Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Alex Miller
Founder & CEO
298 Published Articles
Countries Visited: 34U.S. States Visited: 29
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Chicago-O’Hare, Newark, Washington-Dulles, Houston Intercontinental, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo-Narita, Guam
United MileagePlus is the second-oldest frequent flyer program in the world (only a week younger than American’s AAdvantage program!).
It is consistently voted the world’s Best Frequent Flyer Program by Global Traveler Magazine’s U.S. readers. A key to the popularity of MileagePlus is the ability to redeem miles for awards on Star Alliance partner airlines.
To join the MileagePlus program, you simply need to sign up on their website. Membership is free and you can start earning and redeeming miles immediately.
Sign in on the homepage with your account number and password. United has removed the username and e-mail address sign-in method.
You’ll have to set additional security questions and remember the answers, such as your favorite pizza topping or winter sport.
Use the MileagePlus My Account page to review your activity.
Account activity is displayed in 4 sections:
United MileagePlus miles no longer expire.
MileagePlus has 4 elite status levels, plus the invitation-only Global Services level:
Due to COVID-10, United has reduced requirements for status through the 2022 program year beginning on January 1, 2021:
2022 Status | Earn Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) | and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) | …or Meet a Higher PQP Goal |
Silver | 8 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
Gold | 16 | 6,000 | 7,000 |
Platinum | 24 | 9,000 | 10,000 |
1K | 36 | 13,500 | 15,000 |
Members holding United MileagePlus Premier status at the end of 2020 will receive a 25% bonus of the 2021 PQP requirement to help them achieve status for the following year.
The bonuses are:
The PQD waiver for Chase MileagePlus cardholders has been discontinued, but members can earn PQP with select cards.
Hot Tip: Learn more about COVID-19-related changes to United MileagePlus is our guide: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Airline Elite Status Extensions, Changes, and Update.
Premier Silver:
Premier Gold:
Premier Platinum:
Premier 1K:
See the full line-up of benefits for all the details and benefit terms.
MileagePlus has not made significant changes to its elite status benefits in several years.
Premier Silver is of limited value.
Premier Gold’s fee waiver for same-day changes (even on international flights) is a road warrior favorite. Delta excludes international flights entirely from its same-day change program, and American only waives fees for Executive Platinum.
Premier Gold also comes with Star Alliance Gold status. Many travelers do not realize that if your airport has a Star Alliance member lounge, you can use that lounge when flying any Star Alliance airline (even United domestically).
For example, when flying Los Angeles to New York, you will not get United Club access. However, with Premier Gold you can visit the superb Star Alliance Lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (you can enter with a boarding pass for any terminal).
Premier Platinum recently saw the introduction of fees for changes to award tickets within 60 days of travel. Anecdotally, upgrade rates are low even when using PlusPoints. Premier Platinum has fallen behind Delta Platinum, but it is roughly on a par with American’s new Platinum Pro.
Premier 1K members enjoy a higher level of service and still have award fee waivers. The headline benefit of PlusPoints is not all it seems: upgrade availability on international routes is severely limited, though travelers no longer have to gamble in advance by buying more expensive upgrade-eligible flights than the cheapest economy flights. Delta and American have much more customer-friendly upgrade systems for their top-tier elites.
You’ll have plenty of ways to earn United miles between flights and credit card partnerships.
Mileage earning on United Airlines and select partner flights is now based on ticket price (base fare plus carrier-imposed fees, excluding government-imposed taxes and fees):
Other partners still earn based on distance, but depending on fare class you may earn more or less than 100% of the distance flown. Consult the MileagePlus airline partner page to see how many miles your ticket will earn.
For chasing elite status, Premier Qualifying Dollars can only be earned on United flights and United flight-numbered codeshares.
Star Alliance Partners | |
Aegean Airlines | Ethiopian Airlines |
EVA Air | |
Air India | |
Austrian | |
SWISS | |
Brussels Airlines | |
Copa Airlines | |
Croatia Airlines | Turkish Airlines |
Egypt Air | |
United also has several other partners outside of Star Alliance that could fit your needs.
