A way for loyal United flyers to earn reasonable rewards for future travel perks.
United Airlines miles offers customers a way to redeem their loyalty for such perks 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 a partnership with Star Alliance airlines means you can put your points toward a wide variety of destinations.
How much are United miles worth?
Based on our March 2019 valuation, United miles are worth between 1 cent and 1.4 cents each, depending on what you’re redeeming them on.
Do United miles expire?
Yes. Generally, miles expire if you don’t use or earn them through MileagePlus or a United partner within 18 months.
An exception is the United MileagePlus Club Card. Miles earned through your card don’t expire, and there’s no cap on how many you can earn.
How do I earn United miles?
You can earn miles with MileagePlus in two main ways:
- Fly with United Airlines or Star Alliance partners as a MileagePlus member.
- Use a United cobranded credit card for purchases.
If you’re looking for a way to kick off your United miles collection, check out the United MileagePlus® Club card from Chase. You’ll earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening your account. This is on top of free entry to United Club membership — up to a $550 value each year.
How to earn United miles
Compare United credit cards
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.
Other cards that can earn United miles
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.
Our pick for 1:1 point transfer
United MileagePlus Frequent Flyer Program
Loyalty program elite levels
United allows you to reach Premier status in its rewards program through Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or Premier qualifying segments (PQS). If you live in the US, you must also meet minimum annual spending requirements 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.
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.
