United’s MileagePlus program has made some latest modifications, resembling devaluing first-class associate redemptions in 2024 and overhauling its cobranded bank cards earlier this yr. Nevertheless, since United miles by no means expire, PlusPoints and miles can be utilized to verify long-haul Polaris upgrades and MileagePlus now helps you to pool miles, this system nonetheless has many brilliant spots.
This information will offer you all the required data 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: Finest 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 the earth.
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 also earn United elite standing by assembly a sure threshold of Premier qualifying factors. Elite standing consists of further advantages, resembling upgrades, most popular and Financial system Plus seating, precedence boarding and free checked baggage. Moreover, United provides numerous cobranded bank cards that may assist members earn miles extra shortly and revel in further perks.
Associated: Easy methods to get most worth from the United MileagePlus program
United Airways companions
You may earn and redeem miles with numerous worldwide airways by 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 additional baggage allowance when touring with these companions.
Here is a have a look at United’s present Star Alliance companions:
Each day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
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 associate)
- 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 lessons and excluded routes — so be sure you assessment United’s airline companions web page for full particulars of every one.
Associated: The perfect 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 Providers 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 mix 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 a minimum of 4 United or United Specific 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 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 baggage and complimentary waitlisted upgrades on most United-operated flights.
Greater-tier members have entry to extra invaluable 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 baggage and extra whenever you fly on different Star Alliance carriers).
Associated: United unveils large Premier standing, PlusPoints modifications for 2025
Easy methods to earn United miles
You may confer with our information on the best way to earn United miles for the whole image, however listed below are a few 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 worth minus taxes and your MileagePlus standing slightly than the gap you fly.
Here is what number of miles you will 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 should you’re a top-tier Premier 1K member.
These incomes charges additionally apply should you e book United’s primary economic system fare class.
Fly on United associate airways
You may earn MileagePlus miles when flying with United’s companions, however it may be difficult. Should you e book a associate flight by United (indicated by a 016 ticket quantity), you will earn miles primarily based in your ticket fare and elite standing.
However should you e book on associate ticket inventory, you will earn miles primarily based on the size of your flight and fare class. Typically, you’ll be able to see your fare class when reserving your flight or in your affirmation e-mail. Mileage-earning charges differ by airline, so examine your reserving class and use United’s associate airline listing 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.
Associated: United’s best-kept elite standing secret: Easy methods to earn PQPs quicker with associate 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 somebody in your loved ones wants a United bank card
Switch bank card factors
There are two transferable currencies that associate 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 normally occur immediately — making this a simple approach to enhance your stability for a United redemption.
Associated: Easy methods to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to United
Extra methods to earn United miles
Like most airways, United has an on-line procuring portal the place you’ll be able to earn miles to your on-line purchases. The MileagePlus X app offers 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 whenever 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 lodges, automotive leases and cruises by 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 permit 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, 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’ll be able to contribute.
To get began pooling, you have to be a minimum of 18 years previous to create a pool and turn out to be 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. While you’re contributing miles to a pool, you might have 24 hours to reverse a transaction, after which you can not get your pooled miles again. It’s also possible to solely function in a single pool at a time. Should you exit a pool, there is a 90-day “cooling” interval earlier than you’ll be able to be a part of one other pool or earlier than a brand new member can be a part of your previous pool.
Lastly, you can not pool Premier qualifying factors, and pooling miles doesn’t have an effect on your Premier standing.
Associated: Airways that permit households to pool miles
Easy 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.
Typically, you will get essentially the most worth out of your miles whenever 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 further award house on United flights, so be sure you log into your MileagePlus account earlier than trying to find award flights should you fall into these classes.
United additionally has a fee choice known as Cash + Miles. Nevertheless, we do not suggest this as a result of it provides a hard and fast fee 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, resembling with United Membership memberships, inflight Wi-Fi purchases, TSA PreCheck charges, automotive 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: Easy methods to trade your undesirable reward playing cards for United miles
Finest 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 nearly at all times price lower than $100, these awards may be a good way to maintain your journey plans versatile since United now not expenses redeposit charges whenever you cancel award flights.
It’s also possible to discover transcontinental flights beginning at 15,000 miles in economic system class or 30,000 miles in enterprise class when there’s saver award house. You may think about holding a wholesome “simply in case” stash of miles in your MileagePlus account for last-minute conditions.
For one thing a bit of extra advanced, the United Excursionist Perk is a good way to maximise your United miles when reserving multicity journeys. Principally, 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 e book a round-trip business-class flight from Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and again, you may also get a “free” business-class flight from London to a different European airport, resembling Brussels Airport (BRU).
Lastly, 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 Air’s enterprise class, which supply high-end facilities however include excessive award charges.
Associated: Wonderful first-class seats you’ll be able to e book with factors and miles
Backside line
Since United has a large community — and provides new routes ceaselessly — it is easy to earn and redeem MileagePlus miles on flights. Should you reside 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 should 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, understanding the intricacies of the MileagePlus program may be rewarding.
