What are United miles?

United’s loyalty program is called MileagePlus. The points you earn and redeem are United MileagePlus miles.

Which credit cards earn United miles?

You can earn miles for United MileagePlus with the United Explorer card, United Quest card, United Club Infinite card, United Gateway card, United Business card, and United Club Business card. MileagePlus miles can also be earned by transferring points from Chase Ultimate Rewards cards. These include the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and Ink Business Preferred card.

What are United MileagePlus miles worth?

The value of United MileagePlus miles depends on where you are redeeming your points: it lies somewhere between 1 cent per mile and 2.5 cents per mile. At 2.5 cents per mile, that’s like getting a $100 ticket for the equivalent of about 4,000 United miles.

How do I transfer United MileagePlus miles to a spouse?

Sign in to your account at united.com and hover over MileagePlus in the navigation at the top. Choose Buy, Transfer, and Give miles and then select the Transfer Miles button. Enter your account number and password again. Then fill out the information on the loaded page to transfer United miles to anyone who also has a MileagePlus account.

Who are United MileagePlus' partners?

United MileagePlus has several airline, hotel, and retail partners, including Marriott Bonvoy, Singapore Airlines, and more.

When do United MileagePlus miles post in your account?

United miles earned from flights should arrive in your account within 48 hours of completing travel. If miles are missing after this time period, consider requesting missing miles.

Are United MileagePlus miles refundable?

Yes, you can get your United miles refunded for no fee if you need to change or cancel your award ticket. If you miss your flight a $125 fee will be charged to get your miles back.

When do United MileagePlus miles expire?

United MileagePlus miles do not expire.

23 Best Ways To Earn Lots of United MileagePlus Miles [2023]

United Airlines has one of the most popular frequent flyer programs in the U.S., and there are some great ways to earn United miles for award flights.

In fact, the number of ways to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program is almost overwhelming, but the following is a simplified list to get you moving in the right direction.

Table of contents

Sign Up for a United Airlines MileagePlus Account
Earn MileagePlus Miles With Credit Cards
Earn Miles Through Shopping and Dining
Earn United Miles Through Travel
Specialty Earnings for United MileagePlus Miles
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Sign Up for a United Airlines MileagePlus Account
Earn MileagePlus Miles With Credit Cards
Earn Miles Through Shopping and Dining
Earn United Miles Through Travel
Specialty Earnings for United MileagePlus Miles
Final Thoughts

Sign Up for a United Airlines MileagePlus Account

Unlike transferable points programs such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, you do not need a particular credit card to participate in United’s MileagePlus program.

Your MileagePlus account is your key to earning United miles whether you’re dining out, shopping, flying, or spending with a United co-branded credit card.

To sign up and start earning miles, simply visit United’s website and create your account.

Once your account is set up, you’re ready to go. So let’s dive into the best ways to earn United miles!

Earn MileagePlus Miles With Credit Cards

If you really want to earn tons of United miles, the strategic use of credit cards is going to be your key to success. From transferable points to earning United miles directly through co-branded credit cards, you have several options.

1. Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards (Best Option)

Without a doubt, your best option to accumulate United miles is to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to United. Points are transferred to United at a 1:1 ratio, they’re easy to earn, and there’s no limit to how many you can transfer.

To earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, you just need a card that’s linked to the program. Whether you’re looking for a personal card or a business card, Chase has you covered with multiple ways to earn Ultimate Rewards points.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

Business owner? See our list of the best Chase business credit cards.

Regardless of your spending habits, you’re bound to find a Chase card or 2 that work for you. Many Chase cards also come with hefty welcome bonuses and bonus-earning categories to get you started quickly.

Hot Tip: Find out how you can earn 100,000+ Ultimate Rewards points in just 90 days!

2. Chase United Co-branded Credit Cards

After cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, the next best option for earning United miles are Chase’s co-branded United cards:

While these cards don’t have as many bonus categories as Ultimate Rewards cards, some do provide a complimentary checked bag, priority boarding, and other perks when flying on United.

Additionally, if you fly United regularly, some of these cards can help you earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) through your annual credit card spend.

These cards are more useful for the perks than their earning potential, but they are still a solid way to earn United miles.

Hot Tip: Check out the valuable benefits of the United Explorer card for a deeper insight into this rewards card.

3. Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles

Chase allows United cardholders to refer a friend to apply for United co-branded cards. Sending a referral link to your friends is very simple and just requires you to enter a few personal details.

If the person you refer is approved for any United card, even if it’s not the same card you hold, then you will earn 10,000 bonus miles. You can earn up to 100,000 bonus miles per year through referrals.

