Everything You Need to Know About United’s MileagePlus Program

United MileagePlus is United Airlines’ loyalty program that rewards frequent flyers by awarding miles based on how far members fly and what fare classes they purchase. MileagePlus was launched in 1972 as one of the first airline loyalty programs. Since then, it has grown to have over 100 million members worldwide. Discover all you need to know about United Airlines MileagePlus below.

The purpose of MileagePlus is to build loyalty among United’s customers by providing incentives to fly frequently with United. Members earn miles each time they fly with United or use the services of MileagePlus partners. These miles can then be redeemed for free flights and other rewards. The more miles members accrue, the greater the benefits they can unlock.

Some key benefits of MileagePlus include:

• Earning redeemable miles on United flights
• Access to seat upgrades, airport lounge access, and priority services based on elite status tier
• Redeeming miles for free flights on United and partner airlines to hundreds of destinations
• Using miles for other rewards like hotel stays, car rentals and merchandise
• Earning miles with MileagePlus credit cards and program partners
• Elite status tiers that offer priority services and travel perks to top members

In summary, MileagePlus allows United passengers to be rewarded each time they fly and gives incentives to travel frequently on United. The miles earned can be used for free flights and other redemptions, making United travel more affordable and enjoyable for program members.

Earning Miles

There are several ways to earn miles in the United MileagePlus program:

Flying

• Earn miles when you fly with United Airlines and Star Alliance partners. The number of miles earned depends on your fare class, elite status, flight distance, and cabin. Generally, more expensive fares in premium cabins like business class and first class will earn more miles.

• Basic economy fares earn miles based on flight distance and fare class only. Elite members do not receive their standard class of service bonus miles or Premier Qualifying Miles on basic economy tickets.

• Keep in mind that award tickets do not earn miles. You have to fly a revenue ticket booked with cash.

Credit Cards

• United offers co-branded credit cards with Chase that allow you to earn miles through credit card spending.

• For example, the United Explorer Card offers 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, 2 miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays, and 1 mile per $1 on other purchases.

• Other premium United cards, like the United Club Card and the United Presidential Plus Card, offer higher earning rates in certain categories.

Partners

• Earn United miles when you stay at Marriott hotels, rent cars from Hertz, dine out, or shop with MileagePlus partners.

• The number of miles earned varies by partner. Be sure to register your account with your partners to start earning miles.

MileagePlus Membership Tiers

MileagePlus has five elite tiers: Premier, Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K. The membership tier is based on how many Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM) or Premier Qualifying Segments (PQS) you earn in a calendar year.

The entry-level Premier tier requires 7 PQS or 7,000 PQM. Premier benefits include priority boarding, access to preferred seats, and a 25% mileage bonus.

The mid-tier Premier Silver requires 12 PQS or 12,000 PQM. Additional benefits include priority check-in, security screening, baggage handling, plus a 50% mileage bonus.

Premier Gold requires 18 PQS or 18,000 PQM and adds complimentary space-available upgrades for you and a companion, along with United Club lounge access when traveling on a United-operated flight. The mileage bonus increases to 75%.

Top-tier Premier Platinum requires 24 PQS or 24,000 PQM. This adds upgraded seating at check-in, a United Club membership, and a 100% mileage bonus.

The invite-only Premier 1K level has no minimum PQS/PQM. It offers the highest upgrade priority, plus additional United Club perks and a 120% mileage bonus.

The higher your MileagePlus tier, the more benefits you’ll enjoy as an elite member. Focus on flying United often to earn PQS and PQM.

Using Miles united airlines mileageplus

One of the best benefits of MileagePlus is the ability to redeem your miles for flights, upgrades, hotels, car rentals, merchandise, and more. Here’s an overview of the main ways to use your MileagePlus miles:

Redeeming for Flights

• You can use MileagePlus miles to book award flights on United as well as Star Alliance partner airlines.
• The number of miles needed for an award flight depends on the class of service, destination, and demand. Generally, Economy award tickets start at 10,000 miles each way for shorter flights. Business and First-class awards cost significantly more miles.
• You can search for award availability on United.com and with partner airlines. United doesn’t make all award seats available to partners.
• MileagePlus members can book one-way award tickets, which provides more flexibility than traditional round-trip awards.
• United allows you to book award flights for yourself as well as for friends and family in your MileagePlus account.
• Miles don’t expire as long as there’s account activity at least once every 18 months.

Upgrades

• MileagePlus miles can be used to upgrade your class of service on United-operated flights.
• There are two types of upgrades available – Regional Premier Upgrades and global premier Upgrades. The type you’re eligible for depends on your MileagePlus status tier.
• Upgrades start at 5000 miles each way for a Regional Premier Upgrade on domestic U.S. flights. Global Premier Upgrades start at 15,000 miles per way for Hawaii, Mexico, and Caribbean flights.
• Upgrades are subject to availability, and there are limits on how many can be used based on the status tier.

Hotels and Car Rentals

• MileagePlus miles can be redeemed for hotel stays, normally at the rate of 5000 miles per night.
• There are hundreds of hotel brands to choose from, including Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG.
• For car rentals, you can typically redeem miles starting at 2000 miles for a one-day rental. Brands include Hertz, Avis, and Budget.

Merchandise and Gift Cards

• The MileagePlus Shopping portal offers a wide selection of merchandise that can be purchased with miles. This includes electronics, home goods, jewelry, and more.
• You can also redeem MileagePlus miles for gift cards at many major retailers, like Amazon, Starbucks, and Target. The miles needed vary based on brand and denomination.

Elite Benefits

Being an elite MileagePlus member offers many additional benefits beyond just earning more miles. Elite members get priority when it comes to free upgrades, boarding, checking bags, and lounge access.

