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The United Airlines MileagePlus program is one of the most popular and easiest-to-use frequent flyer programs. There are many ways to earn miles, and finding and booking a United award flight is pretty straightforward.
Today, we'll go over the basics of how United prices award flights. Then, we'll show you the step-by-step process for finding and booking award flights with United miles.
How Much Do United Award Flights Cost?
United uses a dynamic pricing model, meaning the prices to book a United award flight can change from day to day. In other words, there's no fixed award chart for flights United operates.
Take a look at the picture below, and you'll see that a flight from San Francisco to New York costs 15,000 one day, 19,400 another day, and 27,700 a different day.
This is important to remember when looking to book award flights with United. You can save a lot of miles if you're flexible with your dates! Thankfully, United's seven-day and 30-day award calendars make it easy to spot the cheapest travel dates.
Cardmember benefits
MileagePlus Premier members and qualified MileagePlus Chase Cardmembers are eligible for exclusive award space and award travel discounts of at least 10%. I've even seen discounts as high as 60%. So, being a United cardmember has valuable benefits worth considering.
Partner award rates
When it comes to booking an award flight on a partner airline, prices can be all over the place. It depends on dates, times, connections, which partner airline, and more. To provide some clarity, we have compiled an unofficial United award chart.
How to Book United Award Flights Using Miles
Now it's time to book your award flight. If you've earned United miles through flights or a co-branded credit card, they'll already be in your MileagePlus account.
When transferring points from a flexible rewards program, make sure to confirm award availability before transferring, as transfers can't be reversed.
To book an award flight, log in to your MileagePlus account. Then, click “Book” and fill out the search information. Make sure to select “Book with miles.” When you've filled all of that out, click “find flights.”
The next screen shows all of your flight options. At this point, we suggest either using the seven-day calendar across the top or clicking the 30-day calendar in the upper left to show the surrounding dates and prices. This is very helpful if you're able to adjust your dates to save some miles. Next, select both your departing and returning flights (if it's a round-trip booking).
After selecting your flights, enter all of your personal information. Make sure that your MileagePlus number is included. You can also include your TSA PreCheck information (if you have it) and any travel requests.
Finally, you will see a cost breakdown and be able to pay for your flight. When you pay the award taxes and fees, don't forget to use a card offering travel insurance benefits.
How to Earn United MileagePlus Miles
Before you can book a United award flight, you need to earn United miles. To do that, start by signing up for a free United MileagePlus account. This is where all of your United miles live, so you can use them to book award flights.
There are several ways to earn United miles, including:
- Flying with United and its Star Alliance partners
- Opening and using a United co-branded credit card
- Transferring points from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy®
- Shopping through the United MileagePlus Shopping portal or MileagePlus X app
- Earning miles through United's travel partners, including hotels, rental cars, cruises, and Lyft
- Purchasing United miles when it makes financial sense
If you're looking to build your MileagePlus balance quickly, our complete guide explains each of these options in more detail, including the best United credit cards, transfer partners, and earning strategies.
You can also use AwardWallet to track your United account for new miles you earn, bookings you make, and more.
- Earn at least 5X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 2X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on gas stations, local transit and commuting
- 1X on all other purchases
- 3X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 2X miles on entire United purchases with the United Gateway℠ Card
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 9X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 3X miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and direct hotel stays
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6x miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 3x miles on United purchases with the United℠ Explorer Card
$350Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 10X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 5X miles on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 4X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on all other travel, select streaming services and dining
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 4X miles on entire United purchases with the United Quest℠ Card
Bottom Line
Once you understand how United prices awards and know how to use its search tools, booking a United award flight is a simple process. From there, you can take advantage of United's extensive partner network to redeem miles on flights to destinations around the world.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: United Gateway℠ Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), and United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
