United MileagePlus

What United MileagePlus is

United can change the rules. The company may alter rules and awards at any time without notice, or end the program. Everything here is therefore a snapshot, not a promise.

How a frequent flyer program works: earning miles with MileagePlus

Since March 1, 2015, the miles earned on United and United Express flights depend on the ticket price, meaning base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges. Booking expensive tickets earns more, booking cheap ones earns less.

The rate depends on the tier. Premier Silver members receive 7 award miles per dollar spent on United flights. At Premier Gold it is 8 award miles per dollar.

Bonus miles, award miles and other miles from activity without a flight do not count toward Premier qualification unless United expressly states otherwise. We could not verify earning routes through credit cards or hotels and make no statement about them.

Redeeming United MileagePlus miles

We could not verify how many miles an award costs. United’s pages load their content by script and could not be read, so we name neither a pricing model nor sample prices.

One cost rule is documented: the member is responsible for taxes and fees on award travel. Miles therefore do not automatically cover the whole fare. We found no readable official statement on surcharges on award tickets or on fees in CHF or EUR. We give no value per mile in cents because the basis is missing.

Mile expiry

United announced on August 28, 2019 that MileagePlus miles no longer expire. We could not read the current wording of the terms, so check it on the program’s site before you decide. Because United may change the program at any time, this rule is not a permanent promise either.

Premier Silver and Premier Gold

Premier Silver and Premier Gold differ mainly in the earning rate and in when benefits take effect. We could not verify the qualification thresholds, nor lounge access and priority rights.

Premier Silver

Premier Silver earns 7 award miles per dollar on United flights. At check-in there is complimentary Economy Plus for the member and a companion, when available. Complimentary Premier Upgrades are confirmed as early as the day of departure. That means an upgrade is hard to plan in advance.

Premier Gold

Premier Gold earns 8 award miles per dollar on United flights. Economy Plus is available already at booking, complimentary for the member and a companion, when available. Premier Upgrades are confirmed as early as 48 hours before departure. On top of that come two standard-size checked bags at no charge, each up to 32 kg.

Frequent flyer program for Switzerland, Germany and Austria

Three Star Alliance members have their own hubs in the German-speaking region. In Switzerland, SWISS operates hubs in Zurich (ZRH) and Geneva (GVA). In Germany, Lufthansa uses Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC). In Austria, Vienna (VIE) is the base of Austrian Airlines.

We could not verify whether or how MileagePlus miles can be earned or redeemed on these airlines. Nor could we verify country-specific earning routes for Switzerland, Germany or Austria, because United’s country pages were not readable. We make no statement about them.

Who MileagePlus does not suit

Miles & More alternatives and comparing frequent flyer programs

Which mileage program is best depends on the airline and the departure airport. MileagePlus suits mainly those who fly United often and buy expensive tickets, because the credit follows the price. If you are looking for alternatives to Miles & More, you will find more programs in the program archive.