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Based on MoneyGeek’s study, the average value of United MileagePlus miles is between 1.2 and 1.6 cents. That said, how much United miles are worth may change based on how you choose to redeem them.
There are plenty of opportunities to earn and maximize United MileagePlus miles, including flying with United Airlines and its airline partners, using a co-branded credit card, shopping online via the MileagePlus Shopping portal and purchasing miles.
After racking up United MileagePlus miles, you can redeem them for award flights, flight upgrades, hotel accommodations, car rentals, cruises, United Club membership and more.
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MoneyGeek’s Takeaways
On average, each United MileagePlus mile is worth 1.2 to 1.6 cents. However, the value will depend on how you choose to redeem your miles.
You can earn United miles by signing up for a MileagePlus frequent flyer account at no cost.
Qualifying for MileagePlus Premier status grants you access to seat upgrades, mileage bonuses, complimentary checked bags and free access to Economy Plus seating.
How Much Are United Miles Worth?
The average value of United Miles falls between 1.2 and 1.6 cents. This can be used as a baseline to determine whether you are getting a good value for your redemption.
Recently, United stopped publishing an award chart, so there’s no set amount of miles needed for a given flight anymore. United now uses the dynamic pricing model, meaning seat prices change based on demand.
To calculate the value of United MileagePlus miles, you need to subtract the taxes and fees from the cash price of your ticket and divide the difference by the number of miles needed for the flight.
How United Miles Compare to Other Airlines
Check out how United Miles stacks up against other major U.S. airlines by browsing through the table below.
Airlines | Value per Mile |
---|---|
United Airlines MileagePlus | 1.2 to 1.6 cents |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 1.2 to 1.8 cents |
Air Canada Aeroplan | 1.5 to 1.9 cents |
Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1.2 to 1.4 cents |
American Airlines AAdvantage | 1.5 to 1.7 cents |
British Airways Avios | 0.8 to 1.5 cents |
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles | 1.4 to 1.5 cents |
Emirates Skywards | 1 to 1.4 cents |
Frontier Miles | 0.9 to 1.1 cents |
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 0.9 to 1 cent |
JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.3 to 1.6 cents |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1.1 to 1.3 cents |
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1.3 to 1.5 cents |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1.1 to 1.5 cents |
How to Earn and Maximize Miles From United Airlines
There are various ways to earn United MileagePlus miles, from flying with United or its partner airlines to using the right credit card or booking rooms at certain hotels. United Mileage Plus miles never expire, so you can focus on earning miles without having to worry about when you should redeem them.
Sign Up for United MileagePlus
United MileagePlus is the frequent flyer program of United Airlines. It’s known for its top-notch economy award availability, wide range of award destinations and multiple ways to earn and use miles. United MileagePlus is free to join; you only need to sign up for a MileagePlus frequent flyer account to start earning miles.
Joining United MileagePlus can help you earn miles for every dollar you spend in certain categories. Additionally, you get to enjoy various benefits, including:
- Award availability: When booking an award flight, you don’t have to worry about blackout dates.
- Extensive flight network: You can use your United MileagePlus miles to book online with United Airlines’ 25 Star Alliance partners and fly to approximately 1,300 destinations.
- Miles expiration: United MileagePlus miles don’t expire, meaning you can take your time planning when to use your hard-earned miles.
Earning Miles Using United Airlines Co-Branded Credit Cards
Getting a United Airlines co-branded credit card may be one of the best ways to earn United MileagePlus miles. MoneyGeek found that United Club℠ Infinite Card rewards cardholders with the most miles per dollar spent (1–4X miles on eligible purchases), which they can maximize by earning the 100,000 miles welcome bonus after spending $5,000 within the first three months.
United Airlines Co-Branded Credit Cards at a Glance
Credit Card Name | Miles Earned per Dollar Spent | How to Increase Miles Earned |
---|---|---|
1–2 miles per dollar | Spend $1,000 within the first three months | |
1–2 miles per dollar | Earn the welcome offer of 75,000 miles | |
1–4 miles per dollar | Receive up to 100,000 bonus miles by | |
1–2 miles per dollar | Use the card for a total of $3,000 in eligible | |
1–3 miles per dollar | Complete an award flight and receive |
United Gateway Card
Chase’s United Gateway Card is a solid entry-level travel credit card that comes with no annual and foreign transaction fees. You earn 2X miles on gas stations, transit and United Airlines purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases.
