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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. Cardholder benefits like free checked bags get plenty of attention, but there's more to these cards than meets the eye. In fact, one of the most valuable perks of these cards is poorly understood and often overlooked.
If you have an eligible United credit card, you can use your balance of United MileagePlus miles to book flights that aren’t available to everyone else. Here's what savvy travelers need to know.
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Access More United Award Availability
Hidden in United's website is a bit of fine print that you'll want to know about: Those with elite status and those with eligible United credit cards get access to exclusive award availability.
It's understandable if you've never heard of this perk before. After all, neither United nor Chase advertise this as a benefit in credit card marketing materials.
So what are Chase and United leaving out? Cardmembers also get access to extra economy-class flights at the cheapest price in miles — also known as Saver Awards. You won't see these awards unless you are a cardholder or a United MileagePlus elite. United hides these awards completely from the general public.
Being a cardholder can make a huge difference in your options for using miles. Note that this benefit is only available to the primary cardholder and does not extend to 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. United will recognize your status as a co-brand cardholder and display additional fare classes when you search for awards.
United labels flights featuring expanded award space with “Special Member Pricing.” When you hover over that, it says this:
“Exclusively available to you as a valued MileagePlus Premier® member and/or United MileagePlus Cardmember, you are receiving a lower mileage rate than non-Premier members and non-United Cardmembers.”
United labels this expanded award space with a different fare class:
- Additional Economy Saver Awards: XN
- Additional Business Everyday Awards: JN
For example, you'll see in the flight details for this itinerary that the DFW–ORD economy segment on the Business Saver award is labeled with the (XN) fare class. That bucket is only available to Chase MileagePlus cardholders and Premier elite members.
Without access to the (XN) economy seat on the flight from Orange County to Chicago, the business-class ticket to Warsaw would cost 175,000 United miles. Instead, United cardholders pay just 88,000 United miles for this trip.
The expanded award space can help you piece together much better itineraries on multi-segment, international awards. More award availability often leads to shorter connections and fewer stops to reach your destination.
Which United Co-Brand Cards Qualify for Additional Saver Award Space?
Of United's cards open to new applicants, six offer expanded award access: three personal credit cards and two small business cards. On the personal side, that includes the following options for entry-level cards:
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations, on local transit and commuting
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 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
And if you're looking for more perks, the following cards might be more your style:
- 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
- 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
Alternatively, if you hold one of the following small business credit cards, you'll also have unique access to secret award space:
- 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
If you plan on canceling either the United Quest Card or the United Club, you might consider downgrading them to the no-annual-fee United Gateway Card. That way, you'll continue having the expanded award availability without an annual fee.
A spokesperson for Chase has confirmed that this card shares the extra award space benefit with other cards, despite not having an annual fee.
Does Expanded Saver Award Space Include Partners?
The short answer is no. Holding a United co-branded card only opens up additional award space on United- and United Express-operated flights. However, expanded United award availability can make partner awards more accessible. In many cases, the extra availability eliminates the need to purchase a separate ticket to position to an international hub where saver-level partner flights are available.
Earning United MileagePlus Miles
United MileagePlus miles are the only currency you can use to book the expanded saver award space. You can't use Avianca LifeMiles or Singapore KrisFlyer miles to book the secret space — just United miles. It's a unique perk reserved for an eligible few.
So, what are some ways to stock up on United miles? Here are a few:
- Credit United Airlines and partner flights to MileagePlus.
- Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards points to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio.
- Convert Marriott Bonvoy points to United miles at a 3:1 ratio and bank a bonus of 10,000 miles for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer.
- Use United's online shopping portal.
- Buy United miles outright.
Another option is to convert other hotel currencies to United miles. You can find United's complete list of transfer partners below.
Related: Do United MileagePlus Miles Expire?
Final Thoughts
Just by holding an eligible United Airlines credit card, you automatically gain access to additional award space at both the saver and everyday award levels. While the extra saver availability is restricted to economy awards, it's still one of the most valuable features you get for being a cardholder.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The New United Gateway℠ Card (Rates & Fees), The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and The New United℠ Business Card (Rates & Fees)
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