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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
United MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG and is based in London. Originally from Australia and a qualified lawyer with a financial services background, he has almost a decade of experience writing about a broad range of travel and loyalty topics.
August 5, 2026 • 16 min read
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Quick summary
United MileagePlus is a versatile loyalty program, especially beneficial for travelers near United hubs or those frequently flying with the airline.
Members can earn and redeem miles across United, Star Alliance, and select non-alliance partners, with elite status offering additional perks like lounge access and extra baggage.
Recent changes to the program include new earning structures, increased requirements for top-tier status, and enhanced benefits for cardholders.
Miles can be pooled among family members and are best redeemed for flights, particularly on United or partner airlines, with dynamic pricing and no surcharges on most redemptions.
What to consider
Earning elite status will require only Premier qualifying points from 2027, with higher thresholds for top tiers.
Award discounts and enhanced earning rates are available to select cardholders, but some benefits require meeting annual spend thresholds.
Redemption value is highest for flights, while options like Money + Miles or non-flight redemptions typically yield lower value, with United miles valued at 1.25 cents each as of August 2026 per TPG's valuations.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of elite status qualification, partner airline nuances, and advanced strategies for maximizing United MileagePlus miles.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
United MileagePlus is a great program for travelers loyal to United Airlines or based near a United hub. The program overhauled its cobranded credit card lineup and announced some big changes that benefit cardholders, making it even more appealing to travelers ready to double down on United.
Whether you're already a frequent United flyer or curious about dipping your toes into the program, this guide will answer all your questions about earning and redeeming miles, Premier elite status, United credit cards and more.
United is a member of Star Alliance, meaning you can earn and redeem miles with various international airlines through United MileagePlus. United Premier Gold, Platinum and 1K members can enjoy perks such as lounge access and an extra baggage allowance when traveling with these partners.
Here’s a look at United’s current Star Alliance partners:
Aegean Airlines
Air Canada
Air China
Air India
Air New Zealand
All Nippon Airways
Asiana Airlines (leaving Star Alliance on Dec. 16)
Austrian Airlines
Avianca
Brussels Airlines
Copa Airlines
Croatia Airlines
Egyptair
Ethiopian Airlines
EVA Air
ITA Airways
Juneyao Air (a connecting partner)
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Lufthansa City Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
Swiss
TAP Air Portugal
Thai Airways
Turkish Airlines
United also partners with several airlines outside of Star Alliance:
Aer Lingus
Air Dolomiti
Airlink
Azul Brazilian Airlines
Cape Air
Discover Airlines
Edelweiss
Emirates
Eurowings
Flydubai
JetBlue
JSX
Olympic Air
Virgin Australia
Some partners have their own limitations regarding MileagePlus members — including applicable bonuses, eligible fare classes and excluded routes — so be sure to review United’s airline partners page for the full details on each one.
United and JetBlue also introduced reciprocal elite benefits on May 14, including priority services, preferred or extra-legroom seating and baggage benefits for eligible members.
MileagePlus has four levels of elite status: Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K. There’s also an exclusive Global Services tier for flyers who spend a significant amount with the airline and receive a personal invitation.
Premier status is earned through a combination of Premier qualifying flights and Premier qualifying points, or a higher number of PQPs alone. (Though from 2027 on, the only way to earn Premier status will be by accumulating PQPs.) Members must also complete at least four paid flight segments operated by United or United Express. Select United credit cards can also earn PQPs.
This is what it takes to qualify for United status in 2026 (valid through Jan. 31, 2028):
Tier
Premier qualifying points plus Premier qualifying flights
Premier qualifying points only
Premier Silver
5,000 PQPs plus 15 PQFs
6,000 PQPs
Premier Gold
10,000 PQPs plus 30 PQFs
12,000 PQPs
Premier Platinum
15,000 PQPs plus 45 PQFs
18,000 PQPs
Premier 1K
22,000 PQPs plus 60 PQFs
28,000 PQPs
Know, though, that in addition to the removal of the combined PQPs and PQFs option for earning status in 2027, those working toward Premier 1K status will also need to earn more PQPs. Instead of 28,000 PQPs, the tier will require 32,000 PQPs from 2027 on.