You can enter your card details on the Chase website to get your referral link.

4. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those to United at a transfer rate of 3:1.1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 United miles.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

5. Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card

Bilt Rewards is a rewards program aimed at those who pay rent. You can earn Bilt points and transfer them to United at a ratio of 1:1 with a minimum of 2,000 points transferred. The Bilt card is the main avenue to earn Bilt points and allows renters to pay rent with their credit card with no fees and earn points in the process.

However, the card lacks a welcome bonus and requires a monthly minimum transaction requirement to earn points for paying rent.

Earn Miles Through Shopping and Dining

Before you get any of these credit cards, you can start earning United miles by shopping online and dining out. However, using one of the cards above can really boost your earnings!

6. MileagePlus Shopping

Shopping portals are a great way to earn extra miles on purchases you were going to make anyway. You can earn United miles through the United MileagePlus Shopping portal. All you have to do is log in and start shopping.

There are hundreds of MileagePlus retailers participating in the portal. Below is an example of a few of retailers and the kinds of earnings you can expect to find:

United Airlines MileagePlus Shopping — Some of the United MileagePlus Shopping portal partners are listed above with their bonus earnings rates. Note that these may not represent current offers. Image Credit: United MileagePlus Shopping

Occasionally, a retailer will have a special bonus. For example, the Wall Street Journal once offered 800 miles for any order placed online at the WSJ store. With subscriptions starting as low as $12, that was a good offer!

The portal is very easy to use. Follow these steps before you begin shopping at a participating online store (or before you check out):

Go to MileagePlus Shopping.
Sign into your United MileagePlus account.
Search for a product or store.
Click on the store’s bonus miles offer (e.g. Earn 3 miles/$).
Select Shop Now.
After a few seconds, you’ll be able to shop on the store’s website.
Ensure you are still logged into the portal before you purchase through the store to be absolutely certain you will receive the extra miles.

Keep an eye out for limited-time promotions that offer even more bonus miles at your favorite stores. They will be featured rather prominently on the site and under the Offers section. Take special note of the ones listed as expiring soon!

7. MileagePlus X App

United MileagePlus X — Use the MileagePlus X app on your smartphone to take advantage of extra United miles-earning opportunities. Image Credit: United MileagePlux X

There is a bonus shopping mall tool with United called MileagePlus X. Smartphone users can stack miles by using the MileagePlus X app on purchases. The app offers exclusive bonus earnings of up to 5 miles per $1 at stores and restaurants.

Miles earned through the app are in addition to bonus miles you earn in other ways. When you make a purchase in the app using your United MileagePlus credit card, you will earn miles from your card and from the app.

The MileagePlus X App is downloadable through the iTunes and Google Play stores.

If you have one of the MileagePlus credit cards, you will get a 25% boost to the miles you earn through the MileagePlus X app!

8. MileagePlus Dining Program

Pokeworks Houston Heights MileagePlus Dining — Sign up for MileagePlus Dining and get access to earn extra miles at places like the restaurant featured above! Image Credit: MileagePlus Dining

Dining programs offer bonus miles when you dine at participating restaurants. You can sign up for the MileagePlus Dining program for free.

To start earning MileagePlus miles on dining out:

Go to MileagePlus Dining.
Register/log in with your MileagePlus account number.
Select Add a card in your account and enter the details of any credit or debit card you want to use at restaurants.
Use the location search at the top to look for restaurants near you.
Start using the credit card you registered at participating restaurants to earn miles.

You’ll earn up to 5 miles per $1 you spend at the restaurants through the MileagePlus dining program. You can also earn miles for special bonus offers (usually offered at sign-up).

If you have a big group outing coming up, pay the bill on your registered credit card at a participating MileagePlus restaurant. This strategy will help you reach the additional spending bonus in no time!

Hot Tip: Once you’ve signed up through the portal, you can register any credit card (not just a United one)! By using the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll earn the most points (that can be converted to United miles) as possible.

9. Rewards for Event Tickets

United Audience Rewards — Image Credit: Audience Rewards

If you like going to music or theater events, then MileagePlus has a great way to earn miles when you buy tickets for events. With Audience Rewards, you can earn 50 to 2,000 miles per ticket.

Just register with the program using your MileagePlus number, search for tickets, and make your purchase to earn bonus miles right away.

