Introduction
Looking to make the most of your United Airlines miles? Whether you’re a frequent traveler or just getting started with travel rewards, understanding how United MileagePlus works—and how Points.com integrates with it—is key to unlocking premium travel perks. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from earning strategies to redemption hacks and how Points.com can help boost your MileagePlus balance.
What Is United Airlines MileagePlus?
United Airlines’ MileagePlus is one of the most popular and comprehensive frequent flyer programs in the world. Introduced in 1981, it enables members to earn miles through flights, shopping, credit cards, hotel stays, and more. These miles can then be redeemed for flights, seat upgrades, car rentals, and vacation packages.
Key features include:
- Miles that never expire
- Access to the Star Alliance network
- Upgrades via PlusPoints for elite members
- Flexible redemptions across travel and retail categories
What Is Points.com?
Points.com is a loyalty commerce platform that allows members to buy, gift, or transfer miles across multiple loyalty programs—including United MileagePlus. It acts as a third-party bridge between loyalty ecosystems and simplifies topping off your balance when you need just a few extra miles for a redemption.
Through Points.com, you can:
- Buy United MileagePlus miles (often during promotions)
- Gift miles to another member
- Transfer points between participating programs (limited and at a cost)
- Exchange lesser-used loyalty balances into MileagePlus miles (value varies)
While it’s not the most economical option for mile transfers, it can be a helpful tool when used strategically.
How to Earn MileagePlus Miles Efficiently
1. Fly United or Star Alliance Partners
You earn miles when you fly with:
- United Airlines
- Star Alliance members like Lufthansa, ANA, Singapore Airlines
- Non-alliance partners like Aer Lingus or Azul
Mileage accrual is based on the fare class and ticket cost. Premier status members (Silver, Gold, Platinum, and 1K) earn up to 11 miles per dollar spent.
2. Use United Co-Branded Credit Cards
United offers several Chase-issued cards, such as:
- United Explorer Card
- United Quest Card
- United Club Infinite Card
- United Business Card
These cards earn miles on purchases and often come with generous sign-up bonuses.
3. Transfer Partner Points to United
You can transfer points from:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1)
- Bilt Rewards (1:1)
- Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 + bonus for 60k transfers)
Pro Tip: Chase and Bilt are the best options due to their favorable transfer ratios and speed.
4. Earn Through Shopping & Dining
MileagePlus Shopping and MileagePlus Dining portals let you earn miles on everyday purchases. You can also take surveys or use car rentals and hotels partnered with United.
Buying United Miles via Points.com
Buying miles directly through Points.com is quick and convenient, though it should only be done if you’re short a small amount for an award ticket.
Key Things to Know:
- Purchases can be made in increments of 1,000 miles.
- Promotions can offer 50%–100% bonus miles.
- Not ideal for large-scale purchases unless you find award flights that offer high cents-per-mile value.
- Purchases are not eligible for travel category multipliers on credit cards.
When to Consider Buying:
- You’re just a few thousand miles short of booking a business or first-class ticket.
- You find a Saver Award that gives you a redemption value of 1.5–2.0¢ per mile or higher.
Transferring Miles via Points.com: Is It Worth It?
Points.com allows you to transfer miles from other loyalty programs into United MileagePlus, but this often comes at a steep cost.
For example:
- Transferring from American Express Membership Rewards or Citi ThankYou is not allowed.
- Transfers from programs like Marriott Bonvoy can be done directly (not via Points.com) and typically yield better value.
- If allowed, the transfer ratios on Points.com are often poor (as low as 5:1).
Verdict:
✅ Use only to top up small mile balances
❌ Avoid using it for large conversions due to high transfer loss and fees
Redeeming MileagePlus Miles
MileagePlus offers a variety of redemption options—but not all are created equal. Here’s what to aim for:
✈️ Award Flights (Best Value)
- United uses dynamic pricing—no fixed award chart.
- Saver Awards offer the best value.
- Redemption starts at 5,600 miles one-way for short-haul flights.
- International business class can range from 60,000 to 80,000 miles.
You can also redeem on Star Alliance partners, such as:
- Lufthansa
- SWISS
- Singapore Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
No fuel surcharges make MileagePlus great for partner awards.
⬆️ Upgrades
- Use PlusPoints for elite members.
- Use miles to upgrade paid tickets (less ideal unless flying long-haul).
🏨 Hotels, Cars, and Shopping (Poor Value)
- Hotels: Usually ~0.7¢ per mile
- Merchandise: ~0.5¢ per mile
- Gift cards: ~0.6¢ per mile
Only use these if your miles are about to expire or you don’t plan to travel.
New: MileagePlus Family Pooling
As of 2024, MileagePlus introduced family mileage pooling:
- Up to 5 members can pool miles.
- One “pool leader” controls redemptions.
- Ideal for families saving for a group trip.
This feature is especially useful for combining small balances from multiple users for a larger redemption.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- Miles never expire
- Access to Star Alliance partners
- Multiple ways to earn and redeem
- Family pooling boosts redemption potential
- Great for international award tickets
- Buy miles through Points.com for flexibility
❌ Cons
- Dynamic pricing adds unpredictability
- Low redemption value for non-travel items
- Poor transfer rates via Points.com
- Mileage purchases are not travel bonus-eligible
- Points.com transfer fees can be high
Conclusion
United MileagePlus, when used smartly with Points.com, opens the door to luxurious and affordable travel. While Points.com shouldn’t be your first stop for point transfers due to its low-value conversions, it remains a practical tool for last-minute top-ups, gifting, or buying miles during bonus promotions. When combined with a Chase or Bilt credit card and United’s family pooling feature, this program becomes incredibly flexible and powerful.
Use your miles wisely by focusing on award flights—especially in business class or through Star Alliance partners. Steer clear of poor-value redemptions, and always calculate the cost-per-mile before making a purchase or transfer. With the right strategy, MileagePlus and Points.com can take your travel game to new heights.
