United Airlines has announced a bunch of changes to its MileagePlus loyalty programme, set to take effect later this year. These modifications, which include the elimination of the Excursionist Perk, the discontinuation of instant upgrades on certain fare classes, and the removal of the fixed upgrade award chart, will likely affect some of you, but not everyone. Let’s go over the changes.

Farewell to the Excursionist Perk

Effective August 21, 2025, United will eliminate the Excursionist Perk for all new award bookings. This benefit allowed members to add a free one-way segment within a multi-city award itinerary, provided specific criteria were met. Existing bookings utilising this perk will be honoured; however, any changes made after the effective date will forfeit the benefit.

The Excursionist Perk is a free one-way award within select multi-city trips between at least two award regions. Members who booked a trip with three or more one-way awards could get the first award for free if the trip met these conditions:

• Your trip starts and ends in the same region.
• The free Excursionist Perk flight starts and ends in the same region.
• Your trip starts in a different region than the free Excursionist Perk flight.
• The free Excursionist Perk flight’s cabin and award tier must be the same or lower than the flight before it.

I’ve flown a lot using United MileagePlus, but I’ve never come around to using this. But then, I’m also not the core audience of United, given I don’t live in the US.

Discontinuation of Instant Upgrades on Y, B, and M Fares

Also starting August 21, 2025, United will cease offering instant upgrades at the time of ticketing for Premier members purchasing full-fare economy tickets in fare classes Y, B, and M. Previously, if upgrade space was available at booking, eligible members could secure an immediate upgrade. Moving forward, these upgrades will be processed through the Complimentary Premier Upgrade waitlist or by redeeming MileagePlus miles or PlusPoints.

Removal of the Fixed Upgrade Award Chart

On November 24, 2025, United plans to remove the fixed MileagePlus upgrade award chart from its website. This change suggests a shift towards dynamic pricing for upgrades, similar to the airline’s approach to award tickets. As a result, the number of miles required for an upgrade may vary based on factors such as route, demand, and timing.

Implications for United MileagePlus Members

These changes reflect a broader trend among airlines to adjust loyalty programmes in ways that may reduce the value proposition for frequent flyers. The elimination of the Excursionist Perk and instant upgrades diminishes opportunities for members to maximise their miles and enjoy enhanced travel experiences. The move towards dynamic upgrade pricing introduces uncertainty, making it more challenging for members to plan and utilise their miles effectively.

Bottomline

The United MileagePlus programme will make a few not-so-nice changes to the programme in the second half of 2025. As of August 21, the Excursionist Perk and Premier instant upgrades on full fare tickets will go away. As of November 24, the airline will discontinue a fixed award chart for upgrades. These are all negative changes, no matter how you want to look at them. However, they will affect a small minority of users only. So, nothing to worry greatly about as well.

What do you think of these United MileagePlus changes?

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