COROIMAGE/GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate
Key takeaways
- The United MileagePlus program is a free airline loyalty program that allows you to earn rewards when you fly with United and United partners.
- Joining the program can also help you achieve elite status, allowing you to earn miles faster, gain access to upgrades and enjoy other perks.
- United MileagePlus miles can be redeemed for flights with United or eligible United partners, as well as flight upgrades, other types of travel, travel perks, merchandise, gift cards and more.
- In partnership with Chase, United also offers its own United MileagePlus personal and business credit cards.
The United Airlines MileagePlus loyalty program can help you earn status and award flights with United, whether you fly multiple times per year or just a few. Joining the program is free and easy to use, and doing so can help you earn more miles toward your next trip.
In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the United MileagePlus program, including how it works, how to earn and redeem miles, elite status and the best credit cards for earning even more United miles.
How does United MileagePlus work?
The United MileagePlus program is a free airline loyalty program that allows you to earn rewards when you fly with United and United partners. Once you sign up and start earning miles, you can redeem MileagePlus miles for free or reduced travel, merchandise, gift cards and more. Plus, your earning potential increases when you use a United Airlines credit card to book flights.
Flying with United can also help you achieve elite status, allowing you to earn MileagePlus rewards faster, gain access to upgrades and enjoy United Club airport lounge membership at a lower price point.
How to earn United MileagePlus miles
Earning United MileagePlus miles is easy, especially if you book United flights on a regular basis — but even the occasional traveler can rack up United miles by making everyday purchases on a United co-branded credit card.
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Earn frequent flyer miles with every flight you book with United or an eligible United partner. The amount you earn is either based on the fare amount or the number of miles flown (depending on if you book through United or through a partner) and your level of status.
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United partners include 25 airlines through the Star Alliance group, as well as 18 additional global partner airlines. United also has an incredible list of non-airline partners that you can earn miles with — including hotel, vacation rental, cruise, car, home, financial, shopping and dining partners.
You can earn United MileagePlus miles with these partners, or, in some cases, transfer the rewards you earn to MileagePlus miles.
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Members without elite status earn 5X miles on base fare with United, which doesn’t include taxes and fees. United elite members earn Premier bonus miles, on top of the 5X miles earned already, at the following rates:
- Premier Silver: 5X base miles + 2X bonus miles = 7X total miles
- Premier Gold: 5X base miles + 3X bonus miles = 8X total miles
- Premier Platinum: 5X base miles + 4X bonus miles = 9X total miles
- Premier 1K®: 5X base miles + 6X bonus miles = 11X total miles
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United currently offers several consumer and business credit cards, all of which are issued by Chase. These co-branded credit cards give you the opportunity to earn United MileagePlus miles on every purchase, whether you’re booking travel or buying groceries. Other travel credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card, give you the opportunity to earn rewards that can be transferred to United and redeemed as MileagePlus miles.
How to redeem United MileagePlus miles
Whether you’re using your MileagePlus miles to book your next flight or redeeming your miles for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, United MileagePlus members have plenty of valuable redemption options. Here’s how you can redeem your miles:
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The most common way to redeem miles is for flights with United or United airline partners. You can book flights with just miles or a combination of cash and miles. Another option is to use your miles for flight upgrades with United or Star Alliance partners (when eligible).
Redeeming your United MileagePlus miles to book air travel is easy. Just log in to your account on the United website and search for the flights you want using miles.
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Beyond flights, you can also redeem your miles for hotel stays, vacation homes, car rentals and cruises. As a MileagePlus member, you’ll get access to exclusive promotions and discounted bookings, plus more perks if you have a MileagePlus credit card.
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If you want to enhance your travel experience, you can redeem your miles for perks like a United Club membership, an in-flight Wi-Fi subscription, a TSA PreCheck credit or dining at select restaurants and bars at the Newark Airport and the Houston Intercontinental Airport.
