United’s MileagePlus program has made some current modifications, comparable to devaluing first-class companion 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 allows you to pool miles, this system nonetheless has many brilliant spots.
This information will offer you all the mandatory info on this system, together with find out how to earn United miles and standing and find out how to maximize your miles for award journey.
Associated: Greatest frequent flyer applications for US vacationers
United MileagePlus overview
With over 100 million members, United MileagePlus is without doubt one of the largest loyalty applications 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 may redeem your miles for award journey on the airline in addition to its Star Alliance companions.
MileagePlus members may earn United elite standing by assembly a sure threshold of Premier qualifying factors. Elite standing contains extra advantages, comparable to upgrades, most popular and Financial system Plus seating, precedence boarding and free checked luggage. Moreover, United provides numerous cobranded bank cards that may assist members earn miles extra shortly and revel in extra perks.
Associated: get most worth from the United MileagePlus program
United Airways companions
You may earn and redeem miles with numerous worldwide airways by way of United Airways’ membership in Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. United Premier members can usually get pleasure from perks like lounge entry (relying on standing) and additional baggage allowance when touring with these companions.
This is a take a look at United’s present Star Alliance companions:
Each day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
- 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 concerning MileagePlus members — together with relevant bonuses, eligible fare lessons and excluded routes — so make sure you evaluate United’s airline companions web page for full particulars of every one.
Associated: The very best web sites to seek 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 World Companies tier, which you’ll be able to 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, it’s essential to additionally take no less than 4 United or United Categorical flights.
You may earn PQFs and PQPs by flying United or its companions. It’s also possible to 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 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 beneficial perks like complimentary Financial system Plus seating, PlusPoints (which can be utilized to verify upgrades), Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite standing and Star Alliance Gold standing (which offers advantages like lounge entry, precedence boarding, additional luggage and extra once you fly on different Star Alliance carriers).
Associated: United unveils large Premier standing, PlusPoints modifications for 2025
earn United miles
You may seek advice from our information on find out how to earn United miles for the entire image, however listed below are among the hottest methods to spice up your MileagePlus steadiness.
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 relatively than the space you fly.
This is what number of miles you will earn per greenback spent based mostly 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
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 an everyday MileagePlus member however 2,200 miles if you happen to’re a top-tier Premier 1K member.
These incomes charges additionally apply if you happen to e book United’s fundamental financial system fare class.
Fly on United companion airways
You may earn MileagePlus miles when flying with United’s companions, however it may be difficult. In the event you e book 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 if you happen to e book on companion ticket inventory, you will earn miles based mostly on the size of your flight and fare class. Usually, you possibly can see your fare class when reserving your flight or in your affirmation e-mail. Mileage-earning charges range by airline, so examine your reserving class and use United’s companion airline checklist 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 standing secret: earn PQPs quicker with companion 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 take a look at the present welcome bonuses on a few of our favorites:
Associated: Why somebody in your loved ones wants a United bank card
Switch bank card factors
There are two transferable currencies that companion with United MileagePlus: Chase Final 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 simple method to increase your steadiness for a United redemption.
Associated: switch Chase Final Rewards factors to United
Extra methods to earn United miles
Like most airways, United has an on-line purchasing portal the place you possibly can earn miles on your on-line purchases. The MileagePlus X app offers one other method 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 once 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 inns, automobile leases and cruises by way of the United journey portal.
Associated: Earn MileagePlus miles with United’s airline, lodge and bank card companions
United Miles pooling
In 2024, United introduced 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 isn’t any age restriction on becoming a member of MileagePlus, youngsters can earn miles and pool them with their dad and mom’ 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 possibly can contribute.
To get began pooling, you should be no less than 18 years previous to create a pool and turn out to be the “pool chief.” You may then have the ability so as to add different members and resolve which members have redemption privileges.
There are a couple of stipulations. Whenever 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. It’s also possible to solely function in a single pool at a time. In the event you exit a pool, there is a 90-day “cooling” interval earlier than you possibly can be part of one other pool or earlier than a brand new member can be part of your previous pool.
Lastly, you can’t pool Premier qualifying factors, and pooling miles doesn’t have an effect on your Premier standing.
Associated: Airways that enable households 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.
Usually, you will get essentially the most worth out of your miles once you redeem them for flights, which is simple to do on United’s web site or app. United bank card holders and Premier members can entry extra award area on United flights, so make sure you log into your MileagePlus account earlier than looking for award flights if you happen to fall into these classes.
United additionally has a cost choice referred to as Cash + Miles. Nevertheless, we do not advocate this as a result of it provides a set price of 1 cent per mile — properly beneath our April 2025 valuation of 1.35 cents for United miles.
The identical goes for many different methods to redeem United miles, comparable 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 all the time considerably decrease than what you will get on an award ticket.
Associated: alternate your undesirable reward playing cards for United miles
Greatest makes use of of United miles
You may discover award choices beginning round 5,000 miles on high-frequency, short-haul flights. Though these flights virtually all the time price lower than $100, these awards will be an effective way to maintain your journey plans versatile since United not costs redeposit charges once you cancel award flights.
It’s also possible to 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 may contemplate retaining a wholesome “simply in case” stash of miles in your MileagePlus account for last-minute conditions.
For one thing slightly extra complicated, the United Excursionist Perk is an effective way to maximise your United miles when reserving multicity journeys. Principally, the primary flight inside a area completely different out of your departure and vacation spot area is free in the identical class because the previous flight. For instance, if you happen to e book a round-trip business-class flight from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and again, you can too get a “free” business-class flight from London to a different European airport, comparable to Brussels Airport (BRU).
Lastly, you possibly can think about using United miles to fly on high companion carriers — together with these with merchandise like ANA’s “The Room” enterprise class or EVA Air’s enterprise class, which supply high-end facilities however include excessive award charges.
Associated: Wonderful first-class seats you possibly can e book with factors and miles
Backside line
Since United has a large community — and provides new routes steadily — it is simple to earn and redeem MileagePlus miles on flights. In the event you dwell close to a United hub or wish to benefit from the perks of elite standing, sticking with the MileagePlus loyalty program may make sense. Even if you happen to 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 will be rewarding.