10. Other Retail Purchases

The following are other ways to earn MileagePlus miles through retail partners and online shopping centers:

Company	Bonus Miles
1-800-Flowers.com	30 miles per $1
FTD	20 miles per $1 plus 100 miles
Home Chef	Earn 5,000 miles on your first 5 boxes, or 1,000 miles each
Jaguar	Up to 50,000 miles
MyPoints.com	500 miles at sign-up, 1,000 miles for shopping online (redeem for award miles)
Norton	Up to 10,000 miles
Teleflora	30 miles per $1
Vinesse Wine	5,000 miles on your first shipment, then 5 miles per $1

Earn United Miles Through Travel

If you happen to have paid flights or hotel stays in your future, you can, of course, earn United miles on them, too!

11. Airfare and Airline Purchases

United Premium Plus Economy passengers reclining — Image Credit: United

Not surprisingly, you can earn miles by flying on United. Maximize the number of miles you’ll earn when you fly with these tips.

Card Name	United Ticket Purchase Bonus	Card Name	United Ticket Purchase Bonus
Bilt card	2x points if purchased directly from United	United Club Business card	4x miles on United purchases
Chase Sapphire Preferred card	5x points if purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 2x points if purchased directly from United	United Club Infinite card	4x miles on United purchases
Chase Sapphire Reserve card	5x points if purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x points if purchased directly from United	United Explorer card	2x miles on United purchases
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	3x points if purchased directly from United	United Gateway card	2x miles on United purchases
United℠ Business Card	2x miles on United purchases	United Quest card	3x miles on United purchases

Even without these cards, you’ll earn miles for flying as MileagePlus member. If your flights are operated by United/United Express or your tickets are issued by United (ticket number starts with 016), then you will earn miles based on the fare.

The base miles you earn will always be 5x the fare. If you have reached a MileagePlus Premier membership status, then the award miles you earn based on the fare will be even greater. Here’s the Premier status breakdown:

Premier Silver: 5x fare + 2x fare = 7x fare total
Premier Gold: 5x fare + 3x fare = 8x fare total
Premier Platinum: 5x fare + 4x fare = 9x fare total
Premier 1K: 5x fare + 2x fare = 11x fare total

All flights operated by partner airlines or Star Alliance members with tickets issued by an airline other than United will earn award miles based on the flight distance.

The following airlines are all partners with United:

Aegean	Ethiopian
Air Canada	EVA Air
Air China	LOT Polish Airlines
Air India	Lufthansa
Air New Zealand	Scandinavian Airlines
ANA	Shenzhen Airlines
Asiana Airlines	Singapore Airlines
Austrian	South African Airways
Avianca	SWISS
Brussels Airlines	TAP Air Portugal
Copa Airlines	Thai Airways
Croatia Airlines	Turkish Airlines
Egypt Air	United Airlines

Additional Partners
Aer Lingus	Azul	Eurowings	Olympic Air
Aeromar	Boutique Air	Eurowings Discover	Silver Airways
Air Dolomiti	Cape Air	Hawaiian Airlines	Virgin Australia
Airlink	Edelweiss	JSX	Vistara

The award miles earned on these tickets will also depend on the fare class. Go to United’s website to view United MileagePlus miles earned on each partnering airline.

There are only a few restrictions to earning miles on flights. Miles cannot be earned on MileagePlus award travel, charter flights, or reduced-rate tickets (see United for more restrictions).

Hot Tip: For more information on earning miles for paid flights, check out this in-depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.

12. Car Rentals and Other Ground Transportation

Flying is not the only way to earn United MileagePlus miles when you travel.

Transportation Partner	Miles per Transaction
Avis or Budget	Up to 1,250 miles per qualifying rental
Carmel	50 award miles (within New York) or 100 award miles (outside of New York) and up to 2 miles per $1 spent on each trip booked and completed (online bookings only)
Sixt mydriver	3 miles per $1 spent

13. Book With United Hotel Partners

United MileagePlus has a tremendous number of hotel partners. All of these offer varying amounts of bonus miles calculated by each dollar or night spent.

You can find all hotel partners listed on United’s site, but here’s a consolidated list and how many miles you’ll earn:

Hotel Partner	Miles per Stay	Hotel Partner	Miles per Stay
Best Western	250 miles per stay	Millennium Hotels and Resorts	250 to 500 miles per stay
Choice Hotels	250 miles per stay	Rocketmiles	1,000 to 10,000 miles per stay
Fiesta Americana	2,000 for 2+ nights	Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts	500 miles per stay
Hyatt	500 miles per stay	United Hotels	Up to 2 miles per $1 spent
IHG	Up to 2 miles per $1 spent	Villas of Distinction	3 miles per $1 spent
Langham Hospitality Group	Up to 1,500 miles per stay	Wyndham	Up to 2 miles per $1 spent
Marriott	Up to 2 miles per $1 spent

Hotel Transfer Partners

If the list above does not suit you, perhaps one of the partnering rewards programs will. MileagePlus has partnered with numerous hotel rewards programs covering hundreds of other hotels and resorts around the world.

