What Can I Use My United Miles for

United Airlines offers plenty of opportunities to redeem MileagePlus miles, but some redemption options are better than others. You lot'll want to acquire what the options are and so you can choose the redemption that works all-time for you and hopefully provides good value as well. In this post, we will expect at the different ways in which you could redeem your United miles, from the good (i.eastward. concern class laurels tickets) to the non-so-good (i.e. buying an iPhone).

Keep in heed that NerdWallet values United miles at ane cent each . Ideally, you lot desire to aim for redemptions that exceed that valuation. Generally, you'll notice that award tickets booked in kickoff and business course cabins will result in ameliorate redemption values in terms of cents per mile.

Option ane: Redeem for flights on United Airlines

Redeeming miles for award tickets is one of the most common uses of United miles. As ane of the largest U.S.-based airlines (362 destinations with nearly five,000 daily departures), United'due south extensive reach provides a number of opportunities for award tickets. With a user-friendly website, United has washed a good job of designing its award search interface.

Input your origin, destination, and date, and then select the "Book with miles choice" and click "Notice flights" to see options for honour tickets. Below is an accolade flight from Chicago to Los Angeles on July eight, 2020.

Awards are provided for each fare class (when available) and are besides categorized every bit Saver or Everyday Awards.

Saver Awards are discounted tickets in economy, business or first class. They are chapters controlled, which means that during popular travel days, information technology may be difficult to notice them. Saver Awards can be booked on Star Alliance partners, besides. In the instance above, the economy award for 12,500 miles is a Saver Honour.

Everyday Awards are besides capacity controlled, but they are priced higher than Saver Awards. There is a college likelihood that an Everyday Laurels will be available when a Saver Honour is not. Typically, Everyday Awards aren't a skilful redemption because they are expensive. These awards are available on United and Copa Airlines flights only. MileagePlus elites and holders of United's co-branded credit cards aren't discipline to capacity controls for these types of awards on United and United Express flights. For the flight shown to a higher place, the business/kickoff honor for 45,000 miles is an Everyday Award.

Searching and redeeming with dynamic award pricing

United no longer publishes a region-based award chart. Although in theory dynamic pricing should lead to some awards that are more expensive and some that are cheaper than previously priced, in nearly cases the tickets volition be more expensive.

For reference, we've included United's former award chart (page 2), which is no longer available on the website. This chart applies to awards on United or United/partners where the long-booty flight is flown by United. You can use this chart as a guide to decide if the price you're seeing on the website is in line with previous baseline award rates.

For instance, economy Saver Awards from the continental U.S. to Europe were priced at 30,000 MileagePlus miles per the quondam award chart. A search for award seats from Chicago to London in Sept. 2022 reveals the post-obit honour seats on United:

There are two flights listed: The 4:05 p.yard. flying offers two Saver Awards at 30,000 miles in economy or 60,000 miles in business class. Yet, if you desire to take the evening flight, yous would demand to pay 45,000 miles for that same economy seat with dynamic pricing. It'due south up to you to decide if paying 45,000 miles for that ticket is worth it.

If yous're flexible on your travel dates, yous could also pull up the xxx-day calendar to expect for awards on other days.

A scan of the agenda for the aforementioned road illustrates that some days are cheaper to travel than others.

You lot'll generally get the all-time value when you redeem your miles for a business organization or fantabulous ticket. Consider the following circular-trip Saver Award in business organisation grade from Chicago to London for 120,000 miles + $304 in taxes. The loftier taxes on the render leg aren't United's error, as the U.K. is notorious for calculation high taxes to departing flights.

If y'all were to book that same concern grade flight in greenbacks, yous would pay $four,646. Note that the taxes are slightly higher on this flying vs. the flight paid in miles.

By using miles, you would excerpt a value of 3.6 cents per mile — multiple times our valuation of 1 cent . Although non everyone is willing to spend over $4,600 on a round-trip flying, this example is meant to illustrate the potential value of redeeming miles for premium cabin awards.

