United MileagePlus program guide

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.

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.

Compare 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.

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
United℠ Explorer Card		60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 miles after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months	2x miles at restaurants, hotels and United and 1.5x miles on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)		Earn 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Plus an additional 10,000 miles after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
United Quest℠ Card		80,000 miles after spending in the first 3 months plus 20,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first 6 months	3x miles on United, 2x miles at restaurants, on select streaming services and all other travel, 1x on all other purchases	$250		80,000 miles after spending in the first 3 months plus 20,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first 6 months	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card		100,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That's $1,250 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®	5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases	$95		Up to $1,250 signup bonus Earn a massive signup bonus of 100,000 points with this popular travel card. That's worth up to $1,250!	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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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.

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.

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.

Flight upgrades

Premier upgrades that depend on your flight and destination.

Mileage bonuses

Accelerated rates on your mile earnings depending on your premier level.

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.

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.

Award travel benefits

Get access to standby, waitlisting, premium cabins and reduced fees with higher priority depending on your Premier level.

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.

Frequently asked questions

• Is United MileagePlus free?

  Yes, it’s free to sign up for the MileagePlus program.

• Can I receive credit for trips taken before I had a MileagePlus account?

  As long as you traveled on United-operated flights, you can request credit for flights taken up to 30 days before your program enrollment date.

• Where can I find my mileage information?

  Sign in to your United MileagePlus account through United Airlines’s website. Click My Account to view and redeem your mileage.