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United Airlines' Chase-issued credit cards can be quite valuable for anyone who flies with the airline even a few times each year. Perks like free checked bags tend to grab the spotlight — and having a United card is soon going to become critical for earning miles on United flights.
But there’s another benefit that doesn’t get nearly as much attention. By having an eligible United credit card, you can use your United MileagePlus miles to book flights that aren’t available to everyone else.
Just having the right card unlocks access to this benefit, and it can save you tens of thousands of miles. Here's what savvy travelers need to know.
Note that this benefit is evolving effective April 2, 2026. United recently announced that cardholders will save at least 10% on all United awards — with Premier elite cardholders saving at least 15%. We will update this post once this benefit relaunches and we figure out how it works in practice.
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Access More United Saver Award Availability Through United Cards
Buried in the fine print of United's website is a valuable detail: Travelers with United Premier elite status or an eligible United co-branded credit card receive access to expanded Saver award availability on United-operated flights.
It’s easy to miss since neither United nor Chase clearly advertised this perk in credit card marketing materials.
In short, eligible cardholders and Premier elites can see extra Saver-level economy award seats that aren’t available to general MileagePlus members. These seats price at United’s lowest award levels, potentially saving thousands of miles on a single trip.
United also occasionally releases additional Saver-level business-class space to this group — and sometimes even runs award sales just for United cardholders. However, expanded award availability in economy is the typical benefit.
Thus, being a United cardholder can make a huge difference in your options for using miles. Note that this benefit is only available on the MileagePlus account for the primary cardholder — not for authorized users.
Related: The Basics of Booking an Award Flight With United
How To Find Expanded United Saver Award Space
To unlock United's hidden award space, simply sign in to your MileagePlus account before searching United for award flights. Once logged in, United will recognize your status as a co-branded cardholder or Premier elite and display additional Saver-level availability.
Flights with expanded access are labeled “Cardmembers Save” or “Premiers Save,” along with the percentage discount compared to what general members see. A banner appears above the price, and the flight will also be marked as a “Saver Award.”
United labels this expanded award space with specific fare classes:
- Additional Economy Saver Awards: XN
- Additional Business Saver Awards: IN
Standard Saver economy space available to all MileagePlus members appears as X fare class. For example, in the itinerary shown below, the DFW–ORD economy segment is labeled (XN), meaning it’s only available to eligible cardholders and Premier elites. Meanwhile, the business segment displays (JN), which is not Saver-level space.
In some cases, the savings can be dramatic. In the example above, general members are quoted more than 180,000 miles for a one-way itinerary to London. Eligible cardholders and Premier elites can book the same flights for 80,000 miles because both segments include exclusive Saver-level availability.
Expanded award space is especially useful on multisegment international itineraries. United will only price an itinerary at the Saver level if every segment has Saver space. Sometimes all that’s missing is a short domestic connection on United metal. Having access to XN or IN inventory can make the difference between a reasonably priced award and one that costs tens of thousands more miles.
Which United Co-Brand Cards Qualify for Additional Saver Award Space?
Of United's cards currently open to new applicants, six offer expanded award access: four personal credit cards and two small business cards. On the personal side, three United credit cards offer expanded award availability as a standard cardholder benefit:
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
$350Rates & Fees
- 5 miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2 miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
$695Rates & Fees
- Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
In addition, the United Gateway℠ Card offers cardholders access to expanded award pricing — but only if the cardholder makes $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year. Once earned, the benefit remains valid through the end of the following calendar year.
Small business owners can get expanded award access on the following United small business credit cards:
$150Rates & Fees
- 2x on United® purchases
- 2x on local transit and commuting — including train tickets, taxicabs, mass transit, tolls and ride share services
- 2x at gas stations, restaurants and office supply stores
- 1x on all other purchases
$695
One quirk we've found is that some former cardholders of cards like the United Quest Card or the United Club still get access to expanded space after downgrading their card to the no-annual-fee United Gateway Card. This gives continued expanded award availability without an annual fee.
Does United Cardholder Expanded Saver Award Space Include Partners?
Unfortunately, holding a United co-branded card only opens up additional award space on United- and United Express-operated flights.
However, that expanded availability can indirectly make partner awards easier to book. In many cases, access to extra United Saver space eliminates the need to purchase a separate positioning flight to an international gateway where partner Saver awards are available.
Earning United MileagePlus Miles
United MileagePlus miles are the only currency that can be used to book expanded saver award space. You can’t access this additional availability with partner programs like Avianca LifeMiles or Singapore KrisFlyer. It’s a benefit reserved for eligible cardholders and Premier elites.
So, what are some ways to stock up on United miles? Here are a few:
- Credit United Airlines and partner flights to MileagePlus
- Use United's online shopping portal
- Buy United miles outright
- Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to United at a 1:1 ratio
- Convert Marriott Bonvoy points to United miles at a 3:1 ratio, plus a bonus of 10,000 miles for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer
Here's a complete list of United's transfer partners:
Related: Do United MileagePlus Miles Expire?
Final Thoughts
Just by holding an eligible United Airlines credit card, you automatically gain access to additional Saver-level award space for all cabins of United flights. This savings is also available if you're a Premier elite member.
All you need to do is log in to your MileagePlus account before you search for award flights, and you'll see which awards are exclusively available to you.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and United℠ Business Card (Rates & Fees)
