13 travelers each did 15 United MileagePlus award searches: Here's how pricing differed across accounts
United Airlines has given select cobranded credit card holders and United MileagePlus elite members discounts and additional availability on some award flights for a while now.
However, as TPG's Summer Hull was shocked to see while comparing award search results between her account and her husband's, the differences between what individual MileagePlus members see when searching for the same award flights may be more nuanced than previously apparent, depending on these factors.
Most travelers can only compare award pricing across a few accounts held by friends or family members. However, here at TPG, we have numerous staff members with various combinations of United elite status and cards.
So, here's what we learned from comparing award pricing across 13 United MileagePlus accounts for 15 United award flight searches — and what you can do to improve your chances of finding an award within your mileage price range.
Methology
Over the same four-hour period on the same day, 13 TPG staffers with various United elite status tiers and credit cards logged into their United accounts and collected data across 15 flight searches.
Specifically, they searched award prices for:
- Nonstop and one-stop one-way award itineraries
- Between 15 city pairs for travel
- On an arbitrarily selected date approximately two months after the day of the search
Here's a look at the statuses and cards these TPG team members had at the time they collected data for this story:
| TPG staff member | United status | United card(s) |
|---|---|---|
None | None | |
None | None | |
None | None | |
None | ||
None | ||
Premier Silver | None | |
Premier Silver | ||
Premier Silver | United Quest Card | |
Premier Silver | United Quest Card | |
Premier Gold | United Quest Card and United Gateway Card | |
Premier Gold | ||
Premier 1K | United Quest Card | |
Premier 1K | United Explorer Card and United Quest Card |
And here are the 15 city pairs for which we gathered data:
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston to Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- IAH to Denver International Airport (DEN)
- IAH to Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
- IAH to Mexico City International Airport (MEX)
- DEN to O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago
- DEN to IAD
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- EWR to Miami International Airport (MIA)
- EWR to ORD
- EWR to Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- EWR to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
- EWR to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London
- SFO to Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (HND) in Tokyo
- SFO to ORD
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to NRT and HND
For just one city pair (EWR to FRA), award pricing appeared to fluctuate over the four-hour data-collection period. In every other case, we believe any observed differences in award pricing are genuine and based on account-specific factors.
Related: United teases 'really big ideas' for future of MileagePlus program
Aspects that affect United award pricing
For award searches done at the same time for the same origin, destination, number of travelers and date of travel, we found award pricing varied across member accounts primarily based on:
- Holding specific United credit cards
- Having United Premier status
However, in at least two cases, we found examples where award pricing differed unexpectedly. The differences could be due to our staff members conducting searches at different times within the four-hour block. But the discrepancies could also have resulted from United occasionally varying award pricing beyond a member's status tier and cobranded cards.
Award pricing without United cards or status
Our three staff members with no United credit cards and no status saw the same award prices as each other on every itinerary we tracked.
The award rates these staffers saw were never lower than those observed by any other staffer. These team members often saw notes in their search results about what the award price would have been if they had an eligible United credit card.
Related: United Club Card vs. United Explorer Card: Which is best for United fans?
Award discounts for cardholders and elite members
We were most interested in whether and how elite status or holding specific credit cards affected the award pricing on our sample set of routes.
As the screenshot below notes, members with certain United credit cards (or United Premier status) are eligible for award discounts. These members often see a note indicating that their card or status (or both) unlocks lower award pricing when they search.
However, the no-annual-fee United Gateway Card did not seem to unlock cardmember discounts on the itineraries we searched. Even though I have the United Gateway Card, for instance, the note on my award searches only mentions my United Premier Silver status.
This being said, our staffers with the United Explorer Card, the United Quest Card or the United Club Card all saw mentions of their cardholder status when doing award searches.
The discounts offered to members with United Premier status or an eligible United credit card can be substantial. For example, while members with no eligible United cards or status would need to redeem 170,000 miles for this nonstop business-class award from Los Angeles to Tokyo, Rachel found the same award available for 100,000 miles, a discount of over 41%.
Rachel unlocked this less-expensive award as a cardholder of the United Explorer Card.
These cardholder and elite discounts aren't just for long-haul routes, though. You'll also find plenty of smaller discounts for eligible cardmembers and Premier members on domestic and short-haul routes. And that's one of the primary reasons why I strive to maintain United Premier Silver status through Marriott Bonvoy's partnership with United.
Related: United Club Card vs. United Explorer Card: Which is best for United fans?
