✈️ How to Book United Award Flights with MileagePlus Miles (Step-by-Step)
Want to fly with United using miles instead of cash? 💳✨ Booking award flights with United MileagePlus is easier than you think — if you know the right tricks.
Here’s what smart travelers do 👇 ✅ Log in to your MileagePlus account ✅ Search flights using “Book with miles” ✅ Use flexible dates to find cheaper award options ✅ Look for Saver awards to save thousands of miles ✅ Book one-way tickets for better flexibility ✅ Redeem miles on United + Star Alliance partners
💡 Pro tip: United uses dynamic pricing, so award prices change daily. Being flexible can save you a LOT of miles!
👉 Full guide: Learn how to stretch your MileagePlus miles further and book award flights the smart way.
✈️ Travel smarter. Fly for fewer miles.
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You need smart planning and flexibility to Book United Award Flight With MileagePlus Miles. Looking for Saver Awards instead of Everyday Awards can save you thousands of miles on similar flights. Of course, your chances of success increase by a lot when you search with flexible dates using the monthly calendar view.
Partner bookings give you exceptional value. Here are some options to think about:
- Book United flights through Turkish Miles & Smiles and save up to 35,000 miles
- Use Aeroplan for short-haul United flights starting at just 6,000 miles
- Transfer points from major credit card programs to access these sweet spots
Smart award booking makes all the difference:
- Use the Excursionist Perk for a free one-way segment
- Book one-way flights to secure availability as it opens
- Focus on international premium cabins for highest mile value
- Avoid merchandise redemptions that deliver poor value
Note that United miles never expire, so you have unlimited time to build up and smartly use them. Your patience and knowledge will help you realize the full potential of travel experiences while keeping your hard-earned miles safe.
Master these essential strategies to maximize your United MileagePlus miles and unlock significant savings on award flights.
- Book through partner airlines to save 10,000-35,000 miles per flight - Turkish Miles&Smiles offers United business class to Europe for just 45,000 miles versus United's 80,000+ miles
- Always search for Saver Awards using flexible dates - Use the monthly calendar view to find the lowest mileage requirements and avoid Everyday Awards that can cost 2-3x more miles
- Leverage the Excursionist Perk for free stopovers - Get a completely free one-way segment within regions on qualifying round-trip international awards, essentially adding an entire flight at zero mile cost
- Focus miles on international premium cabins for maximum value - Business class to Europe or Asia delivers 1.5+ cents per mile value, while domestic economy often provides poor redemption rates
- Transfer credit card points to partner programs for better rates - Chase, Amex, and Citi points can transfer to Aeroplan, Turkish, and other partners offering superior award pricing on identical United flights
The key to success lies in flexibility and strategic planning. Since United miles never expire, you have unlimited time to wait for optimal award availability and partner program sweet spots that can dramatically reduce your mileage costs.
You can save over 28,000 MileagePlus miles on a single trip by booking United flights through different programs. United raised their award ticket prices by about 30% for all service classes in spring 2023.
Smart travelers found a better way to book. A one-way economy flight from San Francisco to Honolulu through United MileagePlus might set you back 41,100 miles plus $5.60 in fees.
The same flight booked through Aeroplan costs just 12,500 miles and about $45 in fees. United's prices for one-way Polaris business class to Europe jumped from 60,000 to at least 80,000 miles.
Want to make your United miles go further? Turkish Miles&Smiles lets you book the same United business class award for only 45,000 miles each way. United's network spans domestic and international destinations, so knowing the best booking options can save you thousands of miles.
This piece will help you book United award flights and get the most from your MileagePlus miles.
Understanding United MileagePlus Miles
The MileagePlus program serves as the foundation for booking award flights with United Airlines. You'll get the most value from your redemption opportunities by first understanding these miles and how to collect them.
What are United MileagePlus miles?
United Airlines runs the MileagePlus loyalty program that boasts over 100 million members worldwide. These miles work like virtual currency - you earn them and spend them on flights, upgrades, and other travel perks.
A great feature of United's program ensures your miles never expire while your account stays open. You'll have unlimited time to build up and strategically use your miles to get the best value.
United, a founding member of Star Alliance (the largest airline alliance), lets you earn and use miles with more than 40 partner airlines worldwide. The network reaches about 300 cities across five continents, which makes it especially valuable when you have international travel plans.
How to earn United miles
Flying remains the quickest way to earn United miles. Your earning rate on United-operated flights depends on two factors:
- Ticket price: Miles come from the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, not government taxes and fees
- MileagePlus status: Higher status means more bonus miles
United uses a tiered structure that determines miles earned per dollar based on your status:
You can earn up to 75,000 miles per ticket.
Your mileage balance can grow through several other methods:
- Credit cards: United co-branded Chase cards give you substantial welcome bonuses and ongoing earning opportunities
- Transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United at a 1:1 ratio
- MileagePlus Dining: Restaurants in the program offer up to 5 miles per dollar
- MileagePlus Shopping: United's shopping portal helps you earn miles with over 1,100 retailers
- Hotel stays: Major hotel chains and Vrbo reward you with miles (3 miles per dollar)
