Easy-to-miss United MileagePlus change could help your kids earn more miles
When United MileagePlus rolled out changes to award pricing and mileage earning in April, there was one family-friendly update that was easy to overlook.
Parents with an eligible United credit card can now share certain cardholder benefits with their children under 18 — but only if they opt in.
For example, general MileagePlus members without elite status or a United credit card earn 3 miles per eligible dollar spent on United flights. Those with an eligible United credit card earn 6 miles per eligible dollar spent instead. By linking a child's MileagePlus account, parents can extend that higher earning rate to their kids as well.
Children linked to a parent's eligible United card also receive at least 10% off United-operated award flights booked with miles.
Related: These are the best United credit cards
Increased earnings from having United elite status don't carry over. Only the increased mileage-earning and discounted award-booking perks tied to an eligible United credit card can be shared.
Parents can share these benefits with up to eight children under age 18.
To link a child to your United card benefits:
- Log into your MileagePlus account.
- Navigate to your profile page.
- Select "Family."
- Choose "Share card benefits."
The benefit is not retroactive. Children will only receive the enhanced earning rates and award discounts from the date they're linked to the account, so it's worth opting in now rather than waiting until your next family trip to avoid accidentally leaving any miles on the table.
Related reading: How to maximize value from United MileagePlus
Also, remember that United offers mileage pooling, so families can pool their miles. The program rules were also recently updated to allow members to redeem pooled miles on more than 40 partner airlines. With all these changes combined, United is an emerging leader among the major U.S. airlines in making its loyalty program even more valuable for the under-18 set.
Whether your kid's miles are going to sit and wait to be redeemed, or you plan to pool them with the rest of the family's miles now, linking your cardholder benefits is an easy way to ensure your child earns more miles on eligible United flights.
Related reading:
- United Premier status: What it is and how to earn it
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- United Airlines to introduce economy seats that turn into 'couches' in 2027
- United unveils 3 luxe new planes, 'Coastliner' with Polaris for cross-country routes