Redeeming for United accolade deals

United publishes flight laurels deals to various destinations for as low equally 5,500 miles. These are divide from Saver or Everyday Awards and are probably your best bet at finding award availability at prices that are below the one-time award chart. A expert way to search for honor availability is to sort the list of flights from depression to high. Select the flying you're interested in, and on the following results page, choose the thirty-day agenda to meet if other dates are priced at the low mileage level.

For example, tickets from San Francisco to Los Angeles were listed for equally low every bit 5,500 miles for travel on Sept. 18, 2020.

After you click "Book Now" on the San Francisco to Los Angeles flight, yous will see a vii-twenty-four hour period calendar across the top, forth with tickets priced at the advertised level of five,500 miles.

You lot tin also choose the "View xxx 24-hour interval calendar" if y'all're interested in seeing other dates.

The agenda shows that awards for v,500 miles are bachelor every day, equally opposed to only Sept. 18, 2020, which is the engagement advertised on the initial awards page. So if you're seeing an honour that isn't on the date you want, it might be worth digging in a lilliputian deeper and checking alternative dates for that same route pricing.

Pay a portion of your fare in cash using Money + Miles

United's Coin + Miles payment method gives travelers the option to pay for merely a portion of whatever domestic fare with miles, roofing the remainder of the fare with cash. Using this tool at checkout means you can cull the number of miles you lot'd like to put toward your flight while earning miles on the portion of the fare paid in cash, excluding taxes and fees.

Option 2: Redeem for flights on Star Alliance and other partner airlines

United is a founding member of Star Brotherhood, which boasts 25 members. Due to United's participation in Star Alliance and its partnerships with 12 additional airlines, they have access to a comprehensive international route network; you tin earn and redeem United MileagePlus miles 37 airlines. Honor tickets on all partners tin can be booked on United.com (just like United Award tickets), which makes booking laurels travel convenient.

Here's a list of all 37 airlines with award tickets that can exist booked using United miles:

Aegean Airlines (Star Alliance).
Air Canada (Star Brotherhood).
Air Mainland china (Star Alliance).
Air India (Star Alliance).
Air New Zealand (Star Brotherhood).
ANA (Star Alliance).
Asiana Airlines (Star Alliance).
Austrian (Star Alliance).
Avianca & Avianca Brasil (Star Brotherhood).
Brussels Airlines (Star Alliance).
Copa Airlines (Star Alliance).
Republic of croatia Airlines (Star Brotherhood).
EGYPTAIR (Star Alliance).
Ethiopian Airlines (Star Alliance).
EVA Air (Star Alliance).
LOT Polish Airlines (Star Brotherhood).
Lufthansa (Star Alliance).
Scandinavian Airlines (Star Alliance).
Shenzhen Airlines (Star Brotherhood).
Singapore Airlines (Star Alliance).
Southward African Airways (Star Alliance).
SWISS (Star Alliance).
TAP Air Portugal (Star Alliance).
THAI (Star Alliance).
Turkish Airlines (Star Alliance).
Aer Lingus (Partner).
Aeromar (Partner).
Air Dolomiti (Partner).
Azul (Partner).
Boutique Air (Partner).
Cape Air (Partner).
Edelweiss (Partner).
Eurowings (Partner).
Hawaiian Airlines (Partner).
Olympic Air (Partner).
Silver Airways (Partner).
Vistara (Partner).

Because United removed its partner award nautical chart in Apr 2020, you can no longer see the baseline cost of award flights between sure regions. This makes it more hard to decide what's a fair cost. For reference, nosotros've provided United's Star Brotherhood/partner award chart (page 3), which is no longer on the site. Given the x% increment in laurels rates on Star Alliance/partner flights, you lot could utilise this chart to gauge what the new prices volition be.

Selection three: Use them for United Upgrade Awards

United offers four types of upgrade awards. Gratuitous Premier and PlusPoints upgrades are free and don't require that you employ MileagePlus miles, then we'll await specifically at the two forms of upgrades you lot tin can use your miles on.

MileagePlus Upgrade Awards

These upgrade awards are available on paid tickets on United and United Express flights. The upgrade price can be a combination of miles and greenbacks depending on your fare class and cabin.

For example, if you've purchased a ticket in fare form O for a flight from the mainland U.S. to Europe, it will cost xv,000 miles to upgrade from United Premium Plus to Polaris business concern.