Additionally, you can earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
United℠ Business Card
Business owners who frequently travel with United Airlines may benefit from the United℠ Business Card. This credit card awards 2X miles per dollar spent on United Airlines, restaurants, gas stations and office supply stores. All other eligible purchases give cardholders 1X miles per dollar.
Cardholders can maximize their miles by earning the 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases during the first three months of card ownership.
United Club℠ Infinite Card
The United Club℠ Infinite Card comes with generous bonuses and exclusive travel perks to offset its hefty $525 annual fee. With this card, you can get 4X miles on United Airlines purchases, 2X miles on travel and dining purchases and 1X miles on everything else.
In addition, the United Club℠ Infinite Card offers a 100,000 miles welcome bonus if you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months.
United Explorer Card
United Explorer Card has a $95 annual fee waived the first year and travel perks like priority boarding and a free first-checked bag. Cardholders get 2X miles on United Airlines purchases, delivery services, restaurant payments, directly purchased hotel accommodations and 1X miles for other eligible purchases.
Furthermore, they stand to earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months of owning the card.
United Quest℠ Card
Although it has a $250 annual fee, the United Quest℠ Card offers various benefits including up to two 5,000-mile award flight credits per account anniversary. It earns 3X miles on United Airlines purchases, 2X miles on travel, dining and eligible streaming services and 1X miles on other purchases.
New cardholders can also earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
Buying Airline Tickets From United Airlines Partner Airlines
An easy way to earn United MileagePlus miles is by flying with United Airlines or its airline partners. United Airlines has 39 partner airlines, 25 of which are part of Star Alliance. These include but are not limited to:
- Air Canada
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Asiana Airlines
- Brussels Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- EVA Air
- Lufthansa Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Swiss Airlines
- Thai Airways
Earn Miles Through United Airlines Partners and Affiliates
While flying with United Airlines or its airline partners and using co-branded credit cards are the primary methods to rack up United MileagePlus miles, there are other ways to earn miles through United’s non-flight-related partners. For instance, you can earn United miles by booking a stay at one of United’s hotel partners.
Earn MileagePlus Points Through Partner Merchants
Partners | How to Earn MileagePlus Points |
---|---|
MileagePlus Dining and MileagePlus Shopping | Link your credit card with MileagePlus Dining and earn up to 5X miles per dollar spent when you use it at a participating restaurant. Additionally, you can rack up miles by shopping online using the MileagePlus Shopping portal. |
Earn miles by booking a stay directly with United’s hotel partners, including Courtyard by Marriott, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Grand Hyatt, Hotel Indigo and more. Making a hotel reservation using United’s partner booking services can also help you earn additional miles. | |
Booking vacation packages through United Vacations can earn you miles, and you rack up extra miles if you pay using the United Explorer Card. Traveling by sea can also earn you miles if you book a cruise through United Cruises. | |
Earn 25,000 miles when you purchase or refinance a home with Rocket Mortgage. To earn the miles, you need to call the dedicated benefit contact number or use the dedicated benefit website. | |
Depending on the plan you select, you can earn up to 10,000 United miles when you sign up for identity theft protection from LifeLock with Norton. | |
You earn miles when you purchase egift cards from over 270 egift card merchants using your credit card. |
Buying Miles From United Airlines
Although you can get miles by purchasing them on the MileagePlus website, it is generally not a good idea as they are quite expensive. In most cases, buying miles only makes sense if you need to top up your MileagePlus account to book an award flight.
How to Redeem MileagePlus Miles
United MileagePlus miles can be used to book free or discounted flights with United Airlines and its 39 airline partners. To redeem your United miles, you need to visit United’s website and choose your origin, destination and flight dates to see how much an award ticket will cost in miles.
Because United discontinued its published award chart, there’s no longer a set amount of miles needed for each flight. It’s advisable to compare the cost of a flight in cash and in miles before booking.
