United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and ...

United’s MileagePlus program has made some latest modifications, resembling devaluing first-class partner redemptions in 2024 and overhauling its cobranded credit cards earlier this 12 months. Nonetheless, since United miles never expire, PlusPoints and miles can be utilized to substantiate long-haul Polaris upgrades and MileagePlus now lets you pool miles, this system nonetheless has many vivid spots.

This information will offer you all the mandatory data on this system, together with the right way to earn United miles and standing and the right way to maximize your miles for award journey.

Associated: Best frequent flyer programs for US travelers

United MileagePlus overview

With over 100 million members, United MileagePlus is likely one of the largest loyalty applications on the planet.

MileagePlus members can earn miles by flying United and its companions, in addition to by spending on their bank cards, procuring and eating. You may redeem your miles for award journey on the airline in addition to its Star Alliance companions.

MileagePlus members may earn United elite status by assembly a sure threshold of Premier qualifying factors. Elite standing contains further advantages, resembling upgrades, most well-liked and Financial system Plus seating, precedence boarding and free checked bags. Moreover, United gives varied cobranded credit cards that may assist members earn miles extra rapidly and revel in further perks.

Associated: How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program

United Airways companions

You may earn and redeem miles with varied worldwide airways by means of United Airways’ membership in Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. United Premier members can usually get pleasure from perks like lounge access (relying on standing) and further baggage allowance when touring with these companions.

This is a have a look at United’s present Star Alliance companions:

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• Aegean Airways
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• All Nippon Airways
• Asiana Airways
• Austrian Airways
• Avianca
• Brussels Airways
• Copa Airways
• Croatia Airways
• Egyptair
• Ethiopian Airways
• EVA Airways
• Juneyao Airways (a connecting companion)
• LOT Polish Airways
• Lufthansa
• Shenzhen Airways
• Singapore Airways
• South African Airways
• Swiss
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airways

United additionally companions with a number of airways outdoors of Star Alliance:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Dolomiti
• Airlink
• Azul Brazilian Airways
• Cape Air
• Uncover Airways
• Edelweiss
• Emirates
• Eurowings
• FlyDubai
• Hawaiian Airways
• JSX
• Lufthansa Metropolis Airways
• Olympic Air
• Silver Airways
• Virgin Australia

Companions can have their very own limitations relating to MileagePlus members — together with relevant bonuses, eligible fare courses and excluded routes — so make sure to assessment United’s airline partners page for full particulars of every one.

Associated: The best websites to search for Star Alliance award availability

United Airways Premier standing

MileagePlus has 4 ranges of elite standing: Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K. There’s additionally an unique Global Services tier, which you’ll solely earn after finishing 4 million flight miles or receiving a private invitation.

There are two methods to earn United Premier standing: With a mixture of Premier qualifying factors and Premier qualifying flights or by incomes PQPs alone. To earn any stage of standing, you should additionally take not less than 4 United or United Specific flights.

You may earn PQFs and PQPs by flying United or its companions. You may as well earn PQPs by spending on most of United’s cobranded credit cards.

That is what it takes to qualify for United standing in 2025 (legitimate by means of Jan. 31, 2027):

United Premier members get pleasure from perks like bonus miles on paid tickets, free checked luggage and complimentary waitlisted upgrades on most United-operated flights.

Increased-tier members have entry to extra worthwhile perks like complimentary Financial system Plus seating, PlusPoints (which can be utilized to substantiate upgrades), Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Star Alliance Gold standing (which gives advantages like lounge entry, precedence boarding, further luggage and extra while you fly on different Star Alliance carriers).

Associated: United unveils big Premier status, PlusPoints changes for 2025

earn United miles

You may consult with our information on how to earn United miles for the whole image, however listed below are a number of the hottest methods to spice up your MileagePlus stability.

Fly on United Airways

When flying on United-marketed and -operated tickets, you earn MileagePlus miles (as much as 75,000 miles per ticket) primarily based in your ticket’s value minus taxes and your MileagePlus standing relatively than the gap you fly.

This is what number of miles you may earn per greenback spent primarily based in your stage of standing:

• Normal member: 5 miles
• Premier Silver: 7 miles
• Premier Gold: 8 miles
• Premier Platinum: 9 miles
• Premier 1K: 11 miles

For instance, suppose you purchase a one-way United ticket from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) with a base fare of $200 and $30 in taxes and costs. In that case, you’d earn 1,000 miles as a daily MileagePlus member however 2,200 miles when you’re a top-tier Premier 1K member.

These incomes charges additionally apply when you e book United’s basic economy fare class.

Fly on United companion airways

You may earn MileagePlus miles when flying with United’s partners, however it may be difficult. Should you e book a companion flight by means of United (indicated by a 016 ticket quantity), you may earn miles primarily based in your ticket fare and elite standing.

However when you e book on companion ticket inventory, you may earn miles primarily based on the size of your flight and fare class. Typically, you may see your fare class when reserving your flight or in your affirmation e-mail. Mileage-earning charges differ by airline, so test your reserving class and use United’s partner airline list to find out your award miles. As anticipated, premium cabin tickets earn extra miles than financial system tickets, and Premier members are eligible for bonus miles on choose companions.

