Late final yr, United MileagePlus made some modifications to its advantages and elite standing — they usually weren’t all good. Nonetheless, United Airways miles are straightforward to earn due to a collection of United bank cards and a few main switch companions. You can also redeem miles throughout United’s huge community of home and worldwide routes or on over two dozen Star Alliance companions.
Nonetheless, there are a number of quirks to grasp when reserving award flights with United miles. Plus, there are additionally different methods to redeem United miles, however you sometimes will not get a excessive redemption worth.
Let’s discover learn how to redeem United MileagePlus miles for United flights, associate flights, journey, merchandise and extra.
Redeem United miles for United flights
United operates one of many largest worldwide and home flight networks, with lots of of locations from which to decide on — and that is not together with its associate flights.
United makes use of dynamic award pricing, which is a flowery approach of claiming United can cost no matter it needs each time it needs for any flight. Should you’re interested by what number of miles it can price to fly on United Airways, you will should seek for your required route and date.
United provides you the choice to e-book flights with cash, miles or a mixture of the 2. Nonetheless, since Cash + Miles tickets present an unimpressive redemption charge of 1 cent per mile (or much less), we do not suggest this route. As an alternative, we’ll concentrate on getting essentially the most out of your miles by reserving award tickets totally with miles.
e-book award flights on United’s web site
United’s web site is among the greatest for locating award availability, so you possibly can e-book most Star Alliance awards by merely looking out on-line or within the app — no cellphone calls are required.
You’ll be able to seek for award flights with out logging in, however when you’ve got United Premier standing or a United bank card, you will need to log in earlier than looking out. Cardholders and elite members acquire entry to extra (or discounted) award stock on United-operated flights.
Head to United’s web site, enter your flight search standards and verify “Ebook with miles.” Then, click on the “Discover flights” button to run your search.
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Above the search outcomes, you will discover costs for 3 days earlier than and after your chosen date. It’s also possible to toggle between cash and miles within the drop-down menu on the high.
To see award costs throughout a whole month, select “Superior search” within the search field and verify the “Versatile dates” field. It’s also possible to select your most popular cabin.
A calendar will pop up, with the bottom costs for that month in inexperienced. Click on on a date to discover flight choices.
As soon as you discover an award you want, click on the field containing the worth and observe the on-screen prompts to e-book it with miles. You may should pay for the taxes and charges in money; we suggest utilizing a bank card that earns bonus miles on airfare and gives journey insurance coverage.
Associated: Does paying the taxes and charges on award flights set off journey protections?
Redeem United miles on associate flights
United is a member of Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. Its members embrace Avianca, Ethiopian Airways, Lufthansa and Singapore Airways; take a look at our Star Alliance information for a full checklist. United has a formidable portfolio of nonalliance companions, too, together with Aer Lingus, Emirates and Hawaiian Airways. You’ll be able to e-book associate flights with United miles by means of United’s website, as described above.
One of many largest upsides of the MileagePlus program is that it would not impose gasoline surcharges on associate award tickets. Reserving by means of different applications (like ANA Mileage Membership) can add lots of of {dollars} in taxes and charges. Plus, redeeming United miles for partner-operated flights to Europe can probably prevent hundreds of miles.
Do not forget that you would be able to primarily add a free stopover to pick out round-trip tickets with United’s Excursionist Perk, which applies to each United-operated and associate flights.
Associated: United’s best-kept elite standing secret: earn PQPs sooner with associate flights
Redeem United miles for journey, merchandise and extra
It’s also possible to redeem United MileagePlus miles for United Membership lounge memberships, resort stays and Wi-Fi — however we seldom suggest doing this. These redemptions normally yield a worth of 1 cent per mile or much less, properly under TPG’s March 2025 valuation of 1.35 cents every for United miles.
That mentioned, here is a fast have a look at these different journey redemption choices.
Redeem United miles for accommodations
You’ll be able to earn 2 United miles per greenback spent on paid resort bookings by means of United Lodges. Or, toggle the “Use MileagePlus miles” button within the high proper nook to e-book your stick with miles.
You will not get essentially the most worth to your miles this fashion. Within the instance above, a one-night keep on the Luxor Lodge and On line casino prices 21,894 miles per evening after taxes and charges, or simply $220 when you pay in money. That comes out to roughly 1 cent per mile. You are higher off paying money and incomes miles on the acquisition than redeeming them for award flights.
