United Airlines is one of the largest carriers in the U.S. by fleet size and passenger volume, with a major presence in hub cities and smaller or seasonal destinations. Having United miles can be a smart strategy for lots of folks looking to book cheap award travel. Plus, it’s a member of the Star Alliance – the largest airline alliance – which gives you access to flights on 26 other unique airlines around the world, as well as other partnerships.
Wherever you want to travel, there’s bound to be a way to get there on United Airlines or one of its partners. That’s a big reason lots of us on the MMS team collect and regularly redeem United Airlines miles, myself included.
You can earn United Airlines miles with cards like the United℠ Explorer Card (the best airline credit card for United flyers) and United℠ Explorer Business Card, or transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points instantly at a 1:1 ratio to United Airlines if you have cards including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (the top travel card offering the best overall value) or Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card.
Is it worth it for you to focus on United Airlines miles to attain your travel goals? Here’s our United mileage plus review to help you decide:
United Mileage Plus review
MileagePlus is United Airlines’ loyalty program. You’ll accumulate United Airlines miles to use for award tickets, as well as credits toward elite status, when you fly.
You’re not limited to using your United Airlines miles for award seats on United Airlines. Thanks to partnerships, you can access 30+ other airlines, too.
Here’s what you need to know:
How to sign-Up for a United Airlines MileagePlus account
If you don’t already have one, it’s fast (and free) to sign up for an account. By providing a little bit of personal information you’ll be able to get a MileagePlus number, then use it when you fly United Airlines and any of its airline partners to earn miles and elite status credit when you fly.
You’ll find our step-by-step guide to registering for a United account here.
How to earn United Airlines miles
There are a whole host of ways to earn United Airlines miles either directly or indirectly.
You could sign up for a co-branded United credit card, like the United℠ Explorer Card, or get a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card and transfer the rewards you earn to United at a 1:1 ratio.
There are also other ways, like flying United or its partners, using the United MileagePlus X app, dining out and more. For a more comprehensive look at these options, check out our guide to earning United Airlines miles.
How to use United Airlines miles
In mid-November, United ditched its award chart and moved to dynamic pricing. Even with this change, 99% of the time the best way to use your United miles is for award flights on United or its partner airlines.
It’s possible to use your miles in other ways, like for seat upgrades, hotel stays and car rentals, but this is generally not a good idea because you won’t get a great return for your hard-earned rewards.
Here’s more about how to use United Airlines miles.
How does United’s elite status program work?
Like all other airlines, United offers various status levels within its frequent flyer program, including:
- United Premier Silver
- United Premier Gold
- United Premier Platinum
- United Premier 1K
To reach each level you’ll have to earn a certain combination of
- Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs)
OR
- Premier Qualifying Segments (PQSs)
AND
- Spend a certain amount of Premier Qualifying Dollars (PQDs)
There are also ways to get a status match from other loyalty programs.
Here’s an in-depth look at United Airlines status – how to earn it and the benefits offered at each level.
Do United Airlines miles expire?
We’re happy to report that they don’t. This is a recent change. You can read more about United’s miles expiration policy here.
Who should collect United Airlines miles?
United Airlines has hubs at:
- Chicago (ORD)
- Denver
- Houston (IAH)
- Los Angeles
- Newark
- San Francisco
- Washington, DC (IAD)
Folks in these cities have ready access to United Airlines flights, including tons of international flights. Additionally, United Airlines serves many smaller airports and seasonal destinations. If there’s a presence or schedule at your airport, you can do well to collect United Airlines miles. But the best part about having United Airlines miles is the ability to redeem them on 30+ other airlines around the world. So even if there aren’t any United Airlines flights where you live, they’re still some of the best miles for overseas travel.
Most of us on the MMS team collect and redeem United Airlines miles. With its huge network, numerous partners, and lack of fuel surcharges, there are still plenty of ways to get outsized value on award travel.
Bottom line
There’s a lot to like about United Airlines miles, from no fuel surcharges and ease of award booking to a vast array of airline partners. While it’s disappointing they moved to dynamic pricing and got rid of their award chart, there remain many worthwhile ways to redeem your miles — and earn them.
You’ll have the best experience with United Airlines miles if you live near a hub airport or want to access award flights on partners which still have an award chart in place. United Airlines miles are an integral part of my international travel planning — and if either of these scenarios fit your situation, you might find them worthwhile, too.
You can earn more United Airlines miles with Chase cards including the United℠ Explorer Card and United℠ Explorer Business Card, or transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card. Just keep in mind, all of these cards are affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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