You can play around with the origin and destination regions to encounter what the upgrade cost will be for a specific flight. If you're hoping to use miles to upgrade your ticket, you may want to check United's upgrade award pricing when you lot're determining what fare class to purchase. Generally, the more expensive the fare class, the cheaper the upgrade will be and vice versa.

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards

Similar to MileagePlus Upgrades, you could also utilise your miles to upgrade paid tickets on Star Brotherhood and partner airlines.

Fare classes C and D (business form) and Y and B (economy class) are eligible for upgrades. Additional fare classes may be permitted depending on the airline. Check with United virtually upgrade eligibility. Currently, yous tin can upgrade tickets on the following partner airlines:

Choice 4: Flight and Airport Benefits

Yous could use your miles on a variety of flying and airport benefits, including:

United Club membership

At that place are more than 45 United Club locations in airports globally. If you don't already accept a lounge membership or you simply love United Clubs, a membership could exist a swell choice. An annual subscription to United's Society lounges costs $650 or 85,000 miles, resulting in a value of just under 0.eight cent per mile.

Inflight Wi-Fi subscription

You could likewise buy a packet for inflight Wi-Fi starting at $49 or 7,500 miles, resulting in a little less than a 0.7 cent per mile value.

TSA PreCheck

TSA PreCheck helps expedite your time at the airdrome as you pass through a designated TSA PreCheck line on your way to security screening. Additionally, when you're walking through security, you don't need to remove your shoes, laptop, liquids, chugalug or light jacket. A TSA PreCheck membership is valid for five years.

If you already have Global Entry, you don't need to also purchase TSA PreCheck as the benefits overlap. Besides, many premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offer a argument credit when you utilize the bill of fare to pay for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

If you don't already have reimbursement through a credit menu, and you're because a TSA Precheck subscription, yous could use eleven,000 United miles to pay for the $85 awarding fee. Using your miles would result in only under a 0.8 cent per mile redemption.

Drome dining

You lot can apply United miles to pay your bill at select restaurants at Newark and Houston-Intercontinental Aerodrome. You'll need to scan your boarding pass to start your order; when you're ready to check out, you'll exist able to select miles or greenbacks to pay for your full bill. Based on screen shots from the United website , y'all'll get simply under 0.seven cent per mile in value.

All the other options: No flights, no upgrades? No problem.

In addition to flying and upgrading, there are numerous ways to utilise your United miles. Although you'll generally become the most value out of redeeming your miles on premium motel award tickets on long-haul flights, it's good to know that other methods of redeeming miles exist.

Dining certificates

Your United miles could be used to purchase e-gift cards and dining certificates from Lettuce Entertain Y'all and Restaurants.com to exist used at participating restaurants. If you become this route, you'd get a much amend use of your miles on the Eatery.com dining certificates, which result in an first-class 3.eight cent per mile redemption. At Lettuce Entertain Y'all, you'd end up with a piffling over 0.vii cent per mile redemption (half dozen,800 miles for a $l card), which isn't a great value.

Paper and mag subscriptions

You could use your United miles to pay for a magazine or newspaper subscription. A glance at current subscriptions shows the following option for the Financial Times:

A 24-calendar week subscription to the eEdition of the Fiscal Times costs $49 or 1,960 miles, reflecting a redemption value of 2.5 cents per mile. Surprisingly, this is really a pretty expert value because that NerdWallet values United miles at 1 cent each.

Car rentals

Your miles could be used to book a car rental. To illustrate, a 2-solar day weekend rental in September 2022 costs xvi,700 miles.

When looking for the toll in cash, the exact model higher up wasn't bachelor, but a like economic system class car costs $137.

If you use miles, you're getting a value of merely over 0.8 cent per mile. Although using miles for a auto rental isn't the most spectacular use of your miles, it wouldn't be the worst redemption either.

Hotel awards

You could likewise utilize your miles to pay for hotel stays. For example, a two-night stay in Denver in Baronial 2022 will toll 44,500 United miles (with a cash toll of $258). If you used miles for this stay, y'all'd get merely under a 0.6 cent per mile redemption, which is a piffling weak.