All United Premier members enjoy perks like bonus miles on paid tickets, free checked bags and waitlisted upgrades. Higher-tier members have access to more valuable perks like complimentary Economy Plus seating, PlusPoints (which can be used to confirm upgrades), Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Star Alliance Gold status.
There are many ways to boost your MileagePlus balance. Some methods, like flying, are obvious, while others don't even require setting foot on a plane. MileagePlus miles never expire.
Fly on United Airlines
For eligible United-issued tickets, including partner-operated itineraries ticketed by United, redeemable miles are calculated from the base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges, excluding government taxes and fees.
After United's recent earning shake-up, the number of miles you can earn depends not only on your Premier status level but also on whether you hold a United cobranded credit card.
Here’s a breakdown of how miles are awarded on standard fares:
Elite status tier
Earning rate (tickets issued on or after April 2)
Earning rate for cardholders (tickets issued on or after April 2)
Basic member
3 miles per dollar spent
6 miles per dollar spent
Premier Silver
5 miles per dollar spent
8 miles per dollar spent
Premier Gold
6 miles per dollar spent
9 miles per dollar spent
Premier Platinum
7 miles per dollar spent
10 miles per dollar spent
Premier 1K
9 miles per dollar spent
12 miles per dollar spent
As for basic economy and base-option fares (including United Premium Plus Base and United Polaris Base), here are the lower rates you can expect to earn:
Elite status tier
Earning rate (tickets issued on or after April 2)
Earning rate for cardholders (tickets issued on or after April 2)
Basic member
None
3 miles per dollar
Premier Silver
2 miles per dollar
5 miles per dollar
Premier Gold
3 miles per dollar
6 miles per dollar
Premier Platinum
4 miles per dollar
7 miles per dollar
Premier 1K
6 miles per dollar
9 miles per dollar
On top of these earning rates, cardholders get even more miles when paying for a United flight with their card:
The information for the United Club Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
United Gateway Card holders must spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year to unlock the enhanced MileagePlus cardmember earning rates shown above. The Gateway card’s separate 2 miles per dollar on eligible United purchases applies without meeting this threshold.
As you can see, earning miles with United just got more complicated. Earning rates now vary widely, from no miles for members without status and a United card flying on a basic economy or base-option fare to 17 miles per dollar for Premier 1K members paying with the top-tier United Club Card.
United also awards MileagePlus miles on partner flights, but it works a little differently. If you book a partner flight through United (indicated by a "016" ticket number), you’ll earn miles based on your ticket fare and elite status per the guidelines above.
Most eligible tickets issued by partner airlines earn MileagePlus miles based on the distance flown and the booking class, though carrier-specific rules, exceptions and exclusions apply. Mileage earning rates vary by airline, so check your booking class and United’s partner airline list to determine your award miles. As you might expect, premium cabin tickets earn more miles than economy tickets, and Premier members are eligible for bonus miles with select partners.
Spend on United credit cards
Another way to rack up miles is by spending on United’s cobranded credit cards, issued by Chase. These cards earn bonus miles on United purchases, as described above, but they also earn miles whenever you swipe (or tap) them. Some of them earn PQPs as well to get you closer to elite status.
Here are some of the best United cards and their current welcome bonuses:
United Quest Card: Earn up to 90,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP: Earn 500 PQP after your first purchase and 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first three months from account opening.
United Explorer Card: Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first three months from account opening.
United Business Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQPs: Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQPs after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first three months from account opening.
United Club Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first three months from account opening.
Transfer credit card points
Beyond earning a credit card welcome bonus, you can also easily boost your MileagePlus balance by transferring points from one of the program's transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt.