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Aside from travel, you can spend the miles you accumulate through the Merchandise Awards shopping portal and the MileagePlus X℠ app. With Merchandise Awards, your miles function as the currency you can use to shop for a vast range of products, from home decor and kitchen appliances to Apple products and Lego sets. Simply log in with your United MileagePlus account and start browsing.
Through the MileagePlus X app, you can also use your miles for dining purchases or for eGift cards. Some participating merchants include Uber, Starbucks, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Domino’s and Walmart.
You can also use your United MileagePlus miles for partner newspaper and magazine subscriptions, flowers and shopping with Apple.
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You can use your miles for a wide variety of exclusive experiences, including tickets to theater performances, sporting events, concerts and Broadway shows through the MileagePlus Exclusives site.
How much are United MileagePlus miles worth?
When you book travel through United, you can estimate United MileagePlus redemption values by entering your desired locations, dates and preferences for the time of day and fare class. Although United’s award-pricing system fluctuates depending on the specific flight you book, United MileagePlus miles are worth roughly 0.9 cents each, according to Bankrate’s points and miles valuations. United generally offers its highest redemption values for flight bookings — and if you redeem your miles for something other than flights, you might get less value for each point redeemed.
United MileagePlus vs. other airline programs
Here’s how United miles compare to miles from other popular rewards programs, based on Bankrate’s valuations.
| Rewards program | Bankrate value** | Estimated value of 50,000 points/miles |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 0.7 cents | $350 |
| United Airlines MileagePlus | 0.9 cents | $450 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 1.0 cents | $500 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 1.1 cents | $550 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1.2 cents | $600 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.3 cents | $650 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1.5 cents | $750 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 2.6 cents | $1,300 |
**Based on weighted average of median point/mile values across economy and first/business class fares.
United MileagePlus elite status
Earning Premier status with United MileagePlus doesn’t have to take a lot of time. If you fly regularly with United, it shouldn’t be hard to achieve at least the lower tiers of Premier status. Once you reach these levels, you’ll rack up more miles on every flight and become eligible for perks like seat upgrades, free baggage and priority check-in.
To qualify for Premier status, you’ll need to accumulate a certain number of Premier qualifying flights (PQF) and Premier qualifying points (PQP) or a higher number of PQP only. The status levels and qualifications for each level are as follows:
- Premier Silver: 12 PQF and 4,000 PQP or 5,000 PQP
- Premier Gold: 24 PQF and 8,000 PQP or 10,000 PQP
- Premier Platinum: 36 PQF and 12,000 PQP or 15,000 PQP
- Premier 1K: 54 PQF and 18,000 PQP or 24,000 PQP
United MileagePlus transfer partners
If you want to use your MileagePlus miles to book travel on partner airlines or stay overnight at participating hotels, you have options.
United MileagePlus airline partners
United has more than 40 airline partners offering worldwide travel options. United is a Star Alliance member, meaning that if your preferred airline is United, you can take flights on partner airlines and then credit the miles you earn to your MileagePlus account.
For example, let’s say you take a United flight to Canada and then use Air Canada — a Star Alliance member — to do some additional travel while in the country. Since both airlines are Star Alliance members, you can later redeem the miles you earned from those flights for another flight on a Star Alliance carrier.
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- Aegean
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- ANA
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- EgyptAir
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- LOT
- Lufthansa
- SAS
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- SWISS
- TAP Air Portugal
- THAI
- Turkish Airlines
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- Aer Lingus
- Aeromar
- Air Dolomiti
- Airlink
- Azul
- Boutique Air
- Cape Air
- Discover Airlines
- Edelweiss
- Emirates
- Eurowings
- Flydubai
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JSX
- Olympic Air
- Silver Airways
- Virgin Australia
- Vistara
United MileagePlus hotel partners
With more than 15,000 hotels to choose from worldwide, it’s easy to find a hotel where you can earn or redeem MileagePlus miles. You can also transfer United miles to hotel points in some of the world’s biggest hotel loyalty programs.
