United Airlines Joins Star Alliance's Upgrade Awards Reward Program
United Airlines this summer became the first U.S.-based Star Alliance member to join the alliance's Upgrade Awards mileage-redemption program. Star Alliance said it is the first major alliance to offer such an option—available on member carriers ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, TAP Portugal, Thai and now United.
Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht said other alliance carriers soon would join the program.
"With United's participation in Star Alliance Upgrade Awards, our customers have a much larger number of flights on which they can choose to redeem miles for upgrades, especially across the Americas, as well as on transatlantic and transpacific routes," Albrecht said.
Star Alliance said Upgrade Awards requires a confirmed booking prior to travel, "which can then be upgraded through the existing FFP redemption channels through calling reservations or visiting a Web site, depending on carrier's offer."
United senior vice president of worldwide sales and alliances Graham Atkinson said, "Participation in Star Alliance Upgrade Awards greatly enhances the benefits our Mileage Plus program offers United frequent flyers. Our customers can now upgrade on other Star Alliance member airlines using miles from their United Mileage Plus account."
Ron Kuhlman, vice president of Unisys R2A Transportation and Management Consulting Practice, who is in the midst of putting together a report on airline alliances, said no alliance has jumped ahead of the others in terms of depth of loyalty programs. "They're all moving in the same direction," Kuhlman said.
"The customer cares about two things: Where my miles are coming from, how I can get them and how I can use them. The other is, as a frequent traveler, are they going to recognize me in the same way my host carrier does?" Kuhlman said. "If you remember back a few years, if you wanted to use your United miles on somebody else, you'd have to call the other carrier and there was a big dance that went on as everybody figured out how to do it and which flights are eligible and which flights are not. Now it's gotten to the point where if I'm flying Thai and want an upgrade, I just tell them I'm using my United miles."