Other Partners | |
Aer Lingus | Germanwings |
Aeromar | Great Lakes Airlines |
Air Dolomiti | Hawaiian Airlines |
Azul | Island Air |
Cape Air | Jet Airways |
Edelweiss | Silver Airways |
Eurowings |
|
Extra miles can be earned through MileagePlus credit card spending and activity with MileagePlus partners. Chase offers several co-branded credit cards with United that can help you earn United miles.
United is a Chase transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio. Because Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards often have very lucrative bonus categories, you can often earn the most United miles using these cards.
You have a few credit card options to help you earn United miles that can be redeemed for some amazing flights.
Check out a few of Chase’s co-branded United credit cards if you want to earn United miles directly.
With priority boarding privileges, no foreign transaction fees and more, MileagePlus members will definitely enjoy their partnered card.
You travel United all the time, but you have heard that there could be ways to make your travel experiences even better, including priority boarding, free bags, and more miles.
You should consider the United℠ Explorer Card, because this card does all that and more!
The information regarding the United Club℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The United Club℠ Card is no longer available but Chase released the United Club℠ Infinite Card for those looking for a card for United loyalists.
Do you regularly fly with United Airlines for work? What about their Star Alliance partners? Would you like to hang out in the airline lounge before getting on your flight?
If this sounds like you, the United Club℠ Card from Chase might be just the ticket to improving your travel experience.
Information for the United Club card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Probably the best way to collect United miles is to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. With plenty of bonus categories across these cards, you can earn tons of points.
A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best options out there.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!
The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.
Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.
Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.
This card offers great rewards and no annual fee. Any new business owner that needs to get going will enjoy this card.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a lot going for it that makes it a compelling choice for small business owners. The card features a very lucrative 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
When you factor in that the card has no annual fee, and 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.49% - 25.49% thereafter, you could be adding big value back into your business for no cost out of pocket.
The Ink Business Unlimited card is a stellar option for business owners looking for a no-fuss uncapped 1.5% cash-back card without an annual fee.
As a business owner, you likely keep pretty busy and probably prefer a credit card that just keeps things simple.
If so, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card might be just the card for you. From zero annual fee to a flat cash-back rate, the card is a no-frills option that you don’t have to think twice about.
Don’t forget too, 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.49% - 23.49% thereafter
Earn up to 5% cash-back for your business without complex bonus earning categories!
Chase has introduced the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card to its business credit card lineup. With straightforward cash-back earnings on everyday purchases and large expenses, tools to help you monitor your business, and multiple ways to redeem your rewards, this is a great card option to consider.
Time to spend those hard earned miles! On United, all award travel is booked one-way for flexibility, so you can book a different award type or even class of service on your outbound and return flights.
You can even purchase only a one-way ticket if there are one-way sale fares. This is especially true for international travel, since international origin one-way tickets are usually cheaper than U.S. origin tickets.
United provides an award chart for their destinations that is helpful for planning out your travel.
New in 2019, United is testing new dymanic pricing, with awards as low as 5,000 miles one-way. Award prices are still capped to the maximums in the award chart.
Saver Awards give you the best bang for your buck, but are capacity-controlled and may be restricted, especially during peak travel periods. Check out United’s Saver Award homepage for up-to-date promotions on Saver Award destinations and times.
Standard Awards give you more availability while requiring more miles, but are still capacity-restricted unless you’re a MileagePlus Premier member or United ExplorerSM Card holder.
Travelers in these categories also have the benefit of booking up to the last seat. Premier members can also waitlist for international premier cabin award seats, which will be awarded as seats become available up to 24 hours before departure.
MileagePlus Upgrade Awards can be purchased on most ticket types. Depending on your premier status, these can be complimentary on domestic flights, or cleared immediately on international segments.
While award bookings may be made using another person’s miles and account, benefits such as Economy Plus seating and other Premier member privileges will only apply if the traveler themselves is a Premier member.
Like this? Pin it on Pinterest!