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- Marriott Bonvoy
- Marriott Vacation Club
- ALL – Accor Live Limitless
- Hilton Honors
- IHG One Rewards
- World of Hyatt
- Choice Privileges
- Wyndham Rewards
- Shangri-La Circle
Top credit cards that earn United MileagePlus miles
In partnership with Chase, United offers its own United MileagePlus credit cards, all of which come with unique perks that will make future travel plans easier, cheaper and more enjoyable. Alternatively, you could also consider a general travel card that allows you to transfer rewards to the MileagePlus program.
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- Welcome bonus: 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months
- Rewards: 2X miles on dining, hotel stays and eligible United purchases, and 1X miles on all other purchases
- Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
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The United℠ Explorer Card* offers a decent welcome bonus — but that’s not the only perk that comes with the card. Additional benefits include:
- 25 percent back (as a statement credit) on eligible in-flight purchases on United flights
- Up to a $100 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years
- No foreign transaction fees
- Two United Club one-time passes after account opening and on each cardmember anniversary
- Free first checked bag (for the primary cardmember and one companion on the same reservation)
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- Welcome bonus: 80,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months
- Rewards: 4X miles on eligible United purchases, 2X miles on all other travel purchases, 2X miles on dining (including eligible delivery services) and 1X miles on all other purchases
- Annual fee: $525
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Are you an entrepreneur who travels often? The United Club℠ Visa Infinite Card* could give you the most bang for your buck — if you’re willing to pay for it. Notable benefits include:
- 25 percent back (as a statement credit) on eligible in-flight purchases on United flights
- Up to a $100 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years
- A complimentary United Club membership (a $650 value)
- Free first and second checked bags (for the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation)
- Premier Access travel services
- No foreign transaction fees
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- Welcome bonus: 60,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months
- Rewards: 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs); 5X points on travel through Chase Travel℠; 5X total points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025); 2X points on other travel; and 1X points on all other purchases
- Annual fee: $95
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of our favorite travel credit cards, and it has plenty to offer United Airlines fans — including the ability to transfer Chase points to United MileagePlus miles at a rate of 1:1. Other perks include:
- 25 percent more points value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠
- No foreign transaction fees
- Up to $50 in annual statement credits toward hotel stays through the Chase Travel℠ portal
Plus, if you have other travel rewards credit cards issued through Chase, points can be pooled together in your Chase Ultimate Rewards account.
The bottom Line
The United MileagePlus program is one of the best frequent flyer programs out there, especially if you’re interested in attaining elite status quickly. That said, it’s only worth applying for a United credit card if you live in an area that is served by United Airlines and travel to destinations served by United or one of its many partners. If you aren’t likely to fly United on a regular basis, you may want to consider one of the other top airline credit cards.
*Information about the United℠ Explorer Card and United Club℠ Visa Infinite Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
FAQs about United MileagePlus
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United MileagePlus miles never expire.
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Yes, you can transfer miles to other United MileagePlus members. To transfer miles, you’ll pay a processing fee of $30 per transaction and a transfer fee of $7.50 for every 500 miles you transfer. Note that United frequently offers promotions on miles transfers, which may include a discount on transfers along with no processing fees.
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Yes, you can transfer United miles to eligible Star Alliance members and MileagePlus partners.
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For those times when you really want to book a ticket with your miles but fall just a bit short, you can buy miles directly from United. Miles can be purchased in increments of 1,000 miles (with a $35 fee for every 1,000 miles, plus taxes and fees) and a minimum of 2,000 miles must be purchased. This makes each mile cost more than 3.5 cents each — more after you add in fees and taxes.
Occasionally, United has promotions where it will offer a discount on miles purchases or free bonus miles. Depending on your plan to earn and use miles, this might be a great deal to get extra miles that you can redeem for free travel.
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