United Airways’ MileagePlus program has made some latest modifications, corresponding to devaluing first-class associate redemptions in 2024 and overhauling its cobranded bank cards earlier this 12 months. Nevertheless, since United miles by no means expire, PlusPoints and miles can be utilized to verify long-haul Polaris upgrades, and MileagePlus now enables you to pool miles, this system nonetheless has many brilliant spots.
This information will offer you all the required info on this system, together with methods to earn United miles and standing, in addition to methods to maximize your miles for award journey.
United Quest ℠ Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and three,000 Premier qualifying factors after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening. (See charges and costs.)
United MileagePlus overview
With over 100 million members, United MileagePlus is likely one of the largest loyalty applications on the earth.
MileagePlus members can earn miles by flying United and its companions, in addition to by spending on their bank cards, purchasing and eating. You’ll be able to redeem your miles for award journey on the airline in addition to its Star Alliance companions.
United Airways companions
You’ll be able to 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 typically get pleasure from perks like lounge entry (relying on standing) and further baggage allowance when touring with these companions.
Here is a have a look at United’s present Star Alliance companions:
- 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 Air (a connecting associate)
- LOT Polish Airways
- Lufthansa
- Shenzhen Airways
- Singapore Airways
- South African Airways
- Swiss
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airways
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United additionally companions with a number of airways exterior 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
- Virgin Australia
Companions can have their very own limitations relating to MileagePlus members — together with relevant bonuses, eligible fare courses and excluded routes — so you should definitely overview United’s airline companions web page for the complete particulars on each.
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 World Companies 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 mix of Premier qualifying factors and Premier qualifying flights, or by incomes PQPs alone. To earn any stage of standing, you will need to additionally take at the least 4 United or United Categorical flights.
You’ll be able to earn PQFs and PQPs by flying United or its companions. You may as well earn PQPs by spending on most of United’s cobranded bank cards.
That is what it takes to qualify for United standing in 2025 (legitimate by means of Jan. 31, 2027):
| Tier | Premier qualifying factors plus Premier qualifying flights | Premier qualifying factors solely |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5,000 PQPs plus 15 PQFs | 6,000 PQPs |
| Premier Gold | 10,000 PQPs plus 30 PQFs | 12,000 PQPs |
| Premier Platinum | 15,000 PQPs plus 45 PQFs | 18,000 PQPs |
| Premier 1K | 22,000 PQPs plus 60 PQFs | 28,000 PQPs |
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.
Greater-tier members have entry to extra precious perks like complimentary Economic system Plus seating, PlusPoints (which can be utilized to verify upgrades), Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite standing and Star Alliance Gold standing (which gives advantages like lounge entry, precedence boarding, further luggage and extra if you fly on different Star Alliance carriers).
Methods to earn United miles
Beneath 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 somewhat than the space you fly.
Here is what number of miles you will earn per greenback spent primarily based in your stage of standing:
- Common member: 5 miles
- Premier Silver: 7 miles
- Premier Gold: 8 miles
- Premier Platinum: 9 miles
- Premier 1K: 11 miles
These incomes charges additionally apply when you e book United’s fundamental economic system fare class.
Fly on United associate airways
You’ll be able to earn MileagePlus miles when flying with United’s companions, however it may be difficult. When you e book a associate flight by means of United (indicated by a 016 ticket quantity), you will earn miles primarily based in your ticket fare and elite standing.
However when you e book by means of a associate, you will earn miles primarily based on the size of your flight and fare class. Usually, you may see your fare class when reserving your flight or in your affirmation electronic mail. Mileage-earning charges differ by airline, so test your reserving class and use United’s associate airline checklist to find out your award miles. As anticipated, premium-cabin tickets earn extra miles than economic system tickets, and Premier members are eligible for bonus miles on choose companions.
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). Here is a have a look at the present welcome bonuses on a few of our favorites:
- United Quest Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and three,000 PQPs after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
- United℠ Explorer Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening (see charges and costs).
- United℠ Enterprise Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles and a pair of,000 PQPs after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening (see charges and costs).
- United Membership℠ Card: Earn 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening (see charges and costs).
Associated: Why somebody in your loved ones wants a United bank card
Switch bank card factors
There are two applications with transferable currencies that associate with United MileagePlus: Chase Final Rewards and Bilt Rewards. You’ll be able to switch factors from both program to your MileagePlus account at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers normally occur immediately, making this a straightforward approach to enhance your stability for a United redemption.
Associated: Methods to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to United
Extra methods to earn United miles
Like most airways, United has an internet purchasing portal the place you may earn miles to your on-line purchases. The MileagePlus X app gives one other approach to earn bonus miles on on a regular basis purchases, each in-store and on-line.
In the meantime, MileagePlus Eating awards as much as 5 miles per greenback spent if you dine at collaborating eating places and use a linked bank card.
Different methods to earn United miles embrace shopping for miles and transferring Marriott Bonvoy factors, in addition to reserving motels, automobile leases and cruises by means of the United journey portal.
United miles pooling
MileagePlus members of all ages can 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, youngsters 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’ll be able to 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, you should be at the least 18 years outdated to create a pool and turn into the “pool chief.” You may then have the facility so as to add different members and determine which members have redemption privileges.
There are just a few stipulations. If you’re contributing miles to a pool, you could have 24 hours to reverse a transaction, after which you can not get your pooled miles again. You may as well solely function in a single pool at a time. When 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 not pool Premier qualifying factors, and pooling miles doesn’t have an effect on your Premier standing.
Methods to 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.
Usually, you will get essentially the most worth out of your miles if 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 entry extra award house on United flights, so you should definitely log in to your MileagePlus account earlier than trying to find award flights when you fall into these classes.
United additionally has a fee possibility known as Cash + Miles. Nevertheless, we do not suggest this as a result of it affords a set charge of 1 cent per mile — effectively beneath our June 2025 valuation of 1.35 cents for United miles.
The identical goes for many different methods to redeem United miles, corresponding to with United Membership memberships, inflight Wi-Fi purchases, TSA PreCheck charges, automobile leases, lodge stays, retail merchandise and reward playing cards. The worth you will get from these redemptions is nearly at all times considerably decrease than what you will get on an award ticket.
Associated: Methods to change your undesirable reward playing cards for United miles
Finest makes use of of United miles
You would possibly discover award choices beginning at round 5,000 miles on high-frequency, short-haul flights. Though these flights virtually at all times price lower than $100, these awards may be a good way to maintain your journey plans versatile since United now not prices redeposit charges if you cancel award flights.
You may as well discover transcontinental flights from as little as 11,900 miles in economic system class or 30,000 miles in enterprise class/home first when there’s saver award house. For last-minute conditions, you would possibly take into account holding a wholesome “simply in case” stash of miles in your MileagePlus account.
If you wish to fly to Europe, United affords saver-level flights for 20,000 miles in economic system class, 50,000 in Premium Plus premium economic system or 80,000 miles in Polaris enterprise class. All of those are nice methods to journey to Europe.
You’ll be able to think about using United miles to fly on high associate carriers — together with these with merchandise like ANA’s “The Room” enterprise class or EVA Airways’ enterprise class, which supply high-end facilities however include excessive award charges.
Associated: Methods to get most worth from the United MileagePlus program
Backside line
Since United has a large community — and provides new routes incessantly — it is simple to earn and redeem MileagePlus miles on flights. When 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 do not care about elite standing, you should still discover it helpful to switch miles from this system’s bank card switch companions.
Whichever kind of United flyer you’re, realizing the intricacies of the MileagePlus program may be rewarding.
