United’s MileagePlus program has made some current modifications, corresponding to devaluing first-class partner redemptions in 2024 and overhauling its cobranded credit cards earlier this 12 months. Nevertheless, 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 shiny spots.
This information will give you all the required info on this system, together with the best way to earn United miles and standing and the best 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 among the largest loyalty packages on this planet.
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.
MileagePlus members may also earn United elite status by assembly a sure threshold of Premier qualifying factors. Elite standing consists of further advantages, corresponding to upgrades, most popular and Economic system Plus seating, precedence boarding and free checked bags. Moreover, United affords varied cobranded credit cards that may assist members earn miles extra shortly and revel in further perks.
Associated: How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program
United Airways companions
You’ll be able to earn and redeem miles with varied worldwide airways by way of United Airways’ membership in Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. United Premier members can typically get pleasure from perks like lounge access (relying on standing) and additional baggage allowance when touring with these companions.
Here 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 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
- Silver Airways
- Virgin Australia
Companions can have their very own limitations concerning MileagePlus members — together with relevant bonuses, eligible fare lessons and excluded routes — so make sure to evaluate 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 degree of standing, you will need to additionally take no less than 4 United or United Categorical flights.
You’ll be able to earn PQFs and PQPs by flying United or its companions. You can too 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 way of Jan. 31, 2027):
| Tier | Premier qualifying factors + Premier qualifying flights | Premier qualifying factors solely |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5,000 PQPs + 15 PQFs | 6,000 PQPs |
| Premier Gold | 10,000 PQPs + 30 PQFs | 12,000 PQPs |
| Premier Platinum | 15,000 PQPs + 45 PQFs | 18,000 PQPs |
| Premier 1K | 22,000 PQPs + 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.
Larger-tier members have entry to extra priceless perks like complimentary Economic 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 if you fly on different Star Alliance carriers).
Associated: United unveils big Premier status, PlusPoints changes for 2025
The right way to earn United miles
You’ll be able to confer with our information on how to earn United miles for the entire image, however listed here 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) based mostly in your ticket’s worth minus taxes and your MileagePlus standing reasonably than the gap you fly.
Here is what number of miles you will earn per greenback spent based mostly in your degree of standing:
- Basic 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 charges. In that case, you’d earn 1,000 miles as a daily MileagePlus member however 2,200 miles should you’re a top-tier Premier 1K member.
These incomes charges additionally apply should you guide United’s basic economy fare class.
Fly on United companion airways
You’ll be able to earn MileagePlus miles when flying with United’s partners, however it may be sophisticated. If you happen to guide a companion flight by way of United (indicated by a 016 ticket quantity), you will earn miles based mostly in your ticket fare and elite standing.
However should you guide on companion ticket inventory, you will earn miles based mostly 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 verify 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). Here 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’ll be able to switch factors from both program to your MileagePlus account at a 1:1 ratio, and transfers normally occur immediately — making this a straightforward option 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 in your on-line purchases. The MileagePlus X app gives one other option 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 if you dine at taking part eating places and use a linked bank card.
Different methods to earn United miles embody buying miles and transferring Marriott Bonvoy points, in addition to reserving lodges, automobile leases and cruises by way 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 is able to permit 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’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 pooling, you should be no less than 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 have got 24 hours to reverse a transaction, after which you can not get your pooled miles again. You can too solely function in a single pool at a time. If you happen to 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.
Associated: Airlines that allow families to pool miles
The right way 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.
Typically, 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 access additional award space on United flights, so make sure to log into your MileagePlus account earlier than trying to find award flights should you fall into these classes.
United additionally has a cost choice known as Cash + Miles. Nevertheless, we do not advocate this as a result of it affords a set charge of 1 cent per mile — nicely beneath our April 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 fees, automobile leases, lodge stays, retail merchandise and reward playing cards. The worth you will get from these redemptions is sort of at all times considerably decrease than what you will 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 might be an effective way to maintain your journey plans versatile since United not fees redeposit charges if you cancel award flights.
You can too 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 just a little extra advanced, 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, should you guide a round-trip business-class flight from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and again, you may as well get a “free” business-class flight from London to a different European airport, corresponding to 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
Backside line
Since United has a large community — and provides new routes regularly — it is easy to earn and redeem MileagePlus miles on flights. If you happen to reside close to a United hub or need to benefit from the perks of elite standing, sticking with the MileagePlus loyalty program may make sense. Even should 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 kind of United flyer you might be, realizing the intricacies of the MileagePlus program might be rewarding.
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