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United Airlines’MileagePlus frequent flyer program is one of the most widely used airline loyalty programs in the world. From domestic award margins to premium international travel, MileagePlus offers a wide range of benefits for casual travelers and United loyalists alike. United’s massive global network, further strengthened by its 
Star Alliance and other airline partnerships, gives members access to destinations all around the world. MileagePlus allows travelers to earn miles when flying United or partner airlines, using co-branded credit cards, or through United’s online shopping portal.
To most frequent flyers, the real power of MileagePlus doesn’t come from accumulating miles, it comes from redeeming miles for maximum value. Leveraging certain sweet spots and other MileagePlus benefits like United elite status, can make the MileagePlus program lucrative in several respects.
Redeeming For Lie-Flat United Polaris Business Class
One of the biggest perks of United’s MileagePlus program is the ability to redeem miles for United Polaris business class, United’s premium long-haul product. Polaris seats easily convert into fully lie-flat beds and offer passengers elevated dining options, priority service and access to United’s Polaris lounges and United Club locations. Experiencing Polaris business class, especially on international routes, can easily cost several thousand dollars when purchased with cash, making it one of the highest-value redemptions possible with MileagePlus points.
The best deals for United Polaris award flights are typically available on United’s premium transcontinental routes, such as New York (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX). Looking at fare data for these routes over the next two months, MileagePlus members can redeem 80,000 miles and $5.60 in taxes to fly on United’s Boeing 777-300ER from EWR to SFO. If purchased with cash, this flight would cost over $1,600, resulting in a redemption value of around two cents per point. For international flights, Newark to London (LHR) prices currently hover around 115,000 points or $2,184, with routes to more niche destinations often costing more.
Notably, United MileagePlus uses a dynamic award pricing system that raises award prices in line with cash fares. This makes it more difficult to find deals with outsized value, but if traveling on lower-demand dates or with saver award space, it is sometimes possible to find flights to Europe or South America for as little as 80,000 miles one way, or even to Australia for 100,000 miles one way.
In recent years, United has invested heavily in its Polaris offering. This includes renovations and expansions of its business class lounges, dubbed the Polaris lounge, which are available in United’s largest hubs. Additionally, United has opened and announced plans for additional United Clubs across the country, including the 50,000 square foot United Club in Houston’s Terminal B. Onboard, United continues to invest in the passenger experience, launching a new Polaris business class seat on its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, as well as improvements to the soft product, including Laurent-Perrier Champagne in Polaris. For travelers sitting on a large stash of miles, 2026 may be the year to give Untied Polaris a try.
Domestic United Flights For As Low As 5,000 Miles
While high-value redemptions for premium products like United Polaris often get the most attention, for the vast majority of travelers, the highest relative value often comes from domestic redemptions. While some airlines have increased the cost of domestic economy award tickets in just the past few years, United’s award pricing for domestic routes can start as low as 5,000 miles one-way. This provides great opportunities for infrequent United travelers who may have earned a few thousand miles to save on their next trip.
Searching through United’s flight awards deal page, which displays cheap award flights from any of United’s departure cities, shows plenty of flight options for only five to six thousand miles. For example, for travelers around the San Francisco area, United offers economy award tickets to destinations like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Denver for anywhere between 5,300 and 5,900 miles, depending on the day and route. Even transcontinental flights, like from EWR to SFO, can cost just 12,400 miles, providing lots of value for a six-hour flight.
International flights on United will be more expensive than the cheapest domestic redemptions but can still help save hundreds of dollars on long-haul flights. For instance, throughout the spring, United has wide-open award availability for flights from New York to London for just 24,600 miles, providing a strong redemption option for United frequent fliers. United MileagePlus also does not add any fuel surcharge fees to award flights, keeping the taxes and fees passengers pay to a minimum and further strengthening the value of MileagePlus redemptions.
5 Luxurious Benefits Of United MileagePlus Premier Status
A look at the perks of the carrier’s loyalty program.
United MileagePlus Premier Elite Status
For frequent travelers, elite status within United’s MileagePlus program can dramatically improve the travel experience. United’s Premier tiers, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Premier 1K, are earned through a combination of Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) within a calendar year. Each tier of elite status with United offers increasing privileges, such as complimentary upgrades, priority boarding and check-in, waived baggage fees, and superior customer service.
