How Much Are United Airlines Miles Worth in 2024?

Based on MoneyGeek’s study, the average value of United MileagePlus miles is between 1.2 and 1.3 cents. That said, how much United miles are worth may change based on how you choose to redeem them.

There are plenty of opportunities to earn and maximize United MileagePlus miles, including flying with United Airlines or its partners, using a co-branded credit card, shopping online via the MileagePlus Shopping portal and purchasing miles.

After racking up United MileagePlus miles, you can redeem them for award flights, flight upgrades, hotel accommodations, car rentals, cruises, United Club membership and more.

United MileagePlus miles are generally worth between 1.2 and 1.3 cents each, which is a helpful benchmark to see if you're getting good value. To calculate this, subtract taxes and fees from the ticket's cash price, then divide that number by the miles needed for the flight.

For example, if a flight costs $240 and requires 20,000 miles, your miles would be worth 1.2 cents each — within the typical range. Since United uses dynamic pricing, the number of miles needed for a flight can vary with demand.

To quickly check the value of your miles, try our calculator tool below.

How United Miles Compares to Other Airlines

Check out how United miles stack up against other major U.S. airlines by browsing through the table below.

If you fly United Airlines often, these cards are the best for earning miles and enjoying relevant perks. Find the best card for you based on your needs and lifestyle.

United MileagePlus miles can be used to book free or discounted flights with United Airlines and on Star Alliance partner airlines like Lufthansa, ANA and Air Canada. To redeem your United miles, visit United's website and choose your origin, destination and flight dates to see how much an award ticket will cost in miles.

Because United discontinued its published award chart, there is no longer a set number of miles required for each flight. It's advisable to compare the cost of a flight in cash and miles before booking.

Alternatively, your United MileagePlus miles can be redeemed for other purposes. These include hotel stays, car rentals, flight upgrades, gift cards and more.

There are various ways to earn United MileagePlus miles, from flying with United or its partner airlines to using the right credit card or booking rooms at certain hotels. United Mileage Plus miles never expire, so you can focus on earning miles without worrying about when you should redeem them.

Sign Up for United MileagePlus®

United MileagePlus is United Airlines' frequent flyer program. It's known for its top-notch economy award availability, a wide range of award destinations and multiple ways to earn and use miles. United MileagePlus is free to join; you only need to sign up for a MileagePlus frequent flyer account to start earning miles.

Joining United MileagePlus can help you earn miles for every dollar you spend in certain categories. Additionally, you get to enjoy various benefits, including:

• Award availability: You don't have to worry about blackout dates when booking an award flight.
• Extensive flight network: You can use your United MileagePlus miles to book online with United Airlines' 25 Star Alliance partners and fly to around 1,300 destinations.
• Miles expiration: United MileagePlus miles don't expire, meaning you can take your time planning when to use your hard-earned miles.

Earning Miles Using United Airlines Co-Branded Credit Cards

Getting a United Airlines co-branded credit card may be one of the best ways to earn United MileagePlus miles. MoneyGeek discovered that the United Club℠ Infinite Card offers the highest mileage rewards per dollar spent (1X-4X miles on eligible purchases). Cardholders can further maximize these benefits by earning the 100,000-mile welcome bonus after spending $5,000 within the first three months.

Buying Airline Tickets From United Airlines Partner Airlines

An easy way to earn United MileagePlus miles is by flying with United Airlines or its partners. United has 39 partner airlines, 25 of which are part of Star Alliance. These include but are not limited to:

• Air Canada
• All Nippon Airways (ANA)
• Asiana Airlines
• Brussels Airlines
• Croatia Airlines
• EVA Air
• Lufthansa Airlines
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• Swiss Airlines
• Thai Airways

Earn Miles Through United Airlines Partners and Affiliates

While flying with United Airlines or its airline partners and using co-branded credit cards are the primary methods to rack up United MileagePlus® miles, there are other ways to earn miles through United's non-flight-related partners. For instance, you can earn United miles by booking a stay at one of United's hotel partners.

• MileagePlus Dining and MileagePlus® Shopping. Link your credit card with MileagePlus Dining and earn up to 5X miles per dollar spent when you use it at a participating restaurant. You can also rack up miles by shopping online using the MileagePlus Shopping portal.

• United Hotel Partners. Earn miles by booking a stay directly with United's hotel partners, including Courtyard by Marriott, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Grand Hyatt, Hotel Indigo, Golden Circle and more. Making a hotel reservation using United's partner booking services can also help you earn additional miles.

• United Vacations and Cruises. Booking vacation packages through United Vacations can earn you miles. You'll rack up extra miles if you pay using the United Explorer Card. Traveling by sea can also earn you miles if you book a cruise through United Cruises.

• Rocket Mortgage. Earn 25,000 miles when you purchase or refinance a home with Rocket Mortgage. To earn the miles, call the dedicated benefit contact number or use the dedicated benefit website.

• Lifelock by Norton. Depending on your plan, you can earn up to 10,000 United miles when you sign up for identity theft protection from LifeLock with Norton.

• eGift Cards. You earn miles when you purchase egift cards from over 270 egift card merchants using your credit card.

Buying Miles From United Airlines

Although you can purchase miles on the MileagePlus website, it is generally not a good idea as they are quite expensive. In most cases, buying miles only makes sense if you need to top up your MileagePlus account to book an award flight.

We answered some common questions about United MileagePlus miles to help you better understand how to earn and use them.