United MileagePlus Updates Announced

United has announced updates to the MileagePlus program - you can find more info here: https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/mileageplus/whats-new.html

Some highlights:

There are no changes to Premier qualifying thresholds.

Beginning January 1, 2026, all Premier 1K and above members will be able to earn even more PlusPoints. This is because PQP earned through eligible United® credit card spending will now count toward earning additional PlusPoints. There is no limit to the amount of PlusPoints you can earn.

Even more opportunities to upgrade

Beginning February 1, both PlusPoints and Complimentary Premier Upgrades (CPUs) will be eligible toward upgrades on award tickets for all Premier members.

Enhanced Polaris Saver Award availability

United Chase Cardmembers, Premier Silver and Premier Gold members are now eligible for increased access to Polaris Saver Award fares, which makes it easier to book seats in United Polaris® business class when available.

Dynamic approach to PlusPoints upgrades

Beginning in February 2027, we’ll retire the fixed chart for PlusPoints upgrade amounts and transition to a dynamic system. This change will allow the number of PlusPoints required for an upgrade to better reflect factors like demand, cabin, and more, providing members with greater flexibility.

Overall, I'm not certain these are all positive.  The change to dynamic use of PlusPoints will make an already difficult currency to use all that more challenging to find flights for upgrades.  

Thanksgiving 2025: Maine and Markets

We took a different approach to our Thanksgiving week travel plans this year - while Christmas markets are always anticipated, we decided to spend time in Maine for the first part.  It was quite peaceful to take some time and relax away from screens, and as a bonus we had snow as well!  

Christmas markets were very busy and we started with a quick trip to Bellinzona which turned out to be one of the only hiccups during the week.  No issues with United flights and another bonus on the way home was an op-upgrade on the new Swiss A350.  We'll take it!

Fall Vacation 2025 Underway!

Thrilled that fall vacation 2025 is now underway!  It's been beautiful up in Maine and soon we will depart for Christmas markets and other adventures.  I hope everyone has a safe Thanksgiving!

British Airways Rolling out Free Wifi

Access to consistent wifi during flights is an important consideration for many - from my own experience, it was vital to have a fast connection for work projects while I was flying between coasts a few years ago.  Not every wifi system is stable and the variability is often frustrating for flyers. 

United made an announcement some time ago about installing Starlink across the fleet.  And now this past week, British Airways has done the same!

With a roll out starting in 2026, every customer in every cabin will enjoy free, high-speed Wi-Fi powered by Starlink.

More information can be found here: https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/about-ba/whats-new

I'm thrilled to see Starlink being added by other airlines (my own experience with Starlink at home has been excellent).  

A Hopeful Return to Stable Flying

The shutdown has ended - last night the final vote was taken and a new agreement was put in place to fund the government.   This is good news for many including those who have travel plans and were affected by the schedule impacts occurring these days bunch of days.  It will likely take some time for the system to recover though it's great that many who have plans to be home with family and friends over the holidays should be able to travel.  I will be on the road starting next weekend and look forward to the break!