Whether or not you have banked some MileagePlus miles from years of flying United, carry one in every of their co-branded bank cards, or have some Chase factors you possibly can immediately switch, sitting on a bunch of United miles is an excellent downside to have. However it is time to begin utilizing them.
We all know, we all know: It is onerous. What’s use of United MileagePlus miles and what must you skip? Let’s begin with one of the best of one of the best.
We have despatched Thrifty Traveler Premium+ subscribers tons of of award alerts to make use of their United miles through the years. The standout offers run the gamut from deeply discounted gross sales flying United overseas to some superb redemptions utilizing United miles to fly on one of many 20-plus Star Alliance accomplice airways.
And as you will see, there are stellar offers available whether or not you reside in an enormous United hub airport like Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), or Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) or not.
Thrifty Traveler Premium+ is the one flight deal service that sends members low cost flight offers and award alerts to make use of their factors and miles – learn up on the way it works!
A Nationwide Summer season Sale to Europe for 40K Miles RT
United usually fees at the least 60,000 miles roundtrip for flights in financial system to Europe. For a summer time journey throughout the pond, anticipate to fork over 150,000 miles for a summer time journey due to United’s dynamic award pricing, which implies award charges to e book United flights comply with money costs.
However each infrequently, we see United slash award charges. That is simply what occurred again in 2021, when United opened the floodgates to fly from virtually any metropolis within the states … to many locations in Europe … in the midst of summer time … for simply 40,000 miles roundtrip!
That is the upside of United’s transition to dynamic award pricing: You’ll be able to see sky-high award charges when utilizing United miles … however sometimes, you get the deal of a lifetime.
From Amsterdam (AMS) to Dublin (DUB) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and even gems like Dubrovnik (DBV) in Croatia, 40,000 United miles was all you’d want for a visit in the midst of summer time. That is unthinkably low cost – particularly from smaller cities like Fargo (FAR)!
Australia and Again for Underneath 50K Miles
Whether or not you are utilizing money or miles, attending to Australia is hard – and I am not simply speaking in regards to the 14-plus-hour flight.
That is what made this deal from United in late 2022 so astounding: Roundtrip flights from virtually any U.S. airport with United service all the way in which to Sydney (SYD), Brisbane (BNE), or Melbourne (MEL) as little as 40,000 miles.
Better of all, these flights had been out there for a visit in January by means of March of this 12 months – our winter, however Australia’s summer time!
This superb Australia deal was a part of a broader sale that additionally featured half-off award charges to Europe and far of Asia, too. Nevertheless it was pretty unique: Solely vacationers with United Premier standing or a co-branded bank card just like the United℠ Explorer Card may see and e book these low award charges – and people with each bought one of the best deal.
This deal is lengthy gone now, however those that jumped on it understand how good they’ve it. Take into account this: This very same flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Sydney (SYD) would value greater than 110,000 United miles to e book as we speak.
Turkish Enterprise Class for Much less
Name it a mistake fare or name it no matter you need – typically, airways simply screw up. That is simply what occurred a 12 months in the past … and we caught it.
We unearthed a pricing error to present our Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members an opportunity to fly the superb Turkish Airways enterprise class to Istanbul (IST) for simply 60,000 United MileagePlus miles every method – considerably lower than what United usually fees for these accomplice award redemptions.
However the fantastic thing about this deal is that it wasn’t simply bookable on Turkish’s nonstop routes from airports like New York Metropolis (JFK), Newark (EWR), Boston (BOS), or Chicago-O’Hare (ORD). No, you could possibly begin your journey from virtually any metropolis within the nation flying United, perhaps pop right into a Polaris Lounge throughout your layover, then proceed over to Turkey … all for simply 60,000 miles complete.
United caught the error inside a number of hours and killed this deal. However not earlier than Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members booked a reduced journey in lie-flat enterprise class seats to top-of-the-line cities on the planet.
Flying like this all the way in which to Istanbul may simply be one of many greatest methods to make use of 60,000 United miles, for those who ask us.
Learn our full assessment of flying Turkish enterprise class from Istanbul to San Francisco!
A Summer season Journey to London for 44K Miles
You need to go to London in the summertime, I get it. Here is the issue: So does everybody else. And meaning it may be onerous to seek out the seats you need to fly out and in of London-Heathrow (LHR), regardless of what number of miles you have bought.
Till a deal like this hits your inbox.
This deal is lengthy gone now – get the following alert to make use of your United miles with Thrifty Traveler Premium+!
That is proper: A visit to London and again in the midst of summer time (or spring or fall – no matter you fancy) for simply 44,000 miles and some hundred bucks in obligatory taxes and costs.
This deal popped up a couple of 12 months in the past, giving Thrifty Traveler Premium+ a solution to plan a summer time 2022 journey to England for fewer miles. United’s bought loads of nonstop routes to London: From Newark (EWR), Boston (BOS), Washington, D.C-Dulles (IAD), Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), Houston-Intercontinental (IAH), Denver (DEN), San Francisco (SFO), and even Los Angeles (LAX).
However – and cease me for those who’ve heard this earlier than – this one was bookable from virtually each airport within the nation. That meant you could possibly begin your journey from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Fargo (FAR), Peoria (PIA), Kansas Metropolis (MCI), you title it – all for simply 44,000 miles roundtrip.
Or Fly United Enterprise Class to London
Wish to cross the pond in consolation utilizing your United miles? We bought you. How about this?
Learn our full assessment of flying United Polaris enterprise class to London!
We’re all the time trying to find uncommon enterprise class award house to go overseas utilizing airline miles and United Polaris has been a vivid spot currently, particularly on flights to London-Heathrow (LHR). We have despatched Thrifty Traveler Premium+ 10 alerts in the previous few months alone to e book United’s high enterprise class seats to London – together with a number of for summer time journey!
