How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program

United Airways MileagePlus program provides some nice redemption choices on United and companion airways. United’s Star Alliance membership means that you can earn and redeem miles on Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airways and extra.

Not solely is the airline loyalty program free to hitch, however United miles by no means expire. Even in the event you do not frequently earn or redeem miles, you do not have to fret about dropping your account steadiness as a consequence of inactivity.

Earning United miles is only one a part of the puzzle, however understanding which redemptions to focus on and understanding this system’s perks can make sure you get essentially the most worth out of your United miles.

Listed below are a number of the finest methods to maximise the MileagePlus program.

There was loads of doom and gloom information about devaluations, decreased award availability and the stripping of benefits from award tickets. Nevertheless, one optimistic pattern over the previous couple of years has been the launch of limited-time, discounted award gross sales — and MileagePlus has joined the celebration.

For instance, in 2024, the MileagePlus program offered the following flash sales:

• Fly to Hong Kong from the U.S. beginning at 40,000 miles (plus taxes and charges) every method for United cardholders or 45,000 miles for non-cardholders.
• Fly to the Caribbean and Hawaii from the mainland U.S., beginning at 12,000 and 13,000 miles, respectively, every method (plus taxes and charges) for United Chase cardholders.

Ebook United Lie-flat premium cabin redemptions

United has invested closely in its worldwide premium expertise by increasing Polaris lounges, including new planes with glossy Polaris cabins and retrofitting its long-haul fleet. Enterprise-class passengers flying United Polaris can take pleasure in direct aisle entry, lie-flat seats and multicourse meals with Champagne, spirits and advantageous wines.

MileagePlus costs redemptions dynamically, so charges rise according to money fare demand. Nevertheless, on lower-demand dates, you possibly can fly enterprise class to Europe or South America for simply 80,000 miles and to Australia for 100,000 miles every method. You would possibly need to use an award search app like Seats.aero that will help you discover the bottom MileagePlus costs.

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Associated: Is United Polaris business class worth it to Singapore?

Whereas some applications have repeatedly increased the prices of domestic award flights throughout the U.S., it’s nonetheless attainable to ebook short-haul flights with United miles for as few as 4,500 miles every method, plus solely $6 in taxes and charges.

You may strive looking the featured awards page on the MileagePlus web site to search out the bottom home fares out of your most popular airport.

The joy of snagging a “free” journey utilizing your miles may be dampened by a three- and even four-figure money fee required because of pesky fuel surcharges. Different Star Alliance applications, like Lufthansa’s Miles & More program, can tack on tons of of {dollars} in gas surcharges to its award tickets. Fortunately, when reserving by MileagePlus, it can save you on further charges because it’s one of many few applications that does not add gas surcharges.

Associated: Dynamic pricing vs. fuel surcharges — which is the lesser of two evils for your next redemption?

United Excursionist Perk

United MileagePlus does not provide an unrestricted stopover like another frequent flyer applications, however it does provide the Excursionist Perk. This perk means that you can add a qualifying, one-way flight to a round-trip award ticket with out further miles. Listed below are the foundations United lists on its web site:

• The Excursionist Perk can’t be within the MileagePlus-defined area the place your journey originates. For instance, in case your journey begins in North America, you’ll solely obtain the Excursionist Perk if journey is inside a area exterior of North America.
• Journey should finish in the identical MileagePlus-defined area the place journey originates.
• The origin and vacation spot of the Excursionist Perk are inside a single MileagePlus-defined area.
• The cabin of service and the free one-way award sort are the identical or decrease than the previous one-way award.
• Solely the primary prevalence shall be free if two or extra one-way awards qualify for this profit.

This perk’s easiest and most blatant use can be for a round-trip award from the U.S. to Europe or Asia. You can fly from Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA), use the Excursionist Perk for a free flight from FRA to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) after which full your round-trip award reserving with a flight again to IAD.

On this case, you’d pay the traditional award price for a round-trip flight from the U.S. to Europe, whereas the leg from FRA to CDG can be “free.”

In fact, you could possibly get rather more artistic than this. Perhaps you add an open jaw and fly again to O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) as a substitute of IAD.

You may be much more artistic with this perk. To find out about routing potentialities like “the unbiased Excursionist,” try TPG’s complete guide to the Excursionist Perk.

Save money with last-minute United award redemptions

It may be price conserving a wholesome “simply in case” sum of miles in your MileagePlus account for last-minute conditions. A number of years again, a former TPG staffer traveled to Belgium and needed to return instantly to the U.S. as a consequence of a household emergency. The pressing nature of the state of affairs meant that they wanted to be on the primary flight residence to San Francisco.

They discovered a United flight in Polaris enterprise class for simply 62,800 miles, connecting by Chicago. Miraculously, this flight was scheduled to depart Brussels in two hours and had the soonest arrival in San Francisco. The money worth was over $8,000, so that they prevented paying for an costly last-minute fare and will instantly return residence.

Although an itinerary like this may now doubtless value at the very least 80,000 miles, you possibly can nonetheless save 1000’s of {dollars} on last-minute bookings by redeeming United miles.

Associated: Is United Airlines premium economy worth it to Europe?

How you can earn United miles

United is a 1:1 switch companion of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. Meaning you possibly can switch factors to your United MileagePlus account — a course of that needs to be accomplished inside minutes.

Marriott Bonvoy factors switch to United at a 3:1 ratio because of United and Marriott’s RewardsPlus partnership. You will get 10,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors transferred to United MileagePlus. Transfers from Marriott Bonvoy to United MileagePlus can take as much as three days.

If you happen to’re ranging from scratch or trying to save up, contemplate including a United bank card to your pockets. You will have your selection amongst entry-level and premium playing cards, in addition to private and enterprise choices:

• United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 95,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
• United Quest℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees): Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• United Gateway℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
• United℠ Business Card (see rates and fees): Earn 125,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

United’s cobranded playing cards are issued by Chase, that means they’re topic to the 5/24 rule for brand spanking new candidates.

Regardless of some negative changes to the United MileagePlus program over time, loads of high-value choices stay for redeeming your miles.

Understanding which award varieties, cabins and routing guidelines to make the most of will help you increase your redemption values each time. Lastly, evaluation the Excursionist Perk so as to add a free second vacation spot to your subsequent trip booked with United MileagePlus miles.