As a member of any of the following hotel rewards programs, you can opt to earn United miles instead of the hotel’s own loyalty currency, though we would not recommend this due to poor value:

Hotel Partner	Transfer Rate	Hotel Partner	Transfer Rate
ALL – Accor Live Limitless	2,000 Rewards Points to 1,000 miles	Marriott Vacation Club	500 Vacation Club Points to 8,000 miles
Choice Privileges Rewards	5,000 points to 1,000 miles	Radisson Rewards Americas	2,000 points to 200 miles
Hilton Honors	10,000 points to 1,000 miles	Shangri-La Circle	1:1 with a 2,500-point minimum transfer
IHG One Rewards	10,000 points to 2,000 miles	World of Hyatt	2.5 points to 1 mile with a 5,000-mile bonus when converting 50,000 points to 20,000 miles
Marriott Bonvoy	3:1.1 with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred	Wyndham Rewards	6,000 points to 1,200 miles

14. Book Vacation Rentals through Vrbo

United MileagePlus members can earn 3x United miles per $1 spent booking a Vrbo vacation rental through the United Vrbo portal. United miles are awarded after the stay is complete and are based only on the rental amount. Taxes, cleaning fees, and any other service fees or extra charges won’t earn you miles.

The last name of the primary traveler on the Vrbo booking must match the last name on the United MileagePlus account in order to receive miles.

The bonus miles are not associated with having a United co-branded credit card so you can stack these bonus miles with any credit card to earn even more miles on your Vrbo purchase.

15. Book With United Vacations or United Packages

Search for great vacations combining flights, hotels, transportation, and activities at United Vacations. Use your United credit card when you purchase your vacation and earn a total of 2 miles per $1 spent.

Miles earned from these packages vary depending on the combination, location, and dates you desire. There’s a great list of vacation ideas with promotional codes aimed to earn you a set number of miles on the offers page.

With United Packages, you can earn 1,000 bonus miles when you book your flight, hotel, and car together.

16. Book United Cruises With Partners

Cruises all over Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and off the coasts of the U.S. earn some huge miles bonuses. You can earn up to 45,000 miles by booking a single cruise if you’re a United co-branded cardholder or 25,000 miles for non-cardholders!

Scroll down on the main page of the United Cruises website to find a list of special deals that will add even more miles to the normal amount offered. Some cruise lines will tack on up to 10,000 miles extra when booking through them!

Hot Tip: If you’ve opted to earn miles through an adventure on the open seas, don’t miss this ultimate cruise packing list to help you prep for your trip.

17. Special Travel Partners

The following company offers unique services and products related to your travel experience. It has bonus miles offered in partnership with MileagePlus and is worth taking a look at (especially if you’re a frequent traveler).

Company	Bonus Offer
VisaCentral	500 to 1,000 miles for visa and passport services

18. Fly Semi-private

While flying private or even semi-private isn’t something that the majority of us can do, it’s good to know that it’s another way to earn United miles.

Passengers flying on JSX flights can earn 50% to 100% of the miles flown, depending on the fare class booked, in the form of United MileagePlus miles.

Specialty Earnings for United MileagePlus Miles

United MileagePlus has partnered with lots of other companies and non-profits to give you different ways to earn extra miles.

19. Make a Donation

The National Foundation for Cancer Research was started in the 1970s to support cancer research and educate the public about cancer prevention, early diagnosis, better treatments, and finding a cure for all types of cancer.

MileagePlus participates in the “Fly to Find a Cure” program to encourage members to donate to the cause. You can donate to this wonderful organization and earn MileagePlus miles in return.

Donations of $25 or more will earn 10 miles per $1 spent. Make a donation and the miles will post to your account in 4 to 6 weeks!

20. Home and Energy Services

The following are some great ways to earn additional miles through services for your home.

Company	Product/Service	Bonus Miles
Reliant	If in Texas, purchase Reliant Secure 24 electricity plan	15,000 miles for signing up plus 500 miles each month for 24 months
NRG Home Power	Utility company	10,000 miles after second month as customer, 2,500 extra miles if United cardholder, plus up to 3 miles per $1 when paying your energy bill

Be careful: the cost of these services may not outweigh the benefits in the end! Figure out what better offers you can get for similar services in your area, and then decide which one makes the most sense for you.