Associated: United’s best-kept elite status secret: How to earn PQPs faster with partner flights

Get and use United Airways bank cards

United’s cobranded bank cards issued by Chase are among the many hottest methods to earn MileagePlus miles (and, on some playing cards, PQPs). This is a have a look at the present welcome bonuses on a few of our favorites:

Associated: Why someone in your family needs a United credit card

Switch bank card factors

There are two transferable currencies that companion with United MileagePlus: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. You may switch factors from both program to your MileagePlus account at a 1:1 ratio, and transfers often occur immediately — making this a straightforward solution to enhance your stability for a United redemption.

Associated: How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United

Extra methods to earn United miles

Like most airways, United has an online shopping portal the place you may earn miles on your on-line purchases. The MileagePlus X app gives one other solution to earn bonus miles on on a regular basis purchases, each in-store and on-line.

In the meantime, MileagePlus Dining awards as much as 5 miles per greenback while you dine at taking part eating places and use a linked bank card.

Different methods to earn United miles embrace buying miles and transferring Marriott Bonvoy points, in addition to reserving motels, automobile leases and cruises by means of the United journey portal.

Associated: Earn MileagePlus miles with United’s airline, hotel and credit card partners

United Miles pooling

In 2024, United announced the addition of miles pooling, which can enable MileagePlus members of all ages to share and redeem miles in a single account.

That is particularly helpful for households. Since there is no such thing as a age restriction on becoming a member of MileagePlus, children can earn miles and pool them with their mother and father’ miles towards a bigger redemption. A pool can have as much as 5 members. You may select what number of of your miles to place in a pool, and there’s no restrict to what number of miles you may contribute.

To get began pooling, you have to be not less than 18 years outdated to create a pool and turn into the “pool chief.” You may then have the ability so as to add different members and determine which members have redemption privileges.

There are a number of stipulations. While you’re contributing miles to a pool, you have got 24 hours to reverse a transaction, after which you can’t get your pooled miles again. You may as well solely function in a single pool at a time. Should you exit a pool, there is a 90-day “cooling” interval earlier than you may be a part of one other pool or earlier than a brand new member can be a part of your outdated pool.

Lastly, you can’t pool Premier qualifying factors, and pooling miles doesn’t have an effect on your Premier standing.

Associated: Airlines that allow families to pool miles

redeem United miles

United has retired its award charts and now makes use of dynamic award pricing. Nonetheless, there are methods to maximise this system.

Typically, you may get essentially the most worth out of your miles while you redeem them for flights, which is straightforward to do on United’s web site or app. United bank card holders and Premier members can access additional award space on United flights, so make sure to log into your MileagePlus account earlier than looking for award flights when you fall into these classes.

United additionally has a fee choice referred to as Cash + Miles. Nonetheless, we do not advocate this as a result of it gives a hard and fast price of 1 cent per mile — properly under our April 2025 valuation of 1.35 cents for United miles.

The identical goes for many different methods to redeem United miles, resembling with United Membership memberships, inflight Wi-Fi purchases, TSA PreCheck fees, automobile leases, lodge stays, retail merchandise and present playing cards. The worth you may get from these redemptions is sort of at all times considerably decrease than what you may get on an award ticket.

Associated: How to exchange your unwanted gift cards for United miles

Greatest makes use of of United miles

You would possibly discover award choices beginning round 5,000 miles on high-frequency, short-haul flights. Though these flights virtually at all times value lower than $100, these awards will be an effective way to maintain your journey plans versatile since United now not expenses redeposit charges while you cancel award flights.

You may as well discover transcontinental flights beginning at 15,000 miles in financial system class or 30,000 miles in enterprise class when there’s saver award area. You would possibly take into account retaining a wholesome “simply in case” stash of miles in your MileagePlus account for last-minute conditions.

For one thing somewhat extra complicated, the United Excursionist Perk is an effective way to maximise your United miles when reserving multicity journeys. Mainly, the primary flight inside a area totally different out of your departure and vacation spot area is free in the identical class because the previous flight. For instance, when you e book a round-trip business-class flight from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and again, you too can get a “free” business-class flight from London to a different European airport, resembling Brussels Airport (BRU).

Lastly, you may think about using United miles to fly on high companion carriers — together with these with merchandise like ANA’s “The Room” business class or EVA Air’s business class, which provide high-end facilities however include excessive award charges.

Associated: Amazing first-class seats you can book with points and miles

Since United has a large community — and provides new routes ceaselessly — it is simple to earn and redeem MileagePlus miles on flights. Should you dwell close to a United hub or wish to benefit from the perks of elite standing, sticking with the MileagePlus loyalty program might make sense. Even when you do not fly United fairly often or don’t care about elite status, you should still discover it helpful to switch miles from this system’s credit card transfer partners.

Whichever sort of United flyer you might be, realizing the intricacies of the MileagePlus program will be rewarding.