You possibly can get a fair higher discount reserving these very same flights utilizing simply 45,000 miles from the Turkish Miles & Smiles program, which is a Capital One switch accomplice and a Citi switch accomplice, too. But when United miles are what you have bought, you could not discover a higher method to make use of them than reserving a enterprise class flight that usually prices $5,000 or extra.
Anyplace within the World for 42K Miles Roundtrip
In case your journey wishlist is so lengthy you have misplaced observe, this was the United mileage deal for you.
“Anyplace on the earth” is not a stretch: This United award sale from again in 2019 may get you to virtually any nook of the planet and again house for simply 42,000 miles.
Wish to store or catch a soccer sport in Milan (MXP)? You possibly can have booked it for 42,000 miles. Acquired your coronary heart on Hong Kong (HKG)? Additionally 42,000 miles roundtrip. Auckland (AKL), Tokyo (HND), Tahiti (PPT), and even Guam (GUM)? Sure, 42,000 miles complete.
This was United’s first foray into the deeply discounted award gross sales which have grow to be a fixture over at Delta with their SkyMiles flash gross sales. It was a doozy, a large deal the likes of which we’ve not seen since.
The checklist of potential locations you could possibly get to for simply 42,000 United miles was almost infinite … however so had been the departure cities, with virtually each airport within the nation moving into the combo. Here is only a small pattern.
We discover low cost flights and factors & miles offers from 200-plus cities – greater than some other flight deal service!
One other Unicorn: 60K Miles Enterprise Class to New Zealand
While you’re flying all the way in which to New Zealand, a lie-flat enterprise class seat is paramount. However reserving these seats (and beds) is not low cost: It’s going to usually value you 300,000 United miles or extra only for a one-way flight.
Check out this.
That is proper: Simply 60,000 United miles for a enterprise class seat all the way in which to Wellington (WLG) in New Zealand with only a fast connection in Australia. You recognize you are getting a deal when flying enterprise class prices a fraction of a cramped financial system seat.
This unicorn fare popped up final spring. It got here and went quick, however not earlier than Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members jumped on it for a visit to the land down underneath later in 2022 and even 2023 – together with New Zealand’s peak summer time!
Earn United Miles
Fortunate for you, there are many methods to earn United miles.
Sure, you possibly can earn miles flying with United and its accomplice airways. However one of the simplest ways to earn a bunch of United MileagePlus miles is with bank cards – and never simply United’s personal Chase playing cards.
That is an choice, in fact. United has a handful of co-branded playing cards with Chase together with the United Membership℠ Infinite Card, the United Quest℠ Card, the United Explorer℠ Card, and the United Gateway Card℠.
The United Explorer℠ Card is sort of all the time one of the best place to begin: You’ll be able to at present earn 50,000 MileagePlus miles after spending $3,000 within the first three months of card membership. Plus, you will get a credit score that covers the price of signing up for both International Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Be taught extra in regards to the United℠ Explorer Card.
However we would argue one of the simplest ways to earn United MileagePlus miles is not from a bank card with United’s title on it. It is through Chase Final Rewards playing cards just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. United is a Chase switch accomplice, which implies you possibly can immediately flip a stash of 60,000 Chase Final Rewards into 60,000 United miles.
The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked is our go-to advice for many vacationers due to its cheap annual payment of simply $95. However most significantly, you possibly can at present earn 60,000 Chase Final Rewards factors after spending $4,000 inside three months.
Be taught extra in regards to the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card.
It’ss additionally price onerous take a look at both the Chase Freedom Flex or the Chase Freedom Limitless® playing cards. They kind an ideal tandem with a Sapphire Card. And although they’re marketed as no-annual-fee cashback bank cards, you possibly can switch the cashback earned from both card immediately into your Chase Final Rewards account, turning that cashback straight into Chase factors.
Small enterprise homeowners (and belief us, you may be one and never even comprehend it) must also give a protracted, onerous take a look at the Chase Ink Enterprise Money® Credit score Card and the Chase Ink Enterprise Limitless® Credit score Card. That is very true proper now, as each playing cards are at present providing a record-busting bonus of $900 cashback (or 90,000 Chase factors!) after spending $6,000 within the first three months of card membership. These bonuses are set to finish in a matter of days!
Learn extra: Acquired a Chase Sapphire Card? Here is What You Ought to Do Subsequent
Renters, although, ought to take a look at one card specifically.
The Bilt Rewards Mastercard® means that you can earn 1x level per greenback you spend on lease every month with out paying additional charges – and there isn’t any annual payment for holding the cardboard, both. It is a no-brainer choice for renters.
Bilt Rewards sweetens the cope with what it calls Bilt Hire Day: A month-to-month promotion that means that you can speed up on the primary of every month. As long as you make at the least 5 transactions each month along with your Bilt card, you usually earn 3x factors per greenback spent on eating, 2x factors per greenback spent on journey, and 1x factors on each different buy. On Bilt Hire Day, that doubles: You get 6x factors per greenback on eating, 4x factors on journey, and 2x factors on all non-rent bills.
Here is the fantastic thing about incomes Bilt factors: You’ll be able to switch them to your United Airways account on a 1:1 foundation, so 50,000 Bilt factors will get you 50,000 MileagePlus miles.
Backside Line
This checklist is under no circumstances exhaustive. We may spend tens of hundreds of phrases poring over one of the best offers we have discovered to make use of your United miles.
For those who’ve bought United MileagePlus miles to burn and are not certain how greatest to make use of them, Thrifty Traveler Premium+ is right here to assist by, sending you alerts for one of the best flights you possibly can really e book along with your factors and miles.
