At press time, United announced that Star Alliance upgrade awards will again be available for Mileage Plus members. These awards have been M.I.A. for quite a while now so the news should come as a welcomed surprise. You can now redeem your Mileage Plus miles for a one segment, one cabin, electronic upgrade on participating Star Alliance carriers, subject to availability and certain restrictions that vary by airline. Once your ticket has been issued, call United reservations to request your upgrade. The miles will not be deducted from your account until the upgrade has been confirmed by the Star Alliance carrier. Once the upgrade is confirmed and you arrive at the airport, you can enjoy all the benefits of the upgrade including priority check-in and lounge access. Star Alliance upgrade awards are currently available on Air China, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Shanghai, SWISS, TAP Portugal, THAI and Turkish Airlines. United says additional Star Alliance member airlines will be added in the future. In other upgrade news, co-pays for full-fare B class tickets on United will not be collected as previously announced.