In terms of qualifying for MileagePlus elite status, frequent flyers must earn at least 5,000 PQPs and fly 15 qualifying flights (PQFs) or simply earn 6,000 PQPs to qualify for Premier Silver status. On the upper end of the spectrum, Premier 1K status can be earned through 60 PQFs and 22,000 PQPs or 28,000 PQPs. Earning PQPs is straightforward as well: United awards one PQP for every U.S. dollar spent on base airfare and carrier-imposed surcharges, and there are ways to earn additional PQPs through credit card bonuses and spend.
|
Premier Status |
Qualification |
|---|---|
|
Premier Silver |
15 PQF and 5,000 PQP or 6,000 PQP |
|
Premier Gold |
30 PQF and 10,000 PQP or 12,000 PQP |
|
Premier Platinum |
45 PQF and 15,000 PQP or 18,000 PQP |
|
Premier 1K |
60 PQF and 22,000 PQP or 28,000 PQP |
United also awards PQPs for award flights, making it possible to get closer to United elite status even when traveling on a ticket purchased with points. If a traveler redeems MileagePlus miles for travel on Untied or Untied Express, members will receive one PQP for every 100 miles redeemed, or one PQP for every mile redeemed. While award flights won’t count towards United lifetime elite status, they can help passengers qualify for MileagePlus status for the following year.
United Mileage Plus Family Mileage Pooling
In March 2024, United launched MileagePlus miles pooling, allowing MileagePlus members to merge their miles with friends and family to help centralize points for award redemptions. With this feature, up to five MileagePlus members can share and redeem miles from a joint account, and each individual can decide how many miles to share with the group. However, once the miles are shared into the pool, they cannot be transferred back out, making MileagePlus pooling slightly restrictive in that regard.
In addition, pooled miles can currently be used to book award tickets operated by United and United Express, but generally cannot be redeemed for partner airline flights. Members can also be part of only one pool at a time, reducing flexibility compared to other airlines thatoffer mileage pooling. This makes MileagePlus pooling more valuable with a specific redemption in mind, allowing groups to deposit the exact number of miles required into the joint account while maintaining their own individual balances.
Despite these restrictions, MileagePlus pooling has allowed families to reach redemption thresholds faster by combining small mileage balances scattered across multiple accounts. While it does require some coordination, as miles typically take over 24 hours to transfer into the pool, it can dramatically strengthen the value of MileagePlus as a whole for group and family travelers.
Flying Basic Economy? You’ll No Longer Earn Miles On This US Airline
This is certainly bad news for United MileagePlus members.
How To Earn United MileagePlus Miles
While United’s MileagePlus program has numerous benefits for its members, the core still revolves around earning United miles. The traditional way to earn United miles is through flying. United, like many airlines, now uses a revenue-based earning model for paid tickets, meaning passengers earn miles based on dollars spent rather than distance flown. These earning rates can be multiplied based on elite status and different fare classes, but remain at around three to six miles per dollar spent on economy tickets. Mileage can also be earned on partner airline flights, depending on the airline and fare class purchased, making it possible to earn United miles even on travel outside of United’s expansive network.
One of the most valuable ways to earn a lot of United miles is through the use of the airline’s suite of co-branded credit cards. Cards like the United Explorer Card, United Quest Card, and United Club Infinite Card offer generous sign-up bonuses and bonus categories that can help accumulate miles on everyday spending. These cards can also earn PQPs based on spending, which can help MileagePlus members qualify for elite status without as much flying.
Outside these two common earning methods, United offers at least two dozen other ways to earn MileagePlus points. These range from shopping through United’s online portals to booking with partner hotels or cruise lines, or even on home and energy services. This provides MileagePlus members with countless ways to work towards their next award redemption on United.
United’s Recent MileagePlus Shake Up
Recently, United announced the most significant changes to MileagePlus in the past few years. These changes will reshape how members earn miles, putting co-branded credit cards at the heart of the MileagePlus program.
Beginning with tickets purchased on or after April 2, 2026, United will further reward customers who hold a United co-branded credit card and decrease earning rates for those who don’t. For standard MileagePlus members, those who hold a United credit card will earn six miles per dollar, plus the bonus awarded by their specific credit card. On the other hand, whereas MileagePlus members with or without an Untied card used to earn five miles per dollar, travelers without a credit card will now earn just three miles per dollar, a decrease of 40%. The new earning rates also impact those with United Premier status, who will now earn fewer miles if they are not the primary card member on a United co-branded credit card.
Perhaps the most unwelcome change is that United has eliminated mileage earning on basic economy fares, unless the passenger has elite status or carries one of the airline’s credit cards. This change adds even more limitations to United’s basic economy offering, which was already one of the strictest in the industry, as the airline does not allow those flying in basic economy to bring a carry-on bag.
