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No, United MileagePlus miles do not expire as long as your account is alive. Per the United MileagePlus rules page:
“Mileage accrued in a Member's account shall be maintained in the account until it is redeemed for an award or until it is otherwise forfeited.”
When Could You Forfeit United Miles?
According to the United MileagePlus rules page, there are six reasons why your mileage balance can be forfeited:
- Changes to “these Rules, United’s Contract of Carriage or United’s fare rules.”
- Engaging in prohibited conduct.
- Due to applicable regulations and laws.
- You request the closure of your account.
- The death of the account holder.
- Failure to respond to repeated communications from United about your account status.
Therefore, your United miles don't expire as long as your account is open. Avoiding the above behaviors will keep your account open and your mileage balance valid.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to United MileagePlus
Boosting Your United MileagePlus Balance
Because United miles don't expire, you can take your time to accrue a good balance for an excellent redemption.
When it comes to boosting your United Mileage Plus balance the easiest way is through everyday spending with any of United's co-branded credit cards. Also, earning the welcome bonus from one of the many United credit cards can significantly boost your mileage balance.
You can earn bonuses on multiple United credit cards, assuming you meet the bank's application rules.
Related: Current Offers on United Credit Cards
United MileagePlus earning partners
United has an enormous number of partners, and earning United miles has never been easier. In fact, you can earn a ton of miles without ever setting foot on a United Airlines aircraft. You can boost your United mileage balance in all the following ways:
- Book and take flights with United or its partner airlines.
- Earn miles for your next hotel stay at various brands, including IHG, Hyatt, and Marriott.
- Boost your Mileage balance with your next car rental with United partners Avis and Budget.
- Earn miles for shopping through the United MileagePlus shopping portal.
- Book a cruise at cruises.united.com.
- Earn miles for dining out with the United dining program.
- Buy flowers via Teleflora or 1-800 Flowers.
- Use the MileagePlus X app when shopping.
The list is by no means exhaustive. United has many other retail partners with which you can earn miles, so it's always worth checking United's partner list to see if you have an opportunity to earn extra miles on an upcoming purchase.
It's also worth noting that there are regular sales to buy United miles with a bonus or discount, which can help you top up your account for an upcoming award redemption.
Related: How to Redeem United Miles for Maximum Value
Our Take
Miles that never expire are excellent news for any United MileagePlus fan. However, make sure you don't become complacent. With no pressure to keep your miles alive, avoid the temptation to keep piling miles into your account safe in the knowledge they will be there forever.
The expiration policy could change, jeopardizing your balance. Also, with devaluation after devaluation, the value of your miles erodes with time. Miles are only worth something when you redeem them — which, after all, is the fun part.
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Here in Argentina you can no longer add miles 🙁