21. Financial and Security Services

United MileagePlus often has partnerships with companies in the personal finance and security services world. These services can help you earn extra miles when you sign up via the links provided or mention your MileagePlus number to an agent.

Company	Example of Largest Bonus Miles Offer
Guaranteed Rate	Earn 50,000 miles after closing your home purchase loan or refinancing
LifeLock	Up to 10,000 miles depending on the plan
Rocket Mortgage	Earn 25,000 miles for closing or refinancing a home loan

Consult a financial advisor before making any decisions, especially with any providers that are connected to your personal finances. It’s one thing to earn lots of extra miles using these options, but quite another to end up with a new account or loan for which you could have gotten a better rate elsewhere!

22. Fill Out Surveys for Miles

Did you know there are data collection companies out there eager to get your marketing opinion in return for miles? All you have to do is sign up for free and fill out a few surveys or watch a few advertisements and give your opinion.

United MileagePlus has teamed up with Opinion Miles Club to offer you this simple way to earn a few extra miles. You can earn 300 miles for joining and completing your first survey (600 miles for MileagePlus cardholders), then 50 to 70 miles per survey.

23. Buy United Miles

Buying United miles should be left for times when you need to top off your MileagePlus account to book an award ticket. United occasionally offers bonuses for purchased miles, and if you can get them for a lower cost than their redemption value, you’ll come out ahead.

Final Thoughts

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program is the best way to earn United miles thanks to its higher-earning rate and 1:1 transfer ratio. Paired with a MileagePlus credit card, you can earn some serious miles and fun perks.

To top it all off, you can earn tons of extra miles shopping and dining out thanks to United’s partnerships. Before you know it, you’ll be booking your next award flight with United miles!

The information regarding the United Club℠ Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.

13 comments

Peter April 8, 2018
After cancelling a UA explorer card, how long to wait to apply for a new card and get 40,000 frequent flyer miles?
- Alex Miller April 9, 2018
  You’d need to wait 24 months from the date you applied for your United Explorer Card (not from the date that you cancel) if you were looking to sign up again and get the bonus.
  - ed June 1, 2018
    How would you do this without losing points on your credit score? (cancel/reapply?)
    - Alex Miller June 6, 2018
      You wouldn’t be able to avoid a drop in your credit score completely if you decide to cancel and then reapply. However, the drop is only temporary and will likely restore after 3-4 months of keeping all your accounts in good shape. So, I wouldn’t worry about this. The only thing to consider is if you’ve had this card for many, many years – then canceling will bring down your “average account age” across the board. If you’ve only had the card for a couple years, I wouldn’t worry much – but if you’ve had it for 5 years then I’d strongly consider if the points are worth the drop in average account age for you. Hope that helps.
Andrew October 5, 2018
Unable to find the newest promotion United.com/2018BonusMilesOffer site?
- Christine Krzyszton October 6, 2018
  Hi Andrew! Thanks for the question. I believe this is the site you were looking for. https://promotions.united.com/offers/2018BonusMilesOffer?utm_source=loyalty&utm_medium=dm&utm_campaign=4q18offer&utm_content=dm&utm_partner_category=cc&asset_position=hban&launch_date=2018-10-01
JLiz February 25, 2019
Looking for the highest earning Mileage Run trips (a list of cities, countries from SFO).
Thank you!
- Christine Krzyszton February 25, 2019
  Hello JLiz, looks like you’re ready to earn a lot of United miles. It would be very difficult to create an entire worldwide list of the best mileage runs from SFO without investing a lot of hours in research. We also do not know your preferences as to which class you prefer, your budget,etc. I would go to google.com/flights and limit your search to Star Alliance carriers.
  You can then input the dates you prefer, look at the explore maps and find the flight that suits your budget. You can use sites such as milecalc.com to estimate the amount of miles flown. Once you have found a flight, access the United.com site for earning charts. If the flights are on partner airlines, for example, you’ll want to match up the fare class with how many miles you’ll be earning. Hope this helps.
MN Black Car Service LLC October 15, 2019
Thanks for this amazing blog.
- Jarrod West October 15, 2019
  Thanks for the kind words!
Anton Rinck January 31, 2021
Do you get both the double PQM and mile play with the current offer?
- Jarrod West February 2, 2021
  Hi Anton,
  Which offer are you referring to? The current mile play offers are targeted offers, so each will vary based on the account holder.
airportspickup September 29, 2021
Thanks for sharing this blog. This blog is very useful.