deciding between booking economy and hoping to upgrade twice, versus booking Premium Plus outright and upgrading once, the Premium Plus starting point is usually the more efficient use of a limited PlusPoints balance.

On long-haul international routes specifically, booking a standard (non-discounted) economy fare rather than the cheapest available fare can roughly cut your PlusPoints cost in half for the same Polaris upgrade, since discounted fares fall into the pricier upgrade tier.

Tip:If you have a limited PlusPoints balance and a choice of fares at booking, paying slightly more for a standard economy fare instead of a heavily discounted one can save a large chunk of PlusPoints later if you plan to upgrade.

Connections don't multiply the cost

If your itinerary has a connection and you request the upgrade for both segments together, you're charged the higher of the two segment costs rather than the sum of both. See our guide on connecting flights and PlusPoints for the full breakdown.

This chart is changing

United has announced that beginning in February 2027, it will retire this fixed chart and move to a dynamic pricing model where the PlusPoints cost of an upgrade varies by travel date, route, and demand, similar to how cash prices already move. United has said some upgrades will end up cheaper and some more expensive under the new system, and that it isn't a blanket price increase. Until that rollout, the fixed amounts above are what you'll see when requesting an upgrade.

Common questions

Will PlusPoints costs go up for everyone in 2027?expand_more

United says the shift to dynamic pricing will make some upgrades cheaper and others more expensive depending on route and demand, not a flat increase across the board. Exact effects won't be clear until it's live.

Is upgrading from Premium Plus always cheaper than from economy?expand_more

Generally yes, since you're covering a smaller gap between cabins, but always confirm the current cost shown in your reservation before assuming.

Do domestic first class upgrades cost the same as domestic business class upgrades?expand_more

On most domestic United routes, first class is the only forward cabin (there's no separate business cabin), so the 20 PlusPoints figure applies to that single upgrade path from economy.

Can I see the exact PlusPoints cost before I request an upgrade?expand_more

Yes, the cost is shown in the Upgrade Cabin flow under Manage Trip before you confirm the request, so you can check the current number for your specific flight.