Free Upgrades

Elite members can get complimentary upgrades to premium cabins when available. This allows you to experience Business Class or First Class when flying domestically or internationally. The higher your elite status, the higher priority you get on the upgrade lists.

Priority Boarding

Elite members can board flights early, allowing you to find overhead bin space and get settled before general boarding starts. This perk can be extremely valuable if you travel with a lot of carry-on items.

Free Checked Bags

Depending on your elite status, you can check 1 or more bags for free on United flights. This saves you money compared to non-elite travelers who have to pay checked baggage fees. The exact baggage allowance depends on your specific elite tier.

Lounge Access united airlines mileageplus

Elite members get complimentary access to United Club airport lounges and participating Star Alliance partner lounges. This gives you a space to relax before your flight with free snacks, drinks, WiFi, and more. The higher your status tier, the more guests you can bring into lounges with you.

MileagePlus Credit Cards

United offers co-branded credit cards that allow members to earn additional miles through everyday spending. There are several MileagePlus credit card options to choose from, depending on your needs:

The United credit cards offer generous sign-up bonuses, solid earning rates on United purchases, and valuable United-specific benefits like free checked bags and United Club access. Getting a co-branded MileagePlus credit card can help United Flyers maximize their miles.

Maximizing Miles

Miles can provide tremendous value if used strategically. Here are some tips to help you get the most from your United MileagePlus miles:

• Book award flights on partners when possible. United miles can be used on flights with United’s Star Alliance airline partners. Often partner awards provide better value than using miles for United-operated flights. Search partner options.

• Fly in business class. Business class awards offer much more value per mile. If you have enough miles, upgrade your award flight to business class.

• Be flexible with dates and destinations. The best award availability is often found by being flexible on travel dates and destinations. Searching +/- 3 days or considering nearby airports can reveal better options.

• Look for MileagePlus award sales. United sometimes offers discounted mileage rates on select routes during sales. Sign up for email promotions to stay on top of opportunities.

• Fly on less popular routes. Awards on routes with lower demand in economy class can provide excellent value for your miles. Search less popular city pairs.

• Redeem for premium cabin upgrades. Using miles to upgrade from economy to business class on a paid ticket is often a good value. Calculate the miles to upgrade cost.

• Transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards. Transferring Chase points to MileagePlus can open up more award options for fewer miles. Compare costs.

• Use miles for United Club passes. United Club passes don’t offer the best redemption value, but can be a good use if you visit the lounges frequently.

Using strategies like this can help maximize your United MileagePlus miles. Be flexible and creative to find the best redemptions for your needs.

Status Match united airlines mileageplus

United MileagePlus offers status match options to enroll elite members from other airline frequent flyer programs in their equivalent Premier elite status level. This allows you to retain your elite benefits when flying United if you have status with a partner airline.

To request a status match, you must be a current elite member of another airline’s frequent flyer program. Status is matched based on your current elite level at the time of your status match request. You will need to provide proof of your elite status, such as a copy of your membership card.

Once your status match request is approved, you will receive Premier Elite status with United for the remainder of the calendar year. This includes complimentary upgrades, free checked bags, priority services and more. However, qualifying activity from your other program does not count towards Premier qualifying requirements with United.

Some partner airlines that you can status match from include Lufthansa, ANA, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada and others. The highest status that can be matched is Premier 1K, United’s top published elite level.

Status matching is a convenient way to enjoy elite benefits when flying United as well as their Star Alliance partners. Just be sure to meet United’s Premier qualifying requirements for the following year to continue your status.

Expiration and Losing Miles united airlines mileageplus

Miles earned through flying with United Airlines or partners, as well as some credit card spend, don’t expire. However, miles earned through other means like online shopping portals, dining programs, or transferred from other loyalty programs do typically expire after 18 months of inactivity.

To keep your MileagePlus miles active, simply earn or redeem at least 1 mile every 18 months. Redeeming miles for an award ticket is the easiest way to extend their expiration. You can also earn a mile by shopping through the MileagePlus shopping portal, using a MileagePlus credit card for a purchase, or transferring miles in from a partner program like Chase Ultimate Rewards.

If you have inactive miles at risk of expiration, you may be able to pay a fee to reinstate them. United charges a fee of $35 (€29.83) per 1,000 miles to reinstate expired miles, up to 50,000 miles per year. This can be cost-effective if you have a large balance of expired miles you want to recover.

You can also avoid losing miles by making sure your MileagePlus account remains active. If your account is inactive for 36 consecutive months, your entire mileage balance may be forfeited. Logging into your account or earning/redeeming miles every three years ensures your account stays active.

Keeping track of expiration dates and setting calendar reminders can help prevent losing your hard-earned United miles over time. With a little management, you can take full advantage of the rewards of the MileagePlus program.

Conclusion about United Airlines MileagePlus

United’s MileagePlus program has provided flyers the ability to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles with United Airlines and its partner airlines for many years. While aspects of the program like elite status qualification and award availability have changed over time, MileagePlus still offers members opportunities to get rewarded for their loyalty.

MileagePlus faces increasing competition in the US airline loyalty program space as other carriers make changes to capture more high-spending flyers. United will have to continue enhancing the elite benefits and increasing partner-earning opportunities to maintain MileagePlus members long-term. However, the program still holds value for members who fly United frequently out of its hub airports.

The future outlook is optimistic for MileagePlus to continue providing a rewarding experience for frequent United Flyers. As always, savvy members can maximize their miles earned and benefits accrued through credit card sign-up bonuses and strategic account management. While devaluations may occur, MileagePlus should remain a worthwhile program for flying United.

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