Should you maintain MileagePlus Premier standing, you possibly can switch United miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. This is not a great deal both — TPG values Marriott Bonvoy factors at 0.7 cents every per our March 2025 valuations, which is roughly half our valuation of United miles. Nonetheless, it is a good choice to have when you’re brief a number of Bonvoy factors for a high-value Marriott redemption.
Associated: Fast Factors: Earn as much as 25 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Lodges stays
Make inflight purchases with United miles
Although United has introduced plans to deliver free Wi-Fi to each flight, for now, you continue to should pay for this privilege — and you are able to do so with miles. The fee varies by flight size; for example, on U.S. home and short-haul worldwide flights, Wi-Fi prices $8 or 800 miles for MileagePlus members. It’s also possible to buy a Wi-Fi subscription for $49 or 7,500 miles monthly.
Equally, you possibly can pay for inflight snacks together with your miles. A $5 can of Pringles prices 590 miles, whereas a $10 cup of chardonnay will set you again 1,180 miles.
These choices offer you a worth of about 0.85 cents per mile, so we suggest saving your miles for higher redemptions.
Associated: Rating free and discounted inflight Wi-Fi with these bank cards
Improve your journey expertise with United miles
United provides a number of different travel-related redemptions, although none are an amazing worth.
You’ll be able to redeem 11,000 United miles for a cost code that covers the $78 TSA PreCheck payment for brand spanking new and renewal purposes, supplying you with a worth of 0.7 cents per mile. Particular person United Membership lounge memberships price $750 or 94,000 miles per yr, supplying you with a worth of about 0.8 cents per mile. All-access memberships price between $1,200 (150,000 miles) and $1,400 (175,000 miles), relying in your elite standing, supplying you with a worth of 0.8 cents per mile.
In these circumstances, you are higher off getting a bank card that covers the TSA PreCheck or International Entry utility payment or gives lounge entry. The next United playing cards provide one or each of those perks, plus a beneficial welcome bonus:
- United℠ Explorer Card (see charges and charges): Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within the first three months from opening an account, with a $0 annual payment the primary yr, then $150.
- United Quest℠ Card (see charges and charges): Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying factors after spending $4,000 on qualifying purchases within the first three months from opening an account.
- United Membership℠ Card (see charges and charges): Earn 95,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases within the first three months from opening an account.
- United℠ Enterprise Card (see charges and charges): Earn 125,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases within the first three months from opening an account.
Lastly, you possibly can e-book seat upgrades with miles. As an example, on an upcoming flight from Denver to London, you should buy numerous premium seats for roughly 1 cent per mile.
Associated: The final word information to getting upgraded on United Airways
Redeem United miles for merchandise and reward playing cards
You’ll be able to redeem United miles for merchandise, resembling electronics, baggage and residential items, through United’s on-line retailer. You may usually get a rock-bottom redemption worth — for instance, a pair of Bose QuietComfort headphones prices 53,900 miles. These headphones retail for $349, supplying you with a worth of simply 0.66 cents per mile.
We suggest incomes miles with the MileagePlus X app, which helps you to buy reward playing cards for fast use and earn bonus miles, however we do not suggest spending your miles with it. You may get round 0.3 cents per mile in worth this fashion, making it one of many worst doable redemptions you may make.
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Donate your United miles to charity
Lastly, you possibly can donate your United miles to pick out charities by means of Miles on a Mission. It is a good possibility for many who need to liquidate their mileage steadiness and provides to a great trigger. That mentioned, it is unclear how a lot cash per mile will probably be donated to your charity of selection.
Associated: How one can donate your factors and miles to charity
Backside line
There are lots of methods to redeem your United MileagePlus miles, however you are usually greatest off reserving award flights. Fortunately, reserving these tickets on-line with United and its companions is comparatively straightforward. And with the flexibility to switch bank card factors from Bilt Rewards and Chase Final Rewards to United at a 1:1 ratio, you possibly can shortly enhance your account and unlock some stellar redemptions.
Should you’re considering making use of for a United bank card, there are a number of enticing welcome bonuses that would make it price including one to your pockets.