Additional award discounts for United Club Card holders
One of the benefits of the United Club Card is a 10% discount on economy saver award tickets. With this card benefit, the primary cardmember can book economy saver awards (fare classes X and XN) on United or United Express within the continental U.S. and between the continental U.S. and Canada for 10% fewer miles than the standard saver award pricing. Best of all, the discount applies to all passengers in the primary cardmember's reservation.
In practice, this discount can offer significant value. For example, Summer has the United Club Card and Premier Gold status. Her United Club Card unlocked lower pricing than United Premier members with other cards. So, she could redeem 9,500 miles for an economy saver award on many nonstop flights from Denver to Washington, D.C., while United Premier elite members with other United MileagePlus cards would need to redeem at least 10,500 miles for the same saver awards.
Meanwhile, United MileagePlus members without status or an eligible card didn't have access to saver award space on the 9:50 a.m. option and would need to redeem 15,000 miles. So, in this case, Summer would get more than a 36% savings over members without status or an eligible cobranded card when booking the 9:50 a.m. flight.
However, in one case, Summer didn't receive access to a 30,000-mile domestic first-class award that was visible to other staffers with United Premier status or an eligible United credit card. Instead, Summer saw 57,300-mile award pricing on this flight (which matched what our staffers with no United status or cards saw).
It's possible that award availability changed between when other staffers searched this route and when Summer did, as she completed her search near the end of the designated window. However, this difference could also mean that other factors may occasionally influence which members receive which award discounts.
Related: Is the United Club Card annual fee worth it?
Additional award discounts for United Premier 1K cardholders
Our data also showed that our two United Premier 1K staffers, Gene and Andrea (who each also have United cobranded cards), were offered discounted award rates on some long-haul international business-class routes. In comparison, staffers in lower status tiers — including those with eligible cobranded United cards — did not have access to these discounted award rates.
The discounts were often marked as cardmember discounts. So, although we didn't have any staffers with United Premier 1K status but without any eligible cobranded cards participating in our research, it appears that the combination of Premier 1K status and an eligible cobranded card unlocked these additional discounts.
For example, Gene and Andrea saw business-class awards for 148,800 on nonstop flights from Newark to London. Meanwhile, cardholders of eligible United cards with lower tiers of United Premier status saw the award price as 172,500 miles.
However, Gene saw discounted business-class award options for Los Angeles to Tokyo that weren't available to Andrea. The note on Gene's discounted options says "Cardmembers save 7%," yet Gene doesn't have a United card that Andrea doesn't have. After all, they both have the United Quest Card, and Andrea also has the United Explorer Card.
The discount for these Premier 1K members was applied only to long-haul international business-class award options that were already priced relatively high. So, while the discount is significant, it's not usually enough to make these awards competitive.
Related: How (and why) to book United flights with Aeroplan points
Main takeaways about United award pricing
For United MileagePlus award searches done by 13 TPG staffers within four hours for the same origin, destination, number of travelers and date of travel, we found award pricing varied across member accounts primarily based on the United credit cards they held and the United Premier status they held.
Here's a look at our primary takeaways:
- United elite status (besides Premier 1K) and cobranded United credit cards with an annual fee (besides the United Club Card) unlock identical award discounts.
- Premier 1K members with an eligible cobranded United card may get additional discounted award rates on select long-haul international business-class routes.
- The United Club Card unlocks a 10% discount on economy saver award tickets.
- The no-annual-fee United Gateway Card does not seem to unlock any award discounts.
So, outside of the long-haul international business-class discounts for Premier 1K members and the 10% discount on economy saver award tickets for travelers with the United Club Card, the discounts we found were the same regardless of whether you have a cobranded United credit card with an annual fee or you have any tier of United status.
But, while additional discounts for Premier 1K members usually won't provide good value due to the high award pricing on these long-haul international business-class awards, the United Club Card's 10% discount on economy saver award tickets may provide significant savings. The 10% discount can be particularly useful if you frequently book domestic awards for multiple travelers.
Bottom line
Given these takeaways, it may be worth having a United credit card with an annual fee or securing United MileagePlus status before you redeem United miles. If you frequently book economy saver award tickets, it may be worth having the United Club Card for the 10% discount it unlocks on these awards.
It's also worth checking the award rates for each United MileagePlus account in your family or group of friends before booking, as the award prices may vary across accounts. You can pool United MileagePlus miles with family and friends, but keep in mind that you can only use pooled miles to book United and United Express award flights (not award flights operated by United partners). And if you're transferring points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to United, carefully consider whether transferring points into an authorized user's account might unlock better award rates than what you can access with your own account.
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