Alternatively, your United MileagePlus miles are redeemable for other purposes. These include hotel stays, car rentals, flight upgrades, gift cards and more.
Hotel accommodations
You can use your MileagePlus miles to book stays at brand-name hotels and resorts through United Hotels and United Vacations.
Car rentals
Redeem your miles by booking an Avis or Budget rental car using the MileagePlus Car Awards booking portal.
Flight upgrades
Make use of your United miles by upgrading your seat to business or first class.
Cruise
Your miles can be redeemed for cruises to various destinations.
Shopping
Use your United miles to shop for a wide range of products, from electronics to jewelry.
Experiences
You can usually redeem your United miles for tickets to concerts, theater events and live sports, but United’s MileagePlus is currently suspended due to COVID-19.
Donation
Use your United miles to donate to a cause that speaks to you.
United Club membership
You can use your miles to purchase a United Club membership and access airport lounges while waiting for your flight.
As airline tickets have shot up in price in recent years, the argument of sacrificing some value of your airlines for saving money has become tricky.
You shouldn’t redeem your miles for a poor value, but it’s better to have cash in your pocket rather than nit-picking over maximizing the value of your miles
— Brett Holzhauer, contributing expert for MoneyGeek
How to Get United MileagePlus Premier Status
If you want to enjoy an enhanced travel experience and take advantage of more travel benefits, you’ll need to qualify for United MileagePlus Premier.
You can achieve Premier status through a number of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) or a higher amount of PQP.
- Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF): These are accrued based on the number of flight segments flown. Note that basic economy and award tickets don’t earn PQFs.
- Premier Qualifying Points (PQP): You earn PQPs for the base fare, carrier-imposed surcharge of flight purchases, seating purchases, paid upgrades and flights ticketed and operated by Star Alliance partners.
Depending on your Premier status, you can access mileage bonuses, priority check-in, seat upgrades, complimentary checked baggage, free access to Economy Plus seating and more.
There are four levels of Premier status, and each of them comes with varying requirements.
Premier Silver
You need to earn eight PQFs and 3,000 PQPs or 3,500 PQPs to attain this level. Its benefits include 7X miles on each flight, complimentary access to Economy Plus at check-in and complimentary checked baggage.
Premier Gold
Achieving this level requires 16 PQFs and 6,000 PQPs or 7,000 PQPs. With Premier Gold, you get two complimentary checked bags, complimentary access to Economy Plus at booking, Star Alliance Gold status and 8X miles on each flight.
Premier Platinum
This level gives you 40 PlusPoints, complimentary access to Economy Plus for you and eight companions, three complimentary checked baggage and 9X miles on every flight. You may qualify for this level by accruing 24 PQFs and 9,000 PQPs or 10,000 PQPs.
Premier 1K
As the highest Premier status, you need 36 PQFs and 13,500 PQPs or 15,000 PQPs to achieve this level. Its top benefits include 280 PlusPoints, pre-boarding, one free snack and drink in Economy and 11X miles earned for every flight.
How We Determined the Value of United Miles
MoneyGeek determined the value of United MileagePlus miles by collecting and analyzing data on various flights. Then, we divided the cost of each booking by its cost in rewards to determine the cash value of a mile for a given flight. That said, these valuations may change or fluctuate based on United Airlines’ policies.
Other Questions You May Have About United Miles
We have answered some common questions about United MileagePlus miles to help you understand how to earn and use them.
Next Steps
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sources
- Norton. "LifeLock Identity Theft Protection." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- Rocket Mortgage. "Receive 25,000 MileagePlus Miles After Closing a Home Loan for Purchase or Refinance." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "Airline Partners and Global Alliances." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "Earn 1,500 Bonus Miles in Your First 30 Days." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "eGift Cards." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "Hotel Partners." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "How to Qualify for MileagePlus Premier Status." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "Buy or Transfer MileagePlus Miles." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "Proud Member of Star Alliance." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "Shop Today, Fly Later." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "United Cruises." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "United MileagePlus." Accessed November 22, 2022.
- United. "United Vacations." Accessed November 22, 2022.
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