Shopping and gift cards

United likewise allows y'all to utilise your miles to pay for online purchases, including Apple products. Although y'all probably won't extract a solid value from your miles if you use them to pay for online purchases or gift cards, if you don't expect to employ your miles for travel, it'southward good to know you lot take other options. Whether information technology is through Apple, the MileagePlus Ten app or United's souvenir carte portal, you're looking at a value of only 0.iii cent per mile.

The residual of the residuum

Experiences: Bid on unique experiences or purchase tickets to events. Value varies based on the cash price of the ticket or auctioned feel.
Brand a donation: Browse through United's donation search site for a list of electric current campaigns. Donations fabricated by June thirty, 2020, volition receive a lucifer from United upwards to an aggregate of 500,000 miles.
Transfer them to someone else: This is usually a terrible value. Not only volition you take to pay a fee for the cost of the miles, but you will too have to pay a processing charge. For example, a transfer of 10,000 miles would end upward costing you $180.
Credit bill of fare statements: United credit card holders can use miles for argument credits or to outset the almanac fee. By and large, these uses result in poor values.
Cruises: You could spend your miles to pay for a cruise. United frequently runs promotions through its cruise website for discounted options.

Frequently asked questions

How do I redeem miles on United?

The simplest way to redeem United miles is to employ them for accolade flights on United and its partner airlines. You will need to log in to your United MileagePlus account to search for available flights. Other ways to utilise United miles include: flying upgrades, hotel bookings, shopping and gift cards.

How many miles are needed for a free flight on United?

United has removed its award chart in favor of dynamic pricing, so the price of an award ticket fluctuates based on the date of travel and the airline. To see a list of the everyman laurels fares, bank check out United's flight award deals to various destinations for every bit low as five,000 miles.

United miles no longer expire, and so you lot don't accept to worry about losing your hard-earned miles.

Tin can I use my United miles for someone else?

You can apply your United MileagePlus miles to volume an award flight for anyone. The booking procedure is the same as if you were purchasing the award for yourself, but you volition need to know the traveler's details (i.e., showtime and last name, date of birth and other relevant details depending on the origin/destination).

What are United miles worth?

NerdWallet values United miles at 1 cent each, which means that 10,000 United miles are worth $100.

How practice I redeem miles on United?

The simplest mode to redeem United miles is to use them for award flights on United and its partner airlines. Y'all will demand to log in to your United MileagePlus business relationship to search for available flights. Other ways to apply United miles include: flight upgrades, hotel bookings, shopping and souvenir cards.

How many miles are needed for a free flying on United?

United has removed its honour chart in favor of dynamic pricing, so the price of an honor ticket fluctuates based on the date of travel and the airline. To see a list of the lowest award fares, cheque out United's

flying honor deals

to diverse destinations for as depression as 5,000 miles.

Exercise United miles expire?

United miles no longer expire, so you don't have to worry almost losing your hard-earned miles.

Tin can I use my United miles for someone else?

You can utilize your United MileagePlus miles to book an accolade flying for anyone. The booking process is the same as if you were purchasing the laurels for yourself, but you will need to know the traveler's details (i.eastward., showtime and terminal name, engagement of birth and other relevant details depending on the origin/destination).

What are United miles worth?

NerdWallet values United miles at

i cent

each, which means that x,000 United miles are worth $100.

The lesser line

United offers plenty of opportunities to use your miles. Although the airline unpublished its award chart and increased the price of many partner awards by 10%, you could still extract some decent value from your miles, specially if you redeem for premium cabin awards.

If you'd prefer to use your miles on non-flying-related activities, United as well offers plenty of redemption options through various partnerships. Surprisingly, using miles for newspaper subscriptions and Restaurant.com certificates result in decent redemptions.

On the other hand, shopping credits, gift menu purchases and hotel awards reflected some of the weakest uses of United miles. Regardless of which option y'all chose, there is no such affair equally the perfect redemption. Miles are meant to exist used and not hoarded, so selection whichever redemption suits your needs.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what's important to yous. Here are our picks for the all-time travel credit cards of 2022 , including those best for:

plummerupostionots.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/complete-guide-redeeming-united-mileageplus-miles