You can transfer points from either program to your MileagePlus account at a 1:1 ratio, or get an even better ratio if you find a transfer bonus. Transfers usually happen instantly, making this an easy way to get the miles you need for an upcoming United redemption.
To earn more miles on everyday spending, you can leverage United's shopping portal and the MileagePlus X app for online and in-store purchases. Or, sign up for MileagePlus Dining to earn up to 5 miles per dollar spent when you dine at participating restaurants and use a linked credit card.
If you're going to make these purchases anyway, you may as well maximize your rewards on them, right?
You can also earn miles by booking hotels and cruises through United's portals or by booking travel with United's hotel and rental car partners. Other ways to earn more include buying miles and transferring Marriott Bonvoy points, though these rarely offer the best value.
United miles pooling
BRAUNS/GETTY IMAGES
One handy feature of MileagePlus is that members of all ages can share and redeem miles in one account. This is especially useful for families since kids and their parents can team up to book a larger redemption.
Pooled miles can be redeemed for flights operated by United, United Express and more than 40 MileagePlus partner airlines. Pooled miles cannot currently be used for upgrades or other nonflight redemptions.
Generally, you’ll get the most value out of your miles when you redeem them for flights, which is easy to do on United’s website or app. You can use the advanced search feature to open a fare calendar and pinpoint the best deals, or start your search with a tool like Seats.aero to narrow down your dates. MileagePlus does not charge surcharges on redemptions operated by United or its partners, which is a great perk of this loyalty program.
Eligible primary United cardholders receive award pricing requiring at least 10% fewer miles on United- and United Express-operated award flights. Cardholders who also have Premier status receive pricing requiring at least 15% fewer miles. These discounts do not apply to partner awards or Money + Miles tickets. United Gateway Card holders must first spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year to unlock this benefit.
United also offers a payment option called Money + Miles on all fares, though we don’t recommend it because it gives you a fixed rate of 1 cent per mile, below our August 2026 valuation of 1.25 cents per United mile.
The same goes for most other ways to redeem United miles, such as United Club memberships, TSA PreCheck fees, car rentals, hotel stays, retail products and gift cards. The value you’ll get from these redemptions will typically fall far short of what you could get on an award ticket.
One way to spend your United miles — even if you haven't amassed many yet — is on short-haul flights, where you can find award rates starting around 5,000 miles each way. These flights usually cost less than $100, so you may not get spectacular value from your miles, but booking them with miles can give you more flexibility. That's because you'll generally get a refund in the form of a future flight credit when canceling a flight booked with miles, as United doesn't charge cancellation fees on most fare classes (except basic economy and other base fares).
Most eligible nonrefundable paid tickets can be canceled before departure for a future flight credit, although fare-specific restrictions apply, particularly to basic economy and base-option fares. Award tickets canceled before departure can generally be redeposited without a fee, with eligible taxes and fees returned; United charges a $125 redeposit fee following a no-show.
You can also find low rates for transcontinental flights when there’s saver award space. TPG writer Rachel Craft has personally booked partner business-class flights to Africa for 88,000 miles each way — a stellar price for 15-plus hours in a lie-flat seat and lounge access during her layovers. And with United's recent shake-up, Premier members and credit card holders may be able to unlock even better deals.
Lastly, you might consider using United miles to book top partner products like ANA’s “The Room” or EVA Air's business class. These award flights don't come cheap, but they make up for it with luxurious amenities you may not find anywhere else.
United's MileagePlus loyalty program makes a lot of sense for travelers who live near a United hub or fly United often enough to earn status. But even if you rarely fly United or don’t care about elite status, you may still want to transfer miles from Bilt or Chase when you spot a great redemption. Since United has a wide route network — and frequently adds new routes — it’s easy to earn and redeem MileagePlus miles on a variety of flights.
In light of United's new guidelines favoring cardholders, if you fly the airline at all, you may want to consider adding a cobranded card to your wallet to maximize the program's perks.
