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United MileagePlus program guide
A way for loyal United flyers to earn reasonable rewards for future travel perks.
United Airlines MileagePlus program is United’s loyalty program that offers customers a way to earn and redeem miles for perks such as flights, gift cards and hotel stays. Like many rewards programs, the strongest value of award miles comes in the form of flight redemptions. And the carrier’s partnership with Star Alliance airlines means you can put your points toward a wide variety of destinations.
Do United miles expire?
No. As of August 2019, United Airline miles have no expiry date. This is helpful for occasional travelers since you don’t have to feel pressured to use your points before they expire.
How do I earn United miles?
There are two major ways to earn MileagePlus:
- Fly with United Airlines or Star Alliance partners as a MileagePlus member.
- Use a United cobranded credit card for purchases.
These are both the fastest, most consistent way to start building your miles. However, there are several other ways you can earn miles, including making purchases with various United partners. Check out our full earning guide for more information.
How to redeem United miles
There are plenty of ways to redeem United miles through the United MileagePlus Frequent Flyer Program. You can easily redeem your United miles by logging into your United account. When booking a flight, you’ll have an option to use miles at checkout. You can view an example United award chart along with other ways to redeem your miles at our full United redemption guide.
Back to topCompare cards for earning United miles
United cobranded credit cards offer a direct way to earn additional miles on top of your MileagePlus membership. With the right timing, you can earn a strong mileage signup bonus, making these cards ideal if United is your airline of choice.
If you don’t mind passing on bonuses specific to United Airlines, you can earn points on other credit cards that allow for rewards transfers to MileagePlus — sometimes at stronger rates than you’ll find with a cobranded card.
United MileagePlan elite levels
United allows you to reach Premier status in its rewards program through earning Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or Premier qualifying segments (PQS). If you live in the US, you must also meet minimum annual spending requirements which are tracked as Premier qualifying dollars (PQD).
You can progress through four levels of Premier status if you meet the requirements, with each level featuring upgraded or additional perks. Once you reach Premium status in a calendar year, you can hold on to that status until the end of the following year.
| Premier level | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Silver | 25,000 PQM or 30 PQS; $3,000 PQD |
| Gold | 50,000 PQM or 60 PQS; $6,000 PQD |
| Platinum | 75,000 PQM or 90 PQS; $9,000 PQD |
| 1K | 100,000 PQM or 120 PQS; $15,000 PQD |
Data obtained March 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.
Note that unlike some airline cards, United credit cards don’t provide an intro period on status levels or help you reach an elite level faster.
Earning PQM, PQS and PQD
Earn points toward a higher status by flying with United, United Express and United Airline partners. Select specialty tickets don’t count toward these points, including unpublished, bulk, group, tour and opaque fares, so plan accordingly if you’re looking to improve your status.
Benefits of Premier status
Premier members can take advantage of a host of benefits that can enhance your travel.
Seating benefits
Access to Economy Plus seating, preferred seating and companions.
| Benefit | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority check-in | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Complimentary access to Economy Plus or preferred seating | Preferred seating at booking; Economy Plus at check-in | At booking | At booking | At booking |
| Complimentary Economy Plus for travel companions | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Preferred seating for travel companions | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Flight upgrades
Premier upgrades that depend on your flight and destination.
| Benefit | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant upgrades to the premium cabin on Economy tickets | Y or B class fares | Y or B class fares | Y or B class faresYes | Y, B or M class fares |
| Complimentary Premier Upgrades | Day of departure | 48 hours | 72 hours | 96 hours |
Mileage bonuses
Accelerated rates on your mile earnings depending on your premier level.
| Benefit | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extra miles per dollar on eligible airlines | 7x | 8x | 9x | 11x |
Data obtained March 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.
Premier priority travel services
Get priority check-in, security screenings, boarding privileges and baggage handling, along with lounge access when traveling internationally and access to many sold-out flights.
| Benefit | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Priority Desk phone line | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Discounts and waivers
Take a break from fees with complimentary checked baggage allowances, discounted same-day flight changes and savings on United Club membership rates.
| Benefit | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same-day flight change fees | $75 | Waived | Waived | Waived |
| Complimentary checked bags in Economy, 70 lbs. (32 kg) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 complimentary checked bags in premium cabin, 70 lbs. (32 kg) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| United Club℠ annual membership discount | $50 | $100 | ||
| CLEAR® discounted annual membership | $109 | $109 | $109 | Waived |
| Phone booking service fees | $25 | $25 | Waived | Waived |
| Premier Priority Desk phone line | Yes | Yes | Waived | Waived |
| Award travel change/cancel fees 61 or more days from departure | $75 | $50 | Waived | Waived |
| Award travel change/cancel fees 60 or fewer days from departure | $100 | $75 | $50 | Waived |
| Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status | Five Star | Five Star | President’s Circle | President’s Circle |
| 1 free drink and 1 snack in Economy | Yes |
Award travel benefits
Get access to standby, waitlisting, premium cabins and reduced fees with higher priority depending on your Premier level.
| Benefit | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlusPoints | 40 | 280 | ||
| Access to most sold-out flights | Y-class ticket, at least 24 hrs. before departure | Y-class ticket, at least 24 hrs. before departure | Y-class ticket, at least 2 hrs. before departure | Y- or B-class ticket, at least 1.5 hrs. before departure |
| No blackout dates for award flights on United and United Express | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Better award availability in economy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Better award availability in select premium cabins | Yes | Yes | ||
| Priority award waitlisting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standby for international award flights | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extra benefits when booking a VIP Access property with United Hotels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| United Cruises onboard amenities offer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TPC Network golf course benefits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mercedes-Benz incentives | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bottom line
With a variety of ways to earn miles and a choice of flights through Star Alliance partners, United MileagePlus is a way to turn your loyalty to this airline into lucrative rewards.
If you’re looking for stronger rewards rates or prefer another airline, look into other loyalty travel programs.
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