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United MileagePlus members can transfer their United miles to another family member, though it's normally not worth it because of the fees involved. This month, members will get a 20% discount and won't have to pay the $30 processing fee. But is this a good deal? Here are the details.
Transfer United Miles With a 20% Discount and No Fee
If you weren't aware, United MileagePlus members can transfer miles to another family member using this link. However, each transfer costs $7.50 per 500 miles (1.5 cents per mile), plus $30 per transaction as a processing fee. Transferring 500 miles would cost $37.50.
You can transfer between 500 and 100,000 miles at a time. Also, one account can transfer a maximum of 100,000 miles in a single calendar year. Conversely, accounts can receive no more than 100,000 miles in a calendar year.
However, through March 31, 2024, United is giving members a 20% discount when transferring miles. Additionally, this offer waives the $30 transfer fee. So instead of paying 1.5 cents per mile when transferring to a family member, this offer lets members transfer at 1.2 cents per mile. That same 500-mile transfer from the example above will cost just $6 this month.
Members can transfer miles in increments of 500 up to 5,000, and thereafter in increments of 1,000 up to 100,000. Transactions post instantly. All transactions are non-refundable and irreversible.
Related: Do United MileagePlus miles expire?
Is It Worth It?
Let's say you want to transfer 10,000 MileagePlus miles to a family member to help them book an award flight. Normally, you would have to pay $180 for the transaction. With this promotion, you would pay just $120. However, there's almost no scenario where this is a good idea. You're not buying points for 1.2 cents each, but transferring points you've already purchased or earned for an additional 1.2 cents each. You're paying money but don't get any extra miles in the end.
If your friend or relative needs miles, a much better option is to wait for another buy United miles promotion. These promotions let you buy miles for as little as 1.88 cents each, and you actually get something new for your money.
Perhaps the only good reason for transferring miles between accounts is emptying out an account that had just a few miles, moving them into a main account. Or maybe you need to move just a few miles to have a sufficient balance for a redemption. Many award programs allow you to pool points and miles for free; unfortunately, United isn't one of them, and this promotion still doesn't make the cost worth it for most people.
Did you know you can transfer MileagePlus miles between accounts?
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