United Now Posting Award Miles and Elite Credits Right Away
US airlines are pretty good about awarding credit automatically after passengers complete travel, but it's not unusual to expect redeemable miles, elite-qualifying miles and elite-qualifying dollars to post at least a couple days after each flight segment. Delta has been an exception — credits sometimes post within a day of travel — and now United's following suit, with the airline explaining that "miles will now post within minutes of a flight arriving at the gate for United/United Express flights."
I noticed the change this week — on Sunday, I flew from Newark to Hong Kong to try out United's new Premium Plus product. The flight landed on Monday, and miles posted on Wednesday, as expected. Yesterday, however, when I pulled up the United app to see how early my return flight had arrived after stepping off the plane, I noticed that the miles for that second segment had already posted — within minutes of us pulling up to the gate in Newark.
As it turns out, I'm not alone — other flyers have noticed the change as well, including our own Summer Hull, who heads up TPG Family:
Other frequent flyers chimed in as well:
Speedier posting can be especially helpful as the end of the year approaches, since flyers who may just slightly miss the mark might opt to go on a mileage run to close the gap. Having an almost-real-time tally will make it easier for frequent flyers to determine whether or not a "run" may be necessary, and which one to book.
You'll also earn elite status more quickly — a flyer on a weekend trip may start the journey without any perks on Friday, and find themselves eligible for Economy Plus seats, free upgrades and other benefits in time for a Sunday return.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
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| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app