Originally Posted by
ksled
Have you flown SA on international flights lately? 24 hours out, the Upgradeable Premiers populate like a domestic flight!! These "Plus Points" started during the pandemic, are wildly popular with the muckity mucks. Polaris tends to fill up like DEN-IAH on a Friday.
From Nerd Wallet:
PlusPoints act as upgrade certificates for your flights, and they work on both domestic and international routes. Depending on your fare class, it can cost as little as 40 PlusPoints to upgrade from economy class to Polaris business class on a long-haul international route.
Once you reach Premier Platinum or Premier 1K, you'll immediately receive PlusPoints based on your status: 40 PlusPoints when you reach Premier Platinum and 280 more when you reach Premier 1K. These are ANNUAL allotments.
Yes I have. The customers select plus points upgrade when they book the ticket. It’s not usually instantaneous they get their upgrade . No guarantee they get a seat upgrade. They will sell upgrades for non plus points up to check in cutoff time. Yes the list may be long but not all get seats. Also those plus points come with a minimum spend to achieve them. They aren’t gifted. Money exchanges hands and large amount for the chance to upgrade.
How many empty Polaris cabins do you see prior to the upgrade list being cleared one hour before departure? The ability to revenue control the inventory has been better at United than it has ever been. If you yourself really want a Polaris seat for